Dave S

Something I learned early was that I needed a partner who could discuss things with me at the same level. Not lots smarter. Not someone I could out-argue. I got lucky. Now, 50 years later, she keeps me sane, laughs at my jokes, and shows me that we've had a great life together.

Fascists worship only the chief fascist. This is the religion of Trump. All other religions are subservient. If they do not bend the knee, they are cast out.

If you are going to disagree, do so agreeably. Separate the person from the issue. Show respect to them. Be kind. Don't make them want to fight you. Listen, fully, first. Ask focused questions. Look for musts and maybes. Find holes in the logic. Help them see. Let them say they are wrong.

Putin hit the wolf pack. Trump hit the wasps' nest. Putin is being ripped apart. Trump is viciously stung. Both are hurting bad. Both dangerous.

One of the great achievements of the populist right is politicization of science, thereby turning science into ideology, opinion and belief rather than hard-won proof. They also don't get proof as accepting a finding until a better one is found. Any such uncertainty is taken as proof of falsehood.

A new view of Trump potential: Copying El Salvador's Bukele in mass jailing of everyone even suspected of being a criminal.

Private ownership extracts profit. Public ownership serves people. Done badly, private ownership prioritises the short term and so exhausts and starves to death. Done badly, public ownership ignores the short term and so wastes time and resource.

Alarming list of all the many things Trump is doing and may do to rig the midterms. If he does, the only answer is a general strike. youtu.be/bmqPLYht22g?...

How can an election be killed? 1. Prevent voting. Eg. Purge people from voter lists. Make it hard to vote. 2. Prevent count. Eg. Seize ballots. Hold up counting. 3. Invalidate count. Eg. Suggest corruption. Blame voting machines. 4. Invalidate result. Eg. Declare emergency. Claim conspiracy.

Poor Russia. They were on a path to widespread prosperity, then Putin took over. Imagine the anguish of citizens who glimpsed the light before the darkness returned. Now, again, everyone knows but nobody dares speak. Is this what is coming to America?

Wealth is stored power. Wealth attracts wealth, thereby multiplying power.

Dark Tetrad summary: 1. Narcissism = Me, me, me. 2. Psychopathy = Manipulating. 3. Machiavellianism = Uncaring. 4. Sadism = Cruel. The worst do one. The very worst do all. Remind you of anyone?

Trump's mind probably looks like one of the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File%3A...

In Britain, Conservatives are blue and Labour is red, which once reflected their communist leaning. In America, Republicans are red, which is increasingly apt. All it needs now is a hammer and sickle. Ronald Reagan must be spinning in his grave.

Imagine being an unredeemable racist, and there's a black guy who is better than you in all ways. Worst of all, he's very popular. Prediction: If Trump steals the midterms, he'll start imprisoning his enemies list. And way out front is Barack Obama.

The Dark Triad: 1. Narcissism: Me, first and last. 2. Psychopathy: Controlling others. 3. Machiavellianism: Ends justify means. The Dark Tetrad adds: 4. Sadism: The joy of cruelty.

Efficiency Not doing more for less. Try doing more with less.

"Caring could be seen as the far right’s meta-target. The “suicidal empathy” theme now crops up repeatedly ... : a professed belief that those who care about other people or species should be destroyed by those who don’t. This belief, by definition, is psychopathic."

Trump is clearly planning something that obviates any concern for votes.

Before Trump: . I wasn't interested in federal politics. . I didn't know what a demagogue was. . I couldn't name the Vice-President. . I didn't know what the federal reserve was. . I'd never been on a protest march. . I could afford gas, food and beer.

Alberta stays with Canada, despite help for secessionists from the White House. This scuppers Trump's plan to woo them into the USA, then grab the oil and eat the rest of Canada one territory at a time.

UK PM Margaret Thatcher said "There is no such thing as society". Putin denies the existence of a separate Ukraine. And what, exactly do Trump and co think about America? Because a society or nation means benevolence. Caring about its citizens. And respecting the reality and sovereignty of others.

The natural destination of Capitalism is extreme inequality, which then leads on to social collapse or authoritarianism. Democracy moderates and sustains capitalism, though not without a fight. At the moment, capitalism is winning. The midterms will be massively decisive.

There's a steep decline in declarations of gender and identity. Why? I'd suspect fear. Like it used to be, but worse when you know what it's like to not fear. Worse when the president attacks you. Worse when they are rounding up people they don't like and disappearing them.

We are teetering on the edge of global civil war, where impoverished strivers turn out en masse against unhelpful, deaf governments. But the governments are themselves long captives of private capital and other states. The empty promises of democracy lead to crisis, populists and worse.

We are teetering on the edge of global civil war, where impoverished strivers turn out en masse against unhelpful, deaf governments. But the governments are themselves long captives of private capital. The empty promises of democracy lead to crisis, populists and worse.

Power is gained by pushing the boundaries, doing minor things against the rules. When you get away with it, repeat it until the new boundary is normalized. Then push again. If pushback is too great, step back, wait, then try again, maybe at a different angle. This is a key Trump technique.

Tit-for-tat, is an escalatory engine of argument, conflict and war. An attack, perceived or physical, must be reciprocated with at least as much force. Status is an inner cause. If your attack reduces my social position, then I must drag you lower. An alternative is status-enhancing kindness.

When people are held captive, their bodies can be controlled. The same is true of minds. This is how cults work. The cult first hugs and values you. Then it isolates you. Then it directs you, on pain of punishment. The worst punishment is banishment. The core power of cults is conditional love.

When lawmakers become law breakers, the people rebel and civil society may collapse.

Families, societies and nations have systems of rule makers, followers, breakers and enforcers. Rule makers and enforcers should follow those rules, but what happens when they don't?Unfairness leads to inequality, subversion and outright conflict. This is where America is now.

If prayers work, I'm prayin'. If superstition works, my fingers are crossed. If luck works, I'm rollin' those dice. But most of all, I'M VOTIN'

The photo of Trump and his Ivanka clones is deeply creepy.

Trump is itching for an excuse to cancel the midterms. Iran knows this so won't rise to his provocations.

The Political Right: The poor are poor because they are lazy, bad or stupid. The Political Left: The poor are poor because the rich people oppress them. I suspect a more complex story. In particular, I'd look for a narrative that doesn't default to blame.

To create permanent change, make gains impregnable. Fight on. Increment. Build power. Make gains. Lock in the gains. Defend. Be patient. Learn deeply about those who attack you. Beware overreach. Do not confuse ambition for authority. This can be the hardest part.

Democracy works by distributing power. Voting. Dual chambers. Courts. Local government. Institutions. Independent oversight. Press freedom. Free education. Etc. Authoritarianism works by centralizing power. Eroding and limiting distributed power. Kings. Censorship. Universalism. Etc.

In The Emperor's New Clothes nobody was brave enough to tell the boss he was naked. Now imagine he did it deliberately to test for loyalty and force people into knowing lies. And instead of imaginary clothes, he imagined an election was stolen. And once others told this lie, they were trapped.

Fascist dictators (especially narcissistic ones) don't want competence. They want to be the all-knowing spider in the middle of the web. Clever people who know stuff and seek truth are a threat. So the dictator hires for blind loyalty and low skill.

Are you afraid of voting? Or even just concerned? That maybe you'll be hassled or arrested because of how you look? That somehow they'll know how you voted and there'll be trouble if you voted the 'wrong way'? That your choir won't be counted? Any of these and you don't live in a democracy.

A: You do terrible things. B: You've done the same. A: But that was far less, years ago, to help others, and I still paid the price. B: It still cancels out everything I've done.

The Republican party Is no longer The Republican party. The Republican party Once cared about The constitution, Americans, America. The Republican party Now just cares about money and power. And oligarchs.

This is huge! Fox poll puts corruption as top voter concern, even above affordability.

Individualist: I don't depend on others. Narcissist: I think only of me. Isolationist: I avoid others. Authoritarian: Only I know what's right. -- It's a slippery slope.

Two forms of foolishness: 1. The Curse of Ignorance: you don't know that you don't know, so think you know everything. 2. Willful Ignorance: you choose (or pretend) to not know because knowing would be awkward. The hardest thing to do can also be the simplest. Just say 'I don't know'.

Have extreme views. Feel good and righteous about a long list of enemies. Works for both extreme left and right political positions. youtu.be/HLNhPMQnWu4?...

Dumpster/skip effect: Hire one, then feel the need to fill it. "I've paid for it so I've got to make full use of it." Dumpster/skip fever: Feeling so great after filling one, you hire another.

By driving up oil prices through his Iran war, Trump motivates the world towards clean energy. But his deal with big oil has led to dismantling of alternative energy sources in the USA, thereby accelerating a third-world America.