159 Comments

It's true that Biden's presidency has failed to rise to the historical moment. The only place I'd differ with you, Chris, is over whether fascism is inevitable (as you suggest) or whether it has instead already been firmly established. Bipartisan support for genocide indicates that fears of a fascist future charitably overlook the present, as well as the past. https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/p/fears-of-a-fascist-future-overlook

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If you say it's been "firmly established," you have never lived under fascism. Yes, elements of fascism are here. But abolishing freedom of speech, demonstration and the press; abolishing workers' rights altogether; assailing women's rights; setting up concentration camps for dissenters; sending out hit squads to murder prominent dissenters - all of this and more would arrive IMMEDIATELY under Trump's fascism. He is America's very own Hitler. His "Jews" are immigrants and, of course, the Palestinian people as well as anyone with brown or black skin.

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What you are describing we are already exporting all around the world. What we are now seeing by virtue of the internet and independent journalists is that it is increasingly coming home. Under Biden, who has increasingly demonized immigrants, expanded ICE, electronic surveillance of the border and individual immigrants and solitary confinement of traumatized immigrants seeking asylum, and as Chris describes, the impoverishment of American workers. And under Trump same. Under corporate fascism we are all Gazans now.

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If you read the fine print of the TikTok Ban, Congress has basically given Biden the censorship power.

But remember kids, it's not fascist when Team D does it!

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You don’t need trump to do that, genocide joe and the so called progressive democrats already doing it. And don’t forget AIPAC.

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I am just reading John Whitehead's book 'Battlefield America' - he explains very clearly that fascism is here ...

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I think Chris would call what you are calling fascism inverted totalitarianism, and agree that it is here. I agree too. Trump’s version will be traditional, at least as much as he can make it so. However, the “intelligence community”, which holds the whip hand in our current totalitarian model, will NOT under the Christian fascist system the Trumpster will bring with him. Who will prevail in that epic standoff? I don’t know. If Trump is smart, he will remove his enemies, and tell those he puts in charge to be ruthless in rooting out those who are able to hang on. My guess is that his attorney general will not be shy about covering his enemies up with indictments. If he effectively pursues that strategy, and survives the inevitable assassination attempts, he will prevail, and the ‘intelligence community’ will become a tool of Christian fascists, as well as the 0.1% who will always be on the winning side. Grab some popcorn and keep low to the ground.

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What the democrats refuse to understand is what made and makes Trump so dangerous isn't the lies he constantly spews but that he often told the truth, about both parties often enough, the stuff the MSM won't touch.

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Like what?

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A couple of real basic e.g.: how widespread the practice and how easy it is to buy pols and about all the wars we get into are due to defense industry corrupting/buying the pols.

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Stealing George Galloways comparison the Dems and Republicans are "two cheeks on the same rear end". The only way to spank them in America is with a SERIOUS Third Party. AS Orwell said the picture of the future is "a boot on a human face forever"! Genocide Joes Boot or Trumps Boot, makes little difference. Thanks Chris!

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Yes, Jim, that's true. But a third party has never gotten off the ground in the US and we are in a dire state of emergency.

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We hear that every election, telling us to fall in line and vote Team D, even as Team D is more and more fascist.

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It’s impossible, de facto by our system, to elect a 3rd party so yes, it’s fruitless and it gives a vote to the person you don’t want in office - see the election of 2000. Ranked choice voting is how we bring in 3rd parties- that is how Canada runs their elections and why they have third parties. It also prevents extremism.

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So tell us how voting Team D will get us there.

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Check out Canada's 1930's third party Tommy Douglas's Mouse Land Video on You Tube, for a chuckle. Mice voting for Cats is the problem!

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As a member of the Feline-American Community, not enough mice and other tasty rodents vote for cats.

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Third party hasn’t because Americans are too scare too propagandized too lazy to find out that they have the controls to vote out them.

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So just be upfront - are you going to vote for Joe Biden (I see your other comments so I believe the answer is yes) ?

If your answer is yes - then I have no other way to interpret that than as implicit support for genocide. Similar to the crocodile tears of Zionists who feel so bad for the "human shields" that they starve and blow to pieces - it pains you but Trump is "so evil" you have no choice. I guess Trump is to you what Hamas is to Israel?

I am not going to vote for Joe Biden. I am not going to vote for Donald Trump.

I don't support censorship, war, or genocide - the key pillars of the Uniparty.

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Damn straight. It does not matter whether you voted for war and genocide because you felt you had no other option, because you genuinely believe in war and genocide, or because Trump. Your vote counts just the same.

So own it.

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Leaving it blank yet again here in Oklahoma. Got WAY more important things to worry about here.

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The way to accomplish this is to change all elections in the US to ranked choice

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Jim - are you OK with Galloway's platform he sent to his local voters, which specifically said this:

I was shocked that his Parliament local campaign platform emphasized (in boldface print) the following priorities, which could have been written by Steve Bannon or most MAGA Trumpers (see attached campaign letter):

"I believe in Britain" (and supported Brexit)

“I believe in family”

“I believe in men and women”

“I have no difficulty in defining what a woman is”

“I believe in law and order”

“I fight for small business”

This is supposed to be the genuine left/socialist political strategy to respond to the betrayal of workers by Corporate Democrats, Neoliberals, and the UK Tony Blair Labour Party third way?

Are you kidding me?

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His track record of denouncing Imperialist war mongering, anti corporate greed, against Apartheid, US and Israeli Hegemony and fighting for the working class shows his true colours Bill. His oratory, critical analyses and learned debating skills, puts most talking rhetoric heads to shame! As for the term "law and order" by MAGA Bannon types is pure Orwell double speak. I don't think George is talking jingoism's, holding Corps to account with law and order is a decided good thing. No? George defends the publics right of free speech to demonstrate and denounce government policy is without doubt. He has been calling out the double standard against Palestinian supporters, Weaponized anti Semitism and Zionist hate speech for decades!

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Disliking Zionism is the same thing as disliking evangelicals. It’s not hate speech, it’s condemnation for religions built upon entitlement of special rights, including salvation, denied to everyone else. Both religions suck. I’d love to see a Zionist allow his ranch house in Jackson WY to be taken and bulldozed by a Native American without any compensation because of their “right to return.”! Lots of religions like Zionism are simply justifications of what’s good for me is not for thee. Calling well deserved criticism for a religion that like many others was created to justify privilege and control “anti-Semitic” is such a cheap trick. Religions like Islam, orthodox catholicism, Mormons, evangelicals, etc etc are criticized constantly- “recovering Catholic” anyone? I don’t trust anyone who uses that trick instead of acknowledging that Zionism contributed to the creation of apartheid in Isreal. Zealots are not good for leadership positions.

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Agree with everything you say, and I watched his Senate takedown on Iraq and debate at Oxford?

But the anti-war, anti-imperialism have to include economic issues, which I have not heard him ever talk about.

I heard him once say he's a friend of and supports Jill Stein, but I've heard several remarks (in the "hoax" WEF conspiracy meme) that border on climate the denial.

And the cultural - identity politics crap and conservative family values is sickening, dangerous and undermines the good stuff.

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Economic Issues , tax the rich, close corporate loopholes, ban tax havens, for more Union power, etc. He supported the coal miners against the Iron Lady who had infiltrated it by an MI6 mole who was in the leadership. of the Union. Take a look at his past debates, against Hitchens for a taste of his views!

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I am aware of all that - its in the past not his current politics.

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Check out his MOATS on Sunday and Wednesday. He sounds the same to me!

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What is wrong with Galloway priorities? He is no different from his past and present. If you have a hard time dealing with Galloway than why are you even paying attention to him, unless you live there?

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Probably very good reasons why Jeremy Corbin didn't jump in with him. This is not a socialist platform.

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You have to say these things in Britain or the Conservative Party calls you unhelpful, which is everywhere now a code for and a known political equivalence to a Hungerford-style crazy mass murderer.

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What a Farce our Never Very Good Governments are. 'We're not them" won't cut it anymore. We have been betrayed by lies and money. Our governing bodies ARE the Mafia.

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"Under democracy, each party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule, and both easily succeed. H. L. Mencken"

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It is very, very different now, however, Julio. In 2013 two members of the arch-conservative American Enterprise Institute wrote in a Washington Post Op Ed that the Republican Party was no longer a political party but an insurrectionist spearhead. Maybe they just said "an insurrection." Anyway, we are not dealing with two parties. We are dealing with the usual corporate mafia, the Democrats, and a fascist insurrectionist spearhead. We don't have a viable third party. So we MUST vote Democratic. I know we hate that. And Chris himself has said he won't vote for Biden. But I myself would like to live to see another day of freedom of speech, assembly and, for what little exists of it anymore, the press. A propos the press, we now have social media and some very good blogs like Chris Hedges'.

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Why vote at all? Does it even matter?

Both parties are two sides of the same coin.

What freedom of the press? There is no such thing.

Look at what Facebook and Twitter do to people that do not go along with the narrative.

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Matt07924, I firmly believe that every vote matters, and distrust comments that seek to persuade voters to voluntarily disenfranchise themselves. Also, we're all here to support freedom of the press, and because it's still mostly the case here, flying in the face of consolidation of mainstream news outlets.

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@Tech-la You made me laugh. We are disenfranchised and have been for a long time. Who do you think your congress critter listens to? You or their top ten donors? There is a reason why we live in an oligarchic corporate state. Chris Hedges talks about this all the time and yet you still want to play the game?

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You and I see many of the same issues, but we see different solutions. What value do you think a democracy would have if no one votes?

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We don't live in a democracy. We are a democratic republic, which of course, is a failed one. If anything, if no one votes, then there is no consent of the governed and, in theory, we can look for another form of government. Of course, in reality, US government does not care if you vote or not. They are permanently ensconced in DC and are not budging. The only solution I see is to wait for Weimar 2.0 in which everything collapses and either we get a dictator or we balkanize into multiple failed states. There is nothing pretty on the horizon. Do you have a better solution than just stupidly voting for whomever the bankers pick to represent their interests?

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"We are dealing with the usual corporate mafia, the Democrats, and a fascist insurrectionist spearhead. We don't have a viable third party. So, we MUST vote Democratic." Ellen, I fully agree except for that we must vote Democratic to keep freedom of speech. Recently, Nancy Pelosi a longtime democratic leader asked the FBI to investigate the student organizations that supported the Palestinian cause at the university campuses because they could be Russian agents! Our freedom of speech this day is a myth and the two presidential candidates that the ruling class is imposing on us are bribed to their core. Biden has received more than 4 million dollars from the Israeli lobby and is currently kissing the sandals of the AIPAC for more donations. Trump moved our embassy to Jerusalem to thank the late Sheldon Adelson for the millions he gave to his previous campaign.

In my opinion, we need to get rid of our bad habit of voting for the lesser evil. It has brought only decay to us and death to the rest of the world. I will continue voting for a third party if only to protest our political situation.

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"The Democrats had four years to institute New Deal reforms. They failed. Now we will pay."

Really 12 years. I know when I voted for Obama twice, from all that lofty rhetoric I was expecting some New-Deal style dramatic action, at least against the banks post 2008, and reigning in Bush's militarism. What a fool I was!

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Democrats, are you listening? I'm progressive but planning to vote for Robert Kennedy Jr or Jill Stein in the upcoming elections, even if third-party votes throw the decision to Trump.

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RFK Jr. has lost his mind - his comments on Israel are disqualifying

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Cornel West's candidacy is another that I'm taking seriously. Thanks for the tip, I will further investigate Kennedy's comments on Israel.

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He's dreadful. He was dreadful on fracking and the Hudson. He's dreadful on Israel. And also on the election. He puts his own ego ahead of everything. (I think anyone running against Biden is doing it for show. Any vote for Cornel West would also go to Trump, as would a vote for Jill Stein. I am not saying they are not smart, qualified people. But the lack of a powerful third party makes their running in the current circumstances ruinous. A get-your-rocks-off vote when we are in a state of emergency and need to stave off fascism with all our determination.

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I agree up to a point but it's ludicrous to say a vote for any third party candidate would "go to Trump." It's just as "logical" to say such a vote would "go to Biden." I've voted third party for over 40 years, every election, and not once did those votes "go to" some other candidate, unless there is literal ballot box meddling going on. And that's not something any of us has any control of.

I refuse to vote for either Biden or Trump. I'm not voting at all anymore because the game is impossibly rigged to result in Tweedledee or Tweedledum, both of whom serve only the ruling corporate elites. If I don't vote, does that mean Trump gets my (nonexistent) vote? His fans would say Biden gets my vote, by that logic. To hell with all this voting bullshit--it leads to the same depressing, self-destructive conclusion every time. We aren't going to change any damn thing by voting in the exact same system over and over.

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Totally

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I am 83 years old and I pretty well recall fascism in the 1940s in Europe, my mother talking about it. My background is Jewish, BTW. I would never cast a vote that brought on fascism. All respect Tech-la, and I do understand your feelings. But I don't think you understand what this country would become under Trump. Brownshirts. Killings of people like you and me. Concentration camps for immigrants and dissidents. Abolition of the Constitution. Some would argue that freedom of the press has long since vanished, and I certainly agree about the corporate press. But we do have platforms like Chris's. They would no longer exist under Christian fascism. I think Chris himself is very mistaken in not voting for Biden. It is a loathsome task, but the alternative gives us no alternative, I think. It took 40 years, by the way, for fascism to die in Spain. Fascism would not be just a momentary state of affairs. The other thing, as Noam Chomsky has said, is that Trump would lease ALL of our federal lands to Big Oil, and thus extinguish life on Earth. I think that's a "biggie," don't you?

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We have the same fear porn trotted put every four years.

And right now, bad a s Trump is, it is Biden that is presiding over genocide and flirting with WWIII.

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Reluctant agreement here.

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@Ellen Cantarow - I never voted for Trump and never will. However, what you are saying about Trump is fear porn. We had the same fear porn before his first term. Can you recall anything that was along those lines during his first term? Under Biden, there was discussion of putting anti-vax people in camps. Obama put illegals in cages just like Trump did. You need to get your head out of the partisan bickering - none of the candidates are good and voting really is a waste of time. It is just a ritual so that the elites can make you think you matter and that your vote matters.

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Here in Britain the third party, the Liberal Democrats, once got into coalition with the conservatives and albeit they moderated Tory excesses, they were punished at the next election for acceding to Conservative policy on student loans and ditching their own declared policy. Some people have remarked to me that it’s a “wasted vote” to vote for them “ because they’ll never get in”. The logic escapes me. I just wish they would campaign by turning the critique on it’s head, calling on people to “Stop wasting your vote! Look at what you’ve been getting by not voting for us!” But Chris has made me realise how strongly the term “liberal” is identified with laissez-faire economics. They need a new name, as do all of them, Labour (“Isn’t working”, the slogan which killed them under Thatcher, and “Conservative” which conserves nothing but the economic hierarchy.

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It's my perception that the Dem leadership presents a friendly face while the Rep scowls and rants, but both serve the oligarchy rather than the people. From the news, it sounds like global warming is already upon us, yet the Biden administration has yet to step up. Are we supposed to believe that's going to happen next term?

Regarding incipient fascism, since Trump has a son-in-law from a prominant Jewish family, my thinking is that even though there are avowed Christian Fascists in his camp, they are a minority, and Trump's also does well among Latino voters. Of course, there are other kinds of fascists.

I am the product of a US WASP family with a social circle that included friends with different backgrounds. As children, we sometimes spent holidays with close friends whose extended family included holocaust survivors from Austria. You probably understand my meaning (It was hinted at, but never talked about). In real life, I once had to stand next to a sweet little Jewish schoolmate to get our nice US neighbor boys to stop thowing rocks at her. If anyone in your family was in Europe in the 1940's, you must feel and understand this more profoundly then I do. It's the stuff of nightmares, and if we get a leadership that favors expediency over strategy, maybe we'll find both of our names on the long illustrious list of people that they think should go away.

To answer your final question, yes, to me, climate crisis is the biggest biggie. I believe that it's already started, so the US and the rest of the world's leaders should take urgent action while the window of opportunity is still open. Or maybe batten the hatches, if it's too late for that. Just joking. As I said, I believe that there's a lot we can do to restore earth's balance. What we cannot afford is confusion or apathy or delay.

My vote will be risked to elect the candidate who offers the best platform. I want to see a foresighted, comprehensive platform, and hear the candidate speak of courage and faith in humanity.

(apologies for editing. removed unkind, unnecessary word)

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"My vote will be risked to elect the candidate who offers the best platform" Tech-la, our candidates always offer paradise. I vote only for those who have demonstrated in their political life that they sincerely believe what they tell.

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Julio Santos, how do you determine whether a candidate has "demonstrated in their political life that they sincerely believe what they tell?" It almost sounds like this might limit the pool of candidates to career politicians or maybe only incumbents? Would you consider the candidacy of people like Stein, West, or RK Jr., all who have decades of leadership in social justice and environmental issues.

Edit: I see that you also plan to vote third-party, but my question to you is sincere as I'm struggling with this myself.

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If the candidate has been a politician or appointed to any public office I would strive to find how where his/her actions in office and vote consequently. If not, I would have to believe on their good faith. By the way, I had already voted for Dr. Stein in a previous election. In no case I would vote for the lesser evil.

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Did you write this sentence Deborah? “Your narrative is always hateful without looking towards solutions and you like to blame people! What a sad person you have become.” What passage please - using quotes so there is clarity in our exchange - did I write that implied I was disinterested instead of being curious about your opinion enough to respond to your comment with my own knowledge base?Then, please again copy the passages I wrote which you experienced as “nasty.” I aim to be direct in my response. And to do so without venom. So I may be overlooking something that I definitely want to see. Because if venom is there, I will double check myself before writing.I have zero interest in being nasty. I have 100% interest in decency and truth. I am open to learning.

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You remind me of Trump! I used to respect you and your work! Your narrative is always hateful without looking towards solutions and you like to blame people! What a sad person you have become.

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I think you are the hateful, sad person who is blaming a righteous who has done much hard work in prison reform, speaking out for the poor and exposing the hypocracy that reigns in both parties, but the dems pretend they're the good guys while screwing us again and again. What have You done?

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Be careful not to shoot the messenger. America and the west are in the worst political crisis ever. Most aren't even aware of the facts, and the road to remediation is long and arduous. There has been too much denialism and two little facing the realities our times. The west has to start seeing the world as it is and not through the eyes of purblind politicians and demented ideologues. The damage is done and it is going to take real people to rebuild what has been destroyed.

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So Deborah is it the truth you hate or the teller of the truth? Can you ever get beyond a situation without accepting it, without taking ownership for it, like in AA the addict introduces hirself “I’m Susie and I am an alcoholic.” If you were to look at those responsible for the crappy state we are in, their behaviors….the history Hedges cites, what do the miscreants have in common? Given those themes, what do they suggest might be the path toward health? Actually, Hedges does put forth one solution. Just that - perhaps - you really don’t like what it demands of you.

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Women, women, women! Stop!! We are supposed to be talking rationally here. I don't find that Bonnie resembles Trump in any way, and I don't understand Deborah's charge. Let's take a cue from Noam Chomsky. You recall how he always entertained the most wildly off-base of contentions and then dismantled them calmly, coolly, and collectedly? I rarely saw him get really angry - though he did on a couple of occasions. Norman Finkelstein is similar though his style is different. Let's not yell and scream at each other. -- Now: I think our government has a great deal of corruption (Bonnie's contention), though I do think there are some very good reformers (e.g. "The Squad.") We are, however, in big trouble. The American working class HAS been shafted big-time with neoliberalism, which the Democratic Party espoused for decades. Biden IS a truly awful individual, on Israel, apparently on workers' rights as well. We as voters are faced with a dreadful choice. Between calamity and a chance for survival. 'Cause that is what a second Biden Presidency would ensure. We'd at least retain freedom of speech, assembly, and the press. We would lose all of that, and concentration camps would open to welcome us, under the vengeful, lunatic narcissist Trump.

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And how is he bad with worker’s rights? Or do you want him to ignore the supreme court’s multiple rulings stripping worker’s rights to sue by making it impossible to prove intent, or meet the new req’s for class action suits? How about the state’s rights to eliminate the power of unions, require dues, etc? And how does he change all of this again??

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I never said I “hated”… But interesting how you sound like a Trump supporter… I guess in your world I am not allowed to have an opinion. And you get to make nasty remarks in order to dismiss me. Yep, very MAGA of you…

Saddened my people who use words to promote hate. Collaboration and working together to solve problems is something you do not care to understand…l???

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The real issue is the inability of people who speak like this to understand a govt system that necessitates compromise with those who have the exact opposite opinions about both problems and solutions, and secondly, fail to understand how legislation passes- ie, how many people it requires to pass it.

Most of the bills the Dems are castigated for not passing are major bills we would need a supermajority to pass. This seems to go right past everyone, but without it, passing them is a pipe dream- not because the majority of Dems don’t want to, but because we literally CANNOT get a supermajority in either branch of the house given the political sorting of the population, and changes in job growth areas since China got full trade status and NAFTA. If people would blame the correct person- it’s Clinton who transformed our economy & put the nail in the coffin of our manufacturing base; but don’t be fooled, the trench for the coffin was already in place along with the coffins- thanks to Reagan & Thatcher in England. THEY changed the entire value system of our society and intentionally crippled the middle class (11 tax hikes to the middle class!!!). So where was every one here bitching about this? In the streets? Showing up at senate offices demanding those hikes be rescinded? Why are we paying taxes on social sec when we give our money to the govt to make money off of for 40+ years? Shouldn’t we be earning interest ffs? Why didn’t anyone insist all of this Reagan kneecapping be undone? Where was everyone?

Further, blaming Obama and Biden for not passing things is patently stupid- neither of them ever had enough of a majority in either house to do squat, so what they *did* do- the ACA, infrastructure, climate, etc was to be commended. Btw, a SCOTUS seat was stolen from Obama. Why weren’t we in the streets? Where were the economic strikes and unrest demanding govt work as it should? You know what? NO WHERE. No one was anywhere because you know, the Kardashians were on/kids had to be picked up/omg I can’t do a 1 day economic strike bc of my Amazon prime subscriptions and…whatever.

Let’s point our fingers where they belong: at ourselves.

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Oops another propagandized person crying about trump supporters again. Why even bother to come to this site if you think you know better.

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You remind me of James Carville!

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I really wish that those amerikans who sorta see through the mess of their political structure and yet appear unable to cope with a simple reality, that both of amerika's only two permitted political parties (that's some democracy you have there!) have been corrupted beyond redemption so that an alternative must be found by ordinary normal amerikans operating outside the accepted norms or fascism will become much more firmly rooted in their nation and getting rid of it will be a long and very bloody process.

These people who criticise former Dims voters and continually whine "what you think Trump will be better?" as if they are explaining some great and previously unknown truth aren’t just missing the point, they have incredibly short memories.

After 2016 when the DNC nomination for president totally failed to gain what should have been a simple win over Trump thanks to a combination of terrible strategy, a known to be disliked candidate and hubris of the most arrogant type, instead of doing the obvious, that is accepting Dims policies had become toxic to traditional dims voters, they did what they have done every time this happened previously. With exactly the same long term negative result. That is instead of acknowledging the large effect of the so-called 'Bernie Bros' by adopting some policies that advantaged ordinary working people, Tom Perez was installed as chair of the DNC and the party adopted policies damn close to those of the Rethugs. The chief difference twixt the two being that unlike trump, biden & co made no attempt to actually communicate with working class voters.

They were labouring under the delusion that these now former Dims voters "had nowhere else to go".

It was enough for genocide joe to get a marginal victory over the Rethugs thanks to extremely shallow deceits promoted in corporate media outlets that not only was trump under Russian influence, he was bent on destroying 'democracy'.

Inevitably the truth surfaced about Russiagate and genocide joe revealed himself to be the one who had the most deleterious effect on amerikan 'democracy' with his administration's determined attacks on freedom of speech.

Equally unfortunately exactly the same thing will happen again when genocide joe is thrashed in the 2024 prez beauty contest. That is instead of loudly advocating far more working class empathetic policies from both their minority pulpits in Congress, then following up on those policies after a success with the half term election in 2026, the Dims will continue to kiss corporate butt. It may even get worse than that. That will be if those fraudsters in the squad are given sufficient oxygen to promote the policies they never follow through on pre 2026 half terms, then revert back to bizness as usual once the Dims actually gain a majority.

This is exactly what has destroyed amerikans’ faith in their system of government yet have no doubt about another rinse and repeat. How else can a careerist pol get ahead? The greed & mendacity required to be granted the 'privilege' of a nomination by a DNC which sticks its nose into branch business with impunity virtually guarantees that all who hold a seat are corrupt.

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You are absolutely correct.

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I think this hits it all right on the head. The politicians all want to play the blame game while they fleece everyone. They want us all to be looking in the wrong direction as they gut the economy until there is nothing left. What will happen to the people in the once United States when there is nothing left but despair and hunger? Will there be food riots and others like it? As Trump has promised to federalize the state national guards to quell riots, how many people are willing to die in order to take back the government? Or will they? Maybe there will be some sporadic protests that the authorities will break up violently as a show of force, similar to the ill-fated Black Lives Movement and Americans will quickly learn to accept the new status quo. Will any of the working class be any better off? No. They will quickly learn that the GOP with Trump at the head will just make their lives worse. What Democrats that are left, will be in name only as they scurry to their holes in fear of their lives. This is the future of the United States within the next ten years.

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Worse still, there will be NO FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY.

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That is being slowly taken away right now, along with body autonomy for women, freedom of the press and the other rights granted in the first amendment. First, Trump wants to solidify his position, then he will eventually rewrite or do away altogether with the constitution. He has said this publically at his rallies already. Unfortunately, the wrong people are listening. Listen or read Thom Hartmann, Chris Hedges, my podcast, The Village Oak Tree and several others. We are all trying very hard to wake people up to what's coming in November.

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The opening salvo was fired in Nov. 1999 during the huge anti WTO demonstration now known as the Battle of Seattle. I know because I was there. Churches, unions, eco-activists, small businesses, organizations of scientists, activist poor people, small farmers, students, alt. economists, and indigenous nations, people local and from around the world, came together. We opposed a future where everyone not of the econ/pol elite was systematically excluded. Since this was about an international treaty, rights enumerated in the U.S. Constitution and that of WA state did not apply. Groups of people were rounded up by police and the military and transported to large fenced-in cages. Since then police even in small towns have become militarized. They're prepared to do way more than just tear gas us demonstrators. Right to assembly, right to a trial, and every other right don't mean much if you're dead.

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Thank you for this comment, Rafi. It's exactly what I was warning about. Refusing to vote for Biden is sort of like cutting off your nose to spite your face, though that's not the right metaphor. But you know what I mean.

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You've misunderstood me. I despise Biden and the elitist neolib Ds; I fought their usurpation of the party. For good reason--they dumped the New Deal and abandoned labor. What did they do for the Rust Belt? What did they do to the Wall St. manipulators who caused the '08 crash? Nothing! Under whose admin did deregulation happen? These same people support the WTO and whatever else their corporate sponsors want.

Gushing praise for Biden as an FDR is vomit inducing Newspeak. FDR was openly and explicitly opposed to the finance big money manipulators. Nothing in a blue suit Biden and the D cabal never criticize an econ system where devastation of communities and destruction of ecosystems are considered mere externalities. Yeah, once in awhile nice words. They know the Rs will kill any reform...not that the Ds really want it, either. Their rightward swing, which started in the late '70s, helped enable the Rs to go full on crazy.

Lesser of two evils?!! How can anyone say that with a straight face? And as for spiting it...well, the neo Gilded Age Dems cut out my heart. I refuse to give them any more.

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OK, Rafi, so be it.

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I also see that we have been a corporate fascist country, increasingly serving the corporate military industrial/oil/wall street elite, for some time and in that light I have a question about both 2024 Presidential candidates, both old Senex men - one with an Icarus/Zeusian delusion of world power flying closer and closer to the Sun who clearly runs the risk of his brain being well fried, certainly by age 85; and the other already incoherent, certainly a felon, and now kept on a leash by his GOP handlers (Project 2025). It seems like they are both straw men or corporate lapdogs. My question is: what, if any, is the role/function of such a figurehead president in a fascist oligarchy/plutocracy and how long can that facade last? When we talk about "Trump" or "Biden", we talk as if they hold real power, as if they themselves were running this show. Even they think, or are encouraged to think, they are running this show. I don't know the antidote - third party? enough people waking up to how destructive capitalism has become? a creative solution waiting to be born? but I do fervently hope that this rogue ship and its allies, so destructive to our world and all of life, can still change course.

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I think it must start with limitations on campaign finance and ability to “donate” to a candidate. It’s too bad the Supreme Court couldn’t have seen the absolute insanity of not limiting the money. As long as super pacs etc. can keep buying the favour of government ‘representatives’ then the moneyed few will rule over all.

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Thank you Paul. I'm afraid the Supreme Court saw all too clearly.

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Senex men?

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I was referring to the Jungian Senex (Latin term) archetype of the old man. The positive pole would be the true elder, the wise man. But these men who dominate would represent the negative pole of inflexibility, cynicism, the will to power, conservatism and rigidity (leading to increasing impulses towards death). This can define an individual, a country or a whole aging culture. Senex, when it defines a true wise elder, will always stay in touch with its balance in the Puer Aeternus archetype of youthful creativity, passion/empathy/feelings and imagination, the roots of fresh new life.

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The wise old man (also called senex, sage or sophos) is an archetype as described by Carl Jung...

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But does Chris actually talk to Trump voters? I know many and none of them are "Christian fascists, whatever that is." News flash: Trump is not a Christian, not an evangelical either. Most Trump voters are under no illusions about Trump. They know that he is vulgar, short attention span and getting old. But he speaks to the issues people care about, even if they know he probably wont solve them. At least he will make an effort to stop millions of migrants coming into the USA ( sorry Chris, ordinary Americans do not think this is a good idea, and they know who foots the bill for it, us). Trump voters are against the endless wars, because their kids or relatives are in the military. They see the hypocrisy of the democrats about Gaza, even if they are not pro Palestine, at least Trump voters are not pro genocide.

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Immigration and hate and ignorance is all Trump has. Please don't try to defend the indefensible. The migrants are a net plus to this country. The Trump anti-war faction is invisible, as they are nationalists, and strongly pro-military. Of course they are pro-genocide aw they are complicit and are paying for it and not objecting.

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Immigrants could/should be a net plus but they cannot be as long as (i) there is insufficient infrastructure, particularly accommodation, for current citizens let alone new citizens and (ii) the dims who continue to advocate for increased migration continue to refuse to institute an equitable minimum wage policy but continue to allow hundreds of thousands people in under unregulated immigration.

Ultimately all they are doing is forcing down the standard of living for all, migrants and established citizens whilst greatly advancing the incomes of the already wealthy. How could any ordinary normal working class citizen in their right mind possibly support such a policy?

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What we have now is pure FASCISM. Don’t understand your article….

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There is no democrats or republicans. There is only them vs us. Because we don’t believe in killing, stepping over others, ignoring humanity, fight even when we are being terrorized, speak out no matter what, believe in a better future and honor those that see the truth like Arnold Bushnell. Genocide joe and lunatic trump can only push us to vote third party. We must go out and shout third party and stop the killing.

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Mr. Aaron Bushnell - not Arnold

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Disappointing to see Mr. Hedges throw the poorly-defined, fear-mongering, label of fascist at Trump. I would expect to read this kind of panicked pearl-clutching in the NY Times, or Washington Post, and am sorry to see it in my inbox.

You put "Deep State" in scare quotes as if it doesn't exist, as if there isn't a well-entrenched bureaucracy which carries out its own agenda independent of popular will. You also seem ignorant of the fact that media and every government institution from FBI to CIA to the Justice Dept. have been weaponized against Trump in his bid for reelection. Have you not been paying any attention to domestic politics, or has the mainstream media bias just wormed its way into your thinking?

I see your quotes reference Axios and the NY Times as sources, so it appears to clearly be the latter. Might I recommend paying more attention to independent liberal media voices such as Glenn Greenwald and less to the pro-war, pro-Israel mainstream media? It has clearly clouded your thinking.

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