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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Here’s one of the most powerful speeches you’ll ever hear, given by the junior senator from Connecticut, Chris Murphy, speaking on racism and violence, and how it’s used to the political advantage of certain demagogues.

People like Donald Trump exploit Americans’ instinct toward violence, which was born of our history of slavery of blacks and mass slaughter of the Indians.  They manipulate us into division, into feelings of fear, and hate, while ensuring that we have unlimited access to high-powered assault weapons, so as to maximize the number of gun deaths that result.  This cycle expands as it repeats, further perpetuating that division, fear, and hate.

“It’s a choice,” Murphy reminds us.  “We can elect leaders who unite us in peace,” or those who pull us apart, and grow ever-more powerful as the carnage rips through our society. “It’s a decision, and it falls upon us.”

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

I’m not sure this is something the U.S. hard-line right-wing doesn’t already understand.  Fox News, Newsmax, OAN, and the others don’t exist by accident.

Look at Vladimir Putin.  How far do you think he would have gotten in Ukraine if the common Russian people had access to anything but pure bullshit?

Of course, Americans, for the time being at least, can open the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal.  They can tune into some semblance of the truth on TV, or choose a website that seems to do a good job.

Having right-wing media outlets is a necessary condition for political success of would-be dictators, but will it be a sufficient one?  We’ll see.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

It’s been a while since I mentioned that Pope Francis is among the most compassionate leaders of a large group of people that humankind has ever known.

The meme here, of course, is a reference to the Catholic archbishop of San Francisco’s denying Nancy Pelosi the rite of Holy Communion because of her position on abortion.

My understanding of organized religions isn’t too strong, but I would have said that welcoming sinners was an integral part of the package.  What’s it good for if not that (other than enabling priests to satisfy their sexual desires on young boys)?

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

This gem is from 20th Century American astronomer and philosopher Carl Sagan.

There is no reason to expect that organized human civilization will persist indefinitely, even under the best of circumstances.  And these aren’t exactly “the best of circumstances,” are they?

It’s possible that our experiment with democracy is at an end, as the United States is facing enormous internal pressures to join countries like Russia, China, Turkey and Hungary, not to mention the dozens of other autocracies.

If that’s the case, it will prove what many sages have been saying for the last 2500 years, i.e., that the common person is simply too stupid to govern himself.  (They probably put it more elegantly.)

It’s also possible that we’ve lost the battle to mitigate climate change and the other factors that could mean environmental collapse, before it’s too late.

Yet we all need to try our best.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

How to explain Newsmax to those who may be unfamiliar with it?

How about this: It’s like Fox News, but without all the deeply sincere concern for truth, accuracy, fairness, objectivity, and journalistic integrity.

OK, but is it possible that what they claim here is true, i.e., that, at least at one point in time, its ratings topped CNN?  Of course.  Hell, even I watch it from time to time to understand exactly how stupid and insane some of my fellow Americans are.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Here’s a guy with everything required to be a successful politician in Louisiana: white, tall, jutting chin, and a remarkable indifference to the well-being of black people.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Morgan Freeman

A couple of responses:

There is a difference about disagreeing on matters of opinion vs.  issues of basic morality.  Good people are not friendly with racists, bullies, authoritarians, criminals, pathological liars, etc.

“Hate” is a strong word; it’s one that doesn’t apply well to truly kind and enlightened people, characteristics that most of us aspire to have.   Thus the phrase, “Hate the sin; love the sinner.”  In many cases, I feel sorry for mean and ignorant people.  That’s not a pleasant way to go through life.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

From this piece on Shell Oil and climate collapse:

A long-time Shell consultant based in the United Kingdom quit with a bang on Monday, condemning the fossil fuel giant for its dangerous efforts to expand oil and gas production despite numerous scientific warnings about the need for swift decarbonization to avert climate disaster. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Here’s a conversation on the photo at left that I’m having with a reader who happens to be a Trump supporter.

Craig:  I try not to point to individual mental lapses (like saluting an enemy general) as evidence of incompetence. If you could see my intellection at its worst, I don’t think you’d be too impressed.
Reader:  I have never seen that photo until TODAY.  Why? Where’s it been?
Craig:  I’ve seen that photo many times over the years; it’s been a talking point for the Never Trumpers for quite a while. Again, I don’t go there; we all have brain farts.
I think we need to concern ourselves to a far greater degree with issues of character. E.g., it’s looking like Trump conspired to overthrow the U.S. government. That’s not good.
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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Many of those on the far right tell us that the principal reason for our woes as a society is our failure to integrate God into our governmental affairs.

All I’ll say about this is that it clearly was not the viewpoint of the Founding Fathers.

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