Submitted for your consideration...

[The Cat]

Ladies and Gentleman Mr Dick Van Dyke:

 

[The Cat]

 

[SensEye]

If Johnson played ball with the Ukraine aid package, the Dems owe him one. They should live up to any closed door commitments if such were made.

Pissing off MTG is just gravy.

 

[The Cat]

Our boats. Do not touch them.

It won't go like you hope.​

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

These people.

I remember in 2004 watching some debate or town hall featuring undecided voters, and my jaw dropped at all the stupid questions these people asked. It wasn't very far off from "Mr. Kerry, why do you love Saddam Hussein?" They were one step up from that.

 

[The Cat]

These people.

I remember in 2004 watching some debate or town hall featuring undecided voters, and my jaw dropped at all the stupid questions these people asked. It wasn't very far off from "Mr. Kerry, why do you love Saddam Hussein?" They were one step up from that.

Let me ask you a serious series of questions I'd like you to consider while remembering, but with the benefit of everything you've learned since 2004: How did you feel when you watched it? Was it discouraging? Did it make you feel like you were surrounded by people you couldn't connect with? Was it...scary? Did you feel hopeless at all?

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Let me ask you a serious series of questions I'd like you to consider while remembering, but with the benefit of everything you've learned since 2004: How did you feel when you watched it? Was it discouraging? Did it make you feel like you were surrounded by people you couldn't connect with? Was it...scary? Did you feel hopeless at all?

Yes. I can't remember more specifically beyond the fact that it gave me a sinking feeling, though. These were the important voters the election was dependent upon. I did feel surrounded by people I couldn't connect with, but that had nothing to do with the election. I wasn't scared at that point; I think I thought the right side would prevail and Americans would exercise sound judgment when push came to shove.

I was scared later. I've heard some people establish the importance of the 2004 election for months, maybe even years, and when it was over, they just shrugged, claiming Kerry wouldn't have been able to do anything and would have gotten blamed for it. This is probably true, but my reaction was "WTF" upon hearing this. I remember how devastated everyone was on social media after the election, and in person. 2004 for me was feeling like that and a large chunk of the people around me not caring, whose sage advice was something like "take a walk". 2004 was like 2016 but there were significantly fewer people who gave a shit about it once it was all over. This made me more suspicious of political fervor which would carry over into the next election.

Did 2004 matter? It would seem at first glance that it didn't. There wasn't much in the second term that could even get passed. They attempted to privatize Social Security and that was a disaster for them. They interfered with Terry Schiavo and that was a disaster. As for a Kerry administration, Kerry was chosen as the nominee because people thought he was "electable", This was probably because people read somewhere that Kerry was a good choice because the Republicans would simply refuse to criticize anyone who was in the military, out of respect for the troops. (Or something like that) Kerry having served in Vietnam was supposed to be some kind of bulletproof armor against Republican attacks. Changing things was not a big part of that campaign; that campaign was "We can do this war on terror thing better than the Bush administration". Based on this, a Kerry presidency would have been rather moderate. I can't imagine much would have been done, and I suspect there would be many concessions to appease Republicans who would nevertheless declare him a tyrant.

When I think about it more, I'm not convinced it didn't matter. I frequently see politics in terms of messages. What message was sent by re-electing those people? The message that you can get away with it, and it's fine because in 12 years many of your harshest critics will see you as a hero, anyway. The consequence is that other people realize that they can do anything they like while in the office because truth doesn't matter, you can go and create your own reality (This indifference to truth and excitement at creating your reality is amazingly not that different from what some progressives believe.) It's no wonder that Donald Trump felt a free hand to behave the way he did given the precedent. Why should Donald Trump expect punishment when his Republican predecessors didn't? It's possible the 2004 Democratic defeat might have paved the way for Donald Trump's post-truth presidency.

 

[The Cat]

Yes. I can't remember more specifically beyond the fact that it gave me a sinking feeling, though. These were the important voters the election was dependent upon. I did feel surrounded by people I couldn't connect with, but that had nothing to do with the election. I wasn't scared at that point; I think I thought the right side would prevail and Americans would exercise sound judgment when push came to shove.

I was scared later. I've heard some people establish the importance of the 2004 election for months, maybe even years, and when it was over, they just shrugged, claiming Kerry wouldn't have been able to do anything and would have gotten blamed for it. This is probably true, but my reaction was "WTF" upon hearing this. I remember how devastated everyone was on social media after the election, and in person. 2004 for me was feeling like that and a large chunk of the people around me not caring, whose sage advice was something like "take a walk". 2004 was like 2016 but there were significantly fewer people who gave a shit about it once it was all over. This made me more suspicious of political fervor which would carry over into the next election.

Did 2004 matter? It would seem at first glance that it didn't. There wasn't much in the second term that could even get passed. They attempted to privatize Social Security and that was a disaster for them. They interfered with Terry Schiavo and that was a disaster. As for a Kerry administration, Kerry was chosen as the nominee because people thought he was "electable", This was probably because people read somewhere that Kerry was a good choice because the Republicans would simply refuse to criticize anyone who was in the military, out of respect for the troops. (Or something like that) Kerry having served in Vietnam was supposed to be some kind of bulletproof armor against Republican attacks. Changing things was not a big part of that campaign; that campaign was "We can do this war on terror thing better than the Bush administration". Based on this, a Kerry presidency would have been rather moderate. I can't imagine much would have been done, and I suspect there would be many concessions to appease Republicans who would nevertheless declare him a tyrant.

When I think about it more, I'm not convinced it didn't matter. I frequently see politics in terms of messages. What message was sent by re-electing those people? The message that you can get away with it, and it's fine because in 12 years many of your harshest critics will see you as a hero, anyway. The consequence is that other people realize that they can do anything they like while in the office because truth doesn't matter, you can go and create your own reality (This indifference to truth and excitement at creating your reality is amazingly not that different from what some progressives believe.) It's no wonder that Donald Trump felt a free hand to behave the way he did given the precedent. Why should Donald Trump expect punishment when his Republican predecessors didn't? It's possible the 2004 Democratic defeat might have paved the way for Donald Trump's post-truth presidency.

Well think about this: Perhaps that is exactly the response intended. Discouraged people are so much easier to manage after all...

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Well think about this: Perhaps that is exactly the response intended. Discouraged people are so much easier to manage

How can one find encouragement?

Actually, I thought of something that might help a little.

 

[The Cat]

How can one find encouragement?

Actually, I thought of something that might help a little.

Would you care to share it with the rest of the class? I can assure you some of the other children are literally dying for a bit of encouragement these days.

But, I suppose the simple answer from my perspective is: One looks for it, and failing to find it, one tries to be the encouragement they wish to see in the world, and maybe it will be reflected back. But in my experience, you find what you look for, one way or another.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Would you care to share it with the rest of the class? I can assure you some of the other children are literally dying for a bit of encouragement these days.

Wait until May 4th. It probably won't be well written, but I feel like I can bang out the opening scenes tomorrow. I'm halfway through the scenes I have mapped out in my head already. Hopefully, other people enjoy it, even if it's just lol'ing at it.

But, I suppose the simple answer from my perspective is: One looks for it, and failing to find it, one tries to be the encouragement they wish to see in the world, and maybe it will be reflected back. But in my experience, you find what you look for, one way or another.

I'm better at some things and not others. I'm not inclined to argue with numbers, given that I don't have a degree in statistics.

 

[The Cat]

Wait until May 4th. It probably won't be well written, but I feel like I can bang out the opening scenes tomorrow. I'm halfway through the scenes I have mapped out in my head already. Hopefully, other people enjoy it, even if it's just lol'ing at it.



I'm better at some things and not others. I'm not inclined to argue with numbers, given that I don't have a degree in statistics.

I'm not inclined to argue with numbers because they don't have mouths....any more.

 

[The Cat]

 

[The Cat]

 

[The Cat]

Life has currents just like any body of water in motion. On some level I think everyone instinctively knows this when they're young, and they come back around it often when they're old. But in the median they forget. And that's why so many people seem to get swept away by one thing or another. Thing is, there's a hell of a rip current in life, and life like the sea is tulmultuous, unpredictable, and un-empty. Is it any wonder so many who get carried away never manage to make it back, and those that do...are not the same people who were swept out to sea...too much of the deep in them.

 

[The Cat]

Foreign Policy​