The Coming Collapse - Chris Hedges

callmedubious comments on Mar 27, 2019:

exactly. sadly & unfortunately he pretty well encapsulates why the avg american is fucked. it's a Hobson's choice: the Limousine libs or the party of a populist, fascist idiot.

racocn8 replies on Mar 27, 2019:

It only vaguely resembles a Hobson's choice. Granted both parties are corrupted, but the scale of corruption for the GOP is nearly 98-100% while the Democrats are more like 65-80%. While comparable, it is still absurd to suggest they are equally bad. The truth is, it's even worse than you know. The Deep State, composed of the military-industrial-intelligence complex, keeps most of the real decision-making hidden and classified. The political parties only fiddle around the edges. The Deep State writes the script that the poor schmucks, us, are forced to read. And the truth is, most of the population are psychopathic idiots incapable of voting purposefully. Religionists are delusional in their beliefs and values, and unable to grasp reality. Thus, democracy simply can't work. Add to that a political system that has zero feedback to address the incompetence and malfeasance that are pandemic. We need a system that focuses on corruption as the main threat to the society. Only by purging the voter roles of nutjobs would a democratic society have a hope of surviving.

AOC burns the barn with another speech on climate and nails the republicans.

t1nick comments on Mar 27, 2019:

Both Parties are guilty of being in the pockets of big oil

racocn8 replies on Mar 27, 2019:

While both parties may get contributions, that's a really big false equivalence. Plainly GOP rarely even admit to climate change while this is widely accepted by Democrats. The level of allegiance and support for oil is much much higher in the GOP. All of that is why Citizens United matters.

I only found the link below by specifically looking for an indication that Russia was involved in ...

Varn comments on Jan 22, 2019:

Obama had been made aware of their meddling, but feared his interference against what was so obviously pro-republican espionage that he stayed out.. I suspect he’d also thought there was no way the nation would elect such an obvious imbecile as trump… He, up until the end.. and all those ...

racocn8 replies on Jan 22, 2019:

Obama was recruited by the Deep State, and his minimal criticism of Putin's interference is in line with the Deep State's decision to install Trump and not to interfere (and probably to help the ) perfect storm of coincidences. My naively optimistic hope is that the Deep State put Trump in the presidency knowing that exposing his corruption would demonstrate the dire need to pursue all the other corruption that has become so pervasive. Naïve is probably an understatement. More likely, the Deep State sees this chaos as a means to institute still more controls.

Rape Culture No Myth.

jondspen comments on Jan 21, 2019:

No...it's not b/c he's a white male, it's b/c you have a DA system that is a bunch of pussies, and he probably comes from money, so the DA gets a nice kickback to their re-election fund. When will people realize it's not white males on the street that are the problem...it's our fucked up divide and...

racocn8 replies on Jan 21, 2019:

I'd like to believe we have a functioning judicial system, or even a functioning government. We don't. The systems we have may be comparable to others, but the levels of corruption make it abundantly clear that these systems need to be greatly improved, but again, the corruption prevents this from happening. Therefore, it is indeed incumbent upon those who receive injustice to either seek redress legally, or illegally. As legality generated the injustice, it is understandable if one resorts to illegal means to obtain justice. Blind fealty to a criminally corrupt government is as crazy as blind fealty to a criminally corrupt religion.

God’s Intelligent Design?

zenith01 comments on Nov 8, 2018:

the main Question still the same is there a god?

racocn8 replies on Jan 10, 2019:

Does it matter if a God exists? If you think so, say why?

What are the current theories related to the creation of the universe?

gater comments on Aug 20, 2018:

The truth is that the Universe has always been here. Time, space and matter are all infinite.

racocn8 replies on Aug 26, 2018:

@gator is a troll, and that's a euphemism. He makes claims and has absolutely nothing to back them up. Ignore it.

Has any Republican summed up Trump better than McCain did?

snytiger6 comments on Aug 26, 2018:

McCain summed Trump up pretty well. However Mueller is also a republican, and I think, in the end, he will have the final word.

racocn8 replies on Aug 26, 2018:

I believe that while Mueller is republican, he will behave as a stereotypical FBI employee and let his work product speak for itself. I have seen Mueller present on cybercrime and his expertise is significant. He seems well qualified for this job and I hope his report is as thorough as it needs to be to reduce this interference/treason into the future.

Where was the FBI in dealing with the Russian mafia and kleptocrats that made it possible for Trump ...

Renickulous comments on Aug 18, 2018:

Is there proof that trump colluded? I hadn't heard

racocn8 replies on Aug 19, 2018:

@powder relies on Russians for his information source (rt.com). How rich is that? Yes, it's all a witch hunt... Except that there are several dozen witches that have been identified, some convicted. Was it diplomacy when Trump said he trusted Putin and didn't trust the many U.S. intelligence services (many of whom got their info from European intelligence agencies), and diplomacy when Putin admitted that he wanted Trump to win (and used his military co-intel to make it happen). Yes, we should believe the Russians and Fox; Trump just gives every appearance of being a stooge - it's all pure coincidence. Wanna buy a bridge??? What is true is that democracy is a sham when 40% of the country are religious nuts who are completely gullible, and the Deep State has secretly ruled the roost since 1947.

Where was the FBI in dealing with the Russian mafia and kleptocrats that made it possible for Trump ...

Renickulous comments on Aug 18, 2018:

Is there proof that trump colluded? I hadn't heard

racocn8 replies on Aug 18, 2018:

Is there proof of evolution? When the amount of evidence becomes great enough, plausible deniability is moot. It's not collusion; it's conspiracy. The evidence would include: Hiring Manafort, all the other campaign staff connections to Russia including Trump Jr., the money laundering of Russian autocrats via Trump condos, changing the GOP platform re: Russia, the Trump Tower meeting, Bannon's role in Cambridge Analytica, the precise targeting by the Russian trolls, the Russian hacking and relationship to Wikileaks, the denial and denigration of the many intelligence services, the admissions to Australian diplomats by Papadopolous, the meeting in Seychelles, the closed door meetings in the White House with Russian diplomats, the Helsinki meeting, the many kinds and instances of obstruction, the delaying of sanctions, refusing to interview, and so much more we'll find out soon. The proof would be Trump's asking the Russians to hack Clinton's server the day before they did it. Trump wouldn't know to make that statement unless he was dirty.

In your name.

Paul4747 comments on Aug 18, 2018:

We know the bomb (singular) hit a school bus. We don't know that it was aimed at the bus when it was dropped. The bus is a moving object. It may have come between the aircraft that dropped it and the intended target. Until we have full details, we won't know and may never know. Civilians are ...

racocn8 replies on Aug 18, 2018:

I am inclined to agree with your perspective. The news I've seen claims that the Saudis are fighting Iranian-backed ISIS and similar militants. A lot of the fighting is sectarian, as is the feud between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Isis has been ruthless in their killing and I don't mourn their deaths. But, I have difficulty relating to anyone in that part of the world. Sunni or Shiite or Isis, they are all Muslims, and given a chance would bomb us for being 'Infidels'. The history of the US surely has many low points and the high points are getting few and far between. Does the US really exist anymore, other than in the hearts of a small minority? I salute the loyalty to the sentiments of democracy and a constitutional republic, but that's not what we have now. And no one has a plan to get it back, or even advocates dealing with the traitors and treason-enablers in our midst. We are so screwed.

Is it racist to not want an open border?

MichaelSpinler comments on Aug 11, 2018:

this reeks of fox news propaganda. disinformation and trying to trigger people.

racocn8 replies on Aug 11, 2018:

Sorry, but no. I never watch Fox News. The extremity of your response is noteworthy.

Is it racist to not want an open border?

Green_eyes comments on Aug 10, 2018:

It’s a right wing talking point to say that the left want open boards. It’s never been said! The boarders must be and are protected. Trumpski is not looking in the right direction. He gets a rise out of his peeps by talking about a wall that the BP all say they don’t need. People overstaying ...

racocn8 replies on Aug 10, 2018:

Open-border does have a bad sound to it, basically a paradoxical concept. But semantics aside, the term open-border is the functional equivalent of what the ACLU advocates. The ACLU has generally advocated against spending money for border enforcement. The advocacy for the illegal aliens who come in goes to the point of granting amnesty. Functionally, these policies amount to an open-border even though they aren't referenced that way. I question the propriety of the ACLU's level of advocacy. What level of border enforcement would the ACLU support?

Why are the right-wingers indistinguishable from trolls?

terrygerry1 comments on Aug 9, 2018:

I have a problem with Trump in that he will pardon all of his friends. He will probably pardon Manafort so why are we wasting money on a trial? We are in very dangerous territory right now with the corruption of the presidency and the congress.

racocn8 replies on Aug 9, 2018:

Manafort was a Putin stooge helping Ukraine's president after Putin skewed that election. Everything Putin did here he tried out in Ukraine first. Manafort could be the key to Trump, and as deep as any connection between Trump and Putin. He's not the only game in town, but getting a conviction in his first trial may persuade him to avoid the second.

Please note the loyal Trump supporters almost exactly overlap the Evangelicals.

JustKip comments on Aug 2, 2018:

Honestly...I feel like I've been baited enough by them to start an actual shooting war.

racocn8 replies on Aug 2, 2018:

Lock and load...

My version of gun control. May they use both hands

DarrelScott comments on Jul 6, 2018:

Perfect firearm for a democrat

racocn8 replies on Jul 6, 2018:

They've been using that model for decades.

Enjoy it while you can.

Surfpirate comments on Jul 6, 2018:

Counter measures?

racocn8 replies on Jul 6, 2018:

We will continue to field recovered non-terrestrial tech to keep the economy going. I.E. 3D printing.

UFO’s, science, and religion

novoxguy comments on Jun 24, 2018:

No, we do not know any such thing. UFOs are not extraterrestrial visitations.

racocn8 replies on Jul 5, 2018:

To 5082gregory, Bigelow Aerospace received $22 million to investigate UFO/military incidents. "Under Mr. Bigelow’s direction, the company modified buildings in Las Vegas for the storage of metal alloys and other materials that Mr. Elizondo and program contractors said had been recovered from unidentified aerial phenomena." This recovery effort has been reported in contrast to past programs that remain wholly classified. So there is 'SOLID proof.' The public is simply not allowed to review it. One of the reports from the AATIP program was over 500 pages and it most likely contains the forensic analysis of said recovered material. At least a dozen official military/intelligence documents clearly describe non-terrestrial technology. Many other documents are +90% redacted in the interest of 'national security'. Still others are leaked as 'fakes' but contain classified information (i.e. Donald Menzel's relationship with the NSA). But don't tell that to the debunkers.

Seven questions

mercurymerlin comments on Jul 1, 2018:

Can't say I'm particularly impressed with simply being handed repeats of links to Samuel Johnson. The second response a bit better, at least trying and I follow some of the logic even if I don't necessarily agree - that way of thinking leaves the universe a cold and heartless place where nothing ...

racocn8 replies on Jul 1, 2018:

I'll take cold and heartless over obviously delusional. Remember Darwin's distaste for his own depiction of nature surviving by 'tooth and claw"; and remember Sam Harris's summation: "“Either God can do nothing to stop catastrophes like this, or he doesn't care to, or he doesn't exist. God is either impotent, evil, or imaginary. Take your pick," Disagreements should be stated and defended. This is a discussion. We are untold millennia behind our Keepers (technologically, biologically, psychologically, etc.). There is no catching up. The Keepers are surely quite different from the actual Visitors. What sort of civilization is indifferent to Time?

Why does society have double standards for women who like sex?

ShuMei2018 comments on Jun 30, 2018:

If you enjoy sex, you're a slut. If you don't like sex, you're a prude. Us ladies can't win for nothing.

racocn8 replies on Jun 30, 2018:

Get a clue. Men are the ones who suffer. Women enforce these notions as a means to boost their sexual value. The dearth of sexual availability is an utterly artificial scarcity which is the main source of misogyny and rape.

What is your favorite paradox?

pc10101 comments on Apr 17, 2018:

The Fermi Paradox

racocn8 replies on Apr 18, 2018:

Assuming UFO's are real and piloted by ET (A significant percentage of reports are not debunked), the behavioral profile based on reliable reports suggests an intensive monitoring by multiple species/cultures, presumably under ground rules established by the prevailing advanced species. Monitoring and tampering with nuclear weapon platforms is its own message. Many reports suggest that some measure of contact does occur. Even so, Earth is reasonably seen by ETs to be a nature preserve under quarantine.

The Number of Americans with No Religious Affiliation Is Rising - Scientific American

nicknotes comments on Apr 16, 2018:

The Christians organized the "Moral Majority" and as a voting bloc achieved great political power. The "Nones" need to organize and start being a power bloc. First on the agenda is to start having churches pay property taxes and eliminate the income deduction for money donated to a church.

racocn8 replies on Apr 16, 2018:

Taxing churches is a nice idea and it should be repeated on occasion, but it is a non-starter. Only a few televangelist churches have any money worth taxing. Organizing the None's is a much better idea. I believe a majority do recoil at the hypocrisy of the Evangelicals for supporting the wholly degenerate, wholly unrepentant Trump. The Nones have a Golden Opportunity to seize the moral high ground by listing and embracing DOABLE political objectives that are described by social justice. Another arena to recruit the middle is to focus on the necessity of holding those with power to a higher standard, which does turn the current moral landscape on its head. The #metoo shaming is a good start and an excellent formula. Shaming and ostracizing the corrupt using social media and financial leverage are effective tools, but surely more are available?

What life experiences challenge your agnosticism and why?

Meep70 comments on Apr 9, 2018:

I believe that there is much that science has yet to explain and religion just doesn't explain it well. I have experienced what I can only describe as communication over a distance with no contact on multiple occasions. As an example, many years ago I lost contact with a dear friend. During that ...

racocn8 replies on Apr 9, 2018:

Dear Danny, Thanks for your comment. I am grateful to read your other posts and to find a thoughtful, reflective and insightful person. I hope you find a suitable companion and the other joys of life.

FAITH is perhaps the weapon used by the privileged to dupe the rest of Americans into trusting that ...

IamNobody comments on Apr 8, 2018:

Where do I start?... I left Facebook because I couldn't say God SUCKS without being attacked (trolled was the nicest actually) and to my pleasant surprise that doesn't happen here. However, I feel like I am swimming towards dangerous water here because its an issue now a days to support our country ...

racocn8 replies on Apr 8, 2018:

@Fanburger Speaking of trolls... By your account, I would be one of those professional victims. I make no money from being a victim, but I certainly do blame elements of government and society, and some rich people (i.e. Koch brothers), and religious (i.e. Falwell and his ilk) for degrading the conversation and the country. And I would equate people like yourself who contrive such specious nonsense.

How do Believers become Non-Believers

KashFigueroa comments on Apr 3, 2018:

I used to go to church on Sundays but it was primarily to take my grandmother. She had a series of falls and hurt herself so we walked together holding arms. But due to a poor and bad education system my parents put me on a private, Catholic school. It was more for the education than the religion. ...

racocn8 replies on Apr 3, 2018:

I would be very interested to hear of what you saw. When I was about 12, I saw a UFO while I was standing on the roof of a high rise in North Chicago. I could only see a row of lights slowly rotating, but it was ~30-40 feet wide noiselessly going 5 mph. Not a plane and highly unlikely to be a balloon. Simply not identified. Have you seen the 3 gun-camera videos recently released by the Pentagon?