Economic desperation opened the door to both FDR and Hitler. Nearly a century later, America again faces competing visions of who should rule and whom government should serve…
Tom Schaller from Public Notice reminded readers today of what I view to be a dominant but baseless cultural myth in America: "Put me, a genius businessman, back into office and I will solve America’s inflation woes," Trump promised. And despite his failed first term, voters put the billionaire businessman back in office, and now our economy is a disaster.
Thom clearly exposed America's never-ending ideological political tension. Today, the conflict between fascism (billionaires) and democratic socialism (everybody else) is real, but even fascism has always been initially "voted" into power (recall the Neo-Nazi AfD wins in the Saxony election this week).
It seems to me that the real tension is within the DNC where the neolibs are trying to hang onto a bankrupt worldview as a more socialist David Hogg model struggles to restore the American middle class. Hard to challenge Thom's take that the November elections are likely to define our nation's future. Let us just hope that our lunatic POTUS does not nuke Iran before he is impeached.
The DNC is run by an overclass of consultants, analysts, professionals who enjoy perks, income and social status because they have slopped at the trough and are insiders, the new class, the Hoggs, Mamdami's, Sayeds are a threat from within, and thus they join ranks, surreptitiously certainly, with the the Republicans to take out the threat.
Our pundits so love to bloviate over the economic man, and quote James Carville, "it is the economy stupiid" while that may been true in the past, what is true now and that which accounts for the rise of fascism in Europe and America is the culture war.
The culture war in Europe might appear to similar to the culture war in America, but there is only one point of similarity, and even the reason for that is vastly different.
Europe, exception Poland, is by and large secular, especially France, which has been hostile to religion since 1789.
LGBT is not an issue in Europe, because there is not a large religious community with a power hungry, and fearful leadership banging drums to stir up fear.
Exception Russia, but Russia is not Europe it is Asia.
The one similarity which binds the right on both sides of the Atlantic is immigration, but even then it is different.
Europe has been under strain as a culture that is incompatible with western culture, and resists assimilation.
The push back against migration is more dogmatic manipulation than reailty.
Migrants in America not only do jobs that Americans don't want to do, like roofing and construction, but also create jobs, home business, entrepreneurs,
Paradoxically American migrants are Christian and culturally conservative, and once naturalized and voting, actually vote Republican.
As a progressive and a leftist culture warrior, the less conservatives the better off we are.
To recap, The far right has and is rising to power on both sides of the Atlantic because of the culture war.
The one consistent thread that runs though the culture war is immigration.
But the basis for the two culture wars are different, although some die hard purists, refuse to see that reality.
Just as marble and limestone are both calcium carbonate, they are not the same and not formed the same.
A camel and a donkey are not the same,though both are beasts of burden and have four legs.
The anti immigrant culture war in Europe is not the same as the anti immigrant culture war in America.
BTW WWII created a massive manpower shortage in Europe, especially Germany, which they filled by actively recruiting from Turkey , thus introducing an incompatible and unassimilable culture into Europe.
Anyway,nothing much matter, according to a scientist at Anthropic who just quit, and he is not the only one, by the end of the decade AI will eliminate humans.
What a waste,all of the hard work and money I invested in genetic genealogy and other avocational pursuits, are of no consequence or use in the future.
Ironic that Google,Apple,Thiel, Ellison, Zuckerberg are pressing full speed ahead to suicide
They can't help themselves, most of us can't, as they are like sharks, they have to keep swimming or else they suffocate.
If they put on the brakes, then everything stops, the empire crumbles and they are destitute, if they double up, double down and press on with alacrity they are committing suicide, but that is tomorrow and tomorrow is in the future, they have to survive the day; carpe diem.
This is one of the best, most informative, most comprehensive, and boldest posts yet. It reminded me of 'the olden days' when I listened to you on the radio for inspiration. I recommend that everyone read it at least twice and then make a printout to highlight and put on the fridge, right next to their Tax the Rich magnet.
Beautifully written and based in history and fact Democrats like Clinton and Obama and Biden have failed the people of the USA Time to acknowledging this fact and birth a new generation of Democracy a democratic socialism that taxes the Uber wealthy and protects the people Universal healthcare must be on the ballot along with accountability for the current regime and their blatant corruption
We have made so many mistakes after WWII, I'm surprised we are still standing. We allowed slavery to be re-introduced in the 80's, by destroying our unions. Instead of helping Gorby and Yeltsin get back on their feet after their collapse in 1991, we threw them an anchor. Voted for Biden, a guy who got nothing right in his political career, including Iraq, over a guy who got Iraq, etc. right, Bernie. Ralph Nader, a guy who was against all the bad trade deals, and all the bad wars, ran for president 4 times and never got more than 2% of our votes. I believe it is safe to say, we have met the enemy, and he is us.
Slur-spouting Repugnicans can count on the tacit, often outright support of senior establishment Democrats. Whether the latter are being cynical or morbidly tone-deaf doesn’t really matter. They are contributing to the destruction of American democracy by undermining in speech and action the reformers and activists whose efforts threaten their precious intra-party power. They must be repeatedly discredited and ultimately dispatched.
Vote by all means. Get everyone you know who isn't MAGA to vote. It means something more symbolic here in California, where I have spent most of my life. Our MAGAts are fringe. But they are there, in the millions still.
The problem is that the morbidly rich and their minions are cowardly thugs. They use money to hire bullies. We who oppose them are splintered and mostly non-violent, putting us at the same disadvantage as those who opposed Hitler and the Nazis faced in the 1930s. That is what concerns me the most.
For the sake of my beloved grandson, I do not want us to dissolve into another cataclysm like WWII or worse. Though history tells me our species seems to require a periodic "cleansing" if you will, regardless of the cause--think WWI, one of the most pointless conflicts in history, or Vietnam. Our moment now is more like pre-WWII. It is that serious, and that threatening.
It starts with November. With Churchill, perhaps we will be able to say it is not the end, or the beginning of the end, but maybe the end of the beginning. We need a new system. And not a fascist one.
I'll have to order that book by Gil Duran; it sounds like a good one. It makes sense that we are on the cusp of something, or the edge of our demise, if you consider the dueling apocalypses of global warming, deadly pandemics, and the AI tsunami. But if you use trust in government as a socio-political barometer of a sea change, I trace the beginning of alienation to the mid-1960's, over the Vietnam war and the systemic lying that supported it.
Yes, that was the beginning of America’s demoralization and mistrust of our political leaders and the government—the quicksand.
Vietnam and our so-called political leaders showed us how fragile our country and our Constitution truly is. Then, scandals and political plots snowballed into one shocker after another until our present when it’s sadly clear that the American dream has become a nightmare.
I am reading The Nerd Reich right now and am learning so much. It’s a must read for anyone who wants to know about AI, Tech-fascism, who the players are and how we must navigate this new world!
As a major caveat, beware "tax the rich" bandwagon, as it only embitters others, continuing the cycle of division. The Spirit of Minneapolis suggests that we need a more up-front approach to equalization: rather than "redistribution" after the fact, let's have pre-distribution, so that profits go back to the communities that paved the way through investment in infrastructure and basic research, education and public safety. That way, the rich don't get to play their tax-evasion/tax cut games -- they never accumulate wealth in the first place, it goes back to the communities that provide the location, location, location. Yes, the entrepreneurs get a fair share; and together we decide what's fair.
There are more than just two bright faces on the horizon who aren’t pushed by the old steam engine: GA Senate reelection—Jon Ossoff and TX election for Governor— James Talarico. Neither of these take corporate PAC money.
Of course, the problem is, we need them where they are. But, which need is greater?
The famous saying "the government closest to the people serves the people best," widely and probably inaccurately attributed to Jefferson, comes to mind. The future is not creating FDR's New Deal or Eisenhower's tax rates. We have to find ways to move the center of government, power, and finances away from Washington to the regions. Some regions will handle the tasks well and govern responsibly. Some will not.
It should be clear that claims of going back to, or restoring, democracy in a mega state are hollow. Democracy works best at a smaller scale and can then be replicated as representatives engage in their own democracy at higher levels.
What I hear as the core message here is that government should be changed or economic relations must change and presumably both. What I do not hear is a call to change how people think, behave, and relate to each other. If people are not transformed in any way or to any significant extent, populism is a superficial, partial, and temporary detour which will provide some relief and allow the fundamental causes of our current disaster to regroup and come back even stronger in the future. Democratic socialism would be great, but this approach is not headed there, and the principles are bound to be compromised, sooner rather than later. “The “Strict Father Metaphor, the myth of “original sin”, white supremacy, misogyny, etc. are not spoken about or challenged in any way. If you hope for a "New America" you will need to start by enlightening and educating the American people, and that will NOT happen under the current schooling paradigm. Yes, my message is still the same.
This is what I wrote in my last Substack post:
The real shifts in society occur when young people are engaged and acutely aware of injustice, inequality, or conditions which are intolerable and when they feel empowered with the information they need to see a path forward. They may have visions and hopes, but it is the collective demand for effective and meaningful change in leadership and in government which motivates them as a group to act in concert to unite and fight for what they need and for their beliefs.
Schools which reinforce the status quo through coercive instruction and which set goals based on narrow criteria, and schools where authority dictates perception, thought, and the reality individuals experience do not ever permit a vision of revolution and justice to develop. The dreams must be much more specific and they must be forward-looking, not focused on past glories.
The American dream is materialistic and individualistic. What is needed are plans and endeavors to move the whole society further toward democratic values and especially toward equality for everyone. Education must be a choice and a more attractive pursuit. Intellectual pursuits and the quest for truth must be elevated above achieving some economic standard.
School must be about something more than academics and competition for recognition or measured criteria. Liberty in thought and action must not start only after one is inculcated or indoctrinated for a decade or more. Laws should declare children’s rights as birthrights and children of all ages should participate in democracy in public institutions which serve them, rather than which consign and control them.
How many different ways and how many more times must it be said? Compulsory attendance laws are the primary cause of the perpetual renewal of cynicism, ignorance, apathy, authoritarianism, and corrupt government. We reap what we sow. Children learn what they live and live what they learn. As long as democracy in schools is merely an abstraction, it will be a mere abstraction in society.
I like many others was heart-broken and angry when the DNC torpedoed Bernie in 2016. There was a general feeling of optimism surrounding the Bernie movement and he certainly would have beat krasnov in the general election. Hillary continued to carry the neoliberal torch of the sinking DNC and the result was predictable. Let's hope that we have learned our lesson.
Thiel has professed along with Curtis Yarvin that democracy no longer works and that according to Yarvin America needs to get over it's "dictatorphobia". Along with their acolyte Vance and the rest of the billionaire class courted by Cheeto, as Hartmann describes, a growing neo fascist movement fueled by lots of $$$ threatens the democracy that was created for WE the People.
So what makes one think that this large and powerful political movement would not try to control the voting ecosystem? Yet no one in the MSM including the substack channels are interested in looking into this.
One substack channel This Will Hold has done a yeoman's job of investigative reporting(bit.ly/4hgEB2r) on the right's gradual control of the electorate's voting system that produces the election data of record. This attempt has been going on since Reagan and is now being firmly placed into the hands of right wing ownership without transparency or regulation.
Claims of trolling or failure to honestly look into this reporting condemns Hartmann's yearning for the rise of the populist movement if the neofascists control the voting data of record. This is the existential threat to the country's democracy, not $$$. People like Hartmann need to get serious about the threat to voting.
Tom Schaller from Public Notice reminded readers today of what I view to be a dominant but baseless cultural myth in America: "Put me, a genius businessman, back into office and I will solve America’s inflation woes," Trump promised. And despite his failed first term, voters put the billionaire businessman back in office, and now our economy is a disaster.
Thom clearly exposed America's never-ending ideological political tension. Today, the conflict between fascism (billionaires) and democratic socialism (everybody else) is real, but even fascism has always been initially "voted" into power (recall the Neo-Nazi AfD wins in the Saxony election this week).
It seems to me that the real tension is within the DNC where the neolibs are trying to hang onto a bankrupt worldview as a more socialist David Hogg model struggles to restore the American middle class. Hard to challenge Thom's take that the November elections are likely to define our nation's future. Let us just hope that our lunatic POTUS does not nuke Iran before he is impeached.
The DNC is run by an overclass of consultants, analysts, professionals who enjoy perks, income and social status because they have slopped at the trough and are insiders, the new class, the Hoggs, Mamdami's, Sayeds are a threat from within, and thus they join ranks, surreptitiously certainly, with the the Republicans to take out the threat.
Our pundits so love to bloviate over the economic man, and quote James Carville, "it is the economy stupiid" while that may been true in the past, what is true now and that which accounts for the rise of fascism in Europe and America is the culture war.
The culture war in Europe might appear to similar to the culture war in America, but there is only one point of similarity, and even the reason for that is vastly different.
Europe, exception Poland, is by and large secular, especially France, which has been hostile to religion since 1789.
LGBT is not an issue in Europe, because there is not a large religious community with a power hungry, and fearful leadership banging drums to stir up fear.
Exception Russia, but Russia is not Europe it is Asia.
The one similarity which binds the right on both sides of the Atlantic is immigration, but even then it is different.
Europe has been under strain as a culture that is incompatible with western culture, and resists assimilation.
The push back against migration is more dogmatic manipulation than reailty.
Migrants in America not only do jobs that Americans don't want to do, like roofing and construction, but also create jobs, home business, entrepreneurs,
Paradoxically American migrants are Christian and culturally conservative, and once naturalized and voting, actually vote Republican.
As a progressive and a leftist culture warrior, the less conservatives the better off we are.
To recap, The far right has and is rising to power on both sides of the Atlantic because of the culture war.
The one consistent thread that runs though the culture war is immigration.
But the basis for the two culture wars are different, although some die hard purists, refuse to see that reality.
Just as marble and limestone are both calcium carbonate, they are not the same and not formed the same.
A camel and a donkey are not the same,though both are beasts of burden and have four legs.
The anti immigrant culture war in Europe is not the same as the anti immigrant culture war in America.
BTW WWII created a massive manpower shortage in Europe, especially Germany, which they filled by actively recruiting from Turkey , thus introducing an incompatible and unassimilable culture into Europe.
Anyway,nothing much matter, according to a scientist at Anthropic who just quit, and he is not the only one, by the end of the decade AI will eliminate humans.
What a waste,all of the hard work and money I invested in genetic genealogy and other avocational pursuits, are of no consequence or use in the future.
Ironic that Google,Apple,Thiel, Ellison, Zuckerberg are pressing full speed ahead to suicide
They can't help themselves, most of us can't, as they are like sharks, they have to keep swimming or else they suffocate.
If they put on the brakes, then everything stops, the empire crumbles and they are destitute, if they double up, double down and press on with alacrity they are committing suicide, but that is tomorrow and tomorrow is in the future, they have to survive the day; carpe diem.
This is one of the best, most informative, most comprehensive, and boldest posts yet. It reminded me of 'the olden days' when I listened to you on the radio for inspiration. I recommend that everyone read it at least twice and then make a printout to highlight and put on the fridge, right next to their Tax the Rich magnet.
Beautifully written and based in history and fact Democrats like Clinton and Obama and Biden have failed the people of the USA Time to acknowledging this fact and birth a new generation of Democracy a democratic socialism that taxes the Uber wealthy and protects the people Universal healthcare must be on the ballot along with accountability for the current regime and their blatant corruption
We have made so many mistakes after WWII, I'm surprised we are still standing. We allowed slavery to be re-introduced in the 80's, by destroying our unions. Instead of helping Gorby and Yeltsin get back on their feet after their collapse in 1991, we threw them an anchor. Voted for Biden, a guy who got nothing right in his political career, including Iraq, over a guy who got Iraq, etc. right, Bernie. Ralph Nader, a guy who was against all the bad trade deals, and all the bad wars, ran for president 4 times and never got more than 2% of our votes. I believe it is safe to say, we have met the enemy, and he is us.
Slur-spouting Repugnicans can count on the tacit, often outright support of senior establishment Democrats. Whether the latter are being cynical or morbidly tone-deaf doesn’t really matter. They are contributing to the destruction of American democracy by undermining in speech and action the reformers and activists whose efforts threaten their precious intra-party power. They must be repeatedly discredited and ultimately dispatched.
Vote by all means. Get everyone you know who isn't MAGA to vote. It means something more symbolic here in California, where I have spent most of my life. Our MAGAts are fringe. But they are there, in the millions still.
The problem is that the morbidly rich and their minions are cowardly thugs. They use money to hire bullies. We who oppose them are splintered and mostly non-violent, putting us at the same disadvantage as those who opposed Hitler and the Nazis faced in the 1930s. That is what concerns me the most.
For the sake of my beloved grandson, I do not want us to dissolve into another cataclysm like WWII or worse. Though history tells me our species seems to require a periodic "cleansing" if you will, regardless of the cause--think WWI, one of the most pointless conflicts in history, or Vietnam. Our moment now is more like pre-WWII. It is that serious, and that threatening.
It starts with November. With Churchill, perhaps we will be able to say it is not the end, or the beginning of the end, but maybe the end of the beginning. We need a new system. And not a fascist one.
I'll have to order that book by Gil Duran; it sounds like a good one. It makes sense that we are on the cusp of something, or the edge of our demise, if you consider the dueling apocalypses of global warming, deadly pandemics, and the AI tsunami. But if you use trust in government as a socio-political barometer of a sea change, I trace the beginning of alienation to the mid-1960's, over the Vietnam war and the systemic lying that supported it.
Yes, that was the beginning of America’s demoralization and mistrust of our political leaders and the government—the quicksand.
Vietnam and our so-called political leaders showed us how fragile our country and our Constitution truly is. Then, scandals and political plots snowballed into one shocker after another until our present when it’s sadly clear that the American dream has become a nightmare.
I am reading The Nerd Reich right now and am learning so much. It’s a must read for anyone who wants to know about AI, Tech-fascism, who the players are and how we must navigate this new world!
As a major caveat, beware "tax the rich" bandwagon, as it only embitters others, continuing the cycle of division. The Spirit of Minneapolis suggests that we need a more up-front approach to equalization: rather than "redistribution" after the fact, let's have pre-distribution, so that profits go back to the communities that paved the way through investment in infrastructure and basic research, education and public safety. That way, the rich don't get to play their tax-evasion/tax cut games -- they never accumulate wealth in the first place, it goes back to the communities that provide the location, location, location. Yes, the entrepreneurs get a fair share; and together we decide what's fair.
There are more than just two bright faces on the horizon who aren’t pushed by the old steam engine: GA Senate reelection—Jon Ossoff and TX election for Governor— James Talarico. Neither of these take corporate PAC money.
Of course, the problem is, we need them where they are. But, which need is greater?
The famous saying "the government closest to the people serves the people best," widely and probably inaccurately attributed to Jefferson, comes to mind. The future is not creating FDR's New Deal or Eisenhower's tax rates. We have to find ways to move the center of government, power, and finances away from Washington to the regions. Some regions will handle the tasks well and govern responsibly. Some will not.
It should be clear that claims of going back to, or restoring, democracy in a mega state are hollow. Democracy works best at a smaller scale and can then be replicated as representatives engage in their own democracy at higher levels.
What I hear as the core message here is that government should be changed or economic relations must change and presumably both. What I do not hear is a call to change how people think, behave, and relate to each other. If people are not transformed in any way or to any significant extent, populism is a superficial, partial, and temporary detour which will provide some relief and allow the fundamental causes of our current disaster to regroup and come back even stronger in the future. Democratic socialism would be great, but this approach is not headed there, and the principles are bound to be compromised, sooner rather than later. “The “Strict Father Metaphor, the myth of “original sin”, white supremacy, misogyny, etc. are not spoken about or challenged in any way. If you hope for a "New America" you will need to start by enlightening and educating the American people, and that will NOT happen under the current schooling paradigm. Yes, my message is still the same.
This is what I wrote in my last Substack post:
The real shifts in society occur when young people are engaged and acutely aware of injustice, inequality, or conditions which are intolerable and when they feel empowered with the information they need to see a path forward. They may have visions and hopes, but it is the collective demand for effective and meaningful change in leadership and in government which motivates them as a group to act in concert to unite and fight for what they need and for their beliefs.
Schools which reinforce the status quo through coercive instruction and which set goals based on narrow criteria, and schools where authority dictates perception, thought, and the reality individuals experience do not ever permit a vision of revolution and justice to develop. The dreams must be much more specific and they must be forward-looking, not focused on past glories.
The American dream is materialistic and individualistic. What is needed are plans and endeavors to move the whole society further toward democratic values and especially toward equality for everyone. Education must be a choice and a more attractive pursuit. Intellectual pursuits and the quest for truth must be elevated above achieving some economic standard.
School must be about something more than academics and competition for recognition or measured criteria. Liberty in thought and action must not start only after one is inculcated or indoctrinated for a decade or more. Laws should declare children’s rights as birthrights and children of all ages should participate in democracy in public institutions which serve them, rather than which consign and control them.
How many different ways and how many more times must it be said? Compulsory attendance laws are the primary cause of the perpetual renewal of cynicism, ignorance, apathy, authoritarianism, and corrupt government. We reap what we sow. Children learn what they live and live what they learn. As long as democracy in schools is merely an abstraction, it will be a mere abstraction in society.
I like many others was heart-broken and angry when the DNC torpedoed Bernie in 2016. There was a general feeling of optimism surrounding the Bernie movement and he certainly would have beat krasnov in the general election. Hillary continued to carry the neoliberal torch of the sinking DNC and the result was predictable. Let's hope that we have learned our lesson.
Is Our Voting Ecosystem Threatened?
Thiel has professed along with Curtis Yarvin that democracy no longer works and that according to Yarvin America needs to get over it's "dictatorphobia". Along with their acolyte Vance and the rest of the billionaire class courted by Cheeto, as Hartmann describes, a growing neo fascist movement fueled by lots of $$$ threatens the democracy that was created for WE the People.
So what makes one think that this large and powerful political movement would not try to control the voting ecosystem? Yet no one in the MSM including the substack channels are interested in looking into this.
One substack channel This Will Hold has done a yeoman's job of investigative reporting(bit.ly/4hgEB2r) on the right's gradual control of the electorate's voting system that produces the election data of record. This attempt has been going on since Reagan and is now being firmly placed into the hands of right wing ownership without transparency or regulation.
Claims of trolling or failure to honestly look into this reporting condemns Hartmann's yearning for the rise of the populist movement if the neofascists control the voting data of record. This is the existential threat to the country's democracy, not $$$. People like Hartmann need to get serious about the threat to voting.