applegrove
applegrove's JournalThe whistleblower is under federal protection tonight because they are worried
about their safety. 60 Minutes.
Trump said today "democrats want to take away your healthcare".
I laughed because it is so untrue but what if he were trying out an election strategy in the case Biden or Harris don't win and Elizabeth Warren or Bernie do. They are taking away your healthcare means the ACA and private health insurance would be gone and replaced by medicare for all. Nobody will remember that Trump has been trying to implode it. He could win on private healthcare being taken away. He could. Just an fyi for the general election.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/09/donald-trump-dumb/
Virtue Signalling: So why are we using such anthropological words in a snide way?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtue_signallingWikipedia
Read in another languageDownload PDFWatchEdit
Virtue signalling is the conspicuous expression of moral values.[1] Academically, the phrase relates to signalling theory and describes a subset of social behaviors that could be used to signal virtue—especially piety among the religious.[2] In recent years, the term has been more commonly used within groups to criticize those who are seen to value the expression of virtue over action.
......
"Virtue-signalling" is also used as a pejorative term, denouncing empty acts of public commitment to unexceptional good causes such as changing Facebook profile pictures to support a cause, participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge, offering thoughts and prayers after a tragedy, celebrity speeches during award shows, and politicians pandering to constituents on ideological issues.[6]
The term was popularised by James Bartholomew in an article in The Spectator on 18 April 2015 to mean "public, empty gestures intended to convey socially approved attitudes without any associated risk or sacrifice".[7]
......
CriticismEdit
Adam Smith Institute Executive Director Sam Bowman opined that the meaning of the term popularised by James Bartholomew misuses the concept of signalling and encourages lazy thinking.[5]In The Guardian, Zoe Williams suggested the phrase was the "sequel insult to champagne socialist"[12]while fellow Guardian writer David Shariatmadari says that while the term serves a purpose, its overuse as an ad hominem attack during political debate has rendered it a meaningless political buzzword.[11]
....SNIP"
I once had a psychopath try and isolate me from my friends. One of them he got to start using the term 'bonding,' somehow in regards to our conversations and relationsjip in a really pejorative way. I knew then it was over if she was making fun of our friendship. Of course we were bonding. That is what friendship is about. Anthropologizing normal behaviour is a way to dehumanize and undo the bonds we share with each other. Do we think our side of the debate is virtuous? Of course. Do we communicate that? Yes. Is that normal or something to be memed into something nasty...changing the way we connect with each other? And oh look who invented and spread the words. Are some people less authentic in how they communicate their beliefs? I suppose so. Has that always be the case? I suppose so. Are these people on a journey of sorts and 'faking it till they make it'? In some instances. We always talk about walking the walk. Should we all stop the way we naturally communicate with each other because some neoliberal and a writer at the Spectator want us to change our behaviour so they invented a couple of words to take the humanity out of humanity? I think not. I don't see the right calm down the pro-life fires which is how they virtue bond as a party or question the authenticity of their own politicians on the issue of abortion (because it is such a productive political instrument). Why should we question each other and stop trusting each other on the left? What separates us and psychopaths is regular people know the emotional value of words and we bond on that. Don't let the right undo our connective tissue with their games.
Maybe Nancy Pelosi is using GOP tactics on gun control in regards to
impeaching the President? The GOP never solve the gun control issue so they can have it as an open wound during elections and say the government is coming for your guns. If there was an assault weapons ban and reasonable vetting on gun ownership democrats could say it is all done. No reason to fear anything else. Not reason to vote as a gun humper. Same with impeachment. If democrats impeach Trump it will get killed by Mitch McConnell in the Senate we know for sure. Republicans can then say "Dems tried to impeach but it failed. Trump's issue with obstruction and Ukraine have been looked into. It is already done. Trump was innocent". IMHO.
In some way the movement conservativeon the right in the USA had to wait for the greatest generation
to age past 85 to really do this social engineering experiment. People did not put up with McCarthyism very long before rejecting it en mass in the 50s. They knew Hitler and like characters. Really there is good and bad with every generation. The people who came to be before the 1950s were maybe not as naive as there was an evil man in every town and they had been through at least 2 wars. They had stories and sayings and names for con men and their actions that we are just relearning right now. I watched MASH and they used the term flim flam man and gaslighting and like terms in the script quite often. In other ways the older generations lived with unrecognized privilege if they were white men. So we are better off now with our knowledge. But if the right wing ignores that knowledge with a specific agenda in mind then we are back to bad times in the past. Really USA used to manufacture for the world and didn't compete with europe (after wars), asia or the communist block so there were excess good manufacturing jobs and union barganing power. Those workers were lucky and unlucky (many did not come home from the wars or came home damaged). So good and bad. Lucky and not so lucky. Wise and naive. All of us. Because we are human beings.
Trump is way more unpopular in canada than the US. Republicans too. And
gerrymandering we hate. It is cheating pure and simple. We see what it has done to you. We want to help but we don't want to get closer. Cascadia with ny and mass would be great in a dream. All places where civic engagement is high and people aren't brainwashed into destroying their liberal democracy by voting for republicans and then feeling bitter when they have less chance at the american dream. Already Ontario and Quebec have done environmental deals with California. So we can do some stuff together. Hydro quebec is there after every hurricane in the US it seems, fixing the power lines. When we had the ice storm in ottawa and 1/2 of the branches here broke their were guys with chainsaws and trucks from the US in a matter of days. I feel sorry for Democrats in the US. It is traumatizing to have your democratic world destroyed by selfish, manipulative, grifters. We all need to fight the right right now because the world needs the USA's leadership. Family was in Washington for a summer job and was awed by the talented people they met there. You will lead the world again. You will be a liberal democracy. And then maybe we can go back to dreaming and making fun of each other as things are not so serious. For now we fight the good fight.
Montreal and Quebec City are wonderful. Well worth a trip. European culture and food. Oh the food.
I see another GOP campaign has started against Pelosi. The whispers
were before 2016 'should Nancy be House Leader'? Nancy is too old. She is not effective. Weĺl the was made House Leader and she is great. HELL YES!. Americans don't want impeachment. But they do want Trump out of office in 2020. Nancy Pelosi is right on the mark. That is why the drumbeat to belittle her has started again. She is our best asset right now. It is not just that she is a star. She is reading the stars. Don't fall for the GOP BS. If Trump were to be impeached he would not resign, the senate would not impeach him, and his base would hate democrats, bond with each other and elect Ivanka next. He needs to be defeated electorally. Nancy is tempering the democratic nomination race in the way GOP hate most: encouraging candidates to temper medicare for all. To go slower. The right hates that. They are scared of Warren and want her to be as left wing as possible. Let Pelosi read the stars. She'll steer us to victory.
So insurance industry patients can negotiate better prices. So people
with private drug insurance get good prices. And they are better off. Talk about an picking winners and losers. More like picking living and diers.
That makes me think: why are republican insurance companies okay
with the price of meds skyrocketing? Do they pay the same price as the public? Or do they get to negotiate deals?
Now he says an apology and a change makes horrid views okay. That was quick.
https://twitter.com/AdamBolt13/status/1173323977785303040Those wedge issues the GOP has forced on the right wing voters in canada has created more than a few chew toys for Liberals.
Profile Information
Member since: Mon Feb 7, 2005, 03:14 AMNumber of posts: 118,577
