Miriam,
Thanks in advance. Hopefully you can send the link.
In so many areas we agree, although I suspect that Capitalism will
always be flawed to a point of needing to oppress those who are
providing the wealth. I'm more taken by the Worker Owner concept.
But even so there is danger in who and how the nation's industry is
managed for the good of "all".
Government, in my mind, only works when all members are informed and involved.
That "informed" part is a problem. Donald Trump just awarded a Peace
Medal to Rush Limbaugh. How do we teach people to think for
themselves and not be "charmed" by the prattle of the likes of Rush
Limbaugh? Who gets to set the agenda? The Russians under Joseph
Stalin wrote their own version of history. We have written our own,
also.
To my way of thinking, we're in a hopeless mess. This does not mean
that we give up, but we must realize that we will not turn the world
upon its ear. If I can stay true to my own convictions, and pass
along to my children and grandchildren, the ability to think for
themselves, then that may be the best I can do. And in that, I will
be content.
Carl Jarvis
On 2/7/20, miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I've just been listening to Robert Sheer's interview with Max Bloomenthal on
the Sheer Intelligence podcast. It's also a program on KCRW. When it comes
to me by means of Truthdig, I'll try to isolate a link and send it to you
because it is fascinating to learn a bit of personal history about Max. And
the discussion is also really interesting. One of the most interesting
things is Bloomenthal's description of the Clinton money machine, where it
came from, how it developed, and how it took over the Democratic party.
As for FDR, certainly, he was a flawed president. I wonder if that wouldn't
be true of anyone who was narcicistic enough to want to be president, except
Bernie who, I suspect, doesn't really want to be president, just to lead a
movement. But anyway, this thing about labels, bothers me. Capitalism, if it
were properly controlled and if the controls could be maintained, I don't
know that it would hurt people, or rather, a modified form of it. I don't
think we'd be happy with state socialism if it involved the kind of
authoritarianism that has, so far, been required to keep it intact. I think
we'd be most comfortable with Democratic Socialism, as practiced in Europe,
and that isn't classical socialism. I like the ideas of businesses owned and
run by their workers. I like the idea of government providing the services
that people need. What I worry about, with all governments, regardless of
the economic system, is authoritarianism.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Friday, February 7, 2020 1:57 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: The Party's Over!
Yes. You have hit the nail on the head. But in looking back through the
unreliable eyes of history, our great nation was built on a Fault line.
Certainly far better than the dictatorships that ruled in the world back in
1776, but flawed nonetheless.
A constitution was hammered out that would best protect the Landed Gentry,
and despite being greatly altered, it continues protecting them and their
offspring, even unto this very day. Up until FDR set in place some basic
changes in the power structure of the nation, Labor had been abused, keeping
laborers almost at Slave Level.
Remember Ernie Ford singing, "I owe my Soul to the company store".
Child labor, six day work week and a twelve hour shift. Factories that were
death traps, like the Flat Iron Triangle building in New York City. And on
it went until Labor Unions began to muscle their way into the mix. But even
FDR did not have clean hands. His need for support led him to cozy up to
the Dixicrats, and sacrificed American Negroes...Black Citizens. He oversaw
the setting up of Internment Camps, reducing Japanese American Citizens to
the level of prisoners of war. And while he did assist, through his
government work relief programs, in bringing about an improvement in living
conditions of a new "Middle Class", the Second World War had a bigger impact
on the economy. But even so, FDR's efforts were tangled up in his need to
save Capitalism. And once saved, because it really was inches away from an
overthrow, the Establishment set about retaking what it saw as its rightful
rewards. Probably the new flawed System would have gone on for many years,
but Ronald Reagan stepped in and began serious rollbacks. Rollbacks, that
is, for the American Labor.
The nation's wealth was directed toward a powerful cartel, the
Military/Industrial Corporations.
To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, "At Washington D.C., War is our most important
product".
And so it is unto this very day.
Carl Jarvis
On 2/6/20, miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I'm reading yet another book about WW2 and recently read Alice
Hoffman's rather magical one about Jews fleeing from Nazis. I have to
say that in light of recent developments here, these stories take on a
new life and relevancy. However poor the Democrats' choice was in
choosing only Trump's attempt to influence the Ukrainian president to
investigate Biden's son as a charge, and however questionable the US
relationship with Ukraine has been, Trump did commit an illegal acdt
and he is answerable to the House and Senate for attempting to bribe
the leader of another country to take down a potential opponent in the
presidential election. If the leader of the senate can state in
advance that he will coordinate with the white house and not permit
the senate to fulfill its constitutional responsibility, if then the
senate refuses to hear witnesses in the case, and if the president's
lawyer says that the president is free to do whatever he chooses if he
thinks it's in the best interests of the country, with no checks or
balances, then we are on the verge of a complete fascist takeover. If
you've read any of the books which have been written since 2016 which
describe the day to day functioning of Trump, the Kushners, and the
people with whom he has surrounded himself, as well as the changes in
government structure and function that have taken place, it is
apparent to you that what is happening now is very different from what
we have experienced previously. We can talk about how the history and
culture of this country have led us to this moment, and we can point
to all of the changes within the Democratic Party since FDR's
presidency that have led us to this moment. Nevertheless, the present
danger is now and real and resides with how Trump is affecting our
country.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Thursday, February 6, 2020 11:41 AM
To: blind-democracy <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Jennifer Ford" <dandjford88@xxxxxxxx>, "delores selset"
<dselset@xxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] The Party's Over!
The Nation's biggest ever Coast to Coast Reality Show, "The
Impeachment of Donald Trump", rings down the curtain. Republican
Senators, to a man...and woman...rose to defend their white way of
life and the lives of their donators. With only one Republican
breaking rank, and promptly being cursed by President Donald Trump, and
the suggestion of his son, Donald Trump Jr.
that he be thrown out of the Republican Party, the Senate Majority put
the final touches on the "Show of Shows", finding Donald Trump
innocent of the charges brought against him by the naughty House.
Well, it's a good thing America still has Basketball to turn to.
The President's State of the Union speech was more amazing than Alice
in Wonderland. The President painted a mythological Land of Oz, where
he, the Great Wizard of Oz, lay claim to every economic improvement,
and created many others out of whole cloth. Meanwhile the attack on
what is left of our once prosperous "Middle Class", is being carried
forward. Social programs are being underfunded with an eye to being
eliminated. Federal judges are being appointed based on their far
right and strong White stance. Being a conservative is good balance
in our Capitalist Culture, but simply upholding White Supremacy and
White Laws, denies access to our Great American Land of Plenty to all who
are "different" than the White Ruling Class.
And by the way, this included the Establishment Democrats, too.
The behavior of our Senate serves as an example of the sort of Justice
most Americans of the Working Class and Lower Class can expect...if in
fact they can even afford a court hearing.
As we enter the "Twenties", our great Ship of State is steered toward
a bleak, rocky barrier by an unstable captain.
Carl Jarvis, putting on my life jacket as we speak.
