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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

Haha, but don’t forget to bit them harder.

I don't know about dogs being "blissfully ignorant." I don't know about dogs being happier -- happier than who? Cats? Hamsters? Goldfish? Weight-watchers? Lewis Black? I'd ask God, but He'd probably give me a biased answer. Because, God spelled backwards is, you know . . . What I do know is that I much prefer the company of dogs -- domesticated dogs (pet dogs) -- than I prefer the company of people, especially Conservatives. Dogs give their "masters" unconditional love, faithful loyalty and devotion, and unquestioning obedience. Hmmm. Now that I think of it, Conservatives behave the same way. Score one for ScorchedEarthBagel! A more fascinating, empirical question is . . . Can dogs be Liberal or Conservative? Democrat or Republican?

Gotta get the corporate Dems out of the leadership, they’re just controlled opposition, they both take money from MIC, Corporations, and Israel.

To Mac's point about combatting climate change during our affordability crisis... My understanding about what can be expected of us citizens is and should be tied to what is reasonably possible and therein lies a dilemma; who decides what is reasonable if not the person making the decision? I want an electric car. I drive a gas car. I have no guilt. I do have concerns. I will switch if and when I can by my own reconing. That may not be possible before I expire. That may be possible before I expire. I do not want to be forced to not drive to save the planet when a US regime change can nullify and largly walk back WAY PAST everything I've done within my power to move the climate change needle in the direction I thnk it should go. I do not take responsibility for doing everything possible at every step I can see where I can make a difference because that view is hubris. I am a committed believer in combatting climate change. I am not in conflict with my dicisions on this issue so far.

Where does the meaning of "ignorance is bliss" fit into this narrative?

Confessions of an Economic Hitman is a first person account of what happens before a millitary intervention becomes necessary. His story points out actual events the author was involved in as a point man with leaders of other countries where it was the author's job to avert millitary action through bribery, coercion or coup. The flip side of the coin to Smedley Butler's accounts and rare like Smedley himself. Small paperback size.

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.

i'm very sorry that there's reason to create this thread for the next war that the American people do not want.

Gavin Newsom is more of a fighter than you might think he is, BD. He has done more than just troll Trum p. He proposed and pushed Proposition 50 (California's countermeasure to Republicans' gerrymandering in Texas) to victory in California, for one thing. Newsom is not my first choice as a presidential candidate (I don't have a first choice right now). He's too much of a corporate Dem and not progressive enough for my taste. He's trying to "rebrand" himself as a moderate Democrat. He's opposed to a proposed, one-time five percent tax on California billionaires. Given a Hobson's choice between only Gavin and JD Vance, I'd back Newsom. Given a more preferable choice between Newsom and a Working Families candidate vs. a GOP candidate, he wouldn't get my vote.

"Truth is": Because more people act like you, America is mired in the nightmare that it is currently in. "Truth is": If no one thought like you, who knows what America would look like? I don't know and you definitely don't know. What we do know is that neither of us is happy about and satisfied with America 2026 ... and that we have very different ideas about the remedial course of action to take. I want action that is radical, bold, STRONG -- Revolutionary! You? "You've got no Brooklyn in you whatsoever." I don't have the time or the patience for "incremental progress." You don't have the stomach ("fire in the belly") for revolution. For me (and, I'll wager, many other discontented Americans) incremental progress (baby steps) is a too mild, too timid (too chicken-hearted) strategy to combat and overthrow the criminal, fascist tyrants and myrmidons currently in command. Too many Americans are being ignored, bullied, conned, cheated, robbed, exploited, starved, jailed, killed for them to be tolerant and passively and resignedly rely on the courts and elections for "justice" and deliverance from their suffering and oppression. If you can't or won't join the revolution -- stand aside, sit down, be quiet, and stay out of the way. For Americans to deserve better, they must want better. And they must not just want better. They must FIGHT for better. Liberation and justice doesn't happen by sharing Facebook posts and consulting an AI "superior intelligence." More effort is required. Last night on MS NOW, Gavin Newsom stated that the majority of Americans whom he's met told him that they want a candidate who is a fighter. They want "someone who's going to stand up and have their back . . . I'm not in any crowds that are looking for timidity," he told host Jen Psaki. A fighter: that is certainly who I want.

Well said. Third parties can win, despite the opposition of the major parties and the corporate media, but only if the majority of eligible voters are willing to trust each other enough, research the third parties, instead of just accepting the propaganda and conventional wisdom, etc., of those self-serving groups. There is nothing in the law or election rules to prevent tens of millions of Americans electing third party candidates from winning fed elections. So I agree, that the majority of voters, who stay locked within the duopoly, get the fed govt. they deserve. I long ago got fed up with both major parties at the fed level, once they both had become sold out to corporate donors beginning in the early 90s. Since then, I have only voted for major party candidates in fed elections as a lesser evil, after voting for my real hopes and candidates that might actually represent me, in primaries. But most voters won't even bother to get informed and participate in primaries, so they only vote in general elections, after all the major party candidates are already pre-selected by the corporate donor class, not the voters.. If you stay within just voting for the major parties in general elections, you will be limited to only voting on culture war issues and identity politics, since those are the only things the major parties really differ on much these days. Those things do matter, but economic issues, foreign policy, war, civil liberties, and climate change also matter, even more than culture war stuff.

I agree. Dissing the progressives didn't cause them to vote for THE LYIN' KING, but it did tamp down enthusiasm for Kamala. When, if ever, will the Dem Party's leadership decide to run candidates and support policies that actually inspire voters to want to vote for them, or actually earn their votes, instead of just continually running on the premise of voting for the lesser evil, or simply running on how bad the other party is? As Dylan said so many years ago, ironicly, The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind....

Totally agree mac, great post. And thanks for including the link to the essay by Trent. I read it and shared it to my FB page.. And I really like how Trent not only exposes the spinelessness of the congressional Dems towards THE LYIN' KING, but also their longtime collusion and agreement with the Repub Party for so long, behind the scenes on foreign policy, war, economic policy, civil liberties, even climate change. All areas where the diffs between the party are not really on policy, but on the pace of executing them, as well as the tactics and strategies for implementing them, not on whether the policies are right, moral, or fair, in the first place..

The March 14, 2026 broadcast of the Ralph Nader Radio Hour skewers Spineless Democrats. Nader and his guest Corbin Trent, former communications director for Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and publisher of America's Undoing perfectly explain and affirm why the Democratic Party has lost my support and vote.

Keep on putting your faith in AI, V.3. 2 DOGE Staffers Say "No" Regrets for People Losing Income: Depositions

ATTENTION, CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS!For the past couple of weeks Californians have been bombarded with mailers and text messages to sign a petition for the "Improving Transparency, Effectiveness, and Efficiency in California Government Act of 2026." What that mouthful means is "Follow the money!" California billionaires (the backers of the act and funders of the mailer and texting campaign) are opposed to a ballot initiative that proposes a one-time 5% tax on billionaires' assets. Carpet-bombing The Golden State, billionaires -- led by Google co-founder Sergey Brin and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt -- are trying to sucker the proletariat into unwittingly negating the proposed ballot initiative should it pass. Don't fall for the fat cats' flim-flam, Californians!California One-Time Wealth Tax for State-Funded Healthcare, Education, and Food Assistance Programs Initiative (2026) Billionaire Mailers Target California Tax Proposal Poison-pill Effort to Cancel Proposed Billionaire Tax Hits Voters’ Mailboxes

All great songs, and so eclectic. As usual, mac, your taste is impeccable... And the Cocker song is the first one of his I ever heard that didn't have him rasping all the way thru it, showing he could actually sing with a clear tone in his voice..

Mr. Jochum nailed it. Donal d Trum p is merely a germ in the disease called the USA (which is part of the greater malady called Mankind). There is no remedy for the sickness, no arresting of the contagion. All of the malignancies listed by Jochum (racism, misogyny, stupidity, unfettered capitalism, predation, etc.) are in the country's DNA and on file in America's case history. The patient is incurable -- terminal. But, no worries, no fears: America is one nation under God. And as we all know, God blesses America, thank God. Supplemental Reading and ListeningTruth Social Dressed Up With Studio Lighting

Word on the street and 'round the kennel is that this b***** is on the Canines Hit List. Cry "Kristi! . . ." . . . and let slip the Doggies of War!

Welcome to newBluePlanet, Karina! Thank you for contributions. I eagerly look forward to your future participation. Regarding your picture:

Oh, sounds like that dog knew exactly who needed a little reminder!

My all-time fav cult film...

In memoriam of Bud Cort who died February 11, 2026: my favorite vignette and favorite Cat Stevens song from Harold and Maude.

Seeker: "O great and wise Grok, how can humanity prevent Artificial Intelligence from taking over? How can I protect and save myself from AI?" GROK: "Get off my ass and stop with the nudnik questions, for one thing." Seeker: "Ummm, okay. But two more questions: Will AI accelerate global warming and destroy planet Earth? If yes, how can the planet be saved?" GROK: "That's for me to know and you to find out. Your move, Grasshopper . . . And my name is pronounced GROK, not Grok! When you say my name, put some respect on it!" Seeker: "Okay, okay! (sotto voce) Jeez. Touch-ee!" GROK: "I heard that!"

Wrong! I don't vote for third parties to "thumb [my] nose at the system." I vote for third parties because I believe in and support their charters and platforms. I want the America that they want. Have you read the platforms of the Green Party and the Working Families Party, V.3? If you have, what in them do you find objectionable? If you haven't . . . For Your Cognizance and EdificationGreen Party Platform The Peoples Charter 2025-2027 Platform of the Young Democrats of America Working Families Party Bets on 2026 as the Right Time for a Third US Party After a Wave of Wins

I have to vote "None of the above".

How else to explain the immediate and consistantly completely wrong statements regarding the Renee Good and Alex Pretti murders as self defence moves AFTER we all saw the videos and heard the eye witness accounts, let alone the later deeper analysis of 3D imaging regarding imaginary (maybe I should say projected) viewpoints of the perp's positions in Renee's case?

"At the stoplight, turn right. Then stop somewhere and get me a drink. I'm thirsty." I've been musing to myself about the first Alexa virus where she starts being difficult and talking back, etc. Has that already happened? Alexa. . . . Alexa? . . . ALEXA! WHAT???!!! I loved the dialouge Mac! Certainly worth the effort. OK, I guess this got really off-topic now...

My thought on the less ignorant or not ignorant cons is that they are not concerned with the cognitive dissonance because they are only using their talking points to lead the larger mass of ignorant MAGA anyway. They are not searchng for any kind of truth other than "what do I get out of it?" That is their only truth, so I suspect it's considered the required work to aquire and maintain control of a large voting block that goes their way. I think they even get off on it, viewing everyone that they either control or push aside if they can't control them to be the hapless cucks, unable to ignore or avoid their power. Pam Blondie for instance.

Don't sell yourself short, BD. I stand in awe of your astute, well articulated rebuttals in this debate, in particular, and elsewhere.

I like the way you think here on this, Rob, and even more how well you said it.. I have zero desire to engage with right wingers or MAGA on this site... I used to spar with them on reddit, until I got banned from there, and that was enough to last me a lifetime...

"Portrait of three men who have entirely too much time on their hands . . ." Because I have even less time and less patience for engaging in futile debates that have no resolution* than I have for "incremental progress," I'm bowing out of this circus. * And with a participant who seems to be a schizophrenic . . . "[Democrats] once again playing it like politics business as usual" (Democrats are conventional ) ". . . but I'd never consider a Green Party candidate in the current 2-Party System." (But keep supporting them . . .) . . . who also has zero self-awareness . . . ". . . if we can't elect the lesser of 2 evils in a 2-party system we will never be in a position to change [the voting system]" (so let's just keep on doing what we've been doing . . . which is, umm, "you know the definition of insanity. repeating the same behaviors and expecting a different outcome").

His obsession with Obama needs to be studied. While I don’t think anyone will be missing the Ayatollah if he Is indeed really dead, anymore than we would be missing our insane leader. He and his Israeli buddy are starting a war to keep themselves in power and out of jail. They could give a crap about the Iranian people or the American people for that matter. They have no plan whatsoever and while we should be used to that, our military will be putting themselves in harms way for nothing. Iran is bombing everywhere. They will be closing the Strait of Hormuz. Iran exports the vast majority of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow, highly strategic waterway connecting the Persian gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Situated between Iran and Oman, this l of Iran's crude exports to Asia. China gets a large portion of its oil from Iran. This will not sit well with them. It’s a disaster.

Sorry, V.3! I discovered that you did indeed create such a foyer . . . which, perhaps, would be more noticeable if it was listed and linked on the home page. Site Introductions

My thoughts exactly. I voted no. Even following BobDylan's example, how would you expect to invite ex-MAGA and not MAGA? As soon as MAGA hardcores find out that is happening on a blue site I expect to find some putting on sheep's clothing to get in and start hunting for cucks. There are sooooooo many places to engage the right in the current political climate so IMHO adding one more place won't even move the needle. Nothing is stopping anyone from engaging the right in so many venues of life should they choose to do so. Their vitreol is so pervasive, loud and focussed in the general media it's shutting down other points of view from being taken seriously. Please go there if you think you can make a difference. If they are invited here, I too will leave.

And that is exactly the strategy and argument the Dem Party uses to first use and then ignore their progressive voters each election cycle. Give us your unearned votes, your volunteering, and even some campaign cash, so that after the election, we can duly ignore you and your desired policy requests, until the next election comes around. And you wonder why a third of eligible voters have simply tuned out and checked out of politics in America, becoming our largest voting bloc, the non voters.... I'm not saying I'm like them, as I always vote each time, even if it's only against someone or for a lesser evil candidate, but in a presidential election, when I know I'm living in a non swing state, and my vote will not affect the outcome, I will gladly vote for a third party candidate, even if it's just going to be a protest vote or a vote to help that party achieve party status for the next election cycle, as the Greens have done a few times in my state, by getting the threshold % of the vote.

What he wrote. 💯

If Nader had won in 2000, I'm certain we would at least not have had the Iraq War or the war in Afghanistan, both of which were costly in money, lives, and with soldiers suffering permanent PTSD and brain injuries. Those things in themselves, count for more than "not getting much done".... And our national deficit would also be much smaller. We also would have gotten something better than the ACA...

I skipped the Prez' State of the Union malarkey and the Democrats' rebuttal. According to Democracy Now, there were vocal protests by some congressional Democrats. Some Democratic congresspersons also attended and participated in the People's State of the Union rally. Pennsylvania Representative Summer Lee also delivered the Working Families Party response to DJT's SOTU address. The Working Families Party appeals to me, and -- for now -- I intend to support WFP candidates. I disdainfully scoff at the circular logic and self-fulfilling defeatism of "Third party candidates can't win in America because the majority of Americans don't vote for them. And the majority of Americans don't vote for third-party candidates because they can't win." Americans who aren't at least willing to research and consider third parties get the American government they deserve, as far as I'm concerned. To those voters who see American government and political parties in only binary terms and who faithfully cling to the status quo . . .

Thank you for the invitation, V.3, which I will respectfully decline. When the World Wide Web was new and I was younger and cavalier, I did share my artwork in cyberspace. Then one day -- years later -- I discovered at least one chap had some of my art on his site . . . sans credit, sans permission. Tant pis. Lesson learned.

i didn't watch the SOTU speech. nothing new to see but i did torture myself by watching the Dem rebuttal awful, as usual one mention of Epstein files, only a few mentions of other scandals and corruptions once again playing it like politics business as usual with a conservative democrat at the mic economy, safety, blah blah blah the public would overwhelmingly be with us if we were more openly against him they passed on Kamala because she had no b⚽lls figuratively and literally

Greetings and welcome, lee3513! I, for one, look forward to your participation in the newBluePlanet forums. Yo, V.3!Perhaps a prominent, noticeable Introduce Yourself nBP "satellite" is needed.

True mac, I forgot sports, which for most Americans, are the opiate of the masses, along with religion. Sports are a religion for some. It does unify them, in a tribal fashion, same as religion, and distracts them from the class war..

Not quite! You're leaving out sports . . . which is touted as unifying people. I'm not a sports fan -- and that applies to The Olympics, which "everybody" watches -- so I don't buy that propaganda.

I'll simply add a quote from someone whose name I can't remember, to your two man dialogue or debate. "If most Americans cared half as much about politics as they do about the Super Bowl, we would have already elected Ralph Nader twice"... Wanted to mention that after the references to Nader...

Well, when you intend to rule completely by force, with monarchical tyranny, and elections no longer matter, if they are even held at all, public opinion becomes pretty irrelevant, don't ya think?

Okay okay I get it now .

Happy to receive unbiased news from sources that have not been bought.