Politics-What's on your mind?

[Orema]

Originally Posted by ~ocean

I agree tinker totally ~ Pelosi said it perfect impeachment of Trump ~ He's just not worth it.

I think he’s not worth the effort only because it would be a useless effort.

And it’s exactly what he and his following would use to position him as a victim.

Still, history will not be kind to Trump, McConnel, Graham, Collins, Ryan, the lot of them. There is that.

[kittygrrl]

saw Beto rollout....hohum...but i'm possibly jaded...i like mayor pete best so far..he answers directly..i like that..and it's hard for me to like anything about politics these days...

[tantalizingfemme]

I am pretty politically active in my state. There has been so much infighting that there is a huge divide within the democratic party. Splinter groups are created regularly. If this is indicative of what is happening nationally, I believe we will have Trump back for 4 more years.

[C0LLETTE]

I'm curious. What exactly is so appealing about Beto except that he is tall ? What desperate battle has he ever fought; what position has he ever defended that would have have threatened his position of white (tall ) privilege?

Non- Americans may have no say in the voting in American political elections. But I assure you we have a huge stake in the outcome.

[Kätzchen]

I'm choosing to believe in people making a better choice, come the next presidential election. I know that for me, I will be voting a democratic ticket, for whoever the Democratic nominee turns out to be.

I don't believe that Americans will stand by and watch out country go down in flames. It's seems fairly obvious, each day that goes by, that journalists are keeping Americans apprised of the highly politically charged issues our country is facing.

It's never too late to do the right thing, so that's what's been on my mind and it's what I'm choosing to believe in.

I also feel that Democrats in the US House are working a relentless schedule, and keeping on top of things that needs the attention it deserves, as well as The Press.

<<<<<<<~~~ Voting Blue (Democratic Ticket).

[dark_crystal]

Originally Posted by tantalizingfemme

I am pretty politically active in my state. There has been so much infighting that there is a huge divide within the democratic party. Splinter groups are created regularly. If this is indicative of what is happening nationally, I believe we will have Trump back for 4 more years.

I feel like that divide is very generational, and we have to address it as generational

I listened to two episodes of Chapo Traphouse this week-- one where the hosts had attended CPAC and one where Costas Lapavitsas explained how the EU is undemocratic.

One thing that stood out in each podcast was their observation that Generation X is missing from the extremes on both sides: CPAC was all Boomers or Millennials, and the Socialist movement in Europe is the same-- either young folks or older folks, no Xers.

Both Boomers and Millennials are overrepresented in the online discourse, bc one group has lots of time and one group has lots of skills. Xers are underrepresented.

This has allowed the extremes to disproportionately drive the discourse.

This has worked out OK for Republicans, bc they are ultrapartisan, and vote in lockstep even if they have to hold their nose-- but it is NOT going to work for Democrats. We are tribal, too, but on a much smaller scale.

Tons of Dems held their nose and voted for Hillary, but i believe even more Republicans were holding their nose for Trump.

That is why we're screwed. Republicans can elect a hold-your-nose candidate. Dems can't.

[tantalizingfemme]

Originally Posted by dark_crystal

I feel like that divide is very generational, and we have to address it as generational

I listened to two episodes of Chapo Traphouse this week-- one where the hosts had attended CPAC and one where Costas Lapavitsas explained how the EU is undemocratic.

One thing that stood out in each podcast was their observation that Generation X is missing from the extremes on both sides: CPAC was all Boomers or Millennials, and the Socialist movement in Europe is the same-- either young folks or older folks, no Xers.

Both Boomers and Millennials are overrepresented in the online discourse, bc one group has lots of time and one group has lots of skills. Xers are underrepresented.

This has allowed the extremes to disproportionately drive the discourse.

This has worked out OK for Republicans, bc they are ultrapartisan, and vote in lockstep even if they have to hold their nose-- but it is NOT going to work for Democrats. We are tribal, too, but on a much smaller scale.

Tons of Dems held their nose and voted for Hillary, but i believe even more Republicans were holding their nose for Trump.

That is why we're screwed. Republicans can elect a hold-your-nose candidate. Dems can't.

Bingo. This is exactly what is happening.

[cathexis]

Originally Posted by dark_crystal

I feel like that divide is very generational, and we have to address it as generational

I listened to two episodes of Chapo Traphouse this week-- one where the hosts had attended CPAC and one where Costas Lapavitsas explained how the EU is undemocratic.

One thing that stood out in each podcast was their observation that Generation X is missing from the extremes on both sides: CPAC was all Boomers or Millennials, and the Socialist movement in Europe is the same-- either young folks or older folks, no Xers.

Both Boomers and Millennials are overrepresented in the online discourse, bc one group has lots of time and one group has lots of skills. Xers are underrepresented.

This has allowed the extremes to disproportionately drive the discourse.

This has worked out OK for Republicans, bc they are ultrapartisan, and vote in lockstep even if they have to hold their nose-- but it is NOT going to work for Democrats. We are tribal, too, but on a much smaller scale.

Tons of Dems held their nose and voted for Hillary, but i believe even more Republicans were holding their nose for Trump.

That is why we're screwed. Republicans can elect a hold-your-nose candidate. Dems can't.

Many of us who were Boomer activists, observed in the '80s that Gen X had dropped the Left political baton, not wanting to be active. Some tried to analyze this apathy. One of the prevailing theories was that Gen X had seen how much energy their parents had put out with mixed results, and did not wish to "waste" their energy.

[dark_crystal]

Originally Posted by cathexis

Many of us who were Boomer activists, observed in the '80s that Gen X had dropped the Left political baton, not wanting to be active. Some tried to analyze this apathy. One of the prevailing theories was that Gen X had seen how much energy their parents had put out with mixed results, and did not wish to "waste" their energy.

The boomers dropped the baton when they turned into yuppies.

Gen X saw all the hippies turn hypocrite and then a whole bunch of hippie parents chose their kids' childhood as a time to "find themselves," embracing divorce like sliced bread.

The generation that said "never trust anyone under 30" turned 40 while we were watching and it wasn't pretty.

[Martina]

I'm a boomer, and my friends are all teachers, social workers, admins at colleges, plus an under employed architect and an MPH who works construction. I have one friend in tech, so there's an exception. She makes a ton of money, but never seems to have a dime. Living in the Bay Area, I guess.

We never became real yuppies IMO. We never owned McMansions or bought new cars or valued that stuff. Good thing. We could not have afforded it.

We swim at public pools and go camping for vacations. I do think everyone has taken their kids to Europe once or twice, which is a privilege lots of folk do not have. People in my circle found work arounds for paying for their kids' college. Two of them got work at colleges so their kids could get free tuition. Two families relied on grandparents to help fund it. One was poor enough that her kids got good financial aid. That's it. The rest of us don't have kids.

My point is not all boomers became yuppies. Most of my friends did things like devoting huge amounts of time to their food coops or la leche league or slightly alternative institutions.

I do have connections, friends of friends, who did the yuppie transformation. They became lawyers, and after ten years at the ACLU or being a public defender, took a job at a firm and made serious money. Probably the most politically radical guy from my graduate school ended up at Harvard Law and then afterwards became a labor lawyer who helps big corporations fight discrimination lawsuits. What was that? A brain transplant? Actually he was originally from wealth. None of the rest of my friends were. One had lawyer parents but they grew up poor.

I am very wary of the entrenched upper middle class. They will do whatever it takes to keep their status, and they seem very anxious about it. I had an acquaintance, a lawyer, who didn't have a generous bone in his body. He ripped his ex-wife off in a divorce settlement. His lawyer daughter was the same. She lied on a mortgage application, which could have gotten her disbarred, to save a few bucks. One of his kids made a shitload of money in software, but didn't help another sister when she was transitioning out of a relationship. When my acquaintance's house got robbed, and his insurance didn't cover an expensive bike, his family members all made him feel like a fool. Right after he got robbed. Lovely people.

From my point of view, yuppies are a different breed. I know that a lot of people in my circle are relatively privileged. Home owners, health insurance, etc. But that is not the same as being wealth and status obsessed.

[cathexis]

Originally Posted by dark_crystal

The boomers dropped the baton when they turned into yuppies.

Gen X saw all the hippies turn hypocrite and then a whole bunch of hippie parents chose their kids' childhood as a time to "find themselves," embracing divorce like sliced bread.

The generation that said "never trust anyone under 30" turned 40 while we were watching and it wasn't pretty.

Perhaps, some Boomers turned into yuppies. Folks I went to college with did so on full financial aid (tuition, books, fees, housing) with part-time jobs in the evening and weekend hours. We still found time to protest the Vietnam Conflict, attempt to get the E.R.A. passed, work with NARAL for women's right to choose, participate in actions for racial equality, and other causes that needed help.

Very few of the people I went to school with, were able to buy houses or have a stock portfolio. We lived in rehabbed areas of cities with used or given furniture. Yes, I had 7 bookcases in my place, but they were of the sort bought at Wal-mart and assembled with a screwdriver and 2 friends.
I rode a bike most places, if I didn't ride the bus on my discounted bus pass.
Worked my tail off for a double degree, Marxist Studies/Political Philosophy and Professional Nursing at the same time.

I have known several months of homelessness, not knowing where an open couch would be or how we would get something to eat. Have spent many a day panhandling at the end of freeway exits for food or a bed. Lived in a homeless shelter for a month, and had to make "midnight moves" to leave apartment to avoid court eviction leaving a majority of my belongings behind. This is just a sample of one Boomer. I have several friends with similar stories. Most of us were not well off, and did not live a privileged life.

We did; however, make a difference and improve the lives of who we could.