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The reason I voted no is that during this past year when I have had discussions with conservatives online it has ended up becoming a nasty shouting match. I would prefer this to be a safe space with minded people.

The Arts matter for balance! The individuals who have been most successful have some training and a solid appreciation of the Arts in general. Experiences in the Arts bring a balance to the Cognitive Dissonance of the modern political world. The Arts have helped to "predict" the coming changes to various nations and political orders. So they may be serving as precursors to action, and certainly to thought about the things that matter. The expressions from various artistic experiences also serve to broaden understanding between those performing and those experiencing the book, play, or performance. These experiences challenge us to move outside ourselves while internalizing the messages! Just my .02

Mac and V., I've really enjoyed reading the dialogue between you two. Two people who are both very bright, knowledgeable, and brutally honest with others. All rare traits in this Kardashian/Idiocracy world, or at least country, that we live in. I fully agree, this site deserves much more robust and wider participation from its members and visitors, but I don't have a clue how to make that happen or encourage more of it. Maybe most of us on the lefty end are feeling just too demoralized, stressed, and depressed to participate in discussions here, who knows? But I agree with both of you on your points made in your comments above. I don't feel either of you is more right than the other in the debate over human flaws, consistency and hypocrisy. For what it's worth, mac, I probably only meet about half of your four standards about morality. I do care about animals, but will still continue to be a carnivore, who supports animals being treated well while they are living as pets, in shelters, zoos, or in the wild. I will gladly pay higher taxes, as long as it benefits all of society, not just me and my age group, and also not just white people, the rich, or corporations. I am an Agnostic, so I guess Christian hypocrisy doesn't apply to me. Lastly, even tho I will likely be dead before the 💩 really hits the fan with climate change, I do care about the world left to younger people after I'm gone, and even tho I still drive a gas powered Ford Fusion, I would gladly ride a bicycle some of my travels, if I lived in a climate warm enough to do it most of the year, or would drive an electric vehicle, if I lived in a home that would allow me to plug it in. But I don't live in such a place, and my condo apt, fits my needs best for housing, as well as being affordable. I suppose that my next car will at least be a hybrid, if I can find a late model used one in a couple years or so. So judge me as you will, mac, but I honestly think I am trying and doing better at it than most.

"Nazi" can be a 5-letter word...as in THE LYIN' KING. It can be a 6-letter word...as in "Miller". And it can be a 3-letter word...as in GOP.

There is a trend among some liberals that we all need to co-exist and "get along". I understand where this idea comes from. Certainly, those of us on both sides of the aisle have commonalities. At the end of the day, we all want to own a home, live in safe neighborhoods and send our kids to good schools. However, I do recall Bill Maher once saying, "There IS a difference between the two parties." One party pulls out racist and homophobic slurs like their morning coffee. Therefore, I do agree that often the other party does not have a soul. After all, how can one sit back and defend what ICE is doing to migrant families? How can one proudly proclaim to be a Republican and not care at all that many people will not be able to afford health care?

I've been divorced since 2017 and have been on and off the dating sites. Here's my humble opinion, BobDylan. You feel as if you were played because dating apps are basically a game. Swiping, liking, waiting.... then....."Oooh, someone messaged me back!" The rewards are up and down with the ghosting, algorithms, and painful first dates. The only way to survive the game is not to take it personally. Believe me, I'm not above getting my feelings hurt either. However, I do find that when I set realistic boundaries "with myself", I am always in a better mindset. For those of us who still work full-time, it truly can be the easiest way to meet singles. Not that I didn't think the Captain had great advice - volunteering, card groups, pickle-ball, animal groups. However, that isn't always easy with limited free time. I was sorry to read that you felt sad and cynical. Because that was me until I changed my goals. Now I avoid burnout by not having expectations. Change your perspective about the woman who decided not to meet. Look at it not as a missed opportunity but an apparent mismatch. She was obviously not ready to date at this time.

Well, I finally got to a place where I can reply or comment on a post and all I can say is that this, at least to me, is not a very user friendly site as far as navigating. I can't even figure out how to complete my profile. Sorry Bob that my comment on your post isn't actually relevant but this is the 1st place where I could actually post a comment to hopefully be upgraded to Newbl CITIZEN.

In all of my romantic relationships except the last one, politics was never a concern of mine. BobDylan, I privately shared the following anecdote with you, so please pardon the replay. I ended my last romance because the gal was a devout, unrepentant Trumper -- a tough call because she had great legs. I go stupid over great legs. Ultimately however, the lass' odious politics "trumped" her gorgeous gams. But, oh, you kid! These days politics getting in the way of romance is not at all a deal-breaker. I'm out of "the mating game." My domestic partner of 40 years died two years ago. Our relationship was platonic. But she was my closest, longest, and dearest companion. Not a day goes by that she is not in my thoughts, dreams, and memories. Two years later, I still grieve and mourn the loss of her company and friendship. Her demise was, to date, the latest in a traumatic series of losses during the past seven years: one coworker died after suffering a stroke, one coworker was brutally murdered, one friend died from cancer, and one friend committed suicide. Another loss -- simultaneously depressing and welcomed -- is the death of my libido. But, I'll pass on pill-popping Viagra, thank you very much. Emotionally, psychologically, figuratively, and literally, I can't get it up for Love -- and I'm not cryin' about it. Nothing lasts forever. Just as well because finding a "soulmate" and getting married were never on my Things to Do list. To me, marriage is a passion-killer -- the conjugal equivalent of a lobotomy. Spending my life day after day . . . week after week . . . month after month . . . year after year — until death! — with one woman . . . can't do it! Beyond my capability. Monogamy (meatloaf again?!) = Monotony, as far as I'm concerned. Sacre bleu! La variété! Eet eez ze spice of life, oui? So needless to say, I won't be joining the Liberal Hearts Club, which is no great loss --indeed, no loss at all -- for womankind.

Oh boy, I have a lot to say on this topic. I will not engage with anyone on a dating app that doesn't list "liberal" in their profile. I won't even "like" a person who lists moderate. Because in this climate, it's time to choose a side. To much is at stake to be wishy washy. I've had men message my profile who were moderate or apolitical. I would politely decline and explain that we would not be compatible. A few would argue "Why is it a big deal?" Umm... because I need to respect the person I'm dating.

Hi, new to the site. The main reason that I’m here is to interact with like minded people and escape the constant name calling and petty arguments. I’m afraid that opening up to members from the right would devolve into a bunch of trolling. Maybe in “regular” times there could be real discussion but the hard core MAGA folks don’t seem to have much capacity for critical thinking. My humble opinion, I hope I’m wrong.

When asked about a woman becoming president of the United States of America, Former First Lady Michelle Obama bluntly stated, "We ain't ready."

The implication is that we're going to win unless the Rs can figure out a better way to cheat. They're working on it. Our side needs to be ever-vigilant and "think outside the box." The Rs are diabolical and clever and have no boundaries. Nothing is off the table. Nothing is too-farfetched for them. Nothing is sacred. They respect nothing. Our people need to brainstorm and consider the most far out possibilities, because that's what they will be doing. ARE doing. Trust no one. Check and re-check everything and everyone.

To the point where a Capitalist Market's only goal is growth & stockholder wealth, with no regard for sustainability or environmental impacts, and then to have SCOTUS declare corporations are "people" who vote with money & political force, further cementing their death grip on our Earth that will inevitably result in a depleted, dead Planet - YES, CORPORATIONS ARE EVIL.

I want a site where I can escape my MAGA rural life for a little while each day.

I can only speak for myself. If I was a celebrity, I would feel obligated to speak out. It would be a gift to be able to do the moral and ethical thing in such a potentially impactful way.

DEAR RED STATES… WE’RE LEAVING Dear Red States, We’ve decided we’re leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we’re taking the other Blue States with us. That includes Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Virginia, most of the Northeast, and our favorite swing-flirts like Michigan and Pennsylvania when they behave. We’ll call ourselves The United States of Sanity. You can keep Mar-a-Lago. Here’s the split: • We get stem-cell research. You get stemware from Branson gift shops. • We get the Statue of Liberty. You get the world’s largest ball of twine. • We get Apple, Microsoft, Google, and you get MyPillow. • We get Hollywood. You get Duck Dynasty reruns. Resources: • We control most of the venture capital, the Ivy League, the West Coast tech corridor, the Great Lakes (about 84% of North America’s surface fresh water), and 95% of U.S. wine production. • You get coal, cattle, and almost all the tornadoes. • Pineapples? Hawaii. Lettuce? California. Cheese? Sorry, Wisconsin votes blue more often than not, so it’s coming with us. Taxes and money: • On average, blue states send more to Washington than they get back. Red states take in more federal dollars than they pay. So when we “split the check,” you’ll be picking up your own tab for the first time in decades. Good luck with that. Culture: • Blue states have lower divorce rates and higher life expectancy. Red states have more churches per square mile, but somehow not more stable marriages. • In recent polls, around 40% of Republicans still doubt evolution, and a stubborn minority think Saddam helped with 9/11. Y’all can keep those history books. • We get Broadway. You get Branson, which is kind of Broadway if it ran on casseroles and Precious Moments figurines. Weather: • Hurricanes? You’ll still get clobbered in Florida and Texas. • Mosquitoes? Honestly, they’re bipartisan — but they seem happier in your humidity. Peace out, —The Blue States 🥂💻🌊

Republicans also like to say guns don’t kill people; people kill people and blame mass shootings on mental health issues. Yet they don’t support funding for mental health services. Their arguments never make sense to me.

Who could possibly feel that the AI video of The President flying a jet dressed as a King flying over a protest dumping poop is an appropriate response to a peaceful protest of 7 million people? Imagine if Obama or Biden did something like this. The Republicans freaked out when Obama wore a beige suit. Do I agree with Trumps freedom to be able to post such a disgusting and churlish piece of 💩? Yep I sure do. Should this man-baby be our president? Absolutely not. The Speaker of the house, Mike Johnson needs to go too. Such a religious man with no morals whatsoever. He is the ventriloquist dummy, sitting on Trumps lap. All Americans should be appalled.

Actually macpsysto I have not been regularly visiting here, however that may change. I'm not a regular on any social media, but do inhabit my local Nextdoor village private Progressives group. Because of a "feature" in that site's algorithm someone's reply to a post automatically included others from outside the group to participate inside the group. Apparently if someone's text includes the name of a legitimate business that Nextdoor recognized, a link to that business is automatically created and anyone else who at some point linked the business in the past is notified of the business "mention" and becomes automatically added to the private group. Trolling began from that point. I believe it's actually a Nextdoor bug, not a feature intended to add to private groups. I started thinking about finding another online place to host that progressive group and remembered this site. My read on this poll was centered on "invite". My take being that a concerted effort could be made, but has not happened. My no vote was in the popular "Normally yes, but..." catagory, however I really should have voted the first option of invitation only. I have noticed that the roster here isn't large and perhaps I read too much into that and assumed some effort was being contemplated to increase participation. Namely invite the right.

Thanks for the props about my participation and writing, V., but I really don't think that any of those you named, including you, are great writers, etc.. I just think it's more that all four of us have something to say, feel free about saying it, and are passionate about what we choose to write about. Which should be all someone needs, or should need, to participate in this forum. Because at least so far, this site has not become a platform for meanness, harassment, ridicule, etc., like Facebook, reddit, etc.. People so far, both on the forums and several others that I've messaged with privately, seem to nice, decent, caring people. I just wish they would come out of the shadows, or maybe their online wallflower mode, to engage and participate with us and build a community. I saw that happen, at least for a few years, on Agnostic.com when I first joined there, so I know it's possible. But I also know that human nature of most people, even those on the liberal side of the spectrum, are more interested in finding romantic local partners, than meeting new friends, even online, that might actually add something else enriching and nurturing to their emotional lives, even if only a sense of solidarity, belonging, and being understood.. My brother got a Master's degree in English, specializing in Fiction Writing, from Syracuse Univ.. And when I asked him why people become professional writers, he said it was not because they were great writers, but because they all have something to say. Interestingly, he realized after he graduated from there, that he needed another or better line of work than writing, so he went to law school, became a lawyer for several years, and then became a fed magistrate, a judge, following the same legal career path my father did. So whether it was talent or having something to say, I guess there's something in my genetics, when it comes to writing....

i concur, BD. Even your participation here in itself is evidence that you are putting in the work. Thank you.

I also wanted to say, that I used to be active on reddit, and just like what you said, mac, about Yahoo's forums, there was so much constant posting and argument about the more trivial stuff of life on there, that like you, I was almost dumbfounded by the lack of intellect and seriousness among most folks on there. I know that reddit probably trends younger than this site, but it seemed like everyone was allergic to commenting seriously about anything, and instead it was all about who could post the best snark or be the top ridiculer of anyone who posted anything serious or vulnerable about themselves. In other words, online verbal dodgeball between middle schoolers...

obviously. thank you Mac, i sincerely appreciate your contributions here. but as the only moderator i need to point out that your obsession with semantics is unproductive, and distracting to each subject they are injected in. There is a grand irony in that, although i know you wouldn't want to, if i needed someone to help as a moderator, you have the other skills necessary, but you'd be a buzz kill. also, as a reminder to everyone... there is a tendency in threads to veer into other topics i don't have the time to move posts around to more appropriate threads so, please this thread is about the nazi-like gestapo methods Americans are being subjected to PLEASE MODERATE YOURSELVES BY STAYING ON TOPIC and be as concise as possible the goal is to be a quick source of frank, organized, topic-based opinion that is hard to find via traditional sources

Tim Walz just said it perfectly. Everything that is happening is no longer political difference it’s a moral one. There is no possible way you can watch the many versions of these shootings and believe the protesters are at fault. How the protesters are keeping this peaceful and controlled is beyond me but they are! This is how we can help. FULL SCRIPT for calling your senators in one image. Call 202-224-3121. Ask to be connected to each of your two senators (two calls total). Read this or a version of it (feel free to riff). They’re voting THIS WEEK. I’ve shown what this looks like in a reel on my page (if you need more guidance). Thanks in advance — and if you want more actionable info without rage bait, follow this account 🙏🏻 #usa #news #politics My name is [YOUR NAME] and I'm a(n) [YOUR STATE] resident. I'm calling to urge you to filibuster the upcoming Homeland Security appropriations bill. I'm sick of watching lawful citizens and noncitizens being arrested at their jobs, assaulted at peaceful protests, pulled out of their vehicles, blinded by munitions, and getting shot and killed. Senators like you need to filibuster this bill so that ICE doesn't get another penny. It already has $18.75 billion for 2026 - it doesn't need another $10 billion. My fellow [YOUR STATE'S RESIDENTS] and I will be watching your vote - and we will remember, I promise. My name again is [YOUR NAME] and my contact info is [YOUR PHONE NUMBER AND/ OR EMAIL]. My zip code is [YOUR ZIP CODE]. Thanks for listening and please do the right thing.

the immediate lying by the Prez, Noem, Bondi, Miller and his other mobster, N@tzi gang members are off the charts. Congress needs to make it's long overdue move NOW!

The amount of people in this country trying to justify the murder of an innocent CIVILIAN is mind boggling. How have humans devolved into such mindless disgusting beings? The pro life crowd sure does love when actual living, breathing humans are killed. It’s almost as if “pro life” is short for “pro controlling a woman”. I’m ashamed of this country, I’m disgusted with people I’ve known my entire life being ok with this administration and everything they’re doing. We have a literal child rapist for a dictator and that’s not a hard no? I’m scared my children won’t have anything left in their future. What can we do? Tweeting and making tik toks isn’t doing anything. We need a modern day million man march in DC.

I agree with BobDylan. Nothing gets under my skin more than when people make comments about what I eat. I'm lucky to be a size four, yet I've had a co-worker comment, "Do you know how fattening a Caesar salad is?" as I'm eating my Caesar salad. I gave up Diet Coke, but I fully admit it was my "vice" for many years. There was a woman I worked with who was obese. She used to proclaim loudly how she had food allergies, but when there were donuts in the faculty room, guess where she was? One time, she saw me drinking a Diet Coke and didn't hesitate to tell me I was drinking poison. One more anecdotal story (I promise). A woman who was in a hiking group was a vegan. During our long hikes, she would go on and on about the horrors of the food industry. It wasn't a conversation that many of us felt like having while we were trying to enjoy nature. She was obsessed and seemingly couldn't talk about anything else, even when another member deliberately tried to change the direction of the conversation. Both my dog and my cat are rescues. I'm a teacher who struggles to stay on budget, but I will pay extra for humanely raised food products. Is this enough for the vegans? Absolutely not. As the meme posted above states, they view me as a hypocrite. And all that does is create a wedge between us.

the LHC profiles is surely a longer term project, but it does get daily traffic from the high search engine ranking of liberalhearts.com. thanks for asking. If you check the Innerview with BobDylan, we talk about advertising. Basically, as a free, non-ad supported site, there isn't money for advertising. i'm an experienced search engine optimizer, so this site is optimized nicely for organic traffic on the search terms at the top of the home page. it actually would not take much to get things going on the forums -- only take a handful of members commented each day with something interesting to say. it will help for me to do a short video demo of how to use the site and get the most out of it. And there are other things i have planned, but i'll confess i'm taking a little break for the holidays to catch up on other things, like my songwriting. i think other people are engaged in their usual holiday routines right now.

I've gotten to where I just don't know what to think anymore, as far as America's gun fetish and how or if we will ever make any progress against our country's epidemic of mass shootings. But I do know that I appreciate and agree with both of your perspectives here. After THE LYIN' KING got elected, I too was planning to buy a handgun and learn to shoot for the first time in my life, as part of expected self defense against the MAGAs, who I still think will eventually be acting as paramilitary groups, same as ICE is now, only they would be hunting anyone opposed to MAGA, not just brown people. Anyway, I didn't buy that gun, not because I don't think it's eventually going to come to what I've been dreading, as far as MAGAs in packs coming to hunt us, but because I realized that arming myself wouldn't really prevent them from killing me,, and the the satisfaction of being able to fight back and maybe being able to take out a couple of them in the process, was not worth the risk I was also developing that I might also succumb to my worsening depression and use it on myself sometime. So no gun for me, and I'm just hanging in there, trying to have some hope that we somehow get thru this nightmare, while in the meantime stick as close as possible with my local offline friends and enjoy what I can in my personal life. To me, an armed society and religion are much alike. People acting falsely and more ethically and fairly towards others, only out of coercion that if they don't they will suffer, either in this life or some imagined afterlife. Makes me proud to be non religious, so I act morally and ethically because I want to, not because I need to for approval from other church members. And glad I can still have many places where I don't have to deal with armed assholes ready to blow me away, if I say something that pisses them off. That's what makes for a free society, not the Old West stuff of having to shoot it out every time there's a disagreement. And from what I've read. there was actually more gun control than people think in the Old West, at least as far as in the towns there, where people did have to turn in their guns when they came into town, etc.. As far as the Beatles song, the irony of it has always haunted me after Lennon's murder, which was two days after my birthday, in 1980. If only John had known how his life would end that way, even tho he reportedly was afraid for some time before his death, that he would be assassinated, either by the govt. or by one of his crazed fans..

“America’s favorite candy and not at all a guilty pleasure” Daily mass shooting has become a common place occurrence. It shouldn’t! It shouldn’t happen and we shouldn’t be numb to it. 13 years ago Sandy hook Elementary school massacre occurred 20 children and six adults were killed. I thought certainly this will be the turning point. It wasn’t. While watching the latest shooting at Brown College last night, 2 killed 9 seriously injured my first thought was dear God not another one. A reporter was interviewing a student. Visibly shaken the young student explained she picked this college because she felt it was safe and secure. She had been in a mass shooting in middle school. She was shot in the stomach and she survived. Her best friend was not as lucky. He died on the scene. As she told the story it gave me chills when she very calmly said I can’t believe this is happening again. I felt sick, why should this poor girl have ever had to go through any school shooting let alone two. What is it going to take? I ask myself that question way too often these days. What’s it going to take?

Before the election I do remember seeing ads like that. It didn’t matter and it still doesn’t. Once THE LYIN' KING took the oath they all took the course in how to not answer questions ex: always blame the previous administration for anything and everything you’re being questioned on. Start practicing some lip exercises because at least once a week at the group meeting kiss Trumps ass as much as possible, even if he is asleep. This change has to come by the realization that republicans in congress and the house will not be reelected. The tide is slowly turning, at a snail’s pace but it’s happening. Once people have to start paying double or triple the amount for their healthcare things will hopefully move a bit faster.

No worries, Michele, a lot of us, including me, have struggled with navigating the site and setting up our profiles. So your comment being placed in this thread is just fine. What matters is that you're here, and we're getting to hear from you and to begin getting to know who you are.. Tom [moved here from other thread] Sheesh, I'm feeling so sad, cynical and hopeless today, but then again, it's also at least partly because I just found out that a woman I met at a speed dating event in Oct., and had traded a few messages with, has been misleading me on where I stood with her and whether she was going to go ahead as planned with meeting me for coffee after she recovered from a surgery she had soon after the dating event. Guess you just can't trust anybody to keep their word these days, in the dating game, until after you've been chosen against the rest of the field and are in an established relationship. It's not that I cared so much about whether things worked out with her or not, but about having misread someone again, for the umpteenth time, about what I might expect from them going forward in the dating process. I get to where it's so hard to trust my judgement about people in that game.... Even with added experience and age, it still sucks to get and feel played, no matter how many times it's happened before to you. Why can't most people play life with integrity, honesty, and fairness, be it pols, business people, or even singles in the dating game? I know that I'm over generalizing from my experience, but sometimes, like now, I feel like Diogenes, in search of one honest man (or woman). Maybe I should change my username to Charlie Brown, someone else I have often felt was my alter ego? Another underappreciated bald character... Carry on, my friends... Tom aka Bob....

No worries, mac. Don't mind at all the replay, and I agreed with your point, plus, I think the rest of the class would enjoy hearing your experience.. And like you, I usually have my physical type that I'm attracted to, same as most folks.. As a widower, I feel your pain about losing your longtime partner, and it sucks to lose so many people to death in such a short time. I lost both my parents and my late wife, all in less than a ten year span. It felt like death was just stalking me, and all I wanted was to go several years without anybody close to me dying.... I have to respectfully disagree with you about marriage and monogamy, since I really enjoyed both of those with my late wife. As for libido, the dating mating game, etc., I have not chosen to give up, but I totally get why so many others my age, and maybe whatever your age is, do. I respect them as well, as they're doing themselves and the rest of the world, a favor, rather than trying to be or do something that isn't really them or what they want. Only going to cause grief for all involved and concerned. But I'm really glad you're here, on the site and in the forum, as I really enjoy your posts and comments, as you're really bright, funny, insightful, and brutally honest with us, esp. about yourself...

Part Two: Personally, I have always been honest, open, and straight up about my politics in dating profiles, even tho I know it cuts down the interest and number of women that will reply to my first messages to them, etc., but I care enough about compatibility, that I'm already pretty selective in who I approach on dating sites, within the limits of what they share in their profiles. With how polarized America is, and with how much politics is currently affecting the lives of most people here, I just don't get why so many people feel like it either doesn't matter, for compatibility or that they can ignore it. Unless they are either just after something that is casual and mostly just physical, or they are so privileged, selfish, or uncaring about the less privileged people who are getting hurt by our current politics. No matter which of these, someone like that is a hard pass for me, since my values include really caring about less privileged people, even tho the current politics aren't really affecting or hurting me much at all, not yet. So I'm really curious what the rest of the members feel about and have experienced regarding this issue. What says the tribe?

I honestly don't think conservatives should be invited to this site. Why have a "blue" site if we are inviting the opposition? We've seen their hate and ugliness and ignorance over and over. If another site wants to create a Left Right & Center mix (yes, I stole that from NPR--I only quote from the best!) then so be it. But please, not here. Thank you for listening!

just because someone is nutty, it doesn't mean that we can't trust the emotions they're presenting. We know she's never liked Democrats. She's been saying she doesn't like some of the things going on in her Party, especially the Epstein coverup. And she expressed how she felt about the prez attacking her and the threats she received. So, resigning makes sense. She may have had bigger aspirations, but i don't think she has them now. She'll probably miss the spotlight. If the king goes down in disgrace -- she might take the opportunity to resurface as someone who got it right. But if he goes down because of political pressure his voters will see her as someone to blame. it probably would have been better for the left if she stayed as a cog in the works even before he took office, the trend has been to resign if you oppose him. that's not helpful.

He was the “right” black man only because he was a “safe” black man (not radical, not militant, not aggressive, not forceful — unlike the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue) for a segment of the electorate. For me, Barack Obama was not the right black man. America needed — and still needs — a “person of color” who didn’t — and doesn’t — play it safe. Perhaps that man is Zohran Mamdani.

That people get history and economics lessons from a 'toon exemplifies one reason why I despair for the future of America. Here are (IMO) more intellectually nutritious, more educational, more adult, and more valuable explanations of Capitalism and Socialism.

i fear that the bad news is already baked into his stock price and the bar has already been lowered to dirt level. i mean, he bragged about grabbing women by the cat hairs, is already a felon and adjudicated rapist, blew up 20 boats carrying 79 people on spec, hoped for his VP to be hanged, and buried his ex-wife on his golf course for the tax break!

There’s no place like Rome. There’s no place like Rome. Start packing.

The Dems winning a lot of the local races in PA, in areas that went red last election, says the pushback is real against the current administration. The Dems derailing the hold the line on the shutdown doesn't do anything for the momentum they might have had going. I have heard that if they can actually hold a vote on the extensions on the subsidies next month, the Republicans will vote against the extensions and will appear to be wholly responsible for the increases and rightly so. Frustrating

. . . or all get to be eaten. Should I wind up on the menu, per favore, serve me with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.

I think it is especially important for comedians to speak out. They are the ones who call out nonsense, piffle, lies, hypocrisy and utter bull💩. We depend on them to remind us of reality.

I'd say frequently, but not always.

Yep. Pretty much sums it up. I’ve been saying this kind of thing for 4 decades. Funny, I was so brainwashed that I didn’t think we had a choice. “That’s the way corporations work.” Kind of like the “boys will be boys” bull💩 excuse for them being aggressive and/mean.

Give me a Democratic Socialist before an autocratic oligarchy any day of the week! Good going, Zohran Mamdani! More please!

interesting and complicated, Toledo. I suppose voting rights was a way to put an end to the violence. But now, between Musk, the King and all the king's men, they're doing all they can to take away the voting rights of others.

“Living in a society” Matthew Cooke you are right. People are so afraid of words such as socialism and communism and have no idea what they really mean. Unfortunately, we are so far from “living in a society” I can’t imagine we will be able to redeem some essence of peace and caring for each other. The saddest part is we all want the same things. A place to live, food to sustain us, an education, a living wage and people we care about. The amount of wealth and greed is so completely out of control. To have people going hungry so the rich can keep raking it in, is inhumane. How much money is enough? Is it the thrill of a race to be the richest person in America no matter how many people you have to destroy. Maybe I’m naive but none of these billionaires seem happy or content. They will never know the true feeling of peace or appreciation for any place or person. For the sake of our children and grandchildren this President and administration have to be stopped and punished. Only then we can start to rebuild and be living in a decent society.

overview of socialism versus the "dark triad"

Sure, the Lyin' King (or Prez-a-King, whichever you prefer) is prejudice against every category of human being that is not a white male. Actually, ANY human being that doesn't like and/or support him. But his bias won't stop him from hanging with Kanye or turning against the DC police if it's useful. His policies and relationships are purely transactional. If most Hispanics voted for him, he'd open the borders. If crime benefits him (as did the Jan 6 insurrection) he'd rationalize it and pardon the thugs. If peace can get him a Prize, he's for it, otherwise he'd risk a global war by dropping bombs on Iran and support the massacre of Palestinians to appease the interests of powerful political allies. He pretends to be an anti-abortion Christian for the same reason. In reality, he's not even a Republican. He's a Narcissistic Sociopath out for himself. "Follow the money" is the traditional advice for figuring out the moves of politicians around the Monopoly board. The Top Hat, Battleship and Racing Car own Park Place. They routinely PASS GO and collect $200 (million or billion) from The Banker. The Boot & Wheelbarrow (working men), Iron & Thimble (working women), and Dog (natural world), are stuck on the 2 purple spaces. Today, "follow the money" still applies. But, also, the dice are fixed and the guy rolling them is most interested in accumulating GET OUT OF JAIL FREE cards!