Dem Post Mortem

[TomC]

Oh yeah. Another excuse is "my vote doesn't count". It's voter apathy that is imo, the biggest problem in Georgia, based on my years of trying to convince non voters to vote.

That's not just Georgia by any stretch. I see it as far and away the biggest problem with the US government.
The fact is, most people's vote doesn't matter. I live in Indiana, there was absolutely no question but we would be sending delegates to the EC for Trump. Other states were just as sewn up for Harris.

It's the main reason I support the National popular vote.com efforts. They have a feasible plan to make all votes count. If 270 EC delegates are pledged to vote for the top vote getter nationally it would radically alter our political landscape.
Tom

 

[Politesse]

Three weeks ago, every Republican and almost every Democrat I talked to in the state save for a handful of fellow "radical progressives" (ie literate, engaged citizens) told me it was "paranoia" to suppose that Trump could or would unilaterally end the Department of Education. Two weeks ago, our district chancellor ordered us all to stop "spreading rumors" about the likelihood of a closure, because it was freaking out the students and might "negatively impact enrollment trends".

Well, here we are. And wouldn't you know it. Trump did exactly what he told everyone he was planning to do. It will absolutely affect enrollment trends. And all these people who refused to "believe" the obvious are belatedly panicking and running around with their chicken's heads cut off, because they chose to deny reality instead of planning for it.

This was never a conspiracy theory. Because conspiracies are by definition secret. This was not. But the average American is apparently too stupid and unlettered to read a campaign document that uses no "big words" and was probably written in Sharpie on the first draft.

The Democrats fail because they do nothing. It doesn't matter how many trillions you spend on TV ads if you do nothing, promise nothing, and every knows that you do nothing and promise nothing. The problem isn't the campaign, or the candidate, but the Party.

Next time you are in this situation, put them over a barrel (if there is a next time). You need to figure out a way to get your boss to put it on writing when they put the brakes on you that if they did so on error, they lose something and you win something.

You need to make it cost them something to not believe his plain words.

Oh, it's all in writing. It's even public record. Wanna read three hundred memos that mostly say nothing but in the aggregate define a general policy of confused inaction? Believe it or not, the public education system has (or had) no secret over-government. Especially in California, where I work, as the Brown Act ensures public access to more or less every public meeting or policy document below the level of the statewide departments. They can have a closed session in certain special cases, but not cut off public access altogether, or deny opportunities for public comment.

 

[laughing dog]

Three weeks ago, every Republican and almost every Democrat I talked to in the state save for a handful of fellow "radical progressives" (ie literate, engaged citizens) told me it was "paranoia" to suppose that Trump could or would unilaterally end the Department of Education. Two weeks ago, our district chancellor ordered us all to stop "spreading rumors" about the likelihood of a closure, because it was freaking out the students and might "negatively impact enrollment trends".

Well, here we are. And wouldn't you know it. Trump did exactly what he told everyone he was planning to do. It will absolutely affect enrollment trends. And all these people who refused to "believe" the obvious are belatedly panicking and running around with their chicken's heads cut off, because they chose to deny reality instead of planning for it.

This was never a conspiracy theory. Because conspiracies are by definition secret. This was not. But the average American is apparently too stupid and unlettered to read a campaign document that uses no "big words" and was probably written in Sharpie on the first draft.

The Democrats fail because they do nothing. It doesn't matter how many trillions you spend on TV ads if you do nothing, promise nothing, and every knows that you do nothing and promise nothing. The problem isn't the campaign, or the candidate, but the Party.

What would you like democrats to do? They control nothing.

And why is that?

Why evade answering Harry Bosch’s question?

 

[Toni]

Oh yeah. Another excuse is "my vote doesn't count". It's voter apathy that is imo, the biggest problem in Georgia, based on my years of trying to convince non voters to vote.

That's not just Georgia by any stretch. I see it as far and away the biggest problem with the US government.
The fact is, most people's vote doesn't matter. I live in Indiana, there was absolutely no question but we would be sending delegates to the EC for Trump. Other states were just as sewn up for Harris.

It's the main reason I support the National popular vote.com efforts. They have a feasible plan to make all votes count. If 270 EC delegates are pledged to vote for the top vote getter nationally it would radically alter our political landscape.
Tom

A person may know, with a high degree of certainty, that their vote ‘won’t count’ because ‘everyone knows’ who will win any given election/EC votes. I get that.

But nothing will change if everyone does not vote and make their voice heard, whether it is congruent with the majority of voters—Why not make the majority even larger so there is no doubt? Or discordant: Make other opinions heard! Don’t allow an overwhelming majority!

Besides: sometimes people surprise you. It might be that your voice inspires others to speak up/vote their real choice instead of giving up and going along.

I know you know this: I’m just saying/writing it out loud.

 

[pood]

.

The Democrats fail because they do nothing. It doesn't matter how many trillions you spend on TV ads if you do nothing, promise nothing, and every knows that you do nothing and promise nothing. The problem isn't the campaign, or the candidate, but the Party.

I thanked this post earlier, except for the last bit above. Just some of Biden and Democratic accomplishments.

 

[Politesse]

And now we're just... refusing to have a post-mortem, seemingly. It's still "how dare you criticize us" instead of "what did we do wrong that allowed our country to fall to a fascist regime?"

 

[Elixir]

And now we're just... refusing to have a post-mortem, seemingly. It's still "how dare you criticize us" instead of "what did we do wrong that allowed our country to fall to a fascist regime?"

You need to have a nice protracted argument with Peacegirl about determinism.
Can you call the decisions of masses of humans deterministic, stochastic, chaotic, or something else? Is "free will" the thing that renders mass behaviors more random than those of an individual? Or is it the opposite?
What to do, what to do -

 

[Shadowy Man]

Oh yeah. Another excuse is "my vote doesn't count". It's voter apathy that is imo, the biggest problem in Georgia, based on my years of trying to convince non voters to vote.

That's not just Georgia by any stretch. I see it as far and away the biggest problem with the US government.
The fact is, most people's vote doesn't matter. I live in Indiana, there was absolutely no question but we would be sending delegates to the EC for Trump. Other states were just as sewn up for Harris.

It's the main reason I support the National popular vote.com efforts. They have a feasible plan to make all votes count. If 270 EC delegates are pledged to vote for the top vote getter nationally it would radically alter our political landscape.
Tom

A person may know, with a high degree of certainty, that their vote ‘won’t count’ because ‘everyone knows’ who will win any given election/EC votes. I get that.

do people think elections are only for President? My ballot was three pages long and the Presidency was the only one for which my “vote doesn’t count”.

 

[Jarhyn]

Three weeks ago, every Republican and almost every Democrat I talked to in the state save for a handful of fellow "radical progressives" (ie literate, engaged citizens) told me it was "paranoia" to suppose that Trump could or would unilaterally end the Department of Education. Two weeks ago, our district chancellor ordered us all to stop "spreading rumors" about the likelihood of a closure, because it was freaking out the students and might "negatively impact enrollment trends".

Well, here we are. And wouldn't you know it. Trump did exactly what he told everyone he was planning to do. It will absolutely affect enrollment trends. And all these people who refused to "believe" the obvious are belatedly panicking and running around with their chicken's heads cut off, because they chose to deny reality instead of planning for it.

This was never a conspiracy theory. Because conspiracies are by definition secret. This was not. But the average American is apparently too stupid and unlettered to read a campaign document that uses no "big words" and was probably written in Sharpie on the first draft.

The Democrats fail because they do nothing. It doesn't matter how many trillions you spend on TV ads if you do nothing, promise nothing, and every knows that you do nothing and promise nothing. The problem isn't the campaign, or the candidate, but the Party.

Next time you are in this situation, put them over a barrel (if there is a next time). You need to figure out a way to get your boss to put it on writing when they put the brakes on you that if they did so on error, they lose something and you win something.

You need to make it cost them something to not believe his plain words.

Oh, it's all in writing. It's even public record. Wanna read three hundred memos that mostly say nothing but in the aggregate define a general policy of confused inaction? Believe it or not, the public education system has (or had) no secret over-government. Especially in California, where I work, as the Brown Act ensures public access to more or less every public meeting or policy document below the level of the statewide departments. They can have a closed session in certain special cases, but not cut off public access altogether, or deny opportunities for public comment.

Yes. And I think your campus wants to see this, too.

Embarrass the fuck out of the people that were claiming inaction. Move on their positions and radicalize. Simply ignore 100% of federal claims.

The thing is, people have no visibility into the inside of that system as nobody cares to torture themselves with public meetings except the banal sort that gets plenty of exposure in their nature in "Parks&Rec".

You have facts, but you *can* very much treat the situation as "fact-free". I think you're great but at this point you can say "either start getting punchy against the feds or start getting punched by both the admin and me".

If nothing else, you could even make a plan on how to "bottle" a few semesters of your courses, setting up a camera, recording classes, using AI to generate transcripts, maybe even semester-on-semester collating notes and student questions.

You know what else can be made truly public? The education itself.

The fact is, I would probably take your courses (and frustrate the hell out of you), if I could afford it.

 

[Politesse]

The thing is, people have no visibility into the inside of that system as nobody cares to torture themselves with public meetings except the banal sort that gets plenty of exposure in their nature in "Parks&Rec".

That's exactly what happens. It's all very banal, purposefully so. Excruciatingly so. Council meetings are unspeakably boring by design and long convention. Campus memos say as little as possible, except to urge everyone to remain calm and avoid spreading rumors. Deans ask you to submit your concerns in writing to their secretary. Chancellors nod encouragingly and say "I hear your concerns. We are all distressed when rumors are flying around" then walk off as though they've just solved the problem.

As for affording my courses, around two-thirds of our students pay no tuition at all, though of course that is very likely to change over the next few weeks.

 

[Politesse]

And now we're just... refusing to have a post-mortem, seemingly. It's still "how dare you criticize us" instead of "what did we do wrong that allowed our country to fall to a fascist regime?"

You need to have a nice protracted argument with Peacegirl about determinism.
Can you call the decisions of masses of humans deterministic, stochastic, chaotic, or something else? Is "free will" the thing that renders mass behaviors more random than those of an individual? Or is it the opposite?
What to do, what to do -

Deterministic. You're welcome!

 

[Jarhyn]

The thing is, people have no visibility into the inside of that system as nobody cares to torture themselves with public meetings except the banal sort that gets plenty of exposure in their nature in "Parks&Rec".

That's exactly what happens. It's all very banal, purposefully so. Excruciatingly so. Council meetings are unspeakably boring by design and long convention. Campus memos say as little as possible, except to urge everyone to remain calm and avoid spreading rumors. Deans ask you to submit your concerns in writing to their secretary. Chancellors nod encouragingly and say "I hear your concerns. We are all distressed when rumors are flying around" then walk off as though they've just solved the problem.

As for affording my courses, around two-thirds of our students pay no tuition at all, though of course that is very likely to change over the next few weeks.

I'm familiar. In fact, I'm sure Parks & Rec was specifically written after the writers sat in several such meetings. They probably recorded some of the banality and had it reproduced exactly, with mere specifics changed.

As for affording your courses, you're half a country away, and the ones who pay no tuition are "poor". For all I have no money for that, I am not "poor".

I have a positive net worth. My husband's family has money attached to it, and I already spent every penny of student aid (Federal and otherwise) I'm ever going to get.

If I could afford education, either via my "inability to afford it" or my actual ability to afford it, I would go back to school in an instant.

 

[southernhybrid]

Oh yeah. Another excuse is "my vote doesn't count". It's voter apathy that is imo, the biggest problem in Georgia, based on my years of trying to convince non voters to vote.

That's not just Georgia by any stretch. I see it as far and away the biggest problem with the US government.
The fact is, most people's vote doesn't matter. I live in Indiana, there was absolutely no question but we would be sending delegates to the EC for Trump. Other states were just as sewn up for Harris.

It's the main reason I support the National popular vote.com efforts. They have a feasible plan to make all votes count. If 270 EC delegates are pledged to vote for the top vote getter nationally it would radically alter our political landscape.
Tom

A person may know, with a high degree of certainty, that their vote ‘won’t count’ because ‘everyone knows’ who will win any given election/EC votes. I get that.

But nothing will change if everyone does not vote and make their voice heard, whether it is congruent with the majority of voters—Why not make the majority even larger so there is no doubt? Or discordant: Make other opinions heard! Don’t allow an overwhelming majority!

Besides: sometimes people surprise you. It might be that your voice inspires others to speak up/vote their real choice instead of giving up and going along.

I know you know this: I’m just saying/writing it out loud.

Exactly. Georgia has two blue Senators and Biden won Georgia in 2020, which is my point. If everyone voted, the election outcome would be different and sometimes the Dems would win in a state that almost always goes to the Republicans.

Obama won in Indiana once. How did that happen? Could it have been because more people voted. Indy is a blue lake in a sea of red. But there are plenty of blue dots in those red seas, so if everyone voted, it would help.

 

[southernhybrid]

Oh yeah. Another excuse is "my vote doesn't count". It's voter apathy that is imo, the biggest problem in Georgia, based on my years of trying to convince non voters to vote.

That's not just Georgia by any stretch. I see it as far and away the biggest problem with the US government.
The fact is, most people's vote doesn't matter. I live in Indiana, there was absolutely no question but we would be sending delegates to the EC for Trump. Other states were just as sewn up for Harris.

It's the main reason I support the National popular vote.com efforts. They have a feasible plan to make all votes count. If 270 EC delegates are pledged to vote for the top vote getter nationally it would radically alter our political landscape.
Tom

I know it's not just Georgia, but how do think Obama won Indiana once? Did more people vote that time? Everyone should vote in every election. It should be required, but our Republicans often prefer voter suppression in certain areas.

 

[TomC]

Obama won in Indiana once. How did that happen? Could it have been because more people voted. Indy is a blue lake in a sea of red. But there are plenty of blue dots in those red seas, so if everyone voted, it would help.

Boy do I remember the huge disaster that the Republicans had to leave in their wake for that to happen!
Economy in a tailspin. Multiple unwinnable wars. Even the locals couldn't stomach the prospect of another Republican administration.
Tom

 

[Elixir]

This was never a conspiracy theory. Because conspiracies are by definition secret. This was not. But the average American is apparently too stupid and unlettered to read a campaign document that uses no "big words" and was probably written in Sharpie on the first draft.

QFT

Sentence of the week IMO.

Now the Republican assholes in Georgia are trying to make it harder for people to vote.

That's good news; it signals that they expect an election to be held in 2026.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

And now we're just... refusing to have a post-mortem, seemingly. It's still "how dare you criticize us" instead of "what did we do wrong that allowed our country to fall to a fascist regime?"

You need to have a nice protracted argument with Peacegirl about determinism.
Can you call the decisions of masses of humans deterministic, stochastic, chaotic, or something else? Is "free will" the thing that renders mass behaviors more random than those of an individual? Or is it the opposite?
What to do, what to do -

But if we get into that it'll just be an endless free will/determinism debate, which will ensure no post mortem.

 

[Elixir]

And now we're just... refusing to have a post-mortem, seemingly. It's still "how dare you criticize us" instead of "what did we do wrong that allowed our country to fall to a fascist regime?"

You need to have a nice protracted argument with Peacegirl about determinism.
Can you call the decisions of masses of humans deterministic, stochastic, chaotic, or something else? Is "free will" the thing that renders mass behaviors more random than those of an individual? Or is it the opposite?
What to do, what to do -

But if we get into that it'll just be an endless free will/determinism debate, which will ensure no post mortem.

Zackly.
A true post mortem exists in the individual. It is reflection upon our motives and expressions. It’s not purely an analysis about “so what is the plan now?”.

If we can’t figure out how to overcome the RW global propaganda noise to communicate what’s happening to people who don’t want to hear it, violence is probably inevitable in 6-8 years.
And we won’t get there with the same mindset that was in operation in 2024.

 

[Emily Lake]

her irrational advocacies for laws that hurt people and benefit nobody, but comport with religious edicts.

Can you provide an example of such?

Yes.

The do so.

Why?

Because it is an unsupported untruth. You've asserted that I advocate for laws that hurt people and benefit nobody, which I don't do. You further malign me by saying that I do so to comport with religious edicts.

You're asserting malicious falsehoods about me. If you can support your position, then do so, so that I can correct your misunderstandings. Otherwise, all you're doing is attacking another IIDB member for no good reason.

 

[Elixir]

Because it is an unsupported untruth.

Bullshit. THAT is an unsupported falsehood.

* Emily supports retention of laws that benefit nobody, and serve as excuse for harming women: late term abortions.