America 2012: ‘In Nothing We Trust’?

Cynicism has never solved anything. It is a form of cowardice – mental and spiritual cowardice.

In difficult situations, people will either (1) fight or (2) flee. Cynicism is a form of fleeing, by negative mental escape. Better to fight back, with knowledge that renders effective action, thereby turning a bad situation into a better one.

Here is the knowledge that can redirect our nation’s cynicism to hope, once again:

(1) What was the genesis of the homeowner’s problem, from the article above?

“Governor [Mitch] Daniels slashed the (state’s) budget. . .” (Starve the “Beast of Government” ideology), which forced the homeowner’s handicapped wife out of her state job, thus creating a spiraling downward turn in the family’s financial troubles.

**Note the irony: The homeowner blames “President Obama” for his problems. (Conservative ideological propaganda effectively “sold” to those like the homeowner, i.e. lower educated, working class white males. In actuality, President Obama does not support the extreme ideology of “starving the beast of government,” the ideology which precipitated this homeowner’s financial problems.)

(2) Who eventually gave the homeowner hope? His local City Council, i.e. his local government, which confirmed that he might be able to buy back his home from the bank, and that the Council might waive his home lien, if he continued to cut the grass as upkeep to his now unlived in property, which is still in his name.
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Our nation started this downward cynical trend when wealthy ultraconservative ideologues insisted on removing the healthy balance between the public “government” sector and the private “free market” sector, in order to dismantle as much of government as they possibly could. We should not be at war with our own government. Our government is us. We should be involved with our government, and we should recognize that the government was designed to serve the interests of the people, and will, if properly applied. Lincoln: “that government of, by, and for the people should not perish from the earth.”

When Americans began to value this ideology of “every man for himself” and “the age of greed,” a national cynicism began to dominate the American consciousness. Even during the Great Depression and World War II, through Roosevelt’s stabilizing, optimistic spirit at the helm, this nation did not experience the cynicism it is now experiencing. There was a national consciousness of “we are all in this together.” Roosevelt put the people to work, using their government to give them jobs. He gave many needed security through their government’s social programs, such as Social Security. Many still call themselves “Roosevelt Democrats,” as I do, because they do not buy into the current propaganda against their government, and they see how government can be an asset to the people, if properly applied. The stealthy machinations of extreme ideologues who have created this “age of greed” have also attempted to privatize and disparage almost every government service function, including public education. They have systematically disparaged public education and they have attempted to dismantle Roosevelt’s social policies for Americans, such as Social Security and Medicare, by turning Americans against their own government, and by creating extreme tax cuts that would force the dismantling of these governmental programs.

And, now, look at the results, straight on. Fight back. Don’t escape into cynicism. That helps no one, and improves nothing. Fight back with knowledge of the truth, and by exercising your voice against these powerful forces that would change our nation to suit their financial and ideological self-interested ends. A government “of, by, and for the few” has been their goal.

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recon

What exactly is this fragile economy trying to recover from? “This sucker could go down” maybe? Contrary to the simplification that it’s all bush’s fault, it wasn’t but he was at the helm when it all imploded, he does not get a pass. How to fix it? Can you with a straight face tell me that a mccain/palin admin would have done better? I can pretty much say that we would be in another conflict with iran and who knows what that what have done to the world economy, nothing good. All the armchair repubs do is spout negativity with nary a solution in site other than tax cuts for the rich – pure garbage ideology…

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“Welcome to what happens when politicians pledge “no new taxes” and people want someone else to pay for their benefits.”

Welcome to what happens when County citizens fight to “cut property taxes” and people want someone else to pay for their benefits.

Fixed. This ties right in with today’s blog. Stop looking for the external and spend a little more time on the internal.

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Joseph

Selective memory brain washed people like you is whats wrong: The President is a failue? when Obama took this job your last President had this country on life support, Obama has it at a pulse now.

Wall street are making record profits, CEOs are making money, America confidents is back, people like you can board a plane without worry about security alerts, what we need to do is get rid of scum like Hannity, who has no clue what journalism is about.

President Obama is quite a sucess, not one attack on American soil, just maybe he should have let his security team fail like Bush and had another 911 then you Anti Americans would appreciate the job he has done.

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Hang in there mick…out for now. later

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Recon — “Joe, may your joy of winning all of your blog arguments always stay with you, however, delusional it is.”

Recon, I wasn’t talking about blog arguments, but go with that if if makes you feel better. (laughing)

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There will be a record turnout at the polls in November due to the overwhelming increase in women voters turning out to declare the WAR on Women is over.

I believe you are right, Becky.

And if they don’t, it begs the question, exactly how much of this unjust crap are the women of this country going to continue tolerating?

You sluts, prostitutes and FemiNazis…

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recon

Yes, I’m hangin pretty good…it’s friday, ain’t that grand?

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Trayvon Martin’s actions are not on trial here. George Zimmerman’s are.

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If you believe that, you are extremely naive about how trials proceed and how juries think and reach decisions.

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Amen GM ‘

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You can trust this cuz its already happened.
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If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.
James Madison

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Anytime you put your faith/trust in a human institution you are setting yourself up for failure.

When you have a president who would rather divide this country that unite what do you expect???

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td — “I really was not attempting to get into this case today or to defend Zimmerman but dang man you are so biased in this case that you are overlooking the obvious.”

You should talk.

“Reasonable doubt means that the jury must be convinced without any doubt that in cold blood Zimmerman killed Martin. The prosecution is going to say that Zimmerman profiled Martin, followed him, confronted him, there was a fight and Zimmerman shot him. The defense is going to say that Zimmerman saw the kid and called 911 and when the operator told him to not follow him any more then he said “ok”, turned around and was walking back to his truck.”

And we have evidence to the contrary from the 911 tapes. Next?

“Martin jumped him, broke his nose beat his head on the pavement and Zimmerman had no choice but to defend himself and shot him.”

Even if your fanciful construction is accepted, Zimmerman would still be guilty of Manslaughter under FL law for that. Use of deadly force as a defensive response to a fistfight will get him convicted.

“The defense is going play the 911 tape from the other unbiased witness that has Zimmerman screaming and who said Martin was on top of him. They will show the evidence of the Zimmerman wounds.”

Sounds good. Go with that; Zimmerman will still be convicted.

“Is this not reasonable doubt?”

Nope. In fact, it will still get Zimmerman convicted, just on a lesser charge than Murder 2.

You, like most of Zimmerman’s online defenders, seem to concentrate on justifying Zimmerman’s actions by setting up a theory that *in and of itself* constitutes an admission of guilt to *another charge.*

We know Zimmerman shot Martin, and he’s going to go to jail for it. The only questions we have at this point are ‘on what charge’ and ‘how long will his sentence be.’

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Oscar — “If you believe that, you are extremely naive about how trials proceed and how juries think and reach decisions.”

Trayvon Martin has already been sentenced. George Zimmerman will be.

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“Trust” existed in the 1950s

Oh, for the good ‘ol days when you could trust dark folk to use the correct fountain.

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“There will be a record turnout at the polls in November due to the overwhelming increase in women voters turning out to declare the WAR on Women is over.”

What about the dogs? Dogs should be able to vote in this election. They need to declare the WAR on Dogs is over.

(Sorry…couldn’t help it)

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According to Jay’s blog quote of Ron Fournier and Sophie Quinton, Americans feel they have lost quite a lot. I was in the grocery store yesterday and I see that it has been balanced out by what people have gained…..weight. I actually saw my first electric shopping cart accident between 2 fat people on their little machines at Kroger.

I almost called that lawyer guy Ken Nugent to see if I could get a referral fee.

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I posted the following on Jim Galloway’s blog yesterday. It is pertinent to this thread, also, per my post here at 10:13 am.
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If ALEC were not trying to alter the economic and social design of our nation toward one of self-interested profit for business magnates and to serve the interests of the wealthy and powerful few instead of the masses of Americans, why did ALEC find a need to wield its power so secretively for nearly 40 years?

That secrecy, alone, is enough to make any thinking American distrust any claims ALEC now has about redirecting its mission in the future to strictly economic concerns while abandoning its ultraconservative social agenda. Moreover, economics and social issues are often intertwined, as seen in privatizing public education for the purpose private profit. I cannot think of any more corrupt use of our “government” than using it to enrich ones own private wealth through legislation which benefits the already wealthy. That is an example of “suck(ing) from the government teat” in grand style, even if unacknowledged.

Moreover, this greed for wealth, accomplished through legislation, attempts to privatize most of government services and, if successful, that feat will, ultimately, change the very design of America, as conceived by our forefathers, to be a government for and by the people in which the masses understand that their government was created for their interests and not for the interests of the wealthy few. Our forefathers left Europe to get away from that hierarchial way of life. America was created to be an egalitarian nation. The American soul has always perceived that “all are created equal.” What ALEC has been trying to do – secretively for 40 years – if successful, would change the very consciousness of the American psyche for the worse.

Below are words, related to this issue, which I posted on Maureen Downey’s blog last night. I think they are worth reposting here. I hope that Georgia’s ALEC members will read my words and realize what they are doing is destructive to the America I was born into in the early 1940s. See below:
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“Do we want to create an America in which the public sector is made more like the private sector, with its survival-of-the-fittest mentality, which fosters aggression and jealousies toward others, as well as divisions among people, or do we want to create an America in which the private sector is urged to incorporate many of the service values of the public sector so that care for the employee is genuinely provided by the employer, so that a perception that ‘we-are-all-in-this-together’ is created among employer, employee, and customer alike, and so that the customer is viewed with respect and appreciation instead of simply seen as a commodity for profit?

I think we would be wiser, as a nation, to encourage the private sector to emulate many of the service values which are prevalent within the public sector than to have the public sector emulate the private sector’s ‘every-man-for-himself’ values. If we, as a nation, were to understand the positive results of this shift of values, we would find ourselves caring that millions of Americans are provided with health insurance and healthcare who presently do not have it, caring that all old people are provided with Social Security in their old age, and caring that every child is provided with an excellent public school education by caring, service-oriented teachers, instead by private sector models in which our young may be used for profit by the shrewdly self-interested.”

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Just for you peadawg and doggone:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/DogsAgainstRomney

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If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists – to protect them and to promote their common welfare – all else is lost.
Barack Obama
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Ha Ha———–I guess all is lost…………as per Bookman.

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godless heathen

Sometimes they really are out to get you.

That’s why my motto has always been:

Don’t wait till you’re being hunted to hide

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Here you go right back, Becky:

http://www.facebook.com/DogsAgainstObama

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Ragnar, I’ve seen some delusional rants from you over the past couple years, but that 10:21 post ranks among the greatest. If that’s truly what you think, I feel a tremendous amount of pity for you, sir. Your entire life will be spent in sad disappointment at the swirl of events around you.

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Thanks, Joe Hussein Mama

As appropriate as it so often seems, I’ll try to not overuse it -

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JamVet 10:26

You should get a consulting fee from the DA!

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Doggone/GA
April 20th, 2012
10:27 am

Doesn’t 2nd degree murder also require there to be a proof of intent to harm. Meaning they will have to prove that Zimmerman was acting with the known intention of causing harm before the altercation took place. That’s atleast my understanding of its application to Florida Law. That is provoded reasonable doubt can be established that Zimmerman did not approach Martin with an intent of violence.

Seems tough to prove but the prosecutor does seem up to the challange. Hopefully the legal system works its course.

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A compilation of lies….. Does he deserve 4 more years?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPm9UpbZdHg

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Paul, I guess you’re right. We’re all better off beating the crap out of people who question us. You go with that and see how it works for you.

I’ve been questioned many times about whatever subject and have ALWAYS found a pleasant tone and a smile goes a long way toward diffusing the situation. aggression and attitude are usually returned with same and things go bad from there.

There are 2 sides to this story, none of us knows either side, yet a whole lot of us are proclaiming guilt or innocence as if we do. Not smart.

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I still have faith in the constitution

Faith placed in people is misplaced

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“Doesn’t 2nd degree murder also require there to be a proof of intent to harm”

Looks like it’s time for a little self-education. Since you don’t know, why don’t you do something intelligent and LOOK IT UP. But be sure you check Florida laws (just a clue to get you started)

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Finally a bi-partisen bill is passed by Congress….

http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/article/yorkobama-faces-defeat-pipeline-dems-defect/491396

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Another liberal lie revealed. The results of a recent study of ice glaciers was released. According to the well informed liberals (Jamvet) the glaciers were rapidly melting away due to GLOBAL WARMINGINGINGINGING! Guess what? It is not true the great majority of glaciers have increased in size and movement. OMG, the progressive liberals have cause gas prices to go up to $5 a gallon because of going green. Have lied to our children about green jobs and living. Have starved an oil based economy of oil sending prices skyward in food clothing and shelter. Yes the good ole progressive liberals, the communists, the atheists and the destroyers of a representative republic have been caught in ANOTHER lie! Democrats take back your party!

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RB — “Paul, I guess you’re right. We’re all better off beating the crap out of people who question us. You go with that and see how it works for you.”

“I’ve been questioned many times about whatever subject and have ALWAYS found a pleasant tone and a smile goes a long way toward diffusing the situation. aggression and attitude are usually returned with same and things go bad from there.”

If you accost me after dark in my neighborhood and start asking me questions about why I’m there, I’m going to ask to see your badge. If you can’t show me one, I’m leaving. If you put a hand on me at that point, I’m knocking you down. And if you pull a gun on me, then I’ll fight you for my life. I might even slam your head on the pavement if I can manage to do it.

After all, you have a gun, I don’t, and I was just trying to go home. Everything was just fine up until the moment the unidentified dude with a gun tried to stop me and do who the hell knows what.

Yeah, RB. You go right ahead and be polite to people like that if you like.

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My understanding is that the prosecutor has a prima facie case if it can be established that Zimmerman ignored the 911 dispatcher’s instructions to stay in his vehicle and wait for uniformed officers to arrive.

Again, Joe, is there some law that I’m aware of which states that 911 operator instructions are legally binding, that they are equivalent to a direct instruction from a police officer?? Though some 911 operators ARE also active police members, most aren’t.

There’s no doubt that Zimmerman used poor judgment which led to a tragedy. However, you are arguing a legal standard of “proximate cause” which I’m not sure will stick here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proximate_cause

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Brought to you by good ‘ole dems – AND ARCH-CONSERVATIVES – like George Wallace.

Or was he a liberal?

LOL!

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Just my unsubstantiated opinion, but I think the concept of “Concurrent causes” may be applicable here. Fromthe above Wiki link:

“Concurrent causes. Where two separate acts of negligence combine to cause an injury to a third party, each actor is liable. For example, a construction worker negligently leaves the cover off a manhole, and a careless driver negligently clips a pedestrian, forcing the pedestrian to fall into the open manhole. Both the construction worker and the careless driver are equally liable for the injury to the pedestrian. This example obeys the but for test. The injury could have been avoided by the elimination of either act of negligence, thus each is a but for cause of the injury.”

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RB from Gwinnett

I agree in general.

In specific, though, there’s such a thing as specific to circumstance and situational awareness that comes into play. I’d say such a situation existed here. There’s a fine line between overagressiveness and appearing vulnerable, which has the possibility for causing the situation to deteriorate.

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“So was Martin. In fact, Martin was free to do it without being pursued and questioned”

Not necessarily true!

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“The citizenry are the ultimate arbiters of the constitution”

No, we aren’t

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George Corley Wallace (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician and the 45th governor of Alabama, having served four nonconsecutive terms: 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. After four runs for U.S. president (three as a Democrat and one on the American Independent Party ticket), he earned the title, “the most influential loser” in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T. Carter[1] and Stephan Lesher.[2]

DEM-O-CRAT.

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Joe Hussein Mama
April 20th, 2012
9:26 am

“If I was lawfully proceeding through a neighborhood where my family member lived (and where I was staying at the time) and you stalked and pursued me and confronted me, demanding to know why I was there, I’d do worse than that to you.”

Seems like you are a big tuffy! Threatening people like that! What would you do how much worse tuffy?

Those are your words! Answer for those cause you don’t mention being physically touched in your made up example. So why are you advocating violence when none has occured yet?

Amazing that you would rather “do worse than that to you” instead of simply answering where you were going. I used get asked all the time by folks in my neighborhood growing up.

So see you are a tuffy as according to you in your own words you would do more than break a nose and bang someone’s head. Exactly what would you do tell us all!

You want people to ask u things respectfully maybe you should presnet yourself in a respectful fashion. And not tell other bloggers how tuff you are and how much more violence you would commit.

So guess I’m not wrong!

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DEM-O-CRAT.

ARCH-CONSERVATIVE.

Or do you contend George Wallace was a bed wetting liberal, Zo?

LOL (at you)…

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As usual much chest beating by the resident wingnuts who are collectively afraid of their own shadows (and anyone with pigmented skin).

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willie, where is that link to your “recent study”?

I’m anxious to see it. ?sarc?

Maybe the kid next door can show you how to copy and paste a one.

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JamVet

They seem to forget the “migration” of the Southern White Democrat voter to the Republican Party.

The Southern Strategy used by the Republican Party to invoke racial sterotypes and divide

The APOLOGY on behalf of the Republican Party by 2 of the last 3 RNC Chairmen for utilizing the Southern Strategy to invoke stereotypes and racial divide

But if they want to have selective historical memories and facts and it makes them feel better about themselves to blame all racial issues on old school Democrats, let their ignorant @sses have at it

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God does not lie. Your government lies, your party lies. In God I Trust.

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Jay:
I don’t know if it’s been discussed, or alluded to, yet, however don’t discount the inclination of much of today’s society for instant gratification. The willingness on the part of politicians and corporations (often in concert with each other) to lie to us to achieve their personal gains and profits has been going on for decades. Now, the public paying an even greater price for those deceptions, wants an instant solution.
If improving the economy appears slow now, with Rebublican obstruction a major factor, just wait if they win the Presidency and the Senate.

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Joseph

Ft. Hood and the two National Guard troops killed in Little

So Obama is responsible for Americans that kill other Americans? so he is responsible for the white guys that killed 5 blacks in Tulsa? So it is basless that we have not had any attacks? I am sure if you are one of the family members who lost love ones in 911 you would not feel like that.

This is the sick thinking of the extreme right, now being safe in America is not important because Obama has made it safe, you right wing nut jobs have to be the worst Americans ever”””’

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Joe Mama,

You’re leaving a lot out of the Zimm situation. What Zimm testified as happening to the police is that he lost Trayvon who went behind a row of townhouses or buildings. Zimm walked up to a townhouse get the number of the townhouse and write it down to go back and call it in to the police. He then started walking back to his truck. Allegedly when he got back to his truck Trayvon had come around a sidewalkk on the other side and confronted him and allegedly asked Z “Do you have a problem” to which Z responded no to which t responded “you do now” and attacked Z. At that point if and its a big IF Z is telling the truth it is then a clear cut case of self defense. He had lost T and was walking back to his truck- away from a defused situation.

Someone else had posted that since T is obviously no longer with us that the burden is on the state to prove that Z is lying. And that is a very high bar to prove according to state law. And on top of that there is the pesky matter of that one eyewitness stating that T was on top of Z pounding him and that Z was looking at the eyewitness and pleading “help me, help me”. His injuries- a laceration to the back of his head and a broken and bloodied nose sure seem consistent with his story as well as that of the eyewitness.

Did you not know these things? Or did you leave them out on purpose? We don’t know what really happened or if Z was telling the truth or not. What we do know from what someone apparently familiar with Fl. law has posited is that its a very high bar for the state of Fla. to prove that Z is lying.

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Sorry joe,

I didn’t realize you were there. Shouldn’t you call the Sanford PD and let them know TM was “accosted” “in his own neighborhood”. Idiot.

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