Where do we go from here?
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Direct Link: https://youtu.be/MnU2f-rrvcg
Last edited by Riddick on 09-21-2016 12:13 AM, edited 1 time in total.
Possibly related -
Bill Moyers talks with Mike Lofgren, a long-time Republican who describes the modern dysfunction of both the Republican and Democratic parties. In Lofgren's view, Republicans have become overly obsessed with obstructing President Obama, and the Democrats suffer from political complacency.
Lofgren's new book is The Party is Over: How Republicans Went Crazy, Democrats Became Useless, and the Middle Class Got Shafted. As you can tell from the title, he spares no one.
Bill Moyers talks with Mike Lofgren, a long-time Republican who describes the modern dysfunction of both the Republican and Democratic parties. In Lofgren's view, Republicans have become overly obsessed with obstructing President Obama, and the Democrats suffer from political complacency.
Lofgren's new book is The Party is Over: How Republicans Went Crazy, Democrats Became Useless, and the Middle Class Got Shafted. As you can tell from the title, he spares no one.
- Mike Lofgren, welcome.
Mike Lofgren: Good to be here.
Bill Moyers: The title of your book is "The Party Is Over: How Republicans Went Crazy." How did Republicans go crazy?
Mike Lofgren: I think they went crazy when they started identifying Obama as the Antichrist.
Bill Moyers: Meaning?
Mike Lofgren: Meaning, "He's not a legitimate president. We must do everything we can to obstruct him."
Bill Moyers: The second subtitle, "The Party Is Over: Democrats Became Useless." How did Democrats become useless?
Mike Lofgren: I think they got complacent during the '60s, '70s, and '80s. And then finally after that period, they woke up, found they had lost three straight presidential elections. So they had to retool and make themselves more corporate friendly.
Bill Moyers: Corporate friendly?
Mike Lofgren: Absolutely. And it certainly helped Bill Clinton get elected. And while he did some good things like balancing the budget, he also unleashed Wall Street by repealing Glass-Steagall, and he signed bills that would end regulation on derivatives. So he is at least to some degree responsible for the Wall Street debacle.
Bill Moyers: And that's how, to quote a third of your subtitles, "The Middle Class Got Shafted"?
Mike Lofgren: Both parties don't really seem to care about having a vibrant manufacturing base in this country, regardless of their rhetoric. I remember throughout the '90s the Clinton administration was lobbying relentlessly for free trade deals. And the promise for each one was, it will bring jobs to America. And in every case, the jobs left.
Epic post, Riddick - thanks for the effort. I especially like this, but I am still pouring over that missive.Riddick wrote: Cap't to the Crew: Damn the 'bergs, Full steam ahead! (Make sure there's lifeboats at the ready and well-stocked with caviar and champagne for the Ship's officers and company execs when we hit the ice... And make DOUBLY SURE the passengers stay ignorant of what's going on 'til we're well away from the disaster area.)
For if it profit, none dare call it Treason.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wire ... er-killed/
Shocking.TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — A prominent Honduran human rights lawyer gunned down after a weekend wedding had long complained about death threats, including in documents filed last year seeking protection from a powerful billionaire landowner.
[...]
Trejo had also helped prepare motions declaring unconstitutional a proposal by the Honduran government and a U.S. company, MGK Group, to build three privately run cities with their own police, laws and tax systems.
Just hours before his murder, Trejo had participated in a televised debate in which he accused congressional leaders of using the private city projects to raise campaign funds.
MGK director Michael Strong said the company is "horrified" by Trejo's killing.
"We believe that Antonio Trejo, had he lived long enough to get to know us, would have concluded that our approach is 100 percent beneficial to Honduras and Hondurans. We are saddened for his family and understand what a tragedy this is for trust and goodwill in Honduras," Strong said in a statement to The Associated Press.
Last edited by SquidInk on 09-27-2012 10:30 PM, edited 1 time in total.
For if it profit, none dare call it Treason.
Oh, SO sad they are for his family. Yeah, yeah, sure sure - But more importantly, what a horrifying tragedy for trust and goodwill in Honduras! Especially when one thinks how easily 'misunderstandings' might be cleared up."We believe that Antonio Trejo, had he lived long enough to get to know us, would have concluded that our approach is 100 percent beneficial to Honduras and Hondurans. We are saddened for his family and understand what a tragedy this is for trust and goodwill in Honduras," Strong said in a statement to The Associated Press.
So Strong says Antonio would have agreed with them had he only "lived long enough to get to know us" - Seems like a pretty self-serving and more than somewhat snarky assertion to me, in light of Trejo having received death threats earlier and requesting protection (all requests basically being ignored by authorities).
Yet, who might have seen Trejo's human rights work as a threat to their extensive business empire...? Some billionaire landowner mebbe? Nah, that couldn't be! Facusse says he laments his death despite any differences the two had. Well, that settles THAT. What a guy, betcha he even helps look for the killers.
I'm sure the local authorities will welcome the "help." HEY! Who knows, some detective might otherwise go off on the wrong track and somehow meet with an untimely 'accident,' like walking into a hailstorm of flying lead or opening a special delivery exploding bomb with postage due on it. Nope, definitely don't want that in good ol' Honduras, that soon-to-be-host and home of the absolute latest and greatest in privately-built and privately-run oppidan paradises.
So, on one hand, we know an active police investigation is already in progress - OTOH, it's well known very few cases like this there are ever prosecuted. What a comfort to know how well their system works to keep perps on the street. And what a joy for Antonio's family to know if they aren't careful, THEY could be next...
Speaking of the Trejo clan? Wonder if he was related to Danny Trejo - Now there's a fella who definitely doesn't seem like the type that would take at all kindly to having one of his kin gunned down, OR to know his murderers would go unpunished -
'Course, not to say Danny himself would do anything like it in real life, but as an actor he's played someone in particular with a very sharp edge that knows how to track down corrupt cretins, their cohorts and their lackeys and take care of business from TO bottom -
Then again, mebbe there's other Trejos down Central America way that could ALSO dish out extralegal familial justice just as well as Danny's character... "MACHETE" style!!
Direct Link: https://youtu.be/XXiuT5Zd8Do
Last edited by Riddick on 09-21-2016 12:39 AM, edited 2 times in total.
Would you believe my being up late like this on occasion can be both voluntary AND involuntary?
I have a fairly out-of-the-ordinary body clock - and it's at least partially genetic, I think. My dad had it much the same way. He could pull off the most monumentally long marathon waking sessions without wavering the least little bit.
As it is, now and then I find myself easily overriding any 'set time' for sleeping. In many if not most cases, it will occur at random and what triggers it is can elude explanation... OTOH, sometimes I'm just 'wound up' from the day's events, which I would say is what's going on now - making it a matter of winding down to the point where sleep comes 'naturally' again.
I know folks who just have to have their regular number of hours of dreamland time, whatever they be every night or they can't function. Can't say I'm one of them!!
I have a fairly out-of-the-ordinary body clock - and it's at least partially genetic, I think. My dad had it much the same way. He could pull off the most monumentally long marathon waking sessions without wavering the least little bit.
As it is, now and then I find myself easily overriding any 'set time' for sleeping. In many if not most cases, it will occur at random and what triggers it is can elude explanation... OTOH, sometimes I'm just 'wound up' from the day's events, which I would say is what's going on now - making it a matter of winding down to the point where sleep comes 'naturally' again.
I know folks who just have to have their regular number of hours of dreamland time, whatever they be every night or they can't function. Can't say I'm one of them!!
