The Loyal Opposition
 

I am the loyal opposition.

Tonight I attended my first Women's March, 10 Actions in 100 Days meeting. It was great. Last Sunday, when BelovedDaughter and I went for our hike, she asked me what I'd done yesterday (Saturday) and was a bit shocked to learn that I hadn't marched with the 100,000 *other* loyal opponents in Seattle.

Tonight it was about sending direct messages to our representatives in Congress, being specific, to the point, personal. If they're going to represent us, they'd better know how we feel about the issues. And they will. It's important to recognize that absent any communication from the constituency, an elected official will have cause to think they're doing a good job and truly representing their people. By the time they're in office, the consent of the governed is presumed.

Well, fuck that shit.

I DO NOT consent to much of the madness going on in (the other) Washington lately. The executive orders, while legal, are not expressions of how I believe our country should act. The basket of deplorables representing the bulk of his cabinet nominations are unacceptable. Mattis and Tillerson are the least revolting but Jeff "good people don't smoke marijuana/good ol' boy" Sessions and Beverly "no public school for me or my children-ever" Voss horrify me. My representatives had better vote NO if they want to act on my behalf. Let's not get started on that clown, Perry, who wants/wanted to eliminate the the agency he's now been nominated to head. JFC.

It's **crucial** that I do my part, that I do my best to be an informed citizen. The success of our country depends on it and depends on you in the same way. Having informed myself, I will exercise my right to free speech (while it lasts, Steve "the media should keep its mouth shut" Fucking Bannon, I'm looking at you). See something, say something. This emperor has no clothes, (and no brains and no class and no maturity, I could go on) and by God, I'm going to say something.

I am the loyal opposition and I object!

Attachment 59257

I Object!

There's so much material here, I'm literally overwhelmed. It's a tsunami of bad decisions made by our government. I think of this thread every day. Today I'm extending it.

***

Remember Obama's "red line" comment about chemical weapons in Syria and how that ill-advised well-meant but no-room-to-maneuver played out? Badly, politically, yeah. And worse for the poor people who caught the chlorine bombs. Fucking Assad.

Anyhow.

Trump recently (well, it seems a thousand lies ago, but it really was not too far back) made his own "red line" remark in an ill-advised over-reaction to his administration's flirtations with Mother Russia. He said (through Spicer)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C4LrbBgL4I&t=7m4s

Watch the whole thing if you're running low on bullshit. It's helpful to wind it back before the statement start to get the context of the situation, Flynn being asked to resign.

This, this after he said the opposite (shocking, I know) in the middle of the campaign. Back when he was on the campaign trail, he called for (a lot of shit including) the possibility of recognizing the annexation of Crimea by Russia.

So, what the FUCK is it gonna be?

Many, many statements by Trump indicate a strong desire to capitulate to cooperate with Russia. But using the new promise of lifting existing sanctions in return for surrendering the sovereign territory of Crimea back to Ukraine strikes me a especially fanciful, even from the fluffy head of Trump. Where's your vaunted bargain from a position of strength, Mr President?

I object to your objection on the grounds that it objectifies an object of objectification.

Would you rather Trump did a Dubya and just told Russia to Bring it on!

Trump is doing what he's good at. He can't dazzle 'em with brilliance; so, he's baffling 'em with bullshit.

It's a technique. Don't knock it, it got him elected!

campaigning is for candidates.

governing is for incumbents.

He hasn't been vested with the authority to govern the world. He's still a candidate on the global venue.

Have a bowl of fish head soup. You'll feel better in the morning.

Another worrisome item before I retire tonight. This is a first draft.

It's not only the wrong-headed actions of the Adminstration I oppose, it's the wrong-headed actions of the Congress as well. For example, the well publicized and proportionally poorly thought out actions of the Congress to attempt to eviscerate the Ethics Committee.

What the fuck were they thinking?

They were thinking they'd better CYA and do it fast.

The corruption continues Wilbur Ross , just confirmed , was Vice chair of Bank of Cyprus. So what you may ask since atrocities keep pouring in so quickly it's difficult to keep track of them all. Well, here's what according to various reliable sources across the Internet. Here's a snip from the DC Report:



more...

The story in the DC Report appears to be well researched and gives many cites from reliable, nonpartisan sources. Too bad Congress didn't follow the advise of the journalist who wrote that story. But then why should they? The Pussy Grabber crowd are sitting in the cat bird's seat, ready to snack on as many canaries as possible. And as we all know, no one can ever eat just one. :eyebrow:

Just look at the stunts that attention whoring President is pulling now, for his self aggrandizement, shortly before addressing a joint session of Congress:

Shameless I tell ya ... shameless.

I'd be more suspicious of people with ties to trump than to Russians.

1- to elevate blacks to positions where he can blame them for his fuckups and fire them.

2- to prevent charges of racism and backlash as DeVos dismantles the Department of Education.

DeVos didn't help him much, trying to claim HBUs were early examples of "school choice".

OMG, did you watch Trump's speech to Congress. Oh the humanity! He didn't grab even one pussy. He must've not been feeling well or something. And all his Me, me, me(s) turned into Us, us, us ... such shameless pandering. It's a good thing his daughter Ivanka was there as eye candy; or, the evening would have been a total loss.

I think his speechwriter deserves a raise.

I think his handlers all deserve a stiff drink of bourbon tonight. Putin must be applying the thumb screws behind the scenes.

This morning we're participating in a "People Power" Livestream Event from the ACLU.

I'll take good notes and deliver my report when I return.

You'll feel better after "Placebo Power".

Feeling better is not the goal.

Of course not; but, it's what people end up settling for. Obama most recently demonstrated that there's no lasting change.

Untrue. There is continuous change. I don't like many of the changes promulgated by this administration and I'm doing what I believe is right, what I believe is best for our country. Things are changing, I want different changes.

And as far as "settling" goes, many people do settle. But I believe we get the country we work for and fight for. I'm fighting for a better country.

You can believe that if you like; but, you got the country you bargained for.

Not true, not everyone bargained for what we got. I may have not rung doorbells... wait, I didn't ring doorbells, but I did express my opinion when possible without alienating too many people. My complacency may have made a tiny, miniscule, infinitesimal bit of difference, but living in a GOP stronghold I doubt it.

I have been subject to a steady barrage for the last ten years, I mean at least one sometimes several emails a day, how that spook from Africa is to blame for everything from ISIS to my bunions. They contain links that go to right wing websites or to sites that say the exact opposite of their claims. But most people don't question the claims just pass it on. Some of these emails will contain over a hundred addresses of forwarders. Brainwashing for ten fucking years.

People are tired and scared. I was lucky to grow up in a boom time when jobs were plentiful, unions strong, and taxes pretty fair. I retired not long after everything went to shit. I feel sorry for any kid that doesn't have a personal connection to get a good job because a degree and brains are no guaranty. People are seeing good paying jobs slipping away, and their communities/life style collapsing. So they voted Trump out of hope.

A Doctorate in history handling insurance claims? A Doctorate in maths in charge of signs in a supermarket? C'mon, that's just fucked up. That's proof that the MBA's who are running shit don't have a clue, nor care, what's good for the country. I didn't bargain for that.

You can remain in denial for as long as you want; but, everyone who voted for Clinton and everyone eligible who didn't vote got the country they bargained for. That's the majority and for the most part they're just not astute enough to acknowledge perceptions of how and why. They're the clueless crusaders.

Good luck trying to renegotiate your bargain.

It's only right the other side should get a chance at this!

And given their chance to be opposition, at least they don't talk about his skin color. Or anything personal really. Now, the debate is serious. There's no fear-mongering at all.

I know you're shit stirring but that statement makes you look silly. You've got it ass backwards, Trump's voters got what they bargained for, the rest of the country just suffers from the results of the bargain too.

Au contraire, mon frère. Enough Trump voters would have voted for anyone but Clinton to put another Dem in the White House. Not to mention those who could have voted; but, didn't. The bargain was made before the general election, which just ratified it.

If you're saying the Clinton boosters still don't get it, you're largely er... bigly right.

I voted for Bernie in the primary, but was only offered two choices in the general election. I couldn't vote for Trump or stay home.

I'm a Clinton Booster. Explain it to me, please. What am I not getting?

I am not really sure what he's talking about but the DNC still does not appear serious about working class issues.

You can remain in denial for as long as you want but:

A) Hillary won the popular vote. Thanks to the unElectorial College, the Traitor seized power.

B) 15 separate US Government intelligence agencies agree that the election was hacked. At best, this calls into question the election of ANYONE.

That said, I do feel the official Dem party apparatus has become a little ossified. Bernie Sanders had the momentum and the votes. Had the Dems run Bernie as their candidate instead of Hillary, things might look very different today. Certainly, Sanders was/is on the side of the working man.

But that was then and in the now, I read the posts made by the Traitor's supporters on other sites, glorying in the idea that coal mining will be brought back. Not only is that economically unfeasible (at the moment), it is also a dirty industry in more ways than one. Since there will no longer be any EPA or government regulatory agencies because this hurts the "small businessman," when the time comes, Peabody coal will go about whistling while it works and miners will struggle with increasingly unsafe mine conditions and should they develop black lung, good luck finding medical care.

This is only one small example of the delusional mindset among the cons. The Dems may be ossified, but the cons have become the party of the oligarchs and their mindless followers rush after them like lemmings pouring off the cliff - democracy be damned.

Democrats have a muddled message. They do not have Fox News, Laura Engles, Breitbart, Hannity, etc throwing shit against the wall to see what sticks.

Republicans discovered naive and uneducated anger about taxes and debt. Clinton (a Democrat) almost eliminated debt. Republicans love to increase spending and debts - especially to enrich the rich (ie George Jr's administration is a perfect example).

Republican message says one thing. Republican actions have been opposite. By throwing shit against the wall, Republicans discovered what is believed and what they do are completely unrelated. That contradiction is acceptable to their extremists.

I bet you post that everywhere you can. Your Mexican handlers must be applying the thumb screws IRL.

Excuse me? :eyebrow:

I pick only the most select handlers - in this case, the Russians. Their thumb screws have this really cool hammer and sickle design. It fits just... - OUCH GODDAMIT!

All true, but running as "not the Republicans" does not get the votes to poll much over 25%. Ryan's likely ACA / Medicaid train wreck opens the door for a low turnout Democrat victory but doesn't do anything for the country.

Solution is moderates. Gerrymandering makes it impossible for the most patriotic people - the moderates - to get elected or represented in Congress.

Increased numbers of wacko extremists in government explains why infrastructure is failing, why this nation wastes itself on wars it has no business in (Mission Accomplished, Nam, the one Trump will create because he is dumb), why new tunnels, bridges, and rails cannot be created, why coal must keep destroying jobs, and why a 2007 recession was created. Extremists were so dumb as to even hate TARP. So dumb at to attack teachers. So dumb as to know global warming does not exist and is not created by mankind. So dumb as to hate network neutrality and innovation. So dumb as to destroy research and science in space, quantum physics, stem cell, and environmental. So dumb as to believe enriching the rich is good - and trickle down economics. So dumb as to think economies prosper by inventing new financial tools. So dumb as to even advocate putting Social Security in the stock market. So dumb as to hate globalization, TPP, and George Sr new world order. So dumb as to think a V-8 engine means a bigger penis. So dumb as to believe crime is rampant - we all need bigger guns. So dumb as to think stock brokers and business school trained executives are smart - can be trusted - deserve to be paid $millions annually. So dumb as to think 85% of all problems are directly traceable to others who don't look or talk like me.

Those are extremists who protect themselves by avoiding and attacking responsible news services, history, science, and the purpose of life. Those extremists love war; hate diplomacy. Some even think Putin is a good guy. We have too many Ted Cruz in government. Unfortunately their numbers are increasing. Not the number of extremists. The number of extremists now in government.

They may even put up a statue to honor Timothy McVeigh because he attacked evil government.

What creates gridlock in Congress? Some four or five dozen wacko extremists whose whole purpose in life is to blame government for all problems. They exist to subvert government - because they were educated by soundbytes - and therefore are extremists.

When you're right you're right. And you're right.

Sadly, there aren't so many moderates any more. Lots of partisans claiming to be moderate, but few actual moderates.

You call them "extremists," I call them oligarchs. Citizens United opened the floodgates, allowing billionaire CEO's to buy and sell the government of the United States. Look at 45 and look at his cabinet. Billionaire CEO's all. A government run by a select group of the extremely wealthy is defined as an oligarchy - NOT a democracy.

The rabble that mindlessly supports 45 are suckled by Fox. They hate everyone who is not exactly the same skin color and doesn't hold their identical religious beliefs. They'd rather their children drop out of high school and get a great job as a coal miner in WV or in a uranium mine in NM.

Good luck EVER finding common ground with these people.

Senator Hillary Clinton broke with the Democrats and joined the Republicans in voting to support Bush's war.

Nawwwwwww. They're just punishing all those fake moderates who supported Clinton.

Glatt - his eyes open.

And this is sexobon Cronkite stiri... uh, edumacating the masses. :haha:

Two types exist. For example, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and many billionaire friends have channeled their efforts into addressing these and other problems.

Don't confuse them with a different breed who believe the purpose of life is to enrich yourself - even at the expense of others. They routinely campaign (lobby) to manipulate laws for personal gain. For example, openly advocated destruction of Glass-Steagall. And now want to eliminate many laws created because the rich successfully created a 2008 meltdown. Where do they recruit supporters? From extremists. From people who only know what their emotions tell them to believe.

I took an all day trip to Philly to understand many outside a Democratic convention. Bernie Sanders supporters insisted the Federal Reserve was a private corporation that manipulated our currency. Then insisted it must be true even when confronted with facts. Extremists. People literally told what to think. No different from the so many who insisted stock markets must be liberated from evil regulation. Or that global warming does not exist. Or who knew Saddam was conspiring to attack America only because Cheney, et al said so.

Some call them ultra liberals or neo-conservatives. I call them extremists. They only know what they are told to believe. Never demand the always required reasons why. Ignore numbers. Insist responsible journalists lie. They know because they 'feel' it must be true. Emotional like a child. Often do not learn how to think through a problem.

They are easily manipulated by the others. Such as a different breed of rich who believe the purpose of life is profits - to enrich yourself.

Does Limbaugh really believe fiction he regurgitates? Or does he just do what keeps him in his private jet and oxycontin? Either way, he promotes extremism by telling the many (who do not think for themselves) what to believe. After all, how do you get so many to advocate the massacre of 5000 servicemen in Iraq? And then deny they advocated it? Did they want that? Or were they so easily manipulated into becoming an extremist?

Citizen United simply made it easier for the richest to literally tell adults who are still children what to believe - how to think.

John McCain personally watched verbal arguments in the Supreme Court for Citizen United. Then said he wished just one justice had once run for a political office - even dog catcher. Because they did not get it.

Citizen United simply made it easier to manipulate emotional - adults who are still children.

That's why it took years and years of constant FUD about her to get the Republicans to hate her. Politically, she's pretty much a Reagan-era Republican. I'm not sure how that doesn't count as moderate in today's environment.

Your opposition should be directed at Congress... :(

It does; sexo is replying to tw and pointing out that tw's definition makes her extremist.

Far from it. But my comments say why sexobon has extremist tendencies. He routtinely replies to everything I post with his emotions and insults.

Extremist - just like the Donald.

And like Hillary, by your definition.

Far from it, tw. But my commrnts say why tw has hypocritical presentation. He routinely applies double standards and fallacies.

Loser - just like Hillary.

Cheapshots and insults based in emotion. An extremist with a Donald Trump, Geert Wilder, Marine Le Pen, and Boris Johnson temperament.

How is any of that Hillary? That defines Hilary's nemesis, Rush Limbaugh.

Extremist even hype hate of drug addicts - while even being one. Is that Hilary? No. That is the convicted oxycontin addict - Limbaugh.

Which then raises another question. Are extremists routine liars?

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/inte...news-poll-315/

interesting poll...

Sanders would seem to be the Centrist while Pelosi and Ryan are the extremists.

I know I consider McConnell to be a piece of shit, and I wondered if it's only because of the bubble I'm in. Apparently there are a tremendous number of people in the same bubble. He's got the lowest approval rating of anyone in this poll.

I heard a retired coal miner going off on Mitch, no love there.

What if we all took, as the central tenet of our civic duty, to identify politicians whose policy positions actually corresponded the strongest to the people they are tasked with representing, and accordingly voted for those politicians.

For example, in 2016, there was a candidate whose platform overwhelmingly corresponded to the middle-of-the-road positions of the majority of Americans--including, but not limited to traditional, working-class families. That candidate was Bernie Sanders. Although it has come to light that his candidacy was squashed by the corrupt DNC (which was patently obvious in the first place), it is also true that legions of Hillary supporters jumped on the fraudulent "Bernie Bro" narrative, driven by fervent opposition politics, and the espoused belief in picking a "safe" choice.

Pick the politician who stands for what you believe in, motherƒuckers, and forget all the political nonsense that "smart" people are supposed to weigh against their own best interests.

Coal miners (especially WV region miners) are an angry lot that deserve to be angry. However they fail to direct their anger at the reason for their plight.

Name an innovation in coal in the past 40 years. Even new coal plants in TX are thermodynamically less efficient than one built in Philadelphia in the 1960s. Coal industry even rejected the IGCC method of making coal cleaner and more efficient. Coal industry hates innovation. So employees suffer even in mines where management even turned off or refused to repair fans necessary to eliminate methane explosions. We now know these decisions were made at highest level of management.

So they blame their declining living standards on environmentalists, politicians, free market economics, demands from other states for cleaner power, and McConnell? It would help if they first learned why their industry must be downsized. If a domestic industry fails to innovate, then free markets demand its destruction.

Maybe they should blame free markets?

Miners demonstrate why so many are angry. They don't first learn reasons for their plight. They seek soundbyte answers. Soundbytes - especially when not quantified - are akin to a lie.

I find myself standing with flint. I don't hear anything so outrageous from Bernie and he's been known to seek common ground. Maybe our politics are so angry because of individual cognitive dissonance, the parties represent their donors and folks are having trouble divorcing themselves from the old party habit.

"Bernie Bros" may have been exaggerated, but they existed, and it's easy for small numbers of assholes to have an outsize impact on social media. As a Bernie supporter myself, I was pleased when Sanders himself rejected them (not "denied their existence"; rejected them).

I picked Bernie, and when he lost the primary I picked the candidate he supported.

We are facing unprecedented political theater, from all sides, to distract us from the fact that Bernie almost mounted a legitimate challenge to the corporate stranglehold on the American political system.

Sure, and people who supported Hillary, but were total cvnts, certainly must have existed, but there wasn't a full court press by the entire mainstream media, to define them as a group, and force the narrative that they defined the candidate.

This was a political assassination, in which certain members of the public were gleefully complicit.

It's too bad Bernie is a million years old. I might have hope that he could run again if he wasn't. Does he have 8 years left in him? I'm doubtful.

Elizabeth Warren does. So...she'll probably die in a plane wreck before too long, and we'll get stuck with Cory Booker, another corporate sell-out who will run on long-winded opposition to Trump and, hey, he's not white.

In 8 years she will be the same age as when Bernie ran.