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ProfessorPlum
ProfessorPlum's Journal
ProfessorPlum's Journal
August 3, 2018
When people are snarling and threatening people who want to provide them heathcare
and education . . .
you know the propaganda has worked.
August 3, 2018
When the leader of a country commits crimes while in office, it is an act of aggression against their own country. Why? Because they won't be prosecuted while they are still in power, so they can never step down. They can't end their rule because then they might be prosecuted. Therefore, committing crimes while in power is a terrible thing to do to a country, because you are effectively saddling them with a criminal dictator who won't leave without a coup (or death).
That's why (among other considerations) we try to not to elect people who are likely to be criminals to the presidency. We don't want them to end our tradition of peaceful transfer of power because they've created a situation they cannot leave.
And so it is with Trump. He has committed crimes while President. He could easily be prosecuted if he leaves the presidency. While he is president? Not so much, especially with his accomplices in congress.
Further, it was an act of utter hate for our country to run for president with a trail of past (mostly undiscovered and unprosecuted) crimes. You are setting the country up to have a criminal president, where whether they are indicted/prosecuted/impeached/removed from the office or not, it tears the country apart having to deal with it.
So now, we have to tear the country apart. Because Trump so hated America that he ran for president knowing full well that he was a criminal, surrounded by criminals, and that criminal administrations (especially those that double down instead of resigning), are extremely difficult to be rid of.
Trump can't gamble on losing the 2020 election. He _cannot_ leave office, or he will spend the rest of his shitty life in jail. For that matter, he cannot gamble on losing 2024. He _must_ stay in office, or he will be prosecuted. Thinking about what he might do under those circumstances is a frightening prospect.
How Crime creates Never Ending Dictatorships
When the leader of a country commits crimes while in office, it is an act of aggression against their own country. Why? Because they won't be prosecuted while they are still in power, so they can never step down. They can't end their rule because then they might be prosecuted. Therefore, committing crimes while in power is a terrible thing to do to a country, because you are effectively saddling them with a criminal dictator who won't leave without a coup (or death).
That's why (among other considerations) we try to not to elect people who are likely to be criminals to the presidency. We don't want them to end our tradition of peaceful transfer of power because they've created a situation they cannot leave.
And so it is with Trump. He has committed crimes while President. He could easily be prosecuted if he leaves the presidency. While he is president? Not so much, especially with his accomplices in congress.
Further, it was an act of utter hate for our country to run for president with a trail of past (mostly undiscovered and unprosecuted) crimes. You are setting the country up to have a criminal president, where whether they are indicted/prosecuted/impeached/removed from the office or not, it tears the country apart having to deal with it.
So now, we have to tear the country apart. Because Trump so hated America that he ran for president knowing full well that he was a criminal, surrounded by criminals, and that criminal administrations (especially those that double down instead of resigning), are extremely difficult to be rid of.
Trump can't gamble on losing the 2020 election. He _cannot_ leave office, or he will spend the rest of his shitty life in jail. For that matter, he cannot gamble on losing 2024. He _must_ stay in office, or he will be prosecuted. Thinking about what he might do under those circumstances is a frightening prospect.
July 30, 2018
If Putin lobbed a bunch of nuclear missiles at us, would Trump authorize a response?
Is a question I never thought I'd have to ask about a US president.
July 30, 2018
Putin has basically hobbled both the UK and the US with one racist vote in each country
UK is on a collision course with Brexit, and looks like it will kill itself on the rocks of that horrible decision. And it was a single, racist vote.
The US is in the clutches of a Russian-controlled halfwit. and that is the result of a single, racist vote.
Funny how racism makes our societies weaker (and how easily Putin exploited that weakness with not a shot fired). Christ, we're dumb as a collective.
July 30, 2018
Their point seemed to be that corporations often had good people in them- which I agree with - and to stop picking on our poor beleaguered corporate overlords - which I do not.
Then this morning I see this headline: Starbucks Has to Pay for Drips of Off-the-Clock Work
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/starbucks-has-to-pay-for-drips-of-off-the-clock-work
which is all about stopping wage theft where Starbucks, which I think we can all agree is one of the more benign corporate entities in the US, wanted to keep not paying workers for their total working time.
this was presented as
https://twitter.com/jonsteingart/status/1022586925385957376
"The Calif. Supreme Court decided a case that could add billions in labor costs to employers' bottom line by requiring them to pay employees for work time that previously went uncompensated " by Jon Steingart, editor at Bloomberg.
So, we have a corporation that wants (some) work done at zero pay. And a corporate news outlet crying about how it will cost employers "billions" to pay their actual wage. Boo hoo.
And this kind of "why won't people just work for free" framing happens all of the time, day in and day out, throughout the media.
Is it really a question that we need to STOP giving corporations the ability to buy and control our government?
Why We Fight - more evidence
Some people around here just about stroked out when I made this and additional claims last week:
* The ultimate corporate model of labor is slavery - free labor with no pay. We need government to prevent that, and make corporations pay for labor
Their point seemed to be that corporations often had good people in them- which I agree with - and to stop picking on our poor beleaguered corporate overlords - which I do not.
Then this morning I see this headline: Starbucks Has to Pay for Drips of Off-the-Clock Work
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/starbucks-has-to-pay-for-drips-of-off-the-clock-work
which is all about stopping wage theft where Starbucks, which I think we can all agree is one of the more benign corporate entities in the US, wanted to keep not paying workers for their total working time.
this was presented as
https://twitter.com/jonsteingart/status/1022586925385957376
"The Calif. Supreme Court decided a case that could add billions in labor costs to employers' bottom line by requiring them to pay employees for work time that previously went uncompensated " by Jon Steingart, editor at Bloomberg.
So, we have a corporation that wants (some) work done at zero pay. And a corporate news outlet crying about how it will cost employers "billions" to pay their actual wage. Boo hoo.
And this kind of "why won't people just work for free" framing happens all of the time, day in and day out, throughout the media.
Is it really a question that we need to STOP giving corporations the ability to buy and control our government?
July 24, 2018
* The ultimate corporate model of labor is slavery - free labor with no pay. We need government to prevent that, and make corporations pay for labor
* The ultimate corporate model of trade is the swindle - they get all your money and provide nothing in return. We need government to control that, and protect us from fraud
* The ultimate corporate model of manufacture is pollution - they poison us with toxins freely. We need government to control that, and regulate what is dumped into our land, air, and water.
* The ultimate corporate model of information is propaganda - they control the flow of information to their own benefit and to the benefit of the status quo. We need government to provide media space for alternate voices that give us other viewpoints.
*The ultimate corporate model of foreign relations is war - they profit from the killing and domination of people in other lands. And eventually our own people. We need government to provide diplomacy that also values peace and the benefits of not being at war.
* The ultimate corporate model of government is totalitarianism - Decisions flow from the top down, power and wealth flow up. We need government to protect our right to have a say in decision making.
Notice that the GOP, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of corporations, has these models as their platform - Slavery, Fraud, Pollution, Propaganda, War, and Totalitarianism. It is because they are owned and run by corporations.
The opposite platform - Economic Freedom, Consumer Protection, Environmental Health, Free Press, Peace, and Democracy - should be what the Democratic Party stands for, and it should be what we can all here on DU agree are our common goals. The Democratic Party is our (only) means to those ends.
Therefore, there are three main rulers by which I measure Democratic politicians, messaging, policies, and actions. They are:
1. Democrats should fight the Republican Party vigorously - smartly, ferociously, and fiercely. The GOP goals of Slavery, Fraud, Pollution, Propaganda, War, and Totalitarianism should be opposed loudly and cleverly, with clear messaging. Democrats should stymie Republican/Corporate efforts at every turn.
2. Democrats should fight for policies that improve the situation of all people in this country (and the world), even (and perhaps especially) the most vulnerable among us. To the extent that that requires opposing the GOP, corporations, and their horrible policies, they need to communicate well and fight strongly.
3. Democrats should have as a goal the gradual minimization of corporate influence over government, realizing that that is an ideal unlikely to be reached, but earnestly to be wished and fought for. The current model we work in, where the government is up for sale to the highest corporate bidder (or to the most devious foreign mafia), will not further our goals and needs to be changed as rapidly as it is possible to do so without harming people.
That means, that if I find people advocating that Democrats shouldn't fight hard, then I will speak out against those people. If they are Democrats, I will vote for them while hating their attitude, against Republicans. But I am going to call that strategy out.
That means, that if I find people advocating that Democrats should adopt corporate policies like Slavery, Fraud, Pollution, Propaganda, War, and Totalitarianism, then I will speak out against those people. If they are Democrats, I will vote for them while hating their attitude, against Republicans. But I am going to call their policies out.
That means, that if I find people advocating that Democrats don't fight corporate control of government, then I will speak out against those people. If they are Democrats, I will vote for them while hating their attitude, against Republicans. But I am going to call those fucking anti-human policies out.
And I don't want to hear shit from people on this board about calling out behavior that is weak against the GOP, weak against corporations, and weak against true Democratic principles. If we cannot agree that the policies of the GOP and their corporate masters are ANTI-HUMAN and fight against them, then how can we build a humane society together as a human community?
Why We Fight. DU, let's agree to agree to get corporations out of government
THE Major Problem that we face as people and citizens these days is corporate control of government. Why?* The ultimate corporate model of labor is slavery - free labor with no pay. We need government to prevent that, and make corporations pay for labor
* The ultimate corporate model of trade is the swindle - they get all your money and provide nothing in return. We need government to control that, and protect us from fraud
* The ultimate corporate model of manufacture is pollution - they poison us with toxins freely. We need government to control that, and regulate what is dumped into our land, air, and water.
* The ultimate corporate model of information is propaganda - they control the flow of information to their own benefit and to the benefit of the status quo. We need government to provide media space for alternate voices that give us other viewpoints.
*The ultimate corporate model of foreign relations is war - they profit from the killing and domination of people in other lands. And eventually our own people. We need government to provide diplomacy that also values peace and the benefits of not being at war.
* The ultimate corporate model of government is totalitarianism - Decisions flow from the top down, power and wealth flow up. We need government to protect our right to have a say in decision making.
Notice that the GOP, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of corporations, has these models as their platform - Slavery, Fraud, Pollution, Propaganda, War, and Totalitarianism. It is because they are owned and run by corporations.
The opposite platform - Economic Freedom, Consumer Protection, Environmental Health, Free Press, Peace, and Democracy - should be what the Democratic Party stands for, and it should be what we can all here on DU agree are our common goals. The Democratic Party is our (only) means to those ends.
Therefore, there are three main rulers by which I measure Democratic politicians, messaging, policies, and actions. They are:
1. Democrats should fight the Republican Party vigorously - smartly, ferociously, and fiercely. The GOP goals of Slavery, Fraud, Pollution, Propaganda, War, and Totalitarianism should be opposed loudly and cleverly, with clear messaging. Democrats should stymie Republican/Corporate efforts at every turn.
2. Democrats should fight for policies that improve the situation of all people in this country (and the world), even (and perhaps especially) the most vulnerable among us. To the extent that that requires opposing the GOP, corporations, and their horrible policies, they need to communicate well and fight strongly.
3. Democrats should have as a goal the gradual minimization of corporate influence over government, realizing that that is an ideal unlikely to be reached, but earnestly to be wished and fought for. The current model we work in, where the government is up for sale to the highest corporate bidder (or to the most devious foreign mafia), will not further our goals and needs to be changed as rapidly as it is possible to do so without harming people.
That means, that if I find people advocating that Democrats shouldn't fight hard, then I will speak out against those people. If they are Democrats, I will vote for them while hating their attitude, against Republicans. But I am going to call that strategy out.
That means, that if I find people advocating that Democrats should adopt corporate policies like Slavery, Fraud, Pollution, Propaganda, War, and Totalitarianism, then I will speak out against those people. If they are Democrats, I will vote for them while hating their attitude, against Republicans. But I am going to call their policies out.
That means, that if I find people advocating that Democrats don't fight corporate control of government, then I will speak out against those people. If they are Democrats, I will vote for them while hating their attitude, against Republicans. But I am going to call those fucking anti-human policies out.
And I don't want to hear shit from people on this board about calling out behavior that is weak against the GOP, weak against corporations, and weak against true Democratic principles. If we cannot agree that the policies of the GOP and their corporate masters are ANTI-HUMAN and fight against them, then how can we build a humane society together as a human community?
July 23, 2018
Terrified Third Way Dems apparently include:
According to the article, they are all scared of "anger", rocking the boat, abolishing ICE, fighting in an "uncivil" way, single-payer healthcare, going after Democratic voters rather than trying to court Republican voters fed up with Trump.
Here's my favorite quote from the article:
"You're not going to make me hate somebody just because they're rich. I want to be rich!" Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, a potential presidential candidate, said Friday to laughs.
ha ha ha!!! That's funny because hating the rich is obviously what motivates the progressive wing of the party. Not actually wanting to take care of ourselves and our fellow citizens. Oh ho ho, Rep Ryan, you hilarious comedian.
Many of these people in the article are nominally Democrats, and we aren't supposed to criticize Democrats. I will say, however, that I disagree with their election strategy.
Terrified moderate Dems terrified by the "Sanders Wing" that might actually help people
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/sanders-wing-party-terrifies-moderate-dems-here-s-how-they-n893381Terrified Third Way Dems apparently include:
former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell
Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio
Iowa state Sen. Jeff Danielson
Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill
former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn
Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio
Iowa state Sen. Jeff Danielson
Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill
former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn
According to the article, they are all scared of "anger", rocking the boat, abolishing ICE, fighting in an "uncivil" way, single-payer healthcare, going after Democratic voters rather than trying to court Republican voters fed up with Trump.
Here's my favorite quote from the article:
"You're not going to make me hate somebody just because they're rich. I want to be rich!" Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, a potential presidential candidate, said Friday to laughs.
ha ha ha!!! That's funny because hating the rich is obviously what motivates the progressive wing of the party. Not actually wanting to take care of ourselves and our fellow citizens. Oh ho ho, Rep Ryan, you hilarious comedian.
Many of these people in the article are nominally Democrats, and we aren't supposed to criticize Democrats. I will say, however, that I disagree with their election strategy.
July 23, 2018
"James Comey
✔
@Comey
Democrats, please, please don’t lose your minds and rush to the socialist left. This president and his Republican Party are counting on you to do exactly that. America’s great middle wants sensible, balanced, ethical leadership."
One reply, seen at Eschaton:
https://twitter.com/pixelatedboat/status/1021218825159626752/photo/1
this asshole again
https://twitter.com/Comey/status/1021132108381683712"James Comey
✔
@Comey
Democrats, please, please don’t lose your minds and rush to the socialist left. This president and his Republican Party are counting on you to do exactly that. America’s great middle wants sensible, balanced, ethical leadership."
One reply, seen at Eschaton:
https://twitter.com/pixelatedboat/status/1021218825159626752/photo/1
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Member since: 2001Number of posts: 11,461