Quote of the Day -- Humanist Edition

From The Word Lady @TheRealRynnstar Dec 12, 2020 "Forever wondering if I’m truly far left or if I’m just an empathetic person living in a late capitalist hellscape where I get called a commie for saying "hey maybe poor people don’t deserve to starve.'"

On Being a Liberal

Reputedly, supposedly, reportedly and hopefully, from Ron Howard, found out there on social media:

January 24 at 5:41 AM

I'm a liberal, but that doesn't mean what a lot of you apparently think it does. Let's break it down, shall we? Because quite frankly, I'm getting a little tired of being told what I believe and what I stand for. Spoiler alert: not every liberal is the same, though the majority of liberals I know think along roughly these same lines:

1. I believe a country should take care of its weakest members. A country cannot call itself civilized when its children, disabled, sick, and elderly are neglected. PERIOD.

2. I believe healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Somehow that's interpreted as "I believe Obamacare is the end-all, be-all." This is not the case. I'm fully aware that the ACA has problems, that a national healthcare system would require everyone to chip in, and that it's impossible to create one that is devoid of flaws, but I have yet to hear an argument against it that makes "let people die because they can't afford healthcare" a better alternative. I believe healthcare should be far cheaper than it is, and that everyone should have access to it. And no, I'm not opposed to paying higher taxes in the name of making that happen.

3. I believe education should be affordable. It doesn't necessarily have to be free (though it works in other countries so I'm mystified as to why it can't work in the US), but at the end of the day, there is no excuse for students graduating college saddled with five- or six-figure debt.

4. I don't believe your money should be taken from you and given to people who don't want to work. I have literally never encountered anyone who believes this. Ever. I just have a massive moral problem with a society where a handful of people can possess the majority of the wealth while there are people literally starving to death, freezing to death, or dying because they can't afford to go to the doctor. Fair wages, lower housing costs, universal healthcare, affordable education, and the wealthy actually paying their share would go a long way toward alleviating this. Somehow believing that makes me a communist.

5. I don't throw around "I'm willing to pay higher taxes" lightly. If I'm suggesting something that involves paying more, well, it's because I'm fine with paying my share as long as it's actually going to something besides lining corporate pockets or bombing other countries while Americans die without healthcare.

6. I believe companies should be required to pay their employees a decent, livable wage. Somehow this is always interpreted as me wanting burger flippers to be able to afford a penthouse apartment and a Mercedes. What it actually means is that no one should have to work three full-time jobs just to keep their head above water. Restaurant servers should not have to rely on tips, multibillion-dollar companies should not have employees on food stamps, workers shouldn't have to work themselves into the ground just to barely make ends meet, and minimum wage should be enough for someone to work 40 hours and live.

7. I am not anti-Christian. I have no desire to stop Christians from being Christians, to close churches, to ban the Bible, to forbid prayer in school, etc. (BTW, prayer in school is NOT illegal; *compulsory* prayer in school is - and should be - illegal). All I ask is that Christians recognize *my* right to live according to *my* beliefs. When I get pissed off that a politician is trying to legislate Scripture into law, I'm not "offended by Christianity" -- I'm offended that you're trying to force me to live by your religion's rules. You know how you get really upset at the thought of Muslims imposing Sharia law on you? That's how I feel about Christians trying to impose biblical law on me. Be a Christian. Do your thing. Just don't force it on me or mine.

8. I don't believe LGBT people should have more rights than you. I just believe they should have the *same* rights as you.

9. I don't believe illegal immigrants should come to America and have the world at their feet, especially since THIS ISN'T WHAT THEY DO (spoiler: undocumented immigrants are ineligible for all those programs they're supposed to be abusing, and if they're "stealing" your job it's because your employer is hiring illegally). I believe there are far more humane ways to handle undocumented immigration than our current practices (i.e., detaining children, splitting up families, ending DACA, etc).

10. I don't believe the government should regulate everything, but since greed is such a driving force in our country, we NEED regulations to prevent cut corners, environmental destruction, tainted food/water, unsafe materials in consumable goods or medical equipment, etc. It's not that I want the government's hands in everything -- I just don't trust people trying to make money to ensure that their products/practices/etc. are actually SAFE. Is the government devoid of shadiness? Of course not. But with those regulations in place, consumers have recourse if they're harmed and companies are liable for medical bills, environmental cleanup, etc. Just kind of seems like common sense when the alternative to government regulation is letting companies bring their bottom line into the equation.

11. I believe our current administration is fascist. Not because I dislike them or because I can’t get over an election, but because I've spent too many years reading and learning about the Third Reich to miss the similarities. Not because any administration I dislike must be Nazis, but because things are actually mirroring authoritarian and fascist regimes of the past.

12. I believe the systemic racism and misogyny in our society is much worse than many people think, and desperately needs to be addressed. Which means those with privilege -- white, straight, male, economic, etc. -- need to start listening, even if you don't like what you're hearing, so we can start dismantling everything that's causing people to be marginalized.

13. I am not interested in coming after your blessed guns, nor is anyone serving in government. What I am interested in is the enforcement of present laws and enacting new, common sense gun regulations. Got another opinion? Put it on your page, not mine.

14. I believe in so-called political correctness. I prefer to think it’s social politeness. If I call you Chuck and you say you prefer to be called Charles I’ll call you Charles. It’s the polite thing to do. Not because everyone is a delicate snowflake, but because as Maya Angelou put it, when we know better, we do better. When someone tells you that a term or phrase is more accurate/less hurtful than the one you're using, you now know better. So why not do better? How does it hurt you to NOT hurt another person?

15. I believe in funding sustainable energy, including offering education to people currently working in coal or oil so they can change jobs. There are too many sustainable options available for us to continue with coal and oil. Sorry, billionaires. Maybe try investing in something else.

16. I believe that women should not be treated as a separate class of human. They should be paid the same as men who do the same work, should have the same rights as men and should be free from abuse. Why on earth shouldn’t they be?

I think that about covers it. Bottom line is that I'm a liberal because I think we should take care of each other. That doesn't mean you should work 80 hours a week so your lazy neighbor can get all your money. It just means I don't believe there is any scenario in which preventable suffering is an acceptable outcome as long as money is saved.

Added to all that, the definition of a liberal:

liberal  [ˈlib(ə)rəl]

ADJECTIVE

willing to respect or accept behavior or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas.
"they have more liberal views toward marriage and divorce than some people"

Synonyms:
tolerant · unprejudiced · unbigoted · broad-minded · open-minded ·

relating to or denoting a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise.

"a liberal democratic state"

synonyms:
progressive · advanced · modern · forward-looking · forward-thinking ·

relating to a Liberal party or (in the UK) the Liberal Democrat Party.
"the Liberal leader"

given, used, or occurring in generous amounts.
"liberal amounts of wine had been consumed"

NOUN

a supporter of policies that are socially progressive and promote social welfare.Often contrasted with conservative.

"are we dealing with a polarization between liberals and conservatives?" ·

a supporter of a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise.

"classical liberals emphasized the right of the individual to make decisions, even if the results dismayed their neighbors or injured themselves"

a supporter or member of a Liberal party or (in the UK) the Liberal Democrat Party.
"the Liberals are looking to defend a seat in Tuebrook and Stoneycroft"

Really, When Did This Happen?

And why did we let it happen?

Want Information On A Candidate?

I just learned of the following political website. It gives non-partisan, non-biased information on political candidates and government office holders.

Project Vote Smart - 

The Voter's Self Defense System

This video tells more of them and the site.

Whatever you do, ladies and gentlemen, get out there and vote tomorrow!

Have a great day and week and God help us all.

Harsh Truth Today on this Presidential Race

I saw this quote today, this morning, out on Facebook and had to spread it as far and wide as possible.

"Only white people have the privilege of thinking Clinton and Trump presidencies would be equally oppressive or unjust. Those of us who share characteristics with the ethnicities against whom Trump has fomented hate do not have the luxury of self-righteously dismissing Trump's overt mobilization of hate as just a superficial difference from Clinton. 

Infantile leftists, however, continue to demonstrate their skin privilege every time they utter banalities about the evils of neoliberalism and elide those into the evil represented by white nationalism."

--Jonathan Vedamuthu

Decision 2016, In the Can

It's all over but the crying.

Since When, America?

From a friend's Facebook post today:

Since when did wanting a society:

* that is as inclusive as possible
* that works effectively for all its members
* that provides opportunity equally regardless of accidents of birth
* that places the rights of people above the rights of corporations.
* that protects its resources for future generations
* that treats its citizens equally before the law
* that protects its most vulnerable members
* that cooperates in preference to dominating
* that values education and wisdom

become a "radical" idea?

Thanks, Doug.

White Privilege, by the numbers

From the original post:

This Comic Strip Explains White Privilege Perfectly

The truly frightening state of Americans, media and our sources for news

I saw the scariest study of Americans and how we get our news now. Check this little beauty out:

Survey: More Americans get news from Internet than newspapers and radio

The headline alone was enough to frighten a person. Unfortunately, if not surprisingly, it went on to get only worse:

(CNN) -- More Americans get their news from the Internet than from newspapers or radio, and three-fourths say they hear of news via e-mail or updates on social media sites, according to a new report.

Sixty-one percent of Americans said they get at least some of their news online, according to a survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

That's compared with 54 percent who said they listen to a radio news program and 50 percent who said they read a national or local print newspaper.

There was one little glimmer of hope in all this:

Almost all respondents, 92 percent, said they get their news from more than one platform.

Thank goodness for that last little tidbit, anyway. At least people arent' completely "single-sourcing" their news. At least as far as they admit, anyway.

Thinking of the situation, that online, we all merely tune in to those sources that tilt or lean to our preconceived, already decided upon views, that's disheartening.

In the past, the news was the newspaper in the morning (and evening, if you're that old). It was a better, more overall look at our society and the news. Yes, newspapers still might lean "Left" or "Right", more or less Conservative or Liberal but they were a broader, more encompassing view of what was occurring in the nation and world. We didn't have control. We couldn't turn it off. 

Sure, you could ignore different editorials and columnists but by and large, one was given a better view of what was going on in the world.

Turn to today, with the internet and media, especially since the Republicans had us throw out the more balancing "Fairness Doctrine" in our laws which forced media sources to give two sides to each issue, and now we're far more tuning in to what we merely already agree with and what we want to hear.

It's truly scary.

Naturally, it's extremely polarizing. It makes us far more Republicans vs. Democrats or Liberals vs. Conservatives or--probably worst of all---"Left Wing" vs. "Right Wing."

With that same study, recently, though, yet more information came out:

One-third of U.S. adults get news through Facebook: study

This is one more big, rather new though not fully surprising development.

News? People getting their "news"? From Facebook?

I can't think of any more shallow or slanted source to get your "news" from than Facebook since most people, especially there, just "like" what they agree with and only follow such. Heaven knows I'm guilty of that. I don't even keep old friends from high school as Facebook friends after I've found they've turned into Right Wing and/or Republican shills.

We're bad and getting worse, clearly.

And the thing is, for all the great things coming from the Millenials and "X" and "Y" generations---like watching less and less television, needing, wanting and buying less automobiles, their turning away from the hates and prejudices of their parents and society and wanting to pollute our world less, etc.--this whole trend will no doubt get worse and worse with the oncoming of yet more and more technology on their part and that of our society.

It doesn't give me hope. At least it doesn't on this one topic.

With all that sour news, due to that study, comes this news, today, to prove the point:

Thursday Cable Ratings: Fox News #1 During NYC Ebola Breaking News

Here we have a serious situation in the country, responding to a possibly, even likely deadly disease and what "media" outlet is the number one source for people for news on it?

Fox?  Fox "News"? Faux News?

Go ahead. Shoot me now.

Quote of the day

Conservative vs Liberal Ideal

Republican vs. Democrat

Quote of the day--Liberals and Conservatives

 

 

 

 

 

Why America's Middle Class needs help

"Last year, a typical American household had an income of $51,017. The last year it was at that level was 1989 - meaning that America's middle class is making the same amount today as they did 25 years ago."   --Bill Moyers, American journalist and political commentator.

From BillMoyers.com

By the Numbers: The Incredibly Shrinking American Middle Class

Here are some of the most poignant statistics from the site:

• Percentage drop in average real income per family since 2007: 8.3
• The median net worth of a family in 2010: $77,300  and in 2007: $126,400
• Percentage of Americans that are unemployed/underemployed rate: 14
• Number of states in which poverty rates rose between 2007 and 2010: 46
• Approximate poverty rate from 2009 to 2012: 15
• The last time it remained at or above 15 percent for three years running: 1965

So do you think our Congress would be working on these issues?

Oh, heck no.

Jobs bill?  Infrastructure bill?  Either one?

Heck no.

Instead they vote 42 times to overturn legislation aimed at helping the nation afford health care and push for regulating women's reproductive rights, among other things.

All this from the political party that says they're for the country, for the nation.

Clearly not.

Quote of the day--on fairness and morality

Quote of the day--on fairness

33 Reasons I'm a Liberal (guest post)

It's not originally mine but still true for me:

1. I believe in science
2. I believe corporations are businesses, not people
3. I believe in equal rights, regardless of sexual orientation
4. I believe that 47% of Americans aren’t looking for a government handout
5. I believe in climate change, not that God has decided to use weather to “punish sin”
6. I believe we must learn from history, not repeat it
7. I believe women deserve the same rights as men
8. I believe our sexual orientation is something we’re born with, not something we choose
9. I believe immigration is what has made this country great, not what will bring it down
10. I believe freedom for all means freedom for all
11. I believe we have the right to own guns, but our Second Amendment says “well regulated” for a reason
12. I believe in a living wage
13. I believe you don’t create wealth by giving rich people more money
14. I believe welfare helps the poor, it doesn’t punish the rich
15. I believe health care is a right, not something for only those who can afford it
16. I believe a woman has the right to choose what to do with her own body
17. I believe a country is judged based on how they treat their poor, not their rich
18. I believe there needs to be an economic threshold which we don’t let Americans fall below
19. I believe we are not “entitled” to Social Security and Medicare, we paid into these programs–we earn these benefits
20. I believe while we are all born in the same country, we are not all created equal, some people do need help
21. I believe investing in education is more important than investing in bombs
22. I believe nation building here is more important than the Middle East
23. I believe rape—is rape
24. I believe demand creates jobs, not tax cuts
25. I believe in those “union thugs” like teachers, fire fighters and police officers
26. I believe we support our military by not cutting VA benefits and only sending our troops off to war when there are no other options
27. I believe we all have the right to follow whichever religion we want, or no religion at all, and our government should represent no singular set of religious beliefs
28. I believe our Constitution doesn’t only protect the rights for which I agree, that it sometimes protects rights I disagree with
29. I believe that being unemployed doesn’t mean you’re lazy, and most individuals who don’t have a job—want one
30. I believe in an United States for the people, by the people, means we protect the people–we don’t leave them to suffer if they hit hard times
31. I believe we should protect the weakest among us first, not the richest
32. I believe we shouldn’t go broke trying to live healthier and longer
33. I believe we should put people before profits

Funny thing is, too, a lot of these used to be assumed here in America--we've gotten away from them.

You wouldn't think we'd have to debate number 12, would you? Or 31. Or 33. Or...

Crazy.  In so many ways.

Link to original post:  35 Reasons Why I’m A Liberal

A Liberal's dream

It may only be one evening and one night's entertainment but check it out:

Our black, "Liberal" president, first.

And he gives us this:

In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul

 

It's on PBS, of course.

 

Then, it's followed by this on the same channel:

 

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE - PBS

 

And it's by none other than Ken Burns.

 

Entertainment. The Blues. History. Education.

 

Mmmmm.

On Dubya's chosen Iraq War then and Israel's occupation now

Chris Hedges, over at Truthdig, posts a magnificent column today on the George W. Bush/Dick Cheney wildly illegal and irresponsible Iraq War they dragged us into and on Israel's oppression of the Palestinians now and why it all matters:

The Treason of the Intellectuals

Just a bit from it:

The rewriting of history by the power elite was painfully evident as the nation marked the 10th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. Some claimed they had opposed the war when they had not. Others among “Bush’s useful idiots” argued that they had merely acted in good faith on the information available; if they had known then what they know now, they assured us, they would have acted differently. This, of course, is false. The war boosters, especially the “liberal hawks”—who included Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer, Al Franken and John Kerry, along with academics, writers and journalists such as Bill Keller, Michael Ignatieff, Nicholas Kristof, David Remnick, Fareed Zakaria, Michael Walzer, Paul Berman, Thomas Friedman,George Packer, Anne-Marie Slaughter, Kanan Makiya and the late Christopher Hitchens—did what they always have done: engage in acts of self-preservation. To oppose the war would have been a career killer. And they knew it.

These apologists, however, acted not only as cheerleaders for war; in most cases they ridiculed and attempted to discredit anyone who questioned the call to invade Iraq. Kristof, in The New York Times, attacked the filmmaker Michael Moore as a conspiracy theorist and wrote that anti-war voices were only polarizing what he termed “the political cesspool.” Hitchens said that those who opposed the attack on Iraq “do not think that Saddam Hussein is a bad guy at all.” He called the typical anti-war protester a “blithering ex-flower child or ranting neo-Stalinist.” The halfhearted mea culpas by many of these courtiers a decade later always fail to mention the most pernicious and fundamental role they played in the buildup to the war—shutting down public debate. Those of us who spoke out against the war, faced with the onslaught of right-wing “patriots” and their liberal apologists, became pariahs. In my case it did not matter that I was an Arabic speaker. It did not matter that I had spent seven years in the Middle East, including months in Iraq, as a foreign correspondent. It did not matter that I knew the instrument of war. The critique that I and other opponents of war delivered, no matter how well grounded in fact and experience, turned us into objects of scorn by a liberal elite that cravenly wanted to demonstrate its own “patriotism” and “realism” about national security. The liberal class fueled a rabid, irrational hatred of all war critics. Many of us received death threats and lost our jobs, for me one at The New York Times. These liberal warmongers, 10 years later, remain both clueless about their moral bankruptcy and cloyingly sanctimonious. They have the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocents on their hands.

The power elite, especially the liberal elite, has always been willing to sacrifice integrity and truth for power, personal advancement, foundation grants, awards, tenured professorships, columns, book contracts, television appearances, generous lecture fees and social status. They know what they need to say. They know which ideology they have to serve. They know what lies must be told—the biggest being that they take moral stances on issues that aren’t safe and anodyne. They have been at this game a long time. And they will, should their careers require it, happily sell us out again.

We need to be better than that 2nd Iraq War and we need to make certain nothing like it happens again.

Speaking up now, against the oppression of the Palestinian people, even if it is by the Israelis, is merely the right thing to do.

Exasperating

‎

In remembrance

"Now, I think that I should have known that he was magic all along. I did know it - but I should have guessed that it would be too much to ask to grow old with and see our children grow up together. So now, he is a legend when he would have preferred to be a man." --Jackie Kennedy