JD comments on the outcome:
The dust is settling on the US election and, I am pleased to say, Frankie Boyle managed to insult everyone last night!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b083s663
There have been other, not quite so iconoclastic, voices recently:
This was the day before the US election-
"Now is the time to change the global image of America into a land of well-being, wealth and ideal ways of living, rather than a source of war."
In contrast, Adam Curtis has produced this new documentary in which he sees how the modern world is presented to us as an illusion, a deliberately created confusion-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p04b183c/adam-curtis-hypernormalisation
At almost three hours long, I am not going to watch it. Life is too short to sit through what seems to be an argument based on a false premise; who exactly is fooled by the falsehoods in the newspapers or the glamorous unreality of the entertainment industry, with its simple minded certainties?
It is very many years since I worked out that the newspapers and TV/cinema give a false view of the world: what I read in the papers bore no resemblance to my daily work or social life or that of anyone I know. What I saw on screen was an outright lie, whether it be 'Coronation Street' or 'Saturday Night And Sunday Morning' - people in real life do not behave in that way.
Curtis is guilty of looking at people as 'interest groups' or stereotypes instead of looking at us as individuals, an attitude he has in common with all of those he criticises. Two others have taken apart the Curtis film so I don't have to.
https://awkwardvoiceblog.wordpress.com/2016/10/19/to-trump-or-not-to-trump/
http://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2016-10-19/adam-curtis-another-manager-of-perceptions/
And the day after the US election, Sadhguru had this to say-
Monday, November 21, 2016
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Will Hammond's organ respond to the needs of women?
I hear Chancellor Philip Hammond plans to instruct his office to crack down on scams targeting pensioners.
Will that include the National Insurance Fund, which is running a far-beyond-recommendation £22.7 billion in surplus* as WASPI women watch their State Pension retirement age fade into the distance?
___________________________________
* According to Wikipedia: "Levels of benefit and contributions are set following the advice of the Government Actuary, who recommends that a prudential balance of two months contribution revenue (about £8 billion) should be kept in the fund."
Will that include the National Insurance Fund, which is running a far-beyond-recommendation £22.7 billion in surplus* as WASPI women watch their State Pension retirement age fade into the distance?
___________________________________
* According to Wikipedia: "Levels of benefit and contributions are set following the advice of the Government Actuary, who recommends that a prudential balance of two months contribution revenue (about £8 billion) should be kept in the fund."
Friday, November 18, 2016
Friday Night Is Music Night: A Heart Full Of Soul
JD writes:
No it's not the Yardbirds but their song title is a good description of Sinéad O' Connor and the way she lives her life and sings her songs-
Sinéad O' Connor:
In memory of Veronica Guerin -
You said that people respond positively to what is delivered with great passion. Not many wear their heart on their sleeve the way Sinéad does and she is, in fact, a very fine singer.
No it's not the Yardbirds but their song title is a good description of Sinéad O' Connor and the way she lives her life and sings her songs-
Sinéad O' Connor:
In memory of Veronica Guerin -
You said that people respond positively to what is delivered with great passion. Not many wear their heart on their sleeve the way Sinéad does and she is, in fact, a very fine singer.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
The Democrats Cannot Believe the Results
Jim in San Marcos comments:
Mr. Trump won the election and we have Democrats protesting out in the street even before he takes office. I remember when Obama won, and I sucked it in and said he’s our President now. What he did over 8 years irritated the hell out of me! To say the least.
I get the feeling from these protestors that Democracy is great, only if your candidate wins. And the sad thing is that most of the losers in this race were one issue voters; global warming or the woman President fulfilment goal. I get the feeling that the protestors are either incredibly stupid or have been brainwashed by all of the nonsensical ads about Trump. Many are students that were confused as to why they can’t get a job after spending big bucks on college.
The issue we have here, is that the present protests are over a candidate that has never held a political office and has not yet taken the oath as the next President. He has no political record to censure but yet these disrupters of our Democracy do not give a damn. They want him out before he has even been in.
What we really need to look at, is that we have Donald Trump, a dyed in the wool Democrat, elected as a Republican to be President. He did not fit into the liberal establishment of being politically correct. If you say something that the establishment doesn’t want to hear, you are labeled racist, homophobic, sexist, misogynist and so on. Most people in this situation, shut up and keep quiet. Donald in this case, said bring it on, it won’t stick.
We have come to a point now, where this politically correct police force is visible. Tell a black joke and you are a racist. Tell a religious joke and you’re anti-Semitic. You’re not graded on how funny the joke is.
The real joke is on the political system. It was too corrupt to select real people to run for office. The Democrats had morphed into socialists. Trump was considered harmless. He beat all the Republicans in the Republican primary, got on their white horse and then slew the Hillary dragon.
The one thing that really stands out, is that the news media failed us and showed everyone how manipulative they are as a group. The misinformation they fed us during this election, calling it news, was deplorable. Everyone thought The Donald was exaggerating and bashing the media unfairly.
The Democrats became the party of the rich with socialism for the poor, while the party ignored the middle class. The socialistic Democrats that voted for Hillary, didn’t see Trump as a Democrat. The Republicans were wondering what made Trump a Republican; they were satisfied with the fact that he wasn’t a “damn Socialist” and liked the second amendment. Sooner or later the people of this country will come to realize that the Republicans, without knowing it, put a Democrat into the Oval office.
The good thing is, we have elected a President with a lot of common sense that will speak his mind and is not beholden to the lobbyists in Washington D.C. Obama the politician can probably take credit for the Trump Presidency. He pissed off the wrong person one too many times. Obama, you're fired!!
The neat thing is that both parties won. The Republicans got the man they voted for and the Democrats are too stupid to recognize a Democrat, unless he's holding his hand out for a bribe. "Draining the swamp" just might cure that.
Editor's (i.e. Jim's) note:
I define a true Democrat as representing the middle class.
Original post at: http://greatdepression2006.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/the-democrats-cannot-believe-results.html
Mr. Trump won the election and we have Democrats protesting out in the street even before he takes office. I remember when Obama won, and I sucked it in and said he’s our President now. What he did over 8 years irritated the hell out of me! To say the least.
I get the feeling from these protestors that Democracy is great, only if your candidate wins. And the sad thing is that most of the losers in this race were one issue voters; global warming or the woman President fulfilment goal. I get the feeling that the protestors are either incredibly stupid or have been brainwashed by all of the nonsensical ads about Trump. Many are students that were confused as to why they can’t get a job after spending big bucks on college.
The issue we have here, is that the present protests are over a candidate that has never held a political office and has not yet taken the oath as the next President. He has no political record to censure but yet these disrupters of our Democracy do not give a damn. They want him out before he has even been in.
What we really need to look at, is that we have Donald Trump, a dyed in the wool Democrat, elected as a Republican to be President. He did not fit into the liberal establishment of being politically correct. If you say something that the establishment doesn’t want to hear, you are labeled racist, homophobic, sexist, misogynist and so on. Most people in this situation, shut up and keep quiet. Donald in this case, said bring it on, it won’t stick.
We have come to a point now, where this politically correct police force is visible. Tell a black joke and you are a racist. Tell a religious joke and you’re anti-Semitic. You’re not graded on how funny the joke is.
The real joke is on the political system. It was too corrupt to select real people to run for office. The Democrats had morphed into socialists. Trump was considered harmless. He beat all the Republicans in the Republican primary, got on their white horse and then slew the Hillary dragon.
The one thing that really stands out, is that the news media failed us and showed everyone how manipulative they are as a group. The misinformation they fed us during this election, calling it news, was deplorable. Everyone thought The Donald was exaggerating and bashing the media unfairly.
The Democrats became the party of the rich with socialism for the poor, while the party ignored the middle class. The socialistic Democrats that voted for Hillary, didn’t see Trump as a Democrat. The Republicans were wondering what made Trump a Republican; they were satisfied with the fact that he wasn’t a “damn Socialist” and liked the second amendment. Sooner or later the people of this country will come to realize that the Republicans, without knowing it, put a Democrat into the Oval office.
The good thing is, we have elected a President with a lot of common sense that will speak his mind and is not beholden to the lobbyists in Washington D.C. Obama the politician can probably take credit for the Trump Presidency. He pissed off the wrong person one too many times. Obama, you're fired!!
The neat thing is that both parties won. The Republicans got the man they voted for and the Democrats are too stupid to recognize a Democrat, unless he's holding his hand out for a bribe. "Draining the swamp" just might cure that.
Editor's (i.e. Jim's) note:
I define a true Democrat as representing the middle class.
Original post at: http://greatdepression2006.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/the-democrats-cannot-believe-results.html
Monday, November 14, 2016
Voice Of The People
My old Principal was a former computer teacher who had been granted early retirement on account of partial deafness caused by the screeching of the old-fashioned printers. He was born and bred in Lancashire but had come to a school in the Forest of Dean, 140 miles further south and having a very different dialect. At his 65th birthday celebration in the Speech House his old headteacher told this story about (let's call him) Eric:
Soon after he had started at the school, the head was passing in the corridor and asked him how he was getting on. "I can't hear what the boys are saying," said Eric.
Later, after Eric had had a hearing aid fitted, the head asked him again. He replied, "I can hear what the boys are saying, but I can't understand what they are saying." Dean, in rural Gloucestershire and close to the Welsh border, speaks its own language.
Time went by and Eric eventually picked up the lingo. The head repeated his query, and Eric said, "I can hear what the boys are saying, and I understand what they are saying. But - I don't like what they are saying." Dean people, a tight community, are accustomed to running their own affairs and speaking their minds freely, hence their Speech House.
In 2016, after the RefEurendum and Trumpquake, this tale has a fresh resonance.
Soon after he had started at the school, the head was passing in the corridor and asked him how he was getting on. "I can't hear what the boys are saying," said Eric.
Later, after Eric had had a hearing aid fitted, the head asked him again. He replied, "I can hear what the boys are saying, but I can't understand what they are saying." Dean, in rural Gloucestershire and close to the Welsh border, speaks its own language.
Time went by and Eric eventually picked up the lingo. The head repeated his query, and Eric said, "I can hear what the boys are saying, and I understand what they are saying. But - I don't like what they are saying." Dean people, a tight community, are accustomed to running their own affairs and speaking their minds freely, hence their Speech House.
In 2016, after the RefEurendum and Trumpquake, this tale has a fresh resonance.
Sunday, November 13, 2016
The Last Trump, if this one fails?
JD follows up:
"Good morning America, how are you?"
This is worth reading (trigger warning! - Ed) - https://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=231656
What he is describing in small town America is similar to those areas of the UK away from the metropolitan south east; factories and industries closed and nothing to replace them. Thirty years of neglect, thirty years of despair. Denninger has his usual rant against 'the left'" and he still seems to believe in 'free markets' but instead of complaining about 'illegals' taking low paid (and tax dodging) jobs he should really be railing against those who employ the illegals.
What he is really describing fits the famous quote by Ted Heath over the Lonrho affair - "the unacceptable face of capitalism". If you were to play Monopoly long enough you would find that in the end there is only one winner and that is what the political consensus has been over the past thirty years, a giant global game of Monopoly!
Why did the Red States vote for Trump? I am reminded of a line in Kriss Kristofferson's song 'Me & Bobby McGee' - "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose". That is why the blue collar vote went to Trump and the metropolitan bien-pensants stayed at home.
I don't like or trust Trump but we can only wait and see. The reality of the job might sober him up and for the first time in his life he will find a genuine and equally determined opposition to whatever he wants to do and he will find that he cannot sack people as easily as he might do in the world of business.
During my working life in the construction industry I have met quite a few property developers and some of them were almost human. But mostly they are dedicated to a relentless pursuit of money. There was even one who bankrupted his company (as Trump has done four times) in order to avoid paying the architects, the other consultants and property taxes (that was a Swiss company planning a housing development in Spain).
Saw this on RT but nowhere else - http://www.neonnettle.com/features/601-george-soros-exposed-as-driving-force-behind-anti-trump-protests-
Now it has appeared on Breitbart- http://www.breitbart.com/live/2016-election-world-reacts-donald-trumps-stunning-upset-victory/moveon-protests-white-house/
Soros protecting his money you see - the unacceptable face of capitalism. Soros is the exact opposite of Andrew Carnegie.
Carnegie believed in using his fortune for others and doing more than making money. He wrote: "Man must have no idol and the amassing of wealth is one of the worst species of idolatry! No idol is more debasing than the worship of money!" http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/the_man_who_dies_rich_dies_disgraced/
If Trump were to emulate Carnegie then he will be a great President; if not then it is anyone's guess as to what will happen next.
Andrew Carnegie again: - “The day is not far distant when the man who dies leaving behind him millions of available wealth, which was his to administer during life, will pass away un-wept, un-honored and un-sung. (...) Of such as these the public verdict will then be: ‘The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.’”
"Good morning America, how are you?"
This is worth reading (trigger warning! - Ed) - https://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=231656
What he is describing in small town America is similar to those areas of the UK away from the metropolitan south east; factories and industries closed and nothing to replace them. Thirty years of neglect, thirty years of despair. Denninger has his usual rant against 'the left'" and he still seems to believe in 'free markets' but instead of complaining about 'illegals' taking low paid (and tax dodging) jobs he should really be railing against those who employ the illegals.
What he is really describing fits the famous quote by Ted Heath over the Lonrho affair - "the unacceptable face of capitalism". If you were to play Monopoly long enough you would find that in the end there is only one winner and that is what the political consensus has been over the past thirty years, a giant global game of Monopoly!
Why did the Red States vote for Trump? I am reminded of a line in Kriss Kristofferson's song 'Me & Bobby McGee' - "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose". That is why the blue collar vote went to Trump and the metropolitan bien-pensants stayed at home.
I don't like or trust Trump but we can only wait and see. The reality of the job might sober him up and for the first time in his life he will find a genuine and equally determined opposition to whatever he wants to do and he will find that he cannot sack people as easily as he might do in the world of business.
During my working life in the construction industry I have met quite a few property developers and some of them were almost human. But mostly they are dedicated to a relentless pursuit of money. There was even one who bankrupted his company (as Trump has done four times) in order to avoid paying the architects, the other consultants and property taxes (that was a Swiss company planning a housing development in Spain).
Saw this on RT but nowhere else - http://www.neonnettle.com/features/601-george-soros-exposed-as-driving-force-behind-anti-trump-protests-
Now it has appeared on Breitbart- http://www.breitbart.com/live/2016-election-world-reacts-donald-trumps-stunning-upset-victory/moveon-protests-white-house/
Soros protecting his money you see - the unacceptable face of capitalism. Soros is the exact opposite of Andrew Carnegie.
Carnegie believed in using his fortune for others and doing more than making money. He wrote: "Man must have no idol and the amassing of wealth is one of the worst species of idolatry! No idol is more debasing than the worship of money!" http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/the_man_who_dies_rich_dies_disgraced/
If Trump were to emulate Carnegie then he will be a great President; if not then it is anyone's guess as to what will happen next.
Andrew Carnegie again: - “The day is not far distant when the man who dies leaving behind him millions of available wealth, which was his to administer during life, will pass away un-wept, un-honored and un-sung. (...) Of such as these the public verdict will then be: ‘The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.’”
Trumpquake: the aftershocks
JD comments:
When I woke up the morning after the US Presidential Election I switched on the radio and Radio4 were broadcasting Test Match Special live from India. So it was good to know that some people at the Beeb have their priorities right!
Anyway, a few random thoughts-
The other night on Beeb4 we had Rich Hall taking a very funny and cynical look at 240 years of presidents and campaigns. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0828lpl/rich-halls-presidential-grudge-match He concluded that the only president who did anything worthwhile was Jimmy Carter but only after he left the White House - http://www.habitat.org/volunteer/build-events/carter-work-project
Another programme the same night on the Beeb had Angela Scoular spending time with some unlikely Trump supporters- Milo Yiannopoulos, college students, African Americans, Latinos and some wannabe beauty queens. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p04d0tcl/trumps-unlikely-superfans
It was most enlightening because she made no judgment on them, just asked neutral and sensible questions but the best bit was when she looked at Trump tee shirts for sale and she asked "Where was that made?" It said Haiti on the label. "You had better hide that!" she said.
That last one is the one to keep an eye on. Trump promised he would create 6000 jobs with the building of his golf course in Aberdeen but only 200 have been created. And then there is this from 2013, but it is an ongoing saga- http://aberdeenvoice.com/2013/01/menie-estate-no-3-love-thy-neighbour-trump-style/
So when the honeymoon period is over and the promised jobs for the rust belt States are slow to appear............
Unfortunately the Hillary would have been worse; you have no doubt seen this from John Ward - https://hat4uk.wordpress.com/2016/11/07/clinton-spin-cant-hide-a-clear-present-danger-to-western-liberty/
And there was this also on the Beeb about Anthony Weiner and his wife Huma Abedin. As John Ward noted, having those two advising Madam President doesn't bear thinking about. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0828kwn/storyville-20162017-3-weiner-sexts-scandals-and-politics
If Trump decides to appoint Trey Gowdy as Attorney General, or to any other position, then life could become very interesting indeed-
And just to bring a bit of light relief to the madness - http://davidaslindsay.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/the-white-house.html
We live in interesting times :)
When I woke up the morning after the US Presidential Election I switched on the radio and Radio4 were broadcasting Test Match Special live from India. So it was good to know that some people at the Beeb have their priorities right!
Anyway, a few random thoughts-
The other night on Beeb4 we had Rich Hall taking a very funny and cynical look at 240 years of presidents and campaigns. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0828lpl/rich-halls-presidential-grudge-match He concluded that the only president who did anything worthwhile was Jimmy Carter but only after he left the White House - http://www.habitat.org/volunteer/build-events/carter-work-project
Another programme the same night on the Beeb had Angela Scoular spending time with some unlikely Trump supporters- Milo Yiannopoulos, college students, African Americans, Latinos and some wannabe beauty queens. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p04d0tcl/trumps-unlikely-superfans
It was most enlightening because she made no judgment on them, just asked neutral and sensible questions but the best bit was when she looked at Trump tee shirts for sale and she asked "Where was that made?" It said Haiti on the label. "You had better hide that!" she said.
That last one is the one to keep an eye on. Trump promised he would create 6000 jobs with the building of his golf course in Aberdeen but only 200 have been created. And then there is this from 2013, but it is an ongoing saga- http://aberdeenvoice.com/2013/01/menie-estate-no-3-love-thy-neighbour-trump-style/
So when the honeymoon period is over and the promised jobs for the rust belt States are slow to appear............
Unfortunately the Hillary would have been worse; you have no doubt seen this from John Ward - https://hat4uk.wordpress.com/2016/11/07/clinton-spin-cant-hide-a-clear-present-danger-to-western-liberty/
And there was this also on the Beeb about Anthony Weiner and his wife Huma Abedin. As John Ward noted, having those two advising Madam President doesn't bear thinking about. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0828kwn/storyville-20162017-3-weiner-sexts-scandals-and-politics
If Trump decides to appoint Trey Gowdy as Attorney General, or to any other position, then life could become very interesting indeed-
And just to bring a bit of light relief to the madness - http://davidaslindsay.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/the-white-house.html
We live in interesting times :)
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