The image is clever in that it turns the "living from paycheck to paycheck" concept into a vertically unifying motif, culminating with the U.S. government.
But what else can anyone make of it? Is there a suggestion within it, of how society could be changed, or any idea of how that change could happen?
sure they are but so is the other side kids are killed by jets just as dead as those killed by suicide bombers there are no hero's lots of terror everyone is wrong
Ray we are almost there, war is wrong, killing is wrong, attacking civilians at a music festival is most definitely wrong. How do you pick? Its hard to know, but here is what most of us have had to do for most if not all of our lives. We choose the less of the two. No one is going to fit into the mold of our perfect person, hell after we grow up we don't even fit into that mold.
So while we may not directly support those retaliations, we must and I say again we must condemn those actions that brought us to war. Will there be peace in the Gaza strip? Eventually but by that time I suspect it will be a very hard life to live there.
So while it may be hard to look at the bombed out Gaza strip, it was 1000 times harder to look at the pictures of the dead and taken at the music festival. The burned bodies of families killed in their sleep. Children lying dead in what looked like a class room. We can agree and even feel bad for those Palestinians that want no more than to just live and love their family but they were taken advantage of by a terrorist organization posing as a government. There are far more animals living in Gaza and hiding behind those families, now I don't know if there was any history of them pushing back but from what I see they were harboring these animals.
So we can feel the pain of the loss of life on both sides but you have to steel yourself to the realization that sometimes there is no good choice and after time and time again it has to end.
Sorry, I couldn't eat any more of that "food for thought" after I got to this heapin' helpin' of total crap:
"I don’t know right now. I just know that whatever the answer is, it’s not mobilizing 360,000 traumatized Israeli reservists to launch into an urban war in one of the most densely populated places in the world."
I thought it was a well written article. Many good points were brought up.
I remember way back in '67-'68, I had to do a Grade 7 class presentation covering the Six-Day War. Who knew that all these years later, there'd still be a ticking time-bomb in the Middle East! I guess some things will never change.
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 10-17-2023).]
' We have always said that in our war with the Arabs we had a secret weapon, no alternative. '
' To be or not to be is not a question of compromise. Either you be or you don't be. '
' When peace comes we will perhaps in time be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons. Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us. ' ~ Golda Meir
' To fight the Bugs, we must understand the Bugs ' Sky Marshal Tohat Maru Starship Troopers Do you want to live forever ? Scorched Earth, ' You see anything that moves, you waste it ! You get me ? ' ' Sir ! Yes Sir ! We get you, Sir ! ' Here's a tip ! It is ok to demonize the attackers, for they are demons. You know that, right ?
Originally posted by rinselberg: But what else can anyone make of it? Is there a suggestion within it, of how society could be changed, or any idea of how that change could happen?
Really ? You want us to do your thinking for you, ?
The meme that was posted by Wichita on the previous page.
I think it is redolent of Wichita's solipsism.
I encountered that word yesterday in one of Paul Krugman's regularly recurring opinion columns in the New York Times.
It wasn't a new word to me, but I had forgotten (or never learned) its dictionary definition.
If you want to drill down on this regularly recurring "opinion column" by Pennock's rinselberg, you may well want to start by looking up a dictionary definition for "solipsism."
[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 10-17-2023).]
Originally posted by rinselberg: I think it is redolent of Wichita's solipsism. ever learned) its dictionary definition.
If you want to drill down on this regularly recurring "opinion column" by Pennock's rinselberg, you may well want to start by looking up a dictionary definition for "solipsism."
In my 64 years on this Earth, I have not needed to know the definitions of redolent or solipsism. In fact, as freddytoasted would claim, I have not needed your opinion column.
Originally posted by Fats: It's almost as if when a certain party is in charge, as it seems to be in most of the world currently, that the world ends up at war.
That's a nonsensical idea to assert, or suggest.
I'm sure that a "certain party" is the Democrats, but to the extent that the Democrats are in charge at the federal level, it's only the Executive Branch and the Senate. The Republicans still have the upper hand in the House. Having a very narrow majority in the Senate doesn't give the Democrats all that much leverage in the Senate, considering the supermajority or 60-votes threshold requirements ("filibuster") and similar rules affecting committees and the process of advancing legislation in the Senate.
As far as the second part of that, "in charge... in most of the world,"... that makes even less sense.
The Democrats are in charge of the Russian Federation? The People's Republic of China? North Korea? Iran? Egypt? Saudi Arabia? Israel? Yada yada yada?
Any of that would certainly be news to the Democrats and to the Biden Administration.
"Hey Joe, did you know we're in charge of Russia now?"
[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 10-18-2023).]
I'm sure that a "certain party" is the Democrats, but to the extent that the Democrats are in charge at the federal level, it's only the Executive Branch and the Senate. The Republicans still have the upper hand in the House. Having a very narrow majority in the Senate doesn't give the Democrats all that much leverage in the Senate, considering the supermajority or 60-votes threshold requirements ("filibuster") and similar rules affecting committees and the process of advancing legislation in the Senate.
As far as the second part of that, "in charge... in most of the world,"... that makes even less sense.
The Democrats are in charge of the Russian Federation? The People's Republic of China? North Korea? Iran? Egypt? Saudi Arabia? Israel? Yada yada yada?
Any of that would certainly be news to the Democrats and to the Biden Administration.
"Hey Joe, did you know we're in charge of Russia now?"
Rinse... everything you wrote there is basically apologist and deflectionary. What Wichita said above in that Seinfeld meme is actually VERY correct. And Fats hinted at it. The world generally believes that Democrats are weak... at a minimum, and at absolute worst, they believe they allow these skirmishes intentionally.
But let's focus on the weak part. Under both Obama and now Biden, time and time again they were both challenged by world leaders, and the United States backed down. Obama allowed Russia to invade Ukraine and took part of Crimea. I'm sure you remember this, it happened in 2014: https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...e_Russian_Federation
Obama did nothing. At the time... the fake news hadn't convinced the masses that Trump had been "installed" by Russian oligarchs (which is a totally absurd belief, but none the less, all the Democrats believed it). So, at that time, Democrats didn't care because they still universally viewed Russia as a system of government that they wish they had... exhibit A:
Jen Psaki donning a pink Russian military hat from the USSR that was given to her while in Moscow. The whole gang there is enjoying their time in Moscow just like Bernie Sanders did many years before...
... point of all of this... Democrats LOVED Russia and LOVED the thought of Communism before they were TOLD they shouldn't because "Trump."
And we know that the reason why everyone is so concerned about Ukraine right now, where as they don't even REMEMBER that it happened in 2014, is because... yet again... "Trump." They believe that Russia helped Trump get elected, and that's why they are so supportive of Ukraine. Which is an absurd reason, even if Democrats are FINALLY on the correct side (Republicans have always been against Communism).
Never the less... there was also the Obama's "Red Line" moment...
To which... when Obama failed miserably to act for fear of the political consequences... support-groups everywhere rallied to his defense to write long blathering articles in defense of him, to make us believe that what really happened, didn't... like this one: https://www.factcheck.org/2...mas-blurry-red-line/
And then there was the money drop to Iran... remember that one?
But then... under the Trump administration... there was no war. For the most part, North Korea stopped firing missiles, Iran stopped refining uranium, and Russia ceased it's advances on retaking Ukraine. There was considerable failure in Iraq under the prior administration, and Trump enacted "the surge" which went door to door and completely wiped out Al Qaeda. Today, they basically no longer exist, and Iraq is thriving as an independent nation. Trump not only armed Ukraine, despite the protests from Russia, but he even managed to get multiple peace accords signed in the middle east, which are still effective today.
... and then Biden comes along... Russians begin amassing troops on the border of Ukraine in March, followed by Biden's immediate and completely and total failure in Afghanistan... which has had repercussions most people have absolutely no concept of.... Africa is being consumed by radical fundamentalism... and now Iran-sponsored terrorism from Hamas in Israel... and Democrats still want to believe that Trump is bad.
I encourage you to watch this video between Democrat Billionaire Chamath Palihapitiya, and a Democrat Podcaster:
That whole spiel (preceding message) is like a Seinfeld episode... checks the box for "glib" but not for "gravitas."
I know you don't like it... but is there anything about it you want to challenge? I'm sure it's not funny... no one should be laughing at it. Right or wrong, this IS the general opinion people have today about Biden. Which, again... it's not your fault, I don't expect you to fix it (you can't?), but you also don't have to be an apologist for him.
A report from the New York Times provides a very unsocial media-like dose of reality
quote
President Biden is expected to ask Congress in the coming days to approve about $100 billion in emergency funds to arm Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan and fortify the U.S.-Mexico border, according to multiple people familiar with the plan.
The funding request, which lawmakers expect to receive by Friday morning, would cover a full year and is aimed at insulating the security funding from the partisan spending battles that have hamstrung recent efforts to supply Ukraine with weapons and other assistance to beat back a Russian invasion.
The package is expected to include about $10 billion in mostly military assistance to help Israel, as well as around $60 billion for Ukraine, according to aides familiar with the discussions, who described the emerging proposal on the condition of anonymity because it has yet to be announced. The balance of the $100 billion is expected to be dedicated to border security and helping beef up the defenses of Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region, in order to better counter threats from China.
Mr. Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks Thursday night from the Oval Office on the American response to the wars in Israel and Ukraine. . . .
The world laughs at Joe Biden... that's why everyone is doing everything they can "right now." And I expect it to continue. This is exactly what every evil country wanted... they knew a Democrat in office, especially Joe Biden, would lead to:
- A total lack of leadership on the world stage - An inability to manage domestic affairs - A complete degradation of society in the United States
The United States, in just the past three years, looks nothing like it did when Biden first took office. - Gas prices have doubled, tripled in some states - Inflation since December of 2020 is 18.92%, which is using the government numbers, so we know it's much worse than that. - Homelessness ranges from 1.8% all the way up to 10% depending on state (Democrat states) in the United States... WTF. - Drug addiction (which is causing the previous point) is at absurd levels the likes this country has never seen. - 5.5 Illegal aliens have breezed through our borders since Biden took office, all of whom are using taxpayer resources in various states.
What have we achieved? Can someone name something? Because I'm having a hard time finding anything. I could find at least dozens of things under Obama, but with Biden, I can't find a single thing. And please... no ethereal things like "Biden returned respect to the White House,' because that's complete nonsense.
I guess some things will never change.
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