To Make Us Safe

Dear Scott Tipton,

If we are concerned for our safety in a world with things such as ISIS, we must stop painting them as an "other". The people who are part of ISIS are still people; to think otherwise is what makes them dangerous.

In this world right now there is one major colonial empire, and it is the United States. We have a good portion of the blame in radicalizing terrorists groups the world over. We are stuck in an almost laughable 'Romeo and Juliet' like situation. An old, medieval blood-fude with a region of the world. The more we occupy their land, the more we bomb them, the more we fight them, the more angry they become. The less safe we become.

The cycle must be broken by someone. We can stand up as the 'better person', it is within our theoretical power at any rate, and begin the cease-fire.

It might be a long time if we wait for ISIS to stand up as the better person.

If Congress is looking for a "Better Way Agenda", peace and diplomacy must be the biggest part of it, not aimlessly "strengthening our national defense, so we can defeat terrorists, protect our borders, etc".

War begets more war. War is not safe. All the rest are just so many metaphorical band-aids on a hemorrhaging wound.

I am glad to hear that the "Better Way Agenda" includes communication; please remember that the most important people to communicate with is your enemy.

Fuck

Hate it when I have to say "I told you so", because it means I knew something awful was just about to happen and it happened anyway.

No one ever says "I told you so" when it was wonderfully good...

My predictions are already fairly wrong. But I remain confident in the remaining of them. Clinton and the moderate, right-of-center democrats have destroyed their party a little sooner than I thought. I gave people too much credit again; even with so many strong down-ballot candidates, our weak electorate didn't get out to vote for them. It all had to do with the presidential election that no one liked.

It is time for the Great Turning. Progressive band together: meet with each other every week, listen to the voices of those who oppose you. Learn. Rally.

It is already happening.

A Few Thoughts on the Economics of Living Space

In Colorado we have a problem: there are many, many people who want to live here; and they are flocking in by the drove.

And displacing resident natives in a way somewhat akin (though certainly less dramatic or violent) than the displacement of native nations as the US expanded: We Want to Live Here; You Must Get Out.

We need to decide if we, as a society, value ethical behavior with each other or only blind economic forces which tend to coagulate power and resources within the hands of a few. Without some level of checks on such concentration, there will never be the mobility potential we believe is part of America. This myth will not support itself indefinitely.

Economic forces are systematic, and thus a simplistic solution (such as the one Aspen attempted several years ago and is in the news today) will necessarily be out-paced and become obsolete. If wages are a function of living costs, and housing prices modulated as a function of of wages, we can create a dynamic system of more reasonable housing prices; not prices that land-owning aristocrats can charge unrealistic and frankly impossible rents from a generation or class of people who have no wealth.

Do we want to price-out our society because of a few wealthy interests uninterested in any concepts of sharing, or do we want to keep the community we have more or less intact. Economic growth cannot be the paradigm of the future: it will only lead to collapse. For we cannot ever grow indefinitely.

Don't give your vote to fear

Interesting to watch news feeds and see liberals complaining of the same "liberal media" as conservatives have for years... Only now we have identified them as "Main Stream Media" Which I find more accurate. They aren't always specifically liberal, sometimes they are specifically conservative, but they Are Always biased to their own interest. Take that into account when reading anything. Or listening to anti-democratic leaders. Almost everyone in power, D or R, would rather we just have an out-right aristocracy they never had to be elected to. They want to be our dictators. Debbie is one of them. So are the Clintons and Bushs, so is Trump. What that power structure is either forgetting or trying hard not to acknowledge is most people realize that. What most people don't realize is that if they actually voted the way they believed, those in power would almost immediately lose it. Vote 3rd party. Vote your conscious. The stale argument that we need to vote against some horrible scary thing is the most comprehensive control tactic being implemented in modern politics.

The Times Are Changing Now - Like It or Not

Come gather 'round people wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone
  For the times they are a-changin'

Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide the chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon for the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who that it's namin'
For the loser now will be later to win
  For the times they are a-changin'

Come senators, congressmen please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls
  For the times they are a-changin'

Come mothers and fathers throughout the land
And don't criticize what you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand
  For the times they are a-changin'
  For the Times, They are a Changing.
  For the Times they are a-Cha-Ange-Ing!


--Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-changin'


#BernieOrBust #Bernie2016 #FeelTheBern #FuelTheBern #Vote #Election2016 #PoliticalRevolution #DemocracyAwakening

+Bernie Sanders - President
+Zephyr Teachout - Congress
+Pramila Jayapal - Congress
+Lucy Flores - Congress
+Wade Norris - Colorado House
+Alan Grayson - Senate
+UltimatePolitics


Let's add some more candidates to this list!