Wednesday, February 03, 2016

The #DemTownHall : Please Understand, I Hold You In The Highest Respect



The Democratic Town Hall did not require the same, shot-by-shot translation I usually mete out to GOP contests.

Both Senator Sanders and Secretary Clinton acquitted themselves honorably and well.

The agree on a lot, clashed over the ideas and methods where they differed and overall it was substantive, strong, decent, lively and policy-based.

Sorta like "Up" used to be before MSNBC gutted it like a trout.

Proud to be a Democrat tonight.

9 comments:

Robt said...

Because of the hours I work. I am resigned to watch clips.

I have watched some of the prior Dem debates and listened to policy incrementation vs aim for Mars and reach the moon type of talk.

They leave me with thought. Thought of where we go and how we get there. Even "where" exactly is "there?".

As life travelers, both Hilary and Bernie have luggage. NOne of it resembles Denny hastert of Koch Industries.

It is most difficult for me to place myself as a registered republican with these choices.
Do the two campaigns reflect the so called 2 Americas?

My opinion is that America can continue moving in the best direction With either Dem Candidate.
IIt is like Elizabeth Warren. I would rather her remain in the senate as the new (female) liberal lion as Kennedy was for so long. I think Bernie has much value in the senate as well.
Hillary is already out of congress. Am I making the case that Hillary is expendable for the presidency? Do not mean it that way.

It is tough on judgement as Bernie did not vote for the Iraq War and Hillary did I am sure I would be pleased with eithers judgement on SCOTUS nominee choices.
How GW upchucked and laid homage to the wealthy with Alito and Roberts.
A lifetime of scratching your poison oak rash.

Got to say, when you say you are proud to be a Democrat with these 2 candidates. I hear your appreciation for sane, rational, thoughtful well lived life experience knowledge. Discussing issue(s) differences respectfully.
Anything less than that. You would be watching the GOP.

Whichever Dem Candidate, Filling seats in Congress must be part of the campaign.

So tell me,
You can see it and I can see it. What is it that the republican voters can't see their irresponsibly ridiculous debates? Their inane candidates?

Neo Tuxedo said...

For the answer to Robt's final question(s), we turn to Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899), not to be confused with the Bob Ingersoll who writes essays on superheroes and the law:

"It is hard to over-estimate the influence of early training in the direction of superstition. You first teach your children that a certain book [...] was written by God himself, that to question its truth is a sin, that to deny it is a crime, and that should they die without believing that book they will be forever damned without benefit of clergy. The consequence is, that long before they read that book, they believe it to be true. When they do read it, their minds are wholly unfitted to investigate its claims."

I've also drawn a comparison with the late Mark E. Rogers' "A Fighting Cat of Mars" (part of The Further Adventures of Samurai Cat). Miaowara Tomokato's relentless hunt for the murderers of his lord Nobunaga has taken him beneath the hurtling moons of Bazoom, in quest of the Martian master assassin Zad Fnark. Fnark enjoys the protection of the Bazoomian priesthood, the Holy Pterns, who wear such silly bird-faced hats, and who sweat so much and have such greasy smiles, that Tomokato is flabbergasted that the Martians trust them so implicitly. Even more so when he asks Effluvia, Maid of Mars, why the faith in the Pterns and she answers, "Because they wear bird-hats! And because they smile so greasily and sweat so profusely."

The things about these dime-store Elmer Gantry tribute bands that set off alarm bells in intelligent, aware people are the very qualities that endear them to the flock. Or, if they do hear the alarm bells, they're trained to dismiss them as the work of the Devil, or the Antichrist, or Karl Marx (to the extent they draw a distinction between those entities).

"Sheep go to heaven, goats go to hell..."
-- John McCrea

Robt said...

Nice Tuxedo you got there,
Interesting analogies.

Ok. I understand the indoctrination with religion to control the masses .

But how is it the authoritarian pied pipes the notion that God has been taken out of schools, out of Government, out of industries and that God is punishing ALL for it. Old T. does have a jealous/ smiting God. The New T. conflicts with that notion.
As these folks od so called faith exhale their intolerance to point at those Godless entities in scorn. How is it they do not adhere the words in their book that clearly tells them to "Pray in private" and look for the spirit within )not everywhere else?).

At what point do the indoctrinated reach adulthood and question? Adjust? overcome?
Is the indoctrination stunting brain development?

It's "word" tells them not to serve 2 masters. How do they reconcile the ideology of religion and the ideology of conservatism?

The inner self divide of the heart that occurs when one sits atop the self proclaimed superior place, wields this prominence in terms of the superior race?
I can see where self worth becomes self loathing and burns more forest into ashes if that is the case.

Neo Tuxedo said...

At what point do the indoctrinated reach adulthood and question? Adjust? overcome?

If we're lucky, some time before the body dies.

Is the indoctrination stunting brain development?

That's a question for medical professionals. It's certainly stunting brain usage in every space-time direction.

How do they reconcile the ideology of religion and the ideology of conservatism?

Every time they get close to thinking about it, "Touch not the LORD's anointed", or the story of the bears* tearing a bunch of children limb-from-limb for making fun of Elisha, or some other suitable piece of Xian crimestop, imposes itself. They either overcome that by leaving the cult, or they stop trying.

"Religion is an endeavour to reconcile the two." -- William Blake, on the Prolific and the Devouring, in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

(* I wonder if that story had anything to do with Stephen Colbert's childhood nightmares of dying in a bear attack, which I foolishly didn't work into this recent tumblr post.)

Ivory Bill Woodpecker said...

Some people, raised in a politically conservative and religiously Christian environment, do notice the contradictions.

One group rejects the Abrahamic faiths and goes Full Metal Social Darwinist. Ayn Rand is their prophetess.

The other group rejects conservatism, noting that it was the conservative political and religious institutions of the Savior's time who nailed Him to that cross.

I have done both in my lifetime.

The only time in my life I could be called a political conservative (libertarian type) was during my agnostic phase.

I began returning to liberalism (USAmerican definition, meaning more or less social-democratic) before I returned to Christianity. My personal religious revival only accelerated my leftward political journey.

Robt said...

____Neo Tuxedo
"(* I wonder if that story had anything to do with Stephen Colbert's childhood nightmares of dying in a bear attack, which I foolishly didn't work into this recent tumblr post.)"

Odd, I have a recurring nightmares of fighting with the Bear(but As an adult though). We both go over a cliff, fighting as we fall. I keep waking up when we hit the bottom. Damn, it hurts like the first time.

Are you recommending the read of -William Blake, on the Prolific and the Devouring, in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell ? keep in mind I get selective as i become vision challenged..

And------ Ivory Bill Woodpecker.

I missed all the indoctrination growing up a wild heathen. In adult years my thirst sought out questions. Questions of faith. I went to many religions to learn their offer. As it turned out, I found what I was looking for within. We all have paths. I never submerged into Libertarianism. Swam in it some. It never showed me a future. Hope you have better luck than I. Being an island became very restrictive.
If I may ask,
Does your libertarian like the idea of a space shot to Mars? If so,it may not be libertarian waters your treading.

Ivory Bill Woodpecker said...

Space travel is not so much a matter of liking or disliking for me.

I simply think humanity needs to get sustainable breeding populations of humans (and the necessary accompanying life-forms) first off the Earth, and then out of the Solar System, to other planets and/or artificial mobile colonies (generation ships?).

We must do this for the simple reason that the Earth's ability to support life will not last forever (even if we humans can find a way to fix all the damage we've done), and neither will our Sun last forever.

Another reason for doing this ASAP is that one never knows when the next Dino-Doom-caliber asteroid will blunder its way into a collision with Earth.

The long-term survival of our species requires that sustainable populations of humans be established elsewhere.

Robt said...

Generational flights to space destinations.

That is a lot of supplies.

We seem restricted within our realm of scientific knowledge for faster than light space travel.

An alternative could be colony from planet to planet.
This has its own set of limited parameters.

David Haile said...

Interesting. I'd love to chat!