March 2, 2016

No it is not wishful thinking.

Those of us who analyze the situation from the democratic notion that the two Big Dino Parties should not be selecting the candidates for the rest of us understand one pertinent fact: we know full well that Bernie would be able to win the general election due to the fact that he has so much support from that segment of the population that is alienated from the Two Major Parties. (What has often been referred to as the One Big Money Party.)

I often hear statistics from the Hillary Clinton group here on DU to the effect that HRC is supported by 68% or 72% of the Democratic Party voters.

But since that party now only represents some 34% of all Americans (if you do the math) then you can see why we are sticking by Bernie Sanders.

68% of 34% = 23% of the electorate.

Is this Democracy - to cram a candidate down our throats with only 23% of the entire population liking her?!?

March 2, 2016

Does it matter? THE whole situation with the Primaries is a farce.

The largest block of American voters is the non-affiliated, currently numbering at 40%

So why do the Two Major Dino Parties get to choose who gets to run in the Autumn of 2016?

Talk about a corrupt and crooked situation, but it certainly is exactly what the One Percent desire

February 29, 2016

The Elephant in the Room - how Party Primaries mean Non-Democracy!

Many of those of us who are deeply into our support of Bernie Sanders are fully aware of the fact that he is far more electable than Hillary Clinton.

We are aware of the fact that not once but twice, the highly esteemed Pew Research Survey has concluded that both Major Parties are now in disrepair.

In both 2008 and then again in 2015, the Pew Research Survey found that those voters who consider themselves totally loyal to either party are part of a dwindling population.

I have posted these numbers before, but will do again:

Among all registered voters, those totally loyal to the Democratic Party are about 34 to 36% of the total number of voters.

The Republicans who are loyalists fare even worse - they are only 22 to 26% of the total number of voters.

Now it might be that were the Research Folks from Pew do a new survey, they might find that the number of those voters considering themselves to be Democrats are rising. However, this rise is due to Bernie Sanders being in the race for the Nation's Highest Office. Should Sanders not make it, what then?

So in any event about 40% of the voting populace are "indies."

This number is larger than the number that belongs to each party. And is of itself a new type of majority.

To any student of election cycles, this huge population of indie voters is what makes this election cycle so interesting. With a full 40% of the voting population not available to the political machinations of the Democratic or Republican Party Leaders, the two party system is facing a hell of a challenge.

Furthermore, students of election cycles understand that the main thing that ensures the success in this or that candidate reaching the Oval Office has to do with the cross over voters. Obama got into the White House precisely because of the fact that he garnered a huge number of indie voters. Whoever is to gain the WH this year must accomplish the same exact capture of the cross over voters that President Obama succeeded in capturing.

As any regular reader of topics here on DU knows, the last few weeks have featured a barrage of topics up on Bernie Sanders chances of winning this or that primary challenge.

But since much of Sanders' support lies more with the indie crowd than with the "D" party's loyalist crowd, there needs to be a serious discussion of what this absolute control of over a candidate's ability to become a viable Presidential possibility actually means to the electorate.

Democracy, where has it gone?

February 25, 2016

Trending Today: Hashtag: Which Hillary

On twitter -- the fact it is TRENDING means millions of people are not falling for the bait.
Here are some samples AND OF COURSE:
[h2][font color=blue]

Go Bernie!

[/h2][/font color=blue]


Cassandra Fairbanks ?@CassandraRules 2h2 hours ago

Her reaction is the most genuine thing I've seen from her on campaign trail. Dismissive, condescending... her actual persona #WhichHillary
View conversation
181 retweets 335 likes

Nebraskans ForBernie ?@NEforBernie2016 2h2 hours ago

#FeministsDontFrack We must protect our land, air, and water. Or the next generations deal with worse. #WhichHillary
33 retweets 68 likes

Lydia Huxley ?@lydiahuxley93 2h2 hours ago

#WhichHillary? There's so many I can't keep track anymore.
43 retweets 54 likes

Shiloht88 ?@shiloht88 2h2 hours ago

Clinton fans working hard to put a positive spin on the hashtag
#WhichHillary the 1 who attacked POTUS in 08,12 &14 or the 1 loving him now
42 retweets 65 likes
Sarah W ?@SpeakingUpSarah 2h2 hours ago

#WhichHillary has been trending nationally all day. Are you going to cover it? @CNN @CNNPolitics http://www.wired.com/2016/02/whichhillary/ …
View summary
334 retweets 533 likes
Jonathan Patrick ?@JonathanPtrck 2h2 hours ago

#WhichHillary The 1 who's 4 immigration reform, or the 1 who wants 2 send back child refugees to their death in Honduras 2 send a message?
72 retweets 107 likes

Progressive Voice ?@VoxProgressive 2h2 hours ago

#WhichHillary? Whichever one is politically advantageous at the time.
105 retweets 139 likes

kenneth aull ?@KenAull 2h2 hours ago Virginia, USA

#WhichHillary the one that pushed single payer, the one that said "never ever going to happen", or the that supports it again
16 retweets 41 likes

rebecca k. ?@becathist 2h2 hours ago

When @HillaryClinton says nobody has asked her to explain her record on mass incarceration before. #WhichHillary pic.twitter.com/rWvj6MiBIk
View media
50 retweets 82 likes

Axel Bordelon ?@AxelBordelon 2h2 hours ago

I can't accept @HillaryClinton as president because I don't know #WhichHillary would be president. I stand with @BernieSanders.
193 retweets 376 likes
Benny ?@BRios82 2h2 hours ago

Haters gonna hate. #WhichHillary pic.twitter.com/nQhEnlP1GW
View photo
77 retweets 89 likes

Colorado for Bernie ?@COforBernie 2h2 hours ago

104K tweets about #WhichHillary and trending nationally!

The people deserve to see what happened yesterday:

…
137 retweets 183 likes

Traci Rhoades ?@tracesoffaith 2h2 hours ago

#WhichHillary Because as much as we want a woman to break the barriers and take the presidency, she's not our gal.
114 retweets 252 likes
Mimosas In Provy ?@mimosasblog 2h2 hours ago

#whichhillary the one who called us #SuperPredators or the one who claimed to be a lifelong civil rights activist?
108 retweets 191 likes
Alison Spalding ?@AlisonSpalding2 2h2 hours ago

#WhichHillary

The one who praised herself for being A PROUD MODERATE

Or the one who says "I'm a PRA-GRASSIVE"

#WeEndorseBernie
48 retweets 112 likes
Tanya Tuts ?@TanyaTuts 2h2 hours ago

#WhichHillary the one that says $12 a hour is a living wage or the one that earns speaking fees of over $80 per second
187 retweets 300 likes
Myles Dyer ?@MylesDyer 3h3 hours ago

#WhichHillary The one saying money from Wall St has no corrupting influence, or the one who says she wants to get big money out of politics?
183 retweets 247 likes
#Demolicious ?@GreenDayZainab 3h3 hours ago

Hillarators are trying to make #WhichBernie happend. Lost cause, dude is as solid as a rock #WhichHillary
74 retweets 186 likes
Colorado for Bernie ?@COforBernie 3h3 hours ago

Colorado for Bernie Retweeted Colorado for Bernie

Please retweet! #WhichHillary @cnn @foxnews @msnbc @andersoncooper @cenkuygur @HumanistReport @ABC @NBCNews

Colorado for Bernie added,
Colorado for Bernie @COforBernie
Will cable networks cover Hillary's shameful response to BLM activist?

Watch: …

…
41 retweets 44 likes

kaeggers ?@kaeggers65 3h3 hours ago

#WhichHillary just lost the Democratic nomination with this hashtag?
515 retweets 530 likes

Cop These Kicks ?@CopThese 3h3 hours ago

Reading #WhichHillary tweets and y'all savages... and this is coming from ME!
Still, you guys are not wrong...
144 retweets 140 likes

Myles Dyer ?@MylesDyer 3h3 hours ago

#WhichHillary The one who believes "profoundly in the power of forgiveness", or the one who believes in the death penalty?
186 retweets 284 likes

Teabar.com ?@MAHAMOSA 3h3 hours ago

H wants Repubs to release their transcripts??? This is an issue in the Democratic nomination. #whichhillary #Bernie

February 20, 2016

SO where were the four economists on the following issues??

One, endless ever expanding Surveillance monies, with a good deal of the monies going to local PD's. (Santa Rosa Calif. police department had so much money back in summer of 2014 that they went door to door, supposedly to help people know about the existence of AFDC programs and Food Stamps. Of course, the bonus pay off for the police was that if as a typical Santa Rosa inhabitant, you have that freshly lit joint lying on your kitchen counter,w hen the police unexpectedly ring at your door... )

Meanwhile the Calif fire departments have suffered terribly, in terms of not having revenue.

Also and quite importantly, one black op program operating 24/7 in the USA is estimated to cost over 10 billion a year per COUNTY! I am not making that up. If we can afford that black op program, that benefits only Monsanto, I guess we can afford free college.

Two, endless ever expanding monies to house the inhabitants in the USA in jail and prisons any time they "goof" up. Currently, the state of Calif. is looking into making DUI's even more prevalent - the prison industry can no longer grab as many people for smoking that joint so they need too toughen up the drinking laws and turn them into zero tolerance.

Many people are in jail for failure to pay court costs. And court costs do not even mean you were guilty of any offense. I once contested a $ 25 ticket I got from police for "wrongful illegal parking," and I won. But the city of Tiburon CA none the less charged me $ 30 for paper work! This happens all the time to people who cannot afford the court costs of items they may or may not have been guilty of. John Oliver did an excellent ten minute exposure of what happens to people in this situation.

Three, endless ever lasting and increasing amounts of monies for wars, wars that we do not plan properly, execute properly or win.

Our Iraq/Afghanistan incursions cost us at least 6 trillions of dollars, between the years 2001 and 2011. And we need to expand the wars - so we now have boots or advisers on the ground in Yemen, Syria, Libya etc. (Plus a plethora of Navy ships off the coasts of those countries.) All because someone in the military either thoughtlessly allowed our weaponry to remain in side the desserts of Iraq for capture by ISIL, which many people inside the Middle East think has been brought forth by the USA's CIA, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, or else they wanted to perpetuate the wars.

Why would anyone inside our military want to perpetuate our wars? Well, for one thing, many generals are directly connected to armaments sales! And then the history of the war in Iraq reveals how there were entire PALLETS of US Currency, which some have valued at a total of 20 billions of dollars, that just sat around in desolate outposts in Iraq, waiting for someone to take. (Despite the massive numbers of military personnel there, we couldn't afford to take people off duty from going down the infamous Highway of Death in their SUV and Hummers, as that plan was too vital to the war effort, she said sarcastically.)

I could go on, but by now you might have gotten my point!

February 13, 2016

This brings to mind the atrocious swift boating of John Kerry.

True to the workings of his brilliant mind, political comic Jon Stewart said to John Kerry, when welcoming Kerry to his show during the Autumn of 2004, "So Mr Senator, Sir, you just never were in Vietnam, were you?"

Which got a huge laugh from not only the audience but Kerry as well.

The task before each and every one of us who is adamantly for Sen Sanders is in seeing that these Big Lies are repudiated. And in seeing that many of the problems with the election system are ironed out, long before the Election Night in November.

We really don't need yet another situation wherein the Establishment Itself announces who won, before the votes are even counted!

February 12, 2016

He needed one hundred bucks for bail. Instead, 4 days later, he died in Denver jail.

Police harassment and restraining methods being blamed.

Marshall was killed for three reasons. He died while being black, while being mentally ill, and while being in jail. Had he not been homeless, he would never have been arrested for "trespassing" but many mentally ill people are now living out on the street.

From the article and link listed below:

Marshall was taken to the hospital after the incident, and eventually taken off life support on November 20. The coroner ruled his death a homicide. His history of mental illness and substance abuse, combined with heart and lung disease, were also suspected of contributing to his death. An autopsy report revealed his body was covered with bruises and abrasions. His family is expected to file a lawsuit.

Shadowproof compiled data on 30 similar deaths. Because of the varying jurisdictions at the local, state and federal level, and a lack of relevant public record-keeping or journalism on the topic, it was difficult to compile cases. Requests for updates or more information from government agencies were submitted, but questions about a number of cases went unanswered.

Of the 30 deaths found, 18 people died from a restraint-related incident within one week of their incarceration. Eight died within one day.

Sixteen of those who died suffered from mental illnesses, while eight had prior physical health issues or engaged in substance abuse.
Video and text at link:

https://shadowproof.com/2016/02/05/denver-inmates-death-calls-attention-to-disturbing-use-of-restraints-in-jails/

February 11, 2016

Nuke Plant in Critical SItuation - in the Carolinas?

Anyone who is in the Carolinas, is this on your local news?


Officials: Fire/Explosion Reported at US Nuclear Plant — Emergency Alert Declared — Fire/Explosion occurred after “unexpected power decrease” in reactor — “Emergency response facilities staffed” — “Abnormal event with potential to impact plant equipment or public health and safety” (VIDEO)

Published: February 9th, 2016 at 11:03 am ET
By ENENews
Email Article Email Article
159 comments

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Feb 8, 2016 (emphasis added): Facility: BRUNSWICK [Nuclear Plant in N.C.]… Emergency Class: ALERT… EMERGENCY DECLARED… RPS [Reactor Protection System] ACTUATION – CRITICAL… MANUAL SCRAM AND ALERT DECLARATION DUE TO ELECTRICAL FAULT RESULTING IN FIRE/EXPLOSION… Unit 1 declared an Alert… due to an explosion/fire in the Balance of Plant 4 kV switchgear bus area. Prior to the Alert declaration, the operators initiated a manual SCRAM due to an unexpected power decrease from 88% to 40%. The licensee has visually verified that there is no ongoing fire and is investigating the initial cause of the event… [T]he licensee reported the following… “a manual reactor scram was initiated due to loss of both recirculation system variable speed drives as a result of an electrical fault. At this time, a Startup Auxiliary Transformer (SAT) experienced a lockout fault; interrupting offsite power to emergency buses 1 and 2. Emergency Diesel Generators (EDGs) 1, 2, 3, and 4 automatically started”… The licensee has notified… DHS, FEMA, USDA, HHS, DOE, DHS NICC, EPA… FDA… and Nuclear SSA…

WWAY, Feb 7, 2016: Electrical damage sets off alert at Brunswick Nuclear Plant… An Alert is the second in increasing significance of four nuclear emergency classifications.

WECT, Feb 8, 2016: [Unit 1] remains in shutdown mode, while officials work through “detailed process/procedures to fully understand this event and make the needed repairs”… An alert… is used when abnormal events have the potential to impact plant equipment or public health and safety… No estimated timeline has been given for getting Unit 1 back into service.

North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Feb 7, 2016: Duke Energy notified the emergency management agencies… of damaged electrical equipment at the Brunswick Nuclear Plant…

Duke Energy, Feb 7, 2016: Alert declared and exited at Brunswick… federal, state and local officials were notified, and Brunswick plant emergency response facilities were staffed…

WWAY’s broadcast here

February 10, 2016

Me too or three! And for firms like Verizon, which over the past few years have paid Zero

Percent in taxes, it would be a good thing.

Even if that move to tax these big Communications Firms, like Verizon and AT & T, means higher fees to users, it might have one additional good result (other than contributing to ability to fund sociial and infra-structure funding.) In fact, it might help to save the birds and bees.

The birds and bees are under assault from all the magnetic smog that disrupts the normal magnetic signals that are needed to allow for successful flight. Navigation for the bees and migration for the birds is under assault by our using these devices 24/7.

February 10, 2016

Bernie's Sanders recent Tweet: "reform our broken criminal justice system"

Bernie Sanders ?@BernieSanders 2 hours ago
As President, let me be very clear that no one will fight harder to end racism and reform our broken criminal justice system than I will.


What will Hilary Clinton's response be?

Probably "Me too!"

Except under her breath she has to be saying, but "somehow I need to make it work out so that I can still profit from our prison system."