Feeling threatened from being followed, maybe Martin did stand his ground. Big bad powerful George found himself suddenly challenged and did or said something that inspired Martin to fear for his life and to become the aggressor. Then, with this smaller kid kicking his ass, George fell back upon his great unequalizer and shot him.

I want to know what supporters of SYG say about who is then right.

Until things get bad enough, all we can do is prepare the way for a 21st century FDR. America is not ready to see the hard truths about the oligarchy that we here already know. If things don’t get worse, there’s probably nothing we can do. If European plutocrats crash the Euro and us along with it, keep telling the truth and don’t get distracted and we may be able to elect some true populists. Assuming, of course, that the radical right supreme court hasn’t abolished elections by then and installed Grover Norquist as emperor for life.

The Bush tax cuts redistributed wealth upward, and responsibility for huge growth in the national debt downward. That should be the clarion call.

No socialists are allowed in the political discourse. Nor liberals. The country is mostly center left, but the rulers are center themselves and contrary opinions are most nearly totally excluded and demonized on the rare occasions when they somehow squeeze past the censors. We debate right/left political/party ideology as if it matters when the truth is, the choice is between heinous and atrocious.

Voters were pissed in ’10 and voted out incumbents. They will be pissed in ’12 and do the same. But the gopers like Obama because he gives them 98% of what they want and they can blame him for the mess afterwards. So they’ll run a loser -like McCain/Palin- to keep him around. Now if American voters were politically astute….. never mind.

Socialism is the new communism, but the fear remains the same: somebody is going to take some of mine and give it to some undeserving dark skinned. Liberals are seen by the radical right as the storm troops for that ideology. With absolute media compliance, progressives are thus made easy targets.

I don’t think Obama fears us. I think he does know that the thing Americans fear most is communism (with Islam a close second) and that since there is pretty much no communism left to be scary, liberals are the next best thing to keep those voters too afraid to demand any real change.

No no! Americans need to believe in democracy. No matter how clearly we firepups see this, too many voters don’t. Won’t. We’re exceptional don’t ‘cha know.

Because the earth is flat and that means Big Corp can make profit anywhere while their American employees have to compete on unequal footing with dollar a day third world workers unencumbered by OSHA or EPA.

And, of course, Big Corp owns the United States government, the courts and the media.

Obama subscribes to the same belief as the gopers: American workers make too much money so American companies wont hire them till those wages go way down. And so the economy IS structurally screwed and won’t be coming back any time soon. (Japan, lost decade?) And so austerity is the logical way to operate if your aim is to protect the assets of those who own the country and the government. Very simple, really: capital matters, people don’t.

If you look at Obama’s actions with this in mind, he makes perfect sense.

I think this bill is a governmental declaration of independence. No longer will it even pretend to serve the working class. In the new america only the owners are citizens worthy of governmental succor. The owners have so totally rigged the system that no matter who is elected, the working class is not served. Or even considered. We workers are essentially aliens now. Not exactly illegal, but in no way entitled to any share of the new american dream.

Never give up! But time for a change of focus, I think. No more pretending that there is a democratic party that might listen.

Imagine the meeting between Obama and the congressional democrats. They know that the owners will allow only so much change, so what to do? To oppose the owners is career suicide. They will spend you out of office and then there won’t be that nice post congress golden parachute job. You know this, but can’t ever admit to it. Can’t even hint at it lest Americans come to doubt the greatness of their country. So you have to scratch and grovel for even the most paltry pittance for the “people”. The owners demand cuts in the safety net. You comply but now you must bamboozle your constituents into believing that it wasn’t you who did that horrible thing. When you belong to the “people’s” party, all meetings are about how to manage the next abject surrender so as to get re-elected.

I think Gingrich is trying to assure the center that the republicans are not rabidly insane so it’s ok to vote for them in ’12. With so many goper candidates stroking the insane baggers the center might get scared and vote Obama next year. Maybe even coattail some of his dems. But since it is necessary for them to keep that wingnut hatred burning fiercely they MUST have insane candidates stoking that fire. Newt is a “wink-wink, nod-nod” to those who are appalled at the hateful insanity. “Vote republican and don’t worry, we’ll lock the crazies back in the basement after we are in power.”