Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Bernardo de La Paz
Bernardo de La Paz's Journal
Bernardo de La Paz's Journal
December 22, 2018
Only way left for tRump's wall is holding US govt workers hostage. tRump has got nothing but failure
He's had two years leading his party in complete control of the Congress, yet he has been unable to fulfill his central campaign promise: Trump's Folly: his wall.
Central Trump promise: a wall.
He failed.
He can't even get a simple wall built while having complete control of Congress.
Trump is a failure. His base will begin to abandon him now. His demise draws nearer and will be swift in action.
November 13, 2018
When we ask for unity in advance of elections, it is after the primaries and during the time when candidates with Ds beside their names are in front of the voters.
The flip side is that outside of those times we MUST discuss leadership and policies. Have it all out now so that later we can be united again when it counts.
Discussion of leadership and policies can be divisive but it MUST occur. Now is the time.
Now is the time for all the discussion about who is best for the Ds & policies, etc.
When we ask for unity in advance of elections, it is after the primaries and during the time when candidates with Ds beside their names are in front of the voters.
The flip side is that outside of those times we MUST discuss leadership and policies. Have it all out now so that later we can be united again when it counts.
Discussion of leadership and policies can be divisive but it MUST occur. Now is the time.
November 4, 2018
Shouting for them to die is as wise as commanding the sea to calm itself. It would be as successful as demanding that we go back to hand assembled vacuum tube radios.
It's not going to happen. It's not the problem. It's a solution and a good thing.
The problem is the inequality of distribution of wealth and income. Too much is concentrated in too few hands for the good of society. A civilization as powerful and capable as on that has robots and Lean manufacturing techniques is one that can afford health care for all and a roof over every head with clean water and comfort in old age.
Robots & Lean Manufacturing techniques are NOT going to die. Get used to it. Yesterday if not sooner
Shouting for them to die is as wise as commanding the sea to calm itself. It would be as successful as demanding that we go back to hand assembled vacuum tube radios.
It's not going to happen. It's not the problem. It's a solution and a good thing.
The problem is the inequality of distribution of wealth and income. Too much is concentrated in too few hands for the good of society. A civilization as powerful and capable as on that has robots and Lean manufacturing techniques is one that can afford health care for all and a roof over every head with clean water and comfort in old age.
September 13, 2018
It is concentration of ownership that is a problem, not ownership. If the shares were more widely distributed, the companies would be the same size but there would be fewer people worth $100 million and many more people worth $100 thousand.
The top-heavy disparity in wealth and income is unsustainable. Such situations tend to end in:
* Economic collapse / crash, possibly accompanied by or precipitated by violent revolution
* Peaceful redistribution by higher taxes on corporations and/or rich and ultra-rich people who have benefited greatly from infrastructure and social expenditure by governments.
Ultra rich people are not lacking in money for corporate investment. Those kinds of opportunities can be increased by societal spending. When you give the rich and ultra-rich a huge tax give-away, they park the money in things like art and real estate which inflates the prices of those things but does not increase production or productivity.
No. The distribution of wealth & income is the problem, not the company size.
It is concentration of ownership that is a problem, not ownership. If the shares were more widely distributed, the companies would be the same size but there would be fewer people worth $100 million and many more people worth $100 thousand.
The top-heavy disparity in wealth and income is unsustainable. Such situations tend to end in:
* Economic collapse / crash, possibly accompanied by or precipitated by violent revolution
* Peaceful redistribution by higher taxes on corporations and/or rich and ultra-rich people who have benefited greatly from infrastructure and social expenditure by governments.
Ultra rich people are not lacking in money for corporate investment. Those kinds of opportunities can be increased by societal spending. When you give the rich and ultra-rich a huge tax give-away, they park the money in things like art and real estate which inflates the prices of those things but does not increase production or productivity.
September 8, 2018
Truthful people only have to remember one story. Easy to remain on track with reality.
Liars have more than one story to juggle: reality and their lie.
Compulsive liars have several lies to try to keep straight, so they lose track of the truth.
Trump has so many he has lost track of reality.
September 1, 2018
US runs a trade surplus with Canada (goods and services) and a slight deficit (a few percent) if you only look at goods. And he lies about the specific aspects of automobiles, dairy, metals, and "national security".
Trump can't kick Canada out just by declaring so. NAFTA is a treaty that has been ratified. It takes Congressional action to complete an abrogation of the treaty.
It is not to tRump's advantage, politically, to kick Canada out.
1) He desperately needs a deal, any deal, because he hasn't made any deal with any country. The so-called "deal" with Mexico is only an agreement on a subset of issues.
2) Abrogating NAFTA would be an enormous disruption to the US economy and not to its benefit. Large numbers of tRumpLickers would lose jobs.
3) Other countries would be even more reluctant to trade with the US and would accelerate their movement to trade around the US by trading with each other.
4) If it was an advantage to the US to stop trading with Canada, he would have moved to do so already. Even if it was an advantage to him politically and a detriment to the US, he would have moved already. It is not even an advantage to him politically.
5) Massive punitive tariffs will be reciprocated and have drastic effects on the US economy. But they could be reversed quickly when tRump leaves office.
Finally, tRump has only one trick in his negotiating playbook: act like a bully and hope the other side falls for it.
Trump not going to kick Canada out. He can't kick Canada out. He would have tried if it served him.
US runs a trade surplus with Canada (goods and services) and a slight deficit (a few percent) if you only look at goods. And he lies about the specific aspects of automobiles, dairy, metals, and "national security".
Trump can't kick Canada out just by declaring so. NAFTA is a treaty that has been ratified. It takes Congressional action to complete an abrogation of the treaty.
It is not to tRump's advantage, politically, to kick Canada out.
1) He desperately needs a deal, any deal, because he hasn't made any deal with any country. The so-called "deal" with Mexico is only an agreement on a subset of issues.
2) Abrogating NAFTA would be an enormous disruption to the US economy and not to its benefit. Large numbers of tRumpLickers would lose jobs.
3) Other countries would be even more reluctant to trade with the US and would accelerate their movement to trade around the US by trading with each other.
4) If it was an advantage to the US to stop trading with Canada, he would have moved to do so already. Even if it was an advantage to him politically and a detriment to the US, he would have moved already. It is not even an advantage to him politically.
5) Massive punitive tariffs will be reciprocated and have drastic effects on the US economy. But they could be reversed quickly when tRump leaves office.
Finally, tRump has only one trick in his negotiating playbook: act like a bully and hope the other side falls for it.
August 30, 2018
She states the key point right up front at the 50 second mark. This is supported by scientific studies that I've read about many years before. (Some links below)
Forgiveness has nothing to do with person being forgiven! They don't even have to know. It has to be sincere. It's about release. You can still prosecute someone in a court of law and seek the maximum penalty, if that would serve justice and deter, even after forgiving someone. It's not about forgetting.
You don't have to pay for therapy to do forgiveness. It actually reduces the need for therapy.
It's not about relativity.
It is not about drama.
Forgiveness is about less ego, not more.
It's not about lack of rules, duh. You can sue a person to get your money back even after you forgive them.
It has nothing, NOTHING, to do with submissiveness. Duh. Warriors who forgive are stronger warriors who can fight harder and more focused. An angry warrior is a defeated warrior. A person who forgives and who needs to fight a battle has a lighter load and is more agile because they have thrown away their burden.
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/01/ce-corner.aspx
Forgiveness can improve mental and physical health
Research shows how to get there
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264443222_The_psychology_of_forgiveness
2001. Tons of references even back then.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5320019/
Understanding the Relationship Between State Forgiveness and Psychological Wellbeing: A Qualitative Study
https://internationalforgiveness.com/research.htm
A large list of peer-reviewed empirical studies.
Whoosh. Right over your head. But you are forgiven for missing it.
She states the key point right up front at the 50 second mark. This is supported by scientific studies that I've read about many years before. (Some links below)
Forgiveness has nothing to do with person being forgiven! They don't even have to know. It has to be sincere. It's about release. You can still prosecute someone in a court of law and seek the maximum penalty, if that would serve justice and deter, even after forgiving someone. It's not about forgetting.
You don't have to pay for therapy to do forgiveness. It actually reduces the need for therapy.
Fluid Relativity just oozes here
He did me wrong, I forgive, you won't, I'm better without you, you're a snail and a creep, I needed to move on ... where does it end? Therapy as drama.
It's a world without rules and amorphous social norms and mores now ... sadly ... only solution is communication up front that explores, uncovers, and protects ... as a society we're not having that conversation yet ... I don't think it's a message that resonates when consumers are expected to assume the submissive position for capitalists and their producers. Tough to be sub at the department store while dominant at the bar.
He did me wrong, I forgive, you won't, I'm better without you, you're a snail and a creep, I needed to move on ... where does it end? Therapy as drama.
It's a world without rules and amorphous social norms and mores now ... sadly ... only solution is communication up front that explores, uncovers, and protects ... as a society we're not having that conversation yet ... I don't think it's a message that resonates when consumers are expected to assume the submissive position for capitalists and their producers. Tough to be sub at the department store while dominant at the bar.
It's not about relativity.
It is not about drama.
Forgiveness is about less ego, not more.
It's not about lack of rules, duh. You can sue a person to get your money back even after you forgive them.
It has nothing, NOTHING, to do with submissiveness. Duh. Warriors who forgive are stronger warriors who can fight harder and more focused. An angry warrior is a defeated warrior. A person who forgives and who needs to fight a battle has a lighter load and is more agile because they have thrown away their burden.
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/01/ce-corner.aspx
Forgiveness can improve mental and physical health
Research shows how to get there
One common but mistaken belief is that forgiveness means letting the person who hurt you off the hook. Yet forgiveness is not the same as justice, nor does it require reconciliation, Worthington explains. A former victim of abuse shouldn't reconcile with an abuser who remains potentially dangerous, for example. But the victim can still come to a place of empathy and understanding. "Whether I forgive or don't forgive isn't going to affect whether justice is done," Worthington says. "Forgiveness happens inside my skin."
... Research has shown that forgiveness is linked to mental health outcomes such as reduced anxiety, depression and major psychiatric disorders, as well as with fewer physical health symptoms and lower mortality rates. In fact, researchers have amassed enough evidence of the benefits of forgiveness to fill a book; Toussaint, Worthington and David R. Williams, PhD, edited a 2015 book, "Forgiveness and Health," that detailed the physical and psychological benefits.
... While stress relief is important, Enright believes there are other important mechanisms by which forgiveness works its magic. One of those, he suggests, is "toxic" anger. "There's nothing wrong with healthy anger, but when anger is very deep and long lasting, it can do a number on us systemically," he says. "When you get rid of anger, your muscles relax, you're less anxious, you have more energy, your immune system can strengthen."
... Research has shown that forgiveness is linked to mental health outcomes such as reduced anxiety, depression and major psychiatric disorders, as well as with fewer physical health symptoms and lower mortality rates. In fact, researchers have amassed enough evidence of the benefits of forgiveness to fill a book; Toussaint, Worthington and David R. Williams, PhD, edited a 2015 book, "Forgiveness and Health," that detailed the physical and psychological benefits.
... While stress relief is important, Enright believes there are other important mechanisms by which forgiveness works its magic. One of those, he suggests, is "toxic" anger. "There's nothing wrong with healthy anger, but when anger is very deep and long lasting, it can do a number on us systemically," he says. "When you get rid of anger, your muscles relax, you're less anxious, you have more energy, your immune system can strengthen."
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264443222_The_psychology_of_forgiveness
2001. Tons of references even back then.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5320019/
Understanding the Relationship Between State Forgiveness and Psychological Wellbeing: A Qualitative Study
The present study indicates that beyond reducing depression and anxiety, state forgiveness may be a key facilitator of general cognitive, emotional and social wellbeing outcomes.
https://internationalforgiveness.com/research.htm
A large list of peer-reviewed empirical studies.
August 30, 2018
The gloves have been off for a couple of months now.
I've been noticing little things here and there.
I think the Trump-Republican Child Separations had a large impact on the psyche of Americans and something shifted as it was followed by Singapore and Helsinki. When a President fucks up Domestic and Foreign Policy simultaneously it gets noticed.
As the zeitgeist shifted, some in the media lost some of the fear and began pushing back. Plus the relentless attacks on the media may have reached a tipping point for them.
The gloves have been off for a couple of months now.
The middle phase of the Fall of the Trump-Republican Empire has begun. The gloves have been off for
The gloves have been off for a couple of months now.
I've been noticing little things here and there.
I think the Trump-Republican Child Separations had a large impact on the psyche of Americans and something shifted as it was followed by Singapore and Helsinki. When a President fucks up Domestic and Foreign Policy simultaneously it gets noticed.
As the zeitgeist shifted, some in the media lost some of the fear and began pushing back. Plus the relentless attacks on the media may have reached a tipping point for them.
The gloves have been off for a couple of months now.
August 27, 2018
Like reveal tax returns if you take even a penny contribution from any source, cash or in kind.
Like no lying in state for felons or convicted in the Senate.
Like put all income-earning assets, stocks, and businesses into a court appointed trustee rather than family.
Like national standards for vote systems, counting, security, and auditing. Verifiable paper ballots.
Like national simplified registration for voting, including on the day of.
I could go on before even getting into restoration of Obama's advances.
Continuing your analogy, perhaps we will change laws afterwards for the better.
Like reveal tax returns if you take even a penny contribution from any source, cash or in kind.
Like no lying in state for felons or convicted in the Senate.
Like put all income-earning assets, stocks, and businesses into a court appointed trustee rather than family.
Like national standards for vote systems, counting, security, and auditing. Verifiable paper ballots.
Like national simplified registration for voting, including on the day of.
I could go on before even getting into restoration of Obama's advances.
Profile Information
Gender: Do not displayMember since: Fri Jul 16, 2004, 11:36 PM
Number of posts: 49,001
