Political Awakening Video Weekend 03-09-2019 (12 videos)

Great speech by and discussion with Chris Hedges, great conversation between Ralph Nader and Noam Chomsky, great economic and social insights from Richard Wolff, a great exposure of the surveillance capitalism turning us all into bots by Shoshana Zuboff interviewed by Amy Goodman, amazing new insights on Venezuela from Greg Palast interviewed by Jimmy Dore. Yanis Varoufakis speaking about the antidemocratic European cartel and the fight for liberty and justice in Europe. And there is more: such as the psychology of conservatives and progressives, the destruction of our social human bonds by capitalism, neoliberals beginning to recognize their faults, and updates on Net Neutrality and the media war.

List:

1. Great Chris Hedges Speech and Discussion
2. Nader & Chomsky Conversation
3. Economic Update
4. The New Surveillance Industry Turns us into Their Bots
5. Amazing New Insights on Venezuela
6. Solidarity vs Tribalism
7. Rules-Following Conservatives vs Creative Progressives
8. The Social Poison of Capitalism
9. The Oh-So-Wholesome ‘Center’ in Politics
10. Wall Street “Dem” Admits their Failures
11. Net Neutrality Update
12. Media War

Note: Over time these video weekend posts have grown to a very large size. For now they are shrinking since I am stuck in continued education costing me much time in an effort to resurrect a former career to rescue myself from sweatshops and precarious short-term/regular-un/and-frequent-under-employment. You still got hours of enlightening stuff to watch for your weekend, though, instead of pointless sports, bad entertainment, and cable propaganda “news”. Enjoy:

 

I. Great Chris Hedges Speech and Discussion

… from early April 2016, I think, probably shared by me before, but worth witnessing again:

(Note: If the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Constructing Rebellion, The Overthrow of Corporate Tyrrany – Chris Hedges”)

Political Awakening Video Weekend 01-05-2019 (16 videos)

Our mentality is the basis for deprivation or change. This video compilation digs into a lot of that as well as other important things like fake politics, harmful economics, and Medicare for All as a fighting ground to democratize our economy (by Kelly Coogan-Gehr from National Nurses United), and so forth. — Information like this, which you never see on the mainstream media, is the education we need to bring about positive change.

Topics:

1. Mentality for Change
2. Our Destructive System
3. The Anti-Left “Democrats”
4. The Alleged Progressive Wave in the “D” Party
5. Sick Mentality: Money, Status, & Pride
6. Sick & Healthy Mentality: Generosity vs Greed
7. Democratizing Healthcare & the Economy
8. Encouragement for 2019
9. Government For or Against the People
10. Secret Wall Street Bail-Outs
11. World Politics: Brazil
12. Robots and Ethics
13. AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez)

Video Weekend 09-29-2018 (13 videos)

Stars: Jimmy Dore, Nomiki Konst, Ralph Nader, Abby Martin, RJ Eskow, Thomas Frank, Richard Wolff, Mike Figueredo, Andrea Witte, Mike Papantonio, Kaniela Ing, Frank Clemente, Thom Hartmann, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Kyle Kulinski. Content: Medicare for All financing, the current and next tax scam, important historic developments which got us into today’s mess, great new candidates, and much more. Categories:

1. Medicare for All (esp. Costs & Funding)
2. Taxes (Good & Bad)
3. “Democratic” Party Analysis
4. Bully Politics & War Crimes
5. Past & Present (Ralph Nader & Abby Martin)
6. Corrupt Corporate State & Tax System
7. True vs Fake Progressives
8. Corruptitian Lies
9. History Shames Us
10. Candidates: Nomiki Konst

 

I. Medicare for All (esp. Costs & Funding)

(Note: If the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for The Humanist Report, Mike Figueredo, and the title: “How We Pay for Medicare for All: An In-Depth Breakdown (w/ Andrea Witte)”)

Political Awakening Video Weekend 09-09-2018 (18 videos)

This weekend compilation of enlightening videos once again enriches our understanding to survive and change our warped and rigged world:

1. Socialist Ideas (Bernie)
2. Democracy Without Power Peddlers (Chris Hedges et al.)
3. System Critique (Ralph Nader et al.)
4. Capitalism/Corp. State (Thom Hartmann, Jimmy Dore, et al.)
5. Worker-Squeezing & Corporate Propaganda War (Mike Papantonio)
6. Healthcare Issues (Jesse V., Brigida S., Ralph Nader, Rosemary Gibson)
7. The R&D-Takedown of a Government for the People (Jimmy Dore et al.)
8. Corruption in America (Thom Hartmann)
9. Capitalist Culture (Lee Camp et al.)
10. Rule Change Attempts (Bernie Sanders)
11. Public Brainwash, Censorship, Media War (Abby Martin & Jimmy Dore)
12. Dem’s Fake Resistance re Fed. Judges & Kavanaugh (Mike Figueredo)
13. Bernie Setting the Bar (Mike Figueredo)

 

Political Awakening Video Weekend 08-26-2018 (11 videos)

Once again a lively and very informative mix of videos to grow our political awakening, awareness, and ideas. Stars: Ralph Nader, Mike Figueredo, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), Jimmy Dore, Richard Wolff, Chris Hedges, Nomi Prins, Ana Kasparian, The Rational National, Emma Vigeland, and our future president Nick Braña (in order of appearance). Topics:

1. System Analysis
2. How to Pay for a Good Country
3. Systemic Inequality through Exploitation
4. Our D-R Ping-Pong-Politics
5. The Banksters’ World
6. Fascist-Style Opinion Suppression (in the U.S.!)
7. Our Culture’s Distorted Mentality
8. Exiling Dissident Americans
9. Federal Jobs Guarantee Explained
10. People’s Party

Sorry for being late (Sunday). I mentioned my forced lack of time in my Friday post titled “We Need a Considerate Compassionate Culture”.  

Video Weekend 06-02-2018 (15 videos)

More fun than usual. Today’s compilation of politically educational online videos — intended for the weekend when we can make some time to educate ourselves or to relax over more enriching footage than some overpaid guys chasing a ball — is a bit lighter in spirit than it so often turns out, thanks to a bit more humor having been sprinkled in. Topics:

1. The Evangelical Dark Side
2. How to Talk Politics
3. The Lying Top
4. Dem Takeover
5. Amazing Progressive Campaign (Wow!)
6. Economy
7. Nativist Supremacy (+ Humor)
8. Totalitarianism on the Rise

 

I. The Evangelical Dark Side

Today’s Video Weekend starts out with a video that honors Newsbroke which just went to the grave. (at least for now, there will be no new castings by Newsbroke)

Purported Christians doing evil as their religious duty:

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Why Does The Religious Right Worship A Sinner? “)

And since we are on the topic…

Evangelical terrorists (trying to bring about Armageddon):

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “How White Evangelicals Sold Their Soul to Donald Trump To Bring About Armageddon”)

And why it is so sweet…:

Give the priest class private jets:

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Televangelist Wants Regular Folks To Pay For His 4th Private Jet”)

And since preachers and corrupt politicians are so skilled at messing with people’s heads, let’s take a look at how to effectively frame conversations:

 

II. How to Talk Politics

Frame On! How to get through to people:

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “How words change minds: The science of storytelling | Nat Kendall-Taylor | TEDxMidAtlanticSalon“)

Of course, this is nothing new to the ruling class and their minions. They have manipulated us with psychological tricks and blatant lies for ages. Time to take another look at them…

 

III. The Lying Top

Lying governments and media:

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “All Governments Lie and so does their Corporate Media”)

 

IV. Dem Takeover

~50% success rate in replacing establishment “Democrats” with people’s representatives:

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Our Revolution Just Won SEVEN Races“)

Analysis: Is this 50% success in the primaries actually taking over (and “reforming”) the “Democratic” Party from within? I don’t think so. I’d say it’s 50% success only with step #1. After the first step comes battling the mechanics and top-down control within the party where further setbacks will occur. Remember, once elected, representatives have to put up with stonewalling, stalling, party pressure, marginalization, exclusion, compromise deals, and worry about re-election. So, sooner or later they have much cause to taper down their goals, ally with the establishment politicians, take Big Money to revive their campaigns, and give up the ever more hopeless-looking resistance against the almighty party top steeped in money and corruption. This is pretty much what I have been predicting for about a year: some short term success, but no chance of long term success unless hefty outside pressure is also brought to bear (from independents and third/new parties, or even better: a coordinated people’s coalition). Merely slipping in a few good people at the bottom of the cesspool won’t suffice to clean it up.

Politicians of stolen wealth pretending to represent us (unlike Robin Hood, they don’t steal from the rich and share with the poor; they do the opposite: enabling the super-rich to steal more from the poor and for that get their cut while in office — the Clintons have been doing the exact same thing, btw):

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: »Heckler Confronts Pelosi “Whats Your Net Worth!?!?“ -«)

The privileged don’t care to question and replace the rigged system:

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Nancy Pelosi Repels Young People On CNN Town Hall“)

 

V. Amazing People’s Candidate Campaign (Wow!)

Wow! Wow! A must-watch! Alexandria, running on public campaign financing and the power of grassroots, managed to make an ad. And what an ad it is!

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Powerful Ad Has Corporate Dems Shook: ‘Not All Democrats Are The Same’“)

 

VI. Economy

More on BS jobs created by our warped system (one of the discoveries to lead to the conclusion that we need not make people work more but rather distribute better what we already have and produce (e.g. a UBI instead of limitless dividends for the rich)):

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Bullsh** Jobs Are Invading America!“)

When we would decide how to apply our improved mechanized productivity, we might choose to cover all our needs while working less and and living more (at least I would), but when a few holders of robbed and hoarded wealth got to make the big decisions, they instead revved up production past what we need and kept us shackled in excessive working hours lest we have time to think and take a stand for better lives:

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Why Infinite Growth Can‘t Work“)

 

VII. Nativist Supremacy (+ Humor)

One of the last Newsbroke videos: White supremacy hiding behind linguistics (as always a tool to keep the privileged privileged by recruiting the less privileged over issues of skin color, language, and what not… you know, identity politics).

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Powerful White Nationalists Behind the ‘English Only‘ Movement“)

Comment: If you ask me, the English language is quickly deteriorating in both the U.S. and the U.K. (and maybe elsewhere)? Past subjunctive, past perfect, and even past participles distinct from past tense are disappearing quickly (example: I have gone = correct. I have went = wrong but increasingly common). Muricans and Brits are losing their timeline. And then the spreading use of “of” in place of “have”! It tickles me in funny ways when people who are not in full command of their own native language deride others over being slow to learn it or over daring to use another tongue once in a while, say when they prefer not to be eavesdropped upon or have something important to discuss for which their still deficient second language doesn’t quite suffice yet. Or because Spanish is far more capable of communicating love and affection than English ever was or will be…

Uhm… so what really is English? Here’s a bit of humor on the topic:

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Rude Americans – Do you speak English? “)

Or how about Brits making fun of American vocab? It’s titled “Americans Don’t Understand English”.

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Americans Don’t Understand English – The Jonathan Ross Show “)

Now imagine me going off about the decay of pronunciation in the U.K., such as when Mark Blyth makes astute commentaries about our economy and politics and is so darn hard to understand with all those missing consonants? I mean, there are some profound-seeming videos with him talking that I haven’t shared because they were just too unintelligible in spoken form (same goes for some Austrians).

 

VIII. Totalitarianism on the Rise

Below all the flashy and noisy political battles, totalitarianism is quietly creeping in. Connect the dots to see it. How antidemocratic plutocratic forces establish totalitarian power (right out of Hitler’s playbook):

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “How Authoritarians Take Over Democracy Part One”)

Part 2 (ok)
Part 3 (good)

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Ending Note: It takes me at least 100 hours of spare time each month to research and write news updates and analyses and work on my book. Please widely share links to these articles, so this work is not for naught. You can also help in other ways (including much needed financial support). Only together can we change this messed-up world. Let’s do it! 🙂

 

Good and Bad Tradition

If you can’t think for yourself (or believe that you can’t) you prefer to leave the thinking to the traditions into which you were born. If those traditions are well-balanced, you and those around you may benefit from them. But how can you know if they are actually good traditions if you forfeit your ability to think like a smart human and instead live the instinctive life of an animal that lives its preprogrammed life? Don’t you throw away the greatest gift of humanity, the ability to evaluate, analyze, and improve things?

The theme I am discussing in this short piece is one of the two main pillars of Republican-co-opted conservatism: the placement of tradition over thinking. (Blind faith in authority is the other.) I am not saying that conservatism is bad. Good things deserve to be preserved. But do bad things deserve to be preserved, too? I don’t think so.  

Sharp Analysis of Running Independent

When we want necessary change and no more corrupt politicians, we get mocked and told that we’re showing up to a knife fight with a spoon. I say, when a true people’s candidate tries to run for office within a major party that cheats him out of the race, that is showing up to a knife fight with a spoon. Leaving such a corrupt party to run as an independent is picking up a gun, because either winning or being a “spoiler” will topple the corrupt party bosses who cheated the honest candidate that way (at least when he is running against one of of them). Mike Figueredo sees Tim Canova’s courageous move the same way:

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Tim Canova Running as an Independent Against Wasserman Schultz”)

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Ending Note: It takes me at least 100 hours a month to research and write for this site and work on my book. Please widely share links to these articles or help in any other ways. Only together can we change this messed-up world. 🙂

So Funny and True (a hilarious political video)

Except for calling the corrupted wing of the “Democratic” party “centrist”. The real term is corporatist (A.K.A. neoliberal, A.K.A. neocon, A.K.A. plutocratic, kleptocratic, gravy train, graftist, corrupt…).

(The “BernieWouldaWon” slight, if I understand it correctly, is a bit off too, in my book at least, since nationwide election theft – whether in the primaries or elsewhere – is not a trifle, but the rest of this sketch is truly delightful.)

So, anyway, have a lot of fun watching Francesca Fiorentini’s clever rant in this witty, spot-on Newsbroke video:

 

(Note: if the video linked above gets deleted, you may search the Internet for the title: “Democrat Vs. Democrat: The Fight Between Progressives And Centrists”)

Have a happy start of the week! ;-p

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Ending Note: It takes me at least 100 hours a month to research and write for this site and work on my book. Please widely share links to these articles or help in other ways. Only together can we change this messed-up world. 🙂

 

Epiphany on the “Leftist Media” Myth

For ages I boggled at the right-wing claim of the corporate media being left-wing when ALL the corporate media were so obviously anti-left. How could right-wingers not recognize that ALL the mass media were propounding right-wing views while blocking, mocking, and smearing left-wing views? The math just didn’t add up to me.