Ok I saw the video. Well he may be a brilliant guy but if this video was supposed to be a wake up call for republicans it most certainly will never achieve such effect, but increase their alienationâŚso it will in fact widen the gap, I understand why it looks like a great video to you, though 
You are correct - it wasnât really intended for Republicans to see and suddenly see the light. It was mainly a well constructed set of talking points for the other side. But of the many I have seen this one was one of the best.
As for Democrats wielding power, the problem has a lot to do with the various processes that donât allow simple majorities to prevail in the US Senate. And it certainly remains to be seen if the many crises prompt truly bold action. Iâm hopeful. Not that same as optimistic.
I feel like everything happening over the last 5 years or so hurt the brand of US/international image so much that the damage will be lasting. That has to be reversed. Curious to see the actions of the new old team in government. By new old I mean simply it seems to be very similar to Obamaâs team.
I agree. What I hope for this time around is Biden and other recognizing that the status quo was not, is not, working and new things must be tried. Business as usual is now a recipe for disaster. Which it always was, in truth. Wealth inequality, racism, environmental degradation and public health are all at unprecedented crisis points and no one of them can be meaningfully fixed or even improved without each of the others at the same time.
1 Like
Totally agree, thatâs why my first question was about the plan, what concrete actions are they planning. We will see.
I fear democrats now will go into witch hunt and further alienate republican supporters and increase the gap. Just the fact they are using âdeprogram yourselvesâ and putting everyone in the same basket with quanon nonsense and other conspiracy crap is really badâŚrepairing the social fabric will take much more than that, certainly not that.
We also see the big tech exerting more power and the left really stretching the âsecurityâ reasons for censorship and control with further attacks on Telegram. Funny thing is, Telegram was banned only in Russia, Iran, Pakistan and China. What does that tell us? A really scary direction US seems to be taking, in an attempt to assimilate the other side. And yes, I used assimilate, not reconcile, as that is what it looks like right now 
It is terrifying. These Republican guys are now being confronted with being the bad guys. I donât see how they can back off. There is this huge mass of heavily armed, easily maneuvered, delusional people⌠itâs like sitting on a crate of dynamite.
And Britain is the same.
How Italy âresolvedâ post-WW2 polarization (4 million card-carrying members of the fascist party):
- Symbolic revenge on Mussolini (no trial â he got captured by a band of partisans in Milan, trying to get to Germany. He was shot on the spot, and his corpse hung from a butcherâs hook in a public square).
- Exemplary punishment of a few hierarchs (some handed over to the Nurnberg court, others simply dragged out of their homes and shot).
- Amnesty for everybody else, enacted by the minister of Justice of the provisional government, who also happened to be the leader of the Communist Party of Italy. It was considered that the communists, who among the political forces had suffered the most at the hands of the fascists, were the only ones who could lead on forgiveness for the fascists.
- A permanent ban on reconstituting the fascist party.
It was messy business. But it kind of worked for several decades, and then everyone who had a part in it was dead or very old.
1 Like
Terrifying indeed. And now the GOP officeholders all seem to be running away from any accountability at all and want this to just go away. But it will not go away.
A version of what you describe above might be how it works out. But as we all know, this country has 2 standards of justice and this one will apply to white people, which means they get out on low bail, get reduced charges, etc etc.
1 Like
I am definitely not an expert, but âre: Game Stopâ: is it time for another Occupy Wall Street already?!
âThe economyâ, âthe marketâ, âŚwhy donât they just call it Las Vegas for the ultrarich, but only for them?
1 Like
I find the whole thing kind of amusing. I am probably missing something. But I have watched the rich and powerful screw over everyone else for decades and like bullies, as soon as someone hurts them, they cry like babies.
3 Likes
It seems weâre back to pre-2016. As if the Trumpâs idiocracy was but a short and unpleasant interlude. Apart from obvious shift to more normal narrative and greater sensitivity about the climate change, environmental issues and non-white Americans, the cohorts of the American Empire seem not to be aware that the time has not stopped while the orange lunatic was seated in the White House and that many things have changed since. So have the priorities in the rest of the world. Alas, weâre back to âindispensable nation on the Earthâ, staunch support to the State of Israel (has anyone noticed that President Biden is not going to reverse the idiotic decision of moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem?), forever wars and meddling in dirty affairs in every corner of the world.
The American allies have learned that America is not as reliable and unchangeable as it seemed just a few years ago, and its movements and actions will be analysed and discussed much more thoroughly and with greater suspicion.
The transatlantic partnership is going to be re-established to some extent, with greater uneasiness and wariness on the European side, but if the U.S. sneezes, itâs us the little ones who get the flu. As always.
So, seeing is believing and it will remain so for the foreseeable future. If America once and for all doesnât realise that itâs not their sacred duty to stick their nose in other nationsâ affairs and keep it there forever, weâre fried as a civilisation. Because a civilisation doesnât end with a spectacular bang. It expires in slow gasps, with a whimper, its influence slowly diminishing and its citizens largely unaware of the fall while doing business as usual. So far, I donât see any signs pointing the other way. The centre still holds firm and steadfast as ever, but the periphery has already started feeling and noticing the rot.
4 Likes
Good analysis. I donât disagree with any of it.
But it is far from settled over here. It feels at least as tense and crazy here as it did in 1968âŚmaybe more because now we have had an actual totalitarian as President and millions of Republicans are still firmly in his grip. This is craziness on a mass scale, but many of them are armed and very angry.
1 Like
Lost, shallow, frustrated, ignorant and paranoid. Calamity waiting to happen.
This is why Bernie could never win, but he pretty much wins the elections for Democrats every time.
1 Like
I have voted for Bernie twice now. Would do it again gladly.
1 Like
Just seen - this excellent tweet that sums things up:
âNot sure how weâll explain to future generations that Americans could have put a single piece of cloth in front of their wet fucking mouths and prevented a World War 2 amount of death, and they just didnât.â
2 Likes
I find that statement absurd and overly simplistic. We have lockdowns, curfew, obligatory masks and all kinds of stuff in BelgiumâŚinfection rate is a bit lower than in US and death rate is actually higher.
Sweden had almost none of that. Bosnia had and still has none. They have mask wearing but barely anyone adheres to that. All restaurants and bars are open, life as usualâŚnot to mention they are the most fun loving and sociable people in the ex Yugoslavia countries.
Look at their stats.
Are you saying masks donât matter?
Nope, I am saying that the statement is incorrect. I am also saying it is impossible to make that statement in any seriousness after checking out currently available data.
Decisions like taking people sick with covid to nursing homes was 100% wrong and combined with lack of proper safety measures/systems to protect the elderly provoked a high number of deaths.
What do you think about this statement? Does it make any sense?
It does. And you are correct - it was an oversimplification. For one thing, wearing a mask without doing the social distance part wouldnât work out. Maybe it was more of an expression of frustration since in this country anyway, it seems like almost half the population, or at least a big percentage, sees to think that science is simply a matter of what you believe.
And it is also true - and not covered by that guyâs tweet - that service workers of color who live in poor and often crowded conditions where they canât distance even if everyone wore a mask, who have to go to work regardless, get infected at much higher rates. so inequality plays a big role.
I just read that yesterday there were more than 5,000 Covid deaths in the US. I admit to having strong frustrations. For one thing, my mother is dying right now in a home and I cannot go see her. If my wife catches it, I think it is a certainty that she would not survive it. Things like that.
Still, I donât expect any coddling if I say inaccurate things.
1 Like
Yeah i get it, itâs a catastrophe for so many people and we all need to vent sometimesâŚthatâs why I donât complain any more , many have it much worse than me
I see there is a tendency to blame everything on the orange man, even now that he is gone. No matter how guilty he is, itâs still not accurate 
There are so many things to factor in.
My grandfather died without any of his grandchildren being able to see him or go to the funeral as wellâŚvery sad and frustrating really.