617to416.bsky.social
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness flourish where peace, order, and good government prevail.
American by birth. Canadian by choice.
1,483 posts
173 followers
269 following
Active Commenter
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Alpha and Beta
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Crowd looks diverse.
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By the way, I retired last week, so I guess I'm one of those senior citizens — but I already moved to Canada . . .
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My own opinion (and I'm not saying it's the right opinion) is that the US really needs significant reform of its system of government—which probably requires constitutional change. If it were up to me, I'd make that the goal—but if people see another goal, then what is it? Because I don't see it.
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Oh I know. I don't expect ordinary citizens of any age to develop the goal or the strategy. But I do worry we don't have a clear goal, which means we also can't have a clear strategy to get us anywhere. I just worry this will be like the Women's March. Great event. But what did it deliver?
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What I'm wondering though is what is the end goal? Is it merely to remove Trump somehow (impeachment)? Help the Democrats win in the midterms? Or is there some broader reform agenda—like expanding the Supreme Court or reforming Congress?
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Where do we go next and how do we get there? That's the question no one seems to be answering. The big protests are great and all, but if everyone turns out on Saturday and just goes back to work as usual on Monday, what's changed? How is it any different from a big music fest?
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I mean how do these protests differ from say, "Taste of Chicago"? (Besides the lack of good ribs.)
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What's missing, I think, is a clear vision of where we are going and a clear plan of how we'll get there. The No Kings protests were great, but if everyone protests on Saturday and then goes right back to work as usual on Monday, I'm not sure anything will change.
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Thanks. And I apologize back if I was snarky. But I do hope you'll consider that those of us who live outside the US (and particularly those of us who have also lived in the US) may, by virtue of the different perspective our distance provides us, see things that Americans may not see.
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I'm sure you are unaware.
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Actually the culture is quite different (though in nuanced ways that aren't immediately obvious until you've lived here a while). And the political system much better. Not perfect by any means, but far more democratically responsive.
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Says the person who started the dialogue with "I do love when outsiders lecture us."
Such a typical American. Lecturing everyone else and then acting all offended when someone responds back. Enjoy your self-proclaimed "world's greatest democracy."
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It was "dotard does Kim Jong Un."
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Maybe you could stop lecturing ConteZero and me about our opinions and just listen to us. Might learn something. Or you can just go being a typical self-righteous American who knows everything better than anyone else.
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Great that so many turned out on Saturday but what will matter is what happens on Monday. Has anything changed or does everyone just get up and go to work as usual?
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Sometimes the truth isn’t pleasant to hear.
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Maybe the Dotard should call his friend Kim Jong Un to learn how it's done.
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I think it's great that Americans came out to protest on Saturday. But a big "protestfest" on Saturday doesn't get you much if all you do is go back to work on Monday. It's not disruptive, it has no long-term consequences, no plan for follow-up, and it can be easily ignored by the dictator.
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big reason
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Yes—changing the constitution is darn near impossible—and that's a bit reason why it so desperately needs to be changed. I fear Americans are not bold enough to do the very difficult things that need to be done to save their democracy. Americans seem much too resigned to the status quo.
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I think it's great that so many Americans turned out to protest, but I'm going to say something unpopular: coming out for a big protest-fest on a Saturday and then going back to work on Monday ain't gonna change a thing. You need to have a plan for what happens next. And it needs to be disruptive.
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He's right though. Americans did their best. It wasn't enough. And it won't be enough until you change your 18th century system of government.
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I sold a typewriter to Saul Bellow.
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At a hunting lodge, I once had a few drinks and a very nice chat about hunting dogs with a guy named Chuck who the next day I learned was the keyboardist for the Rolling Stones. (I learned who he was after he left the lodge early the next morning to get to Madison Square Garden for a show.)
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Yes, I thought that's where you were. I'm from New England originally, but live in Ontario now (thank God). I love Nova Scotia. It's like New England—but Canada. 😀
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There is a point though that protests scheduled on the weekend so no one has to miss work are not nearly as effective as general strikes that force everyone to miss work.
Saving democracy may actually have a cost.
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I've not been impressed so far with the products of ranked choice voting actually.
Maybe everyone's second choice isn't the best choice.
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Trying to tell which gender she/he/they/it is.
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Reminds me of Maine.
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His name is “Markwayne”. What the hell would you expect?
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“Defund the police” wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
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“Douche Active” describes the current president well
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Sorta true, but a lot of the guys who wrote those words actually were slaveowners. Who we say we are isn’t always who we really are.
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If I had to bet, it will be old news tomorrow. Defending democracy is costly and I am yet to see any Americans willing to pay a serious price.
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Senator Nebbish.
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He doesn’t even have a concept of a plan.
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The Liberal Party is so much more restrained. Plus they actually invite me to in-person events where I get to meet my MP and other party leaders.
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Not sure if living in Canada helped. Yet another reason to live here. Escape Republican misrule and Democratic fundraising.
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Persistence. You gotta get them all or they just keep coming back like termites. I think they keep selling their email lists so if your name is on one it will soon be on others.
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I unsubscribed.
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Also,subscribing supports the Lab which develops and provides (for free) tools like Merlin and eBird.
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If you get really serious I might also recommend this website also from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology:
birdsoftheworld.org/bow/home
It’s a subscription but well worth it.
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He wants to kill the public system so his rich friends can profit from healthcare. Just as in the US.
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Health care brought to you by private equity firms.
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We’ve always had a bit of an authoritarian streak in the “Empire of Liberty”
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I don’t completely trust the Federalists though. I mean they did push through the Alien and Sedition Acts.