tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post6724276387280396629..comments2024-03-28T22:02:16.520-04:00Comments on Politics and its Discontents: The Fight Must ContinueLornehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741324981120408977noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-25591056178931042016-11-30T10:19:19.114-05:002016-11-30T10:19:19.114-05:00Individual contributions to the overall good, Mari...Individual contributions to the overall good, Marie, are now more important than ever; it does take a conscious effort, as you suggest, to overcome the atmosphere of hatred that has been facilitated by the election of Trump. More efforts like those of this man from Texas are needed: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/Man-stands-against-Islamophobia-as-he-stands-10639045.phpLornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15741324981120408977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-19022424458345976822016-11-30T07:46:31.289-05:002016-11-30T07:46:31.289-05:00Absolutely, Lorne. We have to work hardest to main...Absolutely, Lorne. We have to work hardest to maintain our own integrity in the face of the upheaval around us and then hopefully others will recognize it's <i>possible</i> to be kind and compassionate in a hate-soaked atmosphere. But it does takes a conscious effort. The more Trump picks monsters for his staff and Trudeau sells out the environment for his oil buddies, the more people I'll look in the eye to smile and greet on the street each day. Marie Snyderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13872774009526266579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-67590118917650120902016-11-29T21:20:30.756-05:002016-11-29T21:20:30.756-05:00Trump is the final bullet in a neoliberal/imperial...Trump is the final bullet in a neoliberal/imperialist gun that has been pointed at humanity for decades.Trumps presidential reign will be where the American cultural wasteland ends.<br /><br />When a country like the US becomes intellectually and morally bankrupt, their last vestige of civility will be destroyed by the intellectually and morally bankrupt person of Donald Trump<br /><br />Our own neoliberal government supports the totality of American imperialism, even at the destruction of our own countries sovereignty. We're on our own.<br /><br />As Canadians we have a front row seat to witness the fall of the American Empire. It's not here yet but time is running out.<br /><br />The US and its allies Have already shown their complete indifference toward the victims of their violent, barbaric and brutal perpetual wars.<br /><br />It is this continued indifference to the effect of the violence the US imposes on others that will precipitate the self destructive fall of Imperial America.<br /><br />I understand completely what Kirby is feeling including being on the losing side. For the intelligent, progressive individual who cares about and values other human beings, these are dark days.<br /><br />I've come to realize though, that everything that is worth fighting for, for the noble purpose of benefiting human kind, has been fought by an individual or by a small handful of people, sometimes against great odds. The same applies today.<br /><br />You're right Lorne that "the fight must continue" if not for ourselves, as our generation is coming closer to the end of days, then for the generations coming up behind us. <br /><br />No political corruption, force or deception should go unchallenged. In the 70's the boomer generation stopped a war, Vietnam.<br /><br />Together we and other generations can stop these authoritarian, neoliberal, imperial entities that incur death and destruction to get what they want. They are without a soul which means as human beings they are without life. Surely we who do have a soul and are very much alive, can peacefully rid of those who hold the power, but are really just the walking dead.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07842215982128591742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-4400626225482704442016-11-29T17:25:38.091-05:002016-11-29T17:25:38.091-05:00I understand that an announcement is imminent, and...I understand that an announcement is imminent, and the scenario you describe, Anon, is the likely outcome. Your analysis of Trudeau's foot-dragging on electoral reform makes a lot of sense as well. I saw the minister in charge of Democratic Institutions, Maryam Monsef, the other day on CTV's Question Period, and she was evasive on the question of whether there will indeed be any reform, claiming the will of the people is opaque, despite all of the citizen consultations and the parliamentary committee that has been studying it.Lornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15741324981120408977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-76649534251375525122016-11-29T17:10:48.845-05:002016-11-29T17:10:48.845-05:00We have our own fight to continue here too - Trude...We have our own fight to continue here too - Trudeau is approving Kinder Morgan and Line 3. Darn. I am now beginning to suspect this may be part of the reason he may be reneging on electoral reform. As he will be losing seats in BC, he will be unlikely to hold on to his majority, perhaps even manage a minority, in 2019 unless he either continues with FPTP or he implements AV/IRV (mistakenly called "ranked balloting" which presumably would be advantageous to the Liberals). With PR, he would likely only be able to form a government if he forms a coalition with another party when he loses seats in BC and elsewhere because of his broken promise on handling climate change.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-12173724764044994932016-11-29T15:39:02.443-05:002016-11-29T15:39:02.443-05:00Thanks for those comments and the link, Anon. One ...Thanks for those comments and the link, Anon. One can only worry that with Americans rejecting, quite rightly, the failed status quo, they have not gotten something far, far worse.Lornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15741324981120408977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-9586702216570289582016-11-29T15:09:59.686-05:002016-11-29T15:09:59.686-05:00Sharing this analysis with you if you have not see...Sharing this analysis with you if you have not seen it:<br /><br />" ... Trump’s election was enabled by the neoliberal policies of the Clintons and Obama that overlooked the plight of our most vulnerable citizens. The progressive populism of Bernie Sanders nearly toppled the establishment of the Democratic party but Clinton and Obama came to the rescue to preserve the status quo."<br /><br />And this: "The age of Obama was the last gasp of neoliberalism. Despite some progressive words and symbolic gestures, Obama chose to ignore Wall Street crimes, reject bailouts for homeowners, oversee growing inequality and facilitate war crimes like US drones killing innocent civilians abroad."<br /><br />Thus Trump's election was really no surprise when seen from this perspective. Hillary and Obama are what the author called "wedded to the reign of Bog Money", and "meretricious polticians". <br /><br />While Trump understandably frightens and reviles people, Hillary would have been more of the same failed neoliberal policies with a very dangerous warmongering neocon foreign policy. She would have been death by a thousand cuts if she did not kill us first with a nuclear war with Russia or China or both (Johm Pilger, Eric Margolis, and others think she is more dangerous to the world than Trump). Trump could either turn out better than expected (unlikely) or, more likely, would bring death but it would at least be with a big bang. Have I cheered you up? Lol.<br /><br />Cornel West, the author, was a very strong supporter of Bernie who likely left the Dem. and Bernie a very disappointed man. He joined the Green Party when Bernie decided to endorse Hillary instead of running as a third party candidate.<br /><br />Here is the link: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/17/american-neoliberalism-cornel-west-2016-electionAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-68791443248061146162016-11-29T13:01:27.331-05:002016-11-29T13:01:27.331-05:00Well-said, Owen.Well-said, Owen.Lornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15741324981120408977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-56416399725084937082016-11-29T12:41:48.870-05:002016-11-29T12:41:48.870-05:00When they get inside our heads, Lorne and Kirby, t...When they get inside our heads, Lorne and Kirby, they win. The place where the battle begins is inside our heads.Owen Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06464860078574618579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-43211343534190068762016-11-29T12:06:00.698-05:002016-11-29T12:06:00.698-05:00I don't really dispute your assessment here, A...I don't really dispute your assessment here, Anon, but I like to think that while they may have breached the gates, they haven't won total control as long as there are still people who oppose them.Lornehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15741324981120408977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7884128379999766348.post-6926872714155666442016-11-29T11:43:16.909-05:002016-11-29T11:43:16.909-05:00The barbarians aren't at the gate. They've...The barbarians aren't at the gate. They've been tearing up the place the last 36 years. Politicians let down the gates for a percentage. <br /><br />Trump ain't no different. But he will provide the catalyst for change. (Bush Jr. made for a perfect Herbert Hoover. But he wasn't good enough for all these neoliberals. So now we get Trump.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com