Hundreds died in this week's heat wave. But the real killer is a political & economic system that rewards predators, turns citizens into prey, & leaves governments protecting power instead of people…
Humans are indeed unique We are the only species that celebrates, supports, elects it's predators.
Perhaps because we are predators ourselves.
The average American celebrates the grifting millionaire, who takes advantage of them, because in their own mind, they are themselves temporarily disadvantaged millionaires
All life is predatory at some level as everything HAS TO EAT something else to survive, except amoebas or organisms like that. Humans have EATEN so many other living creatures that many have become extinct. Eating another creature usually means you HAVE TO KILL IT FIRST. A hard endeavor eons ago - now killing anything is easy-peasy.
If man was made in the image and likeness of God does that mean God is a predator?
Is it possible that religion (not God) was/is supposed to diminish the urge TO KILL everything (Eat or be Eaten/Kill or be killed) and that capitalism, even in some form in ancient societies, drives the urge to kill in order to make a buck? The ancient billionaire class is now today's billionaire class. Unless we all become vegetarians killing and eating is the only way all creatures survive. Is this the true dilemma of all creation?
EVERYTHING in this country has become a grift, a scam, or a snow job because of the psychos and sickos that are like a cancer within the government. Whether it is local, state or national, business leaders have way too much influence over government officials.
Time to let them know we will end this bullshit. We know what has to be done. How fun is it that they are afraid of democratic socialism. What cowards! They are so afraid that workers will prevail and get what they have earned. They are so afraid that the least of us will have a chance to thrive.
Vance's ironic predation once in power reflects how power can corrupt. Of course, we humans often do not predate by devouring. Most often, we slowly bleed our prey to death over decades with mortgages and other loans.
One might view the 2026 election SAVE-the-steal plots as setting traps for libtards to blissfully step in. If Trump survives and remains impeachment-proof, he will surely escalate his predation and corruption.
Our corrupt political system, run by billionaires, has made the majority of Americans feel powerless to resist. That might explain why so many MAGA voters boast that they do not pay attention to the news or pay it much heed.
I agree with Thom that the challenge is to get voters to monitor the news full of corruption and law breaking, and to finally overcome their sense of powerlessness and VOTE.
"“To punish these errors too severely would be to suppress the only safeguard of the public liberty. The way to prevent these irregular interpositions of the people is to give them full information of their affairs thro’ the channel of the public papers, and to contrive that those papers should penetrate the whole mass of the people."
Jefferson was right, of course. But there is a major crisis which has been completely overlooked, including, to my amazement, by Thom Hartmann. This crisis is called ALITERACY. Aliteracy is having the ability to read those "public papers", books, research, and other literature which requires a degree of sustained attention, focus, and comprehension but lacking the interest or ability to engage with anything which is not condensed, superficial, or pre-digested. It comes from the aversion to deep thought and contemplation and the expectation that everything can be simplified and presented to us by experts and authorities, or more often as entertainment designed to distract from reality.
The blame is usually placed on technological devices and the formats for everything from television to social media. However, the root or core cause is much older than any digital device or modern media. The problem is a manifestation of the strong and committed anti-intellectual bias in the US from the very founding. The problem is in the way we do schooling, which consistently discourages the habits of thinking things through for oneself, "critical thinking" to discover fundamentals and errors in popular mythology, and disciplined study for anything which does not add to the individual's income.
I posted an article on my Substack newsletter which explores this topic recently entitled, "Will Education Ever Be Highly Valued for its Own Sake in the U. S. Again?" The following is a quote from that article taken from a paper entitled, "Hindrances to Democratic Schools" by James Davis (2016) which shows the throughline from traditional methods and thinking to the demise of our democracy.
“Another surprising hindrance to democracy is possibly the curriculum itself. Keith Morrison (2008a), in his paper, argues that, “[c]ognition is not simply the acquisition of new knowledge: it engages motivation, personalities, learning styles, dispositions and preferences, the whole person. Teaching and learning take place at the intersection of the individual and society, and the outcomes are unpredictable” (p. 26). He adds that, “[p]edagogy is not transmissive or delivery-based – that is for assembly lines – but cast in a language and practice of 'possibility', of openness, freedom, autonomy and exploration” (p. 27). In other words, students must go beyond the curriculum. Students must learn to evaluate conflicts between the needs of the one and the needs of the many (the individual versus society). They must learn that there has to be a balance. Moreover, that balance requires its citizens to constantly re-evaluate itself through negotiation.”
The constant denial of the failures of our schools and the failure to take the action necessary to turn this around is the height of irresponsibility. Mark my words. Keeping this on the back burner will result in the house burning down. The predators know it and they are doing all they can to keep our attention elsewhere.
It would seem that the great American experiment is undergoing a radical change with this new/not new democratic socialism. I hope it takes off wherever possible but I also fear that the prey humans in the red states are so far into that coma stage over even the mention of socialism in any form, is enough to send them into a mass panic.
If anything, it will further divide the country to the point where the union will become two distinct nation states. One of which will be run by democratic socialists, and the other run by the wannabe predators of the MAGA culture. Much like ancient feudalism. The red states will build their castles and fortifications and the blue states will grow flowers and take care of their people, like what Mamdani is trying successfully, so far, to accomplish.
Meanwhile, corporate, establishment elected Dems - the Schumers, Jeffries, Bookers, etc. - and the corporate, establishment consultants - the Carvilles, Braziles, and their ilk - seek to undermine the very people most willing and able to stem the predation. We tried neoliberalism lite, incremental tweeking, cautious, moderate adjustments, and wound up with fascism. The expected victories in November will be a repudiation, not a validation, of the business-as-usual model of governance that has for too long been the guiding light of entrenched pols. We must prevent them from stealing the light.
I recall reading about Tonic Immobility in prey animals a couple of years ago. It also mentioned prey animals usually have eyes on the sides of their heads and predator animals usually have their eyes in the front to better look for prey. In today’s America, the tonic immobility seems to be provided by Fox News and other right wing media. Most of the prey humans don’t have eyes on the sides of their heads, their eyes are closed….but they can be recognized by red hats.
Yes people are dying from Climate change . And the policies to curtail this killer are arrested by the wealthiest .
The administration does their bidding , they make much more money blocking the actions that would allow more human beings to live. Not to mention the rest of our world, nature , who we are morally obligated to protect.
The Supreme Court also has become a rapacious predator bending always to the wealthiest , who pay the dues of the far right six Republican appointees.
In addition their sentiment to allow the power of the Constitution to be overruled by a power hungry protégée of Putin’s ‘is tragic and shameful. They are wrong , they know it , and they don’t care.
Humans are indeed unique We are the only species that celebrates, supports, elects it's predators.
Perhaps because we are predators ourselves.
The average American celebrates the grifting millionaire, who takes advantage of them, because in their own mind, they are themselves temporarily disadvantaged millionaires
All life is predatory at some level as everything HAS TO EAT something else to survive, except amoebas or organisms like that. Humans have EATEN so many other living creatures that many have become extinct. Eating another creature usually means you HAVE TO KILL IT FIRST. A hard endeavor eons ago - now killing anything is easy-peasy.
If man was made in the image and likeness of God does that mean God is a predator?
Is it possible that religion (not God) was/is supposed to diminish the urge TO KILL everything (Eat or be Eaten/Kill or be killed) and that capitalism, even in some form in ancient societies, drives the urge to kill in order to make a buck? The ancient billionaire class is now today's billionaire class. Unless we all become vegetarians killing and eating is the only way all creatures survive. Is this the true dilemma of all creation?
Great. comment, I am going to steal it. "if man was made in the image and likeness of God does that mean God is a predator?"
My analogy is that God is a psychic vampire, that thrives off the pain, torment, anguish of ALL living creatures, not just humans.
A natural death is a rarity among living things, especially mammals, fowl and reptiles.
Being eaten alive is more common
EVERYTHING in this country has become a grift, a scam, or a snow job because of the psychos and sickos that are like a cancer within the government. Whether it is local, state or national, business leaders have way too much influence over government officials.
Time to let them know we will end this bullshit. We know what has to be done. How fun is it that they are afraid of democratic socialism. What cowards! They are so afraid that workers will prevail and get what they have earned. They are so afraid that the least of us will have a chance to thrive.
Good Report, Thom. See you in the streets.
TRump should go down in history as Predator of the United States not President of the United States!
Vance's ironic predation once in power reflects how power can corrupt. Of course, we humans often do not predate by devouring. Most often, we slowly bleed our prey to death over decades with mortgages and other loans.
One might view the 2026 election SAVE-the-steal plots as setting traps for libtards to blissfully step in. If Trump survives and remains impeachment-proof, he will surely escalate his predation and corruption.
Our corrupt political system, run by billionaires, has made the majority of Americans feel powerless to resist. That might explain why so many MAGA voters boast that they do not pay attention to the news or pay it much heed.
I agree with Thom that the challenge is to get voters to monitor the news full of corruption and law breaking, and to finally overcome their sense of powerlessness and VOTE.
"“To punish these errors too severely would be to suppress the only safeguard of the public liberty. The way to prevent these irregular interpositions of the people is to give them full information of their affairs thro’ the channel of the public papers, and to contrive that those papers should penetrate the whole mass of the people."
Jefferson was right, of course. But there is a major crisis which has been completely overlooked, including, to my amazement, by Thom Hartmann. This crisis is called ALITERACY. Aliteracy is having the ability to read those "public papers", books, research, and other literature which requires a degree of sustained attention, focus, and comprehension but lacking the interest or ability to engage with anything which is not condensed, superficial, or pre-digested. It comes from the aversion to deep thought and contemplation and the expectation that everything can be simplified and presented to us by experts and authorities, or more often as entertainment designed to distract from reality.
The blame is usually placed on technological devices and the formats for everything from television to social media. However, the root or core cause is much older than any digital device or modern media. The problem is a manifestation of the strong and committed anti-intellectual bias in the US from the very founding. The problem is in the way we do schooling, which consistently discourages the habits of thinking things through for oneself, "critical thinking" to discover fundamentals and errors in popular mythology, and disciplined study for anything which does not add to the individual's income.
I posted an article on my Substack newsletter which explores this topic recently entitled, "Will Education Ever Be Highly Valued for its Own Sake in the U. S. Again?" The following is a quote from that article taken from a paper entitled, "Hindrances to Democratic Schools" by James Davis (2016) which shows the throughline from traditional methods and thinking to the demise of our democracy.
“Another surprising hindrance to democracy is possibly the curriculum itself. Keith Morrison (2008a), in his paper, argues that, “[c]ognition is not simply the acquisition of new knowledge: it engages motivation, personalities, learning styles, dispositions and preferences, the whole person. Teaching and learning take place at the intersection of the individual and society, and the outcomes are unpredictable” (p. 26). He adds that, “[p]edagogy is not transmissive or delivery-based – that is for assembly lines – but cast in a language and practice of 'possibility', of openness, freedom, autonomy and exploration” (p. 27). In other words, students must go beyond the curriculum. Students must learn to evaluate conflicts between the needs of the one and the needs of the many (the individual versus society). They must learn that there has to be a balance. Moreover, that balance requires its citizens to constantly re-evaluate itself through negotiation.”
The constant denial of the failures of our schools and the failure to take the action necessary to turn this around is the height of irresponsibility. Mark my words. Keeping this on the back burner will result in the house burning down. The predators know it and they are doing all they can to keep our attention elsewhere.
It would seem that the great American experiment is undergoing a radical change with this new/not new democratic socialism. I hope it takes off wherever possible but I also fear that the prey humans in the red states are so far into that coma stage over even the mention of socialism in any form, is enough to send them into a mass panic.
If anything, it will further divide the country to the point where the union will become two distinct nation states. One of which will be run by democratic socialists, and the other run by the wannabe predators of the MAGA culture. Much like ancient feudalism. The red states will build their castles and fortifications and the blue states will grow flowers and take care of their people, like what Mamdani is trying successfully, so far, to accomplish.
Meanwhile, corporate, establishment elected Dems - the Schumers, Jeffries, Bookers, etc. - and the corporate, establishment consultants - the Carvilles, Braziles, and their ilk - seek to undermine the very people most willing and able to stem the predation. We tried neoliberalism lite, incremental tweeking, cautious, moderate adjustments, and wound up with fascism. The expected victories in November will be a repudiation, not a validation, of the business-as-usual model of governance that has for too long been the guiding light of entrenched pols. We must prevent them from stealing the light.
I recall reading about Tonic Immobility in prey animals a couple of years ago. It also mentioned prey animals usually have eyes on the sides of their heads and predator animals usually have their eyes in the front to better look for prey. In today’s America, the tonic immobility seems to be provided by Fox News and other right wing media. Most of the prey humans don’t have eyes on the sides of their heads, their eyes are closed….but they can be recognized by red hats.
Yes people are dying from Climate change . And the policies to curtail this killer are arrested by the wealthiest .
The administration does their bidding , they make much more money blocking the actions that would allow more human beings to live. Not to mention the rest of our world, nature , who we are morally obligated to protect.
The Supreme Court also has become a rapacious predator bending always to the wealthiest , who pay the dues of the far right six Republican appointees.
In addition their sentiment to allow the power of the Constitution to be overruled by a power hungry protégée of Putin’s ‘is tragic and shameful. They are wrong , they know it , and they don’t care.