The rest of us need to face something:

[PCIntern]

All these establishment conservatives who are in positions of power and/or are elected are fully aware of climate change, the horrors of poverty and disease, deleterious effects of poor education upon civilization, the penalty which humanity pays for ignorance and backwardness, and they just don’t care. Weirdly, perhaps Bush Junior said it best when he stated, and I’m paraphrasing, in the end we will all be dead. It is irrelevant to these people what happens in the future because they won’t be here, and it’s all about the here and now. They’ll let their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren deal with whatever they have to deal with the way they had to deal with whatever they had to deal with. Yes, it is throwing in the towel in a certain sense, but apparently The majority thinks some of the time or all of the time that this is the case. How you can have swing States where in one year you vote against a fascist tyrannical individual like Trump and the next year vote his buddyroo into the highest executive office in the state/commonwealth is explained by the above.

It’s not that I’m giving up, or saying that this is how it has to be, but it is important for us to recognize that there is a majority of the electorate truly doesn’t give a shit about the long term. The genius of the Republican messaging is that it never takes a long view: it deals with the immediate here and now. Whereas we strive to improve longitudinally civil rights for all individuals, which takes generations upon generations to effect, they come out with Short term immediate goals such as the cessation of “teaching of critical race theory”, which is a manufactured issue. But you know what, they created this issue out of thin air and it became accepted debate material and took over the conversation. Then later, they pretended it doesn’t even exist and will not acknowledge that it was their issue. I knew we were in trouble in the 70s when the whole Watergate scandal disappeared for the election of 1976 and the Democrats barely won the presidency. If the parties were reversed and the Democrats had been perpetrating a scandal of Watergate proportions, they would have lost the White House in a landslide, rivaling Reagan’s second election. Quite frankly, I don’t see this country surviving For another 50 years at this rate in the form in which it is presently constituted.

Of course, the powers that be of the RW movement think long term and have done so since 1932 when they knew that they would have to spend generations undermining the progress that Roosevelt made in saving the country from revolution. There is a race on between the diversification of the United States population and the repression of the steadily dwindling percentage of “landed gentry” which is what these people have been convinced that they are. Wotta load.

[OneGrassRoot]

1. Very well said. Thank you. n/t

[Klaralven]

2. Matthew 6:31-32

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

[jaxexpat]

21. Matthew's ambiguity on the concept of "faith" as comfort food for the soul.

No wonder Democrats are so easily cast as godless. I'm sure the drones feel the same about the worker bees.

[Backseat Driver]

52. I'm pretty sure it's all naturally set up to

"protect and serve" the Queen Bee? Admitting lack of complete knowledge...

[2naSalit]

3. K&R

[spanone]

4. K & R

[brewens]

5. Some are brainwashed into thinking it's okay to live like shit, because everything is roses and cake

after you're dead. That's some real convenient shit to tell people you're exploiting to make believe.

[lastlib]

23. Karl Marx: "Religion is the opiate of the masses."

yup.

[Backseat Driver]

51. Eventually becoming a most excellent and successful stimulating acellerant

to the fires of hate and fear. RW Christian (or otherwise) fundamental evangelical zealotry should be coded as a mental illness or membership in a cult, the individual is badly in need of reprogramming treatment; it is no less damaging to social community (and it begins within families where patterns of trauma go unresolved) than the addiction to a mind-altering drug. YOEARMV (your own experience and research may vary) and/or IOKIYA(really)R!

[NoSheep]

61. I agree completely.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. So they don't care about the future but they think long term. Ok.

I think they execute better. Focus better. Manipulate the public better with messaging. We don't do that. We have faith in human nature, even as we see the dregs of humanity rise to power. So, you know, both parties have issues, but they win better than we do.

[Escurumbele]

10. The sad truth, you are correct. They fight harder too.

[chia]

32. Lincoln Project is a good example of this

[wnylib]

39. The Lincoln Project is getting

exactly what it set out to get - the elimination of the Trump crime family from office and a return of establishment Republicans to power.

After the chaotic Trump term, and the disruption of the pandemic, people want stability and "normal" life. Regardless of what that means in specific terms to various people, in general, what it feels like in political terms to most people is steadiness, not rocking the boat too much, being strong, no big changes.

Republicans project that kind of self image very well. People feel insecure after Trump and in the middle of a pandemic. In 2016 voters were willing to vote for change even if it meant upsetting the whole system of government. Today they want security and stability. They see Trump as nuts, Dems as radical reformers, and establishment Republicans as stable moderates.

Our Dem strategists need to understand where the general public's mood is. They also need to shift in their understanding of the public's mood quickly enough to know how to strategize their campaigns.

[chia]

59. Good insight. Thanks.

[Backseat Driver]

53. Don't you mean "cheat" harder...

No shame; no conscience, no moral compass - how total-itarianly and authoritatively lawless and selfish.

[czarjak]

60. Any means necessary. Lie, cheat, steal.

[Evolve Dammit]

18. I think the intent was that the planners of the right do focus long term, but they present real-time

attack messaging that keeps the base stoked. It doesn't have to be accurate and the more outrageous the better. Now with the various media platforms it is easy to bombard constant crap, and it works. Newt, Grover, Cult 45, NRA, CPAC, Heritage Foundation, hate radio, FOX, etc. are field generals and barkers to the rabble.

[c-rational]

36. Well said.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

7. K&R. Your first sentence sums up our nation's largest moral challenge.

Last edited Wed Nov 3, 2021, 01:26 PM - Edit history (1)

What we need is a blue cap MACA campaign: Make America Care Again.

Community humility is what we've lost. It's now every man and woman for themselves alone. The Great Depression and World War II once brought us to our knees in mass humility and that may be what is required again to rediscover our righteous path.

We need to start by exposing Republicans for the liars and crooks they are, no-holds-barred. They have normalized lying, deception, disregard for all rules, selfishness, greed, and Libertarian philosophy in general.

Their primary brainpower and funding sources remain untouched, hidden behind a thick curtain of money and right-wing media. We must somehow burst their protective bubble.

KY rant done.

[KS Toronado]

17. Love your MACA idea.

We as a Party need some short & sweet slogans to get our messaging out to win elections.
MACA offsets their maga very nicely. Who wants to be against caring?

[calimary]

41. Selfish people with short-sighted selfish goals.

Who cares about caring?

Screw ‘em, get it while you can and don’t bother thinking about tomorrow.

MESSAGING. The bad guys are great at it, while having lousy, even toxic ideas. Our side, on the other hand, is shitty at it, sometimes in total denial about its vital importance, even while we have the best and the most helpful, beneficial, compassionate ideas.

I’m frustrated about this every damn day.

Republicans DON’T want to help you.

[KS Toronado]

55. You just gave me an idea

maybe our messaging should focus around "Republicans DON’T want to help you." Why vote against yourself?
Plenty of examples, they threw away the pandemic play book and let people die, gave huge tax breaks to the
wealthiest people while raising yours in small ways, tried to overthrow our system of government and install
a king who'd we better to loyal to, etc etc etc. Maybe along the lines of "Which party really helps the
middle class? "

[c-rational]

37. +1

[Rebl2]

42. Think it's

to touchy-feely for republicans. Sounds good for Democrats though. Republicans are very much it’s all about me, me, me, and to hell with the rest of you. Remember the “me generation”-that’s them on steroids!

[Grasswire2]

50. MACA

How can we promote this idea?

I, too, have been thinking about America in the WW2 era, when everyone was on board to win and the effort was present in daily lives of every person.

That is the America the world came to love. The can-do, cooperative, work-together American people.

Look at us now. Hate on every side, greed and fear and loathing all wrapped up together.

Is it even possible to bring us together again? I wonder.

[MiHale]

8. KnR

[Escurumbele]

9. And that is why when people say "History will not be kind to them" they don't care, they will be

dead by then, they won't know what history will say about them and they don't care, they only care about the NOW.

[spicysista]

11. Perfectly written, PCIntern.

They simply don't care.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

12. John Maynard Keynes

Weirdly, perhaps Bush Junior said it best when he stated, and I’m paraphrasing, in the end we will all be dead.

Book Review September 25 2019

In the Long Run We Are All Dead: Keynesianism, Political Economy, and Revolution by Geoff Mann

At times of economic uncertainty – such as we face at the moment – economists attempt to understand the balance between democracy and government, just as John Maynard Keynes did when he developed his theory of Keynesian economics during the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Keynes’ famous quote, “In the long run we are all dead” – meaning that capitalism will fail and liberal capitalism will succeed – runs through this enjoyable book that will appeal to general readers as well as those with specialist knowledge.

Mr Mann considers Keynesian economic theory against the backdrop of the French Revolution, moving through to G W F Hegel’s Philosophy of Right and then to 21st century inequality and unemployment.

He argues that although most economists are either strongly in favour of, or against, Keynes and his theories, those who disagree with Keynes should study his work to gain a greater understanding of contemporary western civilisation.

{snip}

[LiberalArkie]

13. I feel like it is time for the United States to split into 2 distinct countries. The Libertarian

south and the Blue states. Maybe in 50 years the south (my area) will feel like it wants to be in a civilized country instead of the Mad Max area.

[jaxexpat]

27. If it were only so simple.

Meanwhile, too many see only the reflection of themselves off an Alabama highway patrolman's aviator glasses. The south has been Mad Max central since 1873.

[usaf-vet]

44. I doubt it. In the 60's I was station in the south and heard repeatedly we didn't lose the civil war

WE JUST LOST A BATTLE; WE WILL RISE AGAIN.

Nineteen sixty-five was 56 years ago. They won't change in the next 50 years, IMHO.

My better bet is they will revert to slavery if it gets them what they want.

Case in point they would love to see the tyrannical "slave master" Trump rise back to power.

The I own you mentally that Trump displays don't frighten them; it seems to comfort them.

It is beyond me or any reality-based sane individual to understand.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. Fundamentally society is at the end point of the wealth inequality pendulum swing

It must be addressed. It's part of the issues that are driving the poorer parts of the GQP=tRump party. But even they have had it with Bezos and the other grandstanding billionaires.

It must be addressed and peacefully. Which means it needs a lot more talk about it. But the signs are good that there is momentum for Tax the Rich, and not a moment too soon.

[multigraincracker]

15. Banana Republicans.N/T

[whyzayker]

16. Your permission to repost and spread the word

This hits the mark.

[PCIntern]

40. Sure.

Why not?😄👍

[CousinIT]

19. Republican messaging doesn't take the long view. But their objectives do.

Look at what they've destroyed (literally Democracy) in the last 50 years.

As for the 'I got mine fuck you' attitude, which includes "well it's on my kids and their kids to deal with that! I just want to live long enough to escape it!" - I have a RW sister and brother with these attitudes. STATED. Out loud.

AND they have their single issues: for the brother it's taxes and 'big guvmint'. The sister's concerns are 'socialism' and 'abortion'

BECAUSE their single issues are their focus, BOTH of them vote against their own best interests (BOTH live on social security, VA bennies and other so-called socialism - ALL of which WILL BE CUT/GUTTED/PRIVATIZED under our soon-to-be authoritarian/Nazi regime). But they CONTINUE voting for the Republicans who are going to do this to them AND everyone else regardless. Because: abortion, socialism, taxes, big guvmint.

And WHEN (not if) their social security is cut, gutted or gone, they'll blame DEMOCRATS for it. DEMOCRATS - who CREATED social security and Medicare - will be blamed for destroying these beloved programs they created. Even though it was Republicans who actually shoved them into the woodchipper.

These are not smart, focused or really even thinking people. My sister is one of those white non-college educated women who absolutely would have voted for Youngkin.

Brother is college-educated but driven by GRIEVANCE: against taxes, women, government, and how abused and mistreated white men are in America.

THESE are Republican voters. THESE are their thought processes and motivations. I can confirm all that because I live around it every day/every time I talk to them. They're killing themselves and everybody else with flaming ignorance and are too stupid to even know it. And too selfish to even give a damn.

[jaxexpat]

29. Wow, man. That's perfectly right.

The question is when will we allow ourselves to hate them, before or after they come for us?

[Pepsidog]

35. The Laws of Stupid People an essay by an economist Collina explains a lot.

Law#1: everyone underestimates the number of
stupid people.
Law#2: The probability that a person is stupid is
independent of any other characteristics.
Law#3: A stupid person causes losses to others
without gains to themselves.
Law#4: non-stupid people underestimate the danger
of the stupid.
Law#5: Stupid people are the most dangerous
people on the planet.

Countries moving uphill have an inevitable
percentage of stupid people, yes. But they enjoy
"an unusually high fraction of intelligent people"
who collectively overcompensate for the
dumbos.
Declining nations have, instead, an "alarming
proliferation" of non-stupid people whose
behaviour "inevitably strengthens the
destructive power" of their persistently stupid
fellow citizens.
We are overrun by stupid people.

[calimary]

43. That was my dad's favorite slogan. "IGMFU."

Pronounced “Iggum-foo.” It stands for “I Got Mine, F-U.”

[certainot]

20. authoritarianism is a strategy for coping with a heritable mostly 'old world' masturbation disorder

called sex on the wrong brain, which offers hope for humans

psych researchers have been telling us since at least the 70s (prof glenn wilson) that authoritarianism is caused largely by a 'fear uncertainty'. later research (2003 - political conservatism as motivated social cognition) concluded authoritarianism was driven largely by 'avoidance of uncertainty' and different associated factors

what is needed is sex education. the sex on the wrong brain theory suggests associating sex with the hand connected to the side of the brain more involved with particularism, logic, math, etc as opposed to the side of the brain more involved in emotion, orgasm, wholism, etc can increase the need to certainty, and may explain why humans became 90% right handed - it offered survival benefits in time of conflict. then, without sex ed, it really got bad when humans started delaying the age of reproduction and increasing affluence and frustration the last few thousand years.

it's democracy vs sex on the wrong brain but in our case we let 1500 coordinated radio stations short circuit democratic feedback

[The Jungle 1]

22. I do not understand the logic of the right on this issue.

Mostly the conservative principals and motivations revolve around money. Nothing is more important to them than money. Our fake capitalism is their religion and all that they want is more money.
However when societies begin to collapse because of climate change money will be useless. When people are thirsty and hungry the widget you manufacture will be nothing.
Could the equation be just a simple fear of the end of the oil economy? Are they that afraid of the other side of oil? Or are they just protecting their own purse?
We are on the edge of an economic boom if we will just dump coal and oil and all the corporate welfare attached to them. Embrace renewable energy and our economy will prosper.

[Evolve Dammit]

24. Great post. I just think 1/2 the country who doesn't vote just doesn't care about much at all. The

voting Cult is the new "lost cause" and very dangerous. They have no meaningful plan, just anger. And yet they turn out, as the apparatus keeps them pissed off and engaged enough to believe whatever codswallop is laid before them. Doesn't have to be based in reality or any kind of truth, but the message is driven hard on the hate radio, Fox and alt news. And it works. Dems don't have that. Nothing close.

[fwvinson]

25. Democrats should start an "audit", set up in a warehouse, somewhere, counting every ballot,

take months, examine each ballot under black light, send all ballots to another state for some reason, call it Fake News constantly, threaten people who don't go along, don't accept the winner, no matter what.

[wildman76]

34. Agree, hire cyber ninjas

[ancianita]

26. Hurtful truth that needs to be said. Also, realize that they and Big Corps can think long

term because corporations can wage war on a racist plane across generations, after human warriors are gone. And that's how it -- along with the monarchies, oligarchs, data and currency kleptocrats that created and fund it -- wins.

Corporations will fight and kill humans to maintain their dominance during this Extraction-pocene. It's them against humanity, not just them against America's democracy. Still, I daresay if we go down, so will the rest.

[johnthewoodworker]

28. The human species is unethical. We will burn up this agar plate. Check your thermometer.

[zaj]

30. Libertarians have no morality and conservatives are racing to heaven

The only thing keeping us all alive is the narcissism of the libertarian's in the GOP. Otherwise we'd all be in 'heaven' right now.

[bucolic_frolic]

31. An inverse way of looking at this problem is how Republicans have credibility

You can dislike them, we all do, you can hate them, you can disagree with them, you can doubt them. But you must give them the fact that, however crazy, deleterious to humanity, stupid, illogical - for some reason they have credibility with their base. I think religion is a large part of it, this is a leap of faith game to them. We might call it a con game at times, but it does motivate. Go to basic human emotions. Fear, greed, paranoia, giddy solutions. That's what's driving this. It is a cartoon mentality, but it gets to the voting booth.

Bill Clinton told us, 2016. Republicans created a "cartoon Hillary" to run against. We're not even demonizing Republicans well.

Question is - what do we all do about it?

[Jon King]

33. When you believe in the rapture, climate change is not really an issue.

We have a deadly combination of greedy folks who just want their stuff now, the future be damned, and folks who think they are going up to heaven any day now so not much can phase them as far as the future down here.

And the young who will be left to deal with all this are busy doing young people things so don't participate.

[calimary]

45. I think your point is spot-on. So what do we do about it?

And are we really ready for generations of slow and frustrating work to dismantle what the bad guys are building? Which is what they’ve done, building slowly, brick by damnable brick.

Just look at the media colossus they’ve built - as just one example. Under our noses Pox Noise and clones sprouting everywhere. “Think” tanks galore while we still have only a reliable few. And shrewd strategic messaging. They’ve found (and founded) delivery systems that keep their lies and distortions whizzing around the world while our side can barely start getting its collective pants on.

And ironically enough, our side seems to be the one in denial (about this).

So what are we gonna do about it???????

[PCIntern]

46. Rise and Whine?

Beats the crap outa me…

[llmart]

57. The GOP presents their views in easy to understand words and relatable slogans.

The Democrats want to write pages long dissertations on how their proposals work in a policy-wonky way (remember how turned off people were by Al Gore because he was too policy wonky and stiff?). Like it or not, our populace is mostly too busy to read past a blaring headline or intimidated by big words they don't understand or want to learn. We may not want to dumb down our positions, but that's the world we live in at this moment in time.

There used to be a time when the erudite and educated amongst us were what people wanted in charge of our country. Now they want celebrities and phoniness. It's an era of anti-intellectualism.

[RVN VET71]

47. Never again can we justly wonder at Hitler's rise to power.

We see the tools in operation everyday, and the people lining up with angry faces to be hammered into Nazi shape. Every day.

Biden’s victory has been undermined by a combination of intransigent corruption (viz. Manchin and Sinema and the entire GOP) and a web of lies spun by the GOP and their fellow travellers. Half of the country, our country, watched as children were stolen from parents and guardians at our southern border and nodded approval. They also listen to TV mouths spewing barely disguised racial venom and feel grim assurance that the Homeland is being thus defended. These Americans disdain critical, objective thinking — leaving that sort of thing up to the Leader and his appoined and volunteer spokespersons.

In the final analysis, half of us — maybe more — want a government that attacks the vilified “other” while picking their own pockets and making them despise the very idea of governmental support to its citizens.

The so-called greatest generation only subdued fascism in Europe. It did not destroy it there. Worse, it was led to believe, without question, that “it won’t happen here.” We, as a nation, didn’t hear the fascist rumblings that persisted in America after the war. But it was there and grew louder over time until, today, what only a few years ago was viewed as shrill, extreme, but relatively powerless organizations and ideas have coalesced into the new Republican Party. It’s a Party which has eagerly and publicly exposed itself as proudly/shamelessly Fascist, a Party with the fiercely loyal support of half the country.

[PCIntern]

49. Very well put.

Yes. Exactly.

[macmillan61]

48. Why do polls act so schizophrenic?

The thing I don’t understand is why the American people seem so dichotomous. In poll after poll after poll, great majorities — almost landslide majorities sometimes— support FDR-style policies. Expanded Medicare and Social Security, lower prescription drug prices and a long, long list of such issues beyond. Yet the Republicans still successfully avoid any fallout for not supporting and even making war on issues of great importance. It is hard to imagine that religion is the prime mover here except as an ideology that plays on one or two issues exploited by the repugnant ones — and often dishonestly. Here are my theories on why we lose: 1. Republicans cheat. 2. Corporations actually rule. As Jimmy Carter said, we are an oligarchy. 3. Popular initiatives are handicapped by the us constitution. (We were founded on amazing and expansive notions of rights. But when we kicked George the Third’s ass, the elite consensus became the replacement for the Declaration of Independence.) (Look how long it takes to get rights established under our constitutional regime. Hundreds of years. The Europeans got their social welfare and human rights almost in the blink of an eye after world war 2 to exaggerate a bit.) 4. Republicans are extremely institutional on many levels: religious, legal, economic. Cf. Hoover Institution specifically set up to put FDR out of business. It is has been running for decades. (They have the Federalist Siciety. We have Lawrence Tribe. Another exaggeration. They just wear us down with that kind of advantage despite Tribe being so wonderful.). 5. Machine politics favors democrat defections on policy when the going gets tough. I could think of many more possible reasons for the repug advantage. But this still doesn’t explain why the people themselves don’t get it. For me questions of freedom and social welfare are reflexive. ‘Revolution’, sixties style, is the first thing not the last thing that I think of. And I think that is what we need. When Black Lives Matter lets itself go we win. But that means making a mess and taking some risks that Joe Manchin Democrats would not allow. I tend to think though that the future is far, far more bleak than what we are yet ready to contemplate. It’s Weimar everyday from now on without our forcing an FDR, JFK, LBJ, MlK future on an electorate that wants those wonderful things but is too vexed and distracted to act on its own. We need to give ourselves permission to be revolutionaries in the face of open craziness and crippling venality.

[Lollerskates]

54. Good post

[jalan48]

56. These wealthy conservatives plan to move to more hospitable places as needed.

[Hamlette]

58. They believe, or their cover story is: giving people free stuff does not help

and it is an age old story. It's all tied up in class and race. All over the world.

Of course the free stuff they get doesn't count because . . . class and race. They believe they deserve it. Are entitled.

Republicans think they are entitled. Democrats feel grateful for what they have.

It's Elon Musk's taunt. All the money in the world will not end world hunger so why try, you are just wasting your time . . . and my money.

[quakerboy]

62. This is true even of the non-trumpian conservatives.

Ive had this conversation re 2a issues with a few of the somewhat sane conservative leaning (male, if it needed saying) elders of my family. They are taking a hard line, all in on fully unlimited gun rights and politicians that will vote that way. They acknowledge that it is currently and will continue to cause increasing backlash and a likely eventual hard crackdown on gun rights. But they dont care because mild inconvenience now is more important to them than anything they expect to come down on younger generations after they die.

[LT Barclay]

63. Can we somehow nominate you to speak at the next Democratic National Convention?

Unless this starting point is grasped, all else is a house of cards.

[PCIntern]

64. That would be interesting....

Many years ago there was a DC comics Supergirl story wherein Supergirl goes to another planet and she’s caught in the street during an altercation and she gives an interview which is televised and winds up being elected president of the world.

See what memories your post conjured up?