My cosmic conclusions from the 2024 presidential election

For some reason it's usually easier to draw Gigantic Cosmic Conclusions from big events rather than small ones. It doesn't have to be that way, though "gigantic" and "big" do have an affinity with each other. 

Why does death or a disaster move us to ponder the meaning of it all more readily than loading the dishwasher does? If there are grand principles underlying our human experience of reality, why can't we recognize them in the smallest of events as well as the biggest of events?

Don't know.

Maybe because rare big events grab our attention while everyday small events are so familiar, we pass them by. Regardless, my attention certainly was grabbed by the presidential race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump that culminated in Trump's victory last Tuesday.

So here's some Gigantic Cosmic Conclusions that I've drawn from the election. They're rather obvious, which argues for their veracity.

Determinism rules, while unpredictability takes center stage. Prior to the election, people had all kinds of ideas about what would happen. Now there's only one defensible idea: Trump won. There are reasons why this occurred. No one really knows what they are, though theories abound. 

Looking forward, nobody was able to predict in any detail the outcome of the election. Looking backward, after the results were known, lots of people are (retrospective) experts in why Harris lost to Trump. 

So life is uncertain until it isn't. The movement of inanimate entities, like planets orbiting the Sun, can be predicted with great accuracy. How American voters will cast their ballots can be predicted, but not with any sort of guaranteed accuracy.

Thus don't believe anyone who claims to know for sure what will happen next in American politics. The only certainty is that nothing is absolutely certain. When I started loading the dishwasher a little while ago I expected that I'd be able to finish that task.

However, I could have been distracted by a phone call, then forgot to resume what I was doing. Or I could have suffered a heart attack prior to the last glass being placed on the top rack. Life is more predictable than a roulette wheel, but less predictable than an eclipse. 

Ups and downs, actions and reactions, are a basic feature of reality. Constancy isn't part of the cosmic equation. Nothing remains precisely the same for very long. Whether it be the tiniest subatomic phenomenon, the hugest happening in the universe, or everything in between, including presidential elections, change is ubiquitous. 

Consider the results of presidential elections in my lifetime.

In 1948 a Democrat, Truman, was elected. In 1952 and 1956 a Republican, Eisenhower, was elected. In 1960 a Democrat, Kennedy, was elected. In 1964 a Democrat, Johnson, was elected. In 1968 and 1972 a Republican, Nixon, was elected. In 1976 a Democrat, Carter, was elected. In 1980 and 1984 a Republican, Reagan, was elected. In 1988, a Republican, George H.W. Bush, was elected. In 1992 and 1996, a Democrat, Clinton, was elected. In 2ooo and 2004, a Republican, George W. Bush, was elected. In 2008 and 2012 a Democrat, Obama, was elected. In 2016 a Republican, Trump, was elected. In 2020 a Democrat, Biden, was elected. In 2024 a Republican, Trump, was elected. 

American voters bounce back and forth between choosing a Democrat or Republican for president. In the past 76 years, the longest stretch of single party rule was 12 years, 1980-92, when Reagan and the first Bush held the White House as Republicans. And in those 76 years, a Democrat was in the White House for 36 years and a Republican for 40 years. 

Yin and yang. Cause and effect. Action and reaction. Whatever you want to call it, transformations from one state of affairs to another are the normal condition in not only politics, but everything. So if someone isn't happy with how things are now, just wait. They'll change. Eventually. Patience may be required.

(This is the basis of a post I wrote for one of my other blogs, "Fellow Trump opponents, here's what gives me hope.")

We humans don't see reality as it is, but how it appears to us. While I'm a big fan of "objective reality," those words deserve the quotation marks because they're an aspiration, not how things actually are.

This truth is on plain display on a presidential election night, when a split screen will show members of one political party cheering wildly as results favorable to their candidate are announced, while at the same time members of the other political party are dejected at the news that their candidate isn't faring well.

Same numbers. Same results. Very different reactions. This is the mystery, and the glory, of human subjectivity. Even if a group of people are privy to the same information, their personal desires, experiences, wishes, and all that will typically cause them to disagree about what the information means.

I watched Kamala Harris's speeches with admiration, agreeing with almost everything she said. I watched Donald Trump's speeches with disgust, disagreeing with almost everything he said. Others had the opposite reaction, loving Trump and hating Harris.

Each of us is locked into our own way of perceiving reality. Science is a wonderful way that humanity uses to try to break out of that subjective prison, using a variety of methods to arrive at statements about reality that can be agreed upon by most scientists in a particular field.

But even in science, disagreements arise about the same phenomena, the same results, the same observations. Raw sensory data always is interpreted by the human brain. We never see things as they are in themselves, only as our brains lead us to see them.

While diversity of opinions can be annoying when we want other people to agree with us, this is an unavoidable feature of human cognition. And really, who would want it to be any other way? If everybody was just like us, life would be unbelievably boring, a hall of mirrors where our own reflection is the only thing we perceive. 

Comments

[sant64]

"Determinism." Right.

"Looking forward, nobody was able to predict in any detail the outcome of the election."

Not true. As I repeatedly pointed out here, the betting markets accurately forecasted the election results. This wasn't a fluke either, as the betting markets have a track record of picking winners. The betting markets all picked Trump.

Instead of offering woo theories about determinism and yin and yang for the Dems loss, it might be better to heed what Bill Maher said about the election:

“My message to the losers: losers look in the mirror,” Maher said as the audience sat in stunned silence. “No? Well, maybe you should. Well, that’s my feeling. Losers look in the mirror.”

Instead, there's a distinct attitude of denial among the Democrats. They offer every excuse - -fatalism, determinism, self-pity, blame for Biden and/or Harris, contempt for the electorate, and of course continued demonization of Donald Trump.

There's nothing woo about Trump's win. The fact is that your side lost because you deserved to lose. The way you ran the country the past 4 years was terrible, your candidates were terrible, and their ideas for the next 4 years were terrible. The majority of the public took note, and voted for Trump. Accept it: You lost because you deserved to lose. You lost because of your actions.

The Dem's loss was no different from that of a sports team - - the loss is directly the result of the dem's lack of execution. I mean, you guys tried twice to execute...just kidding, kind of.

[Jim Sutherland]

@Santmat64,….Your recent post about being more ecstatic from Trump’s win, than the bliss of Kundalini, was not only the funniest post I’ve ever read in this Churchless Church , while reading the melt down and tears of the Trump haters , but it was like striking the Bell with the big rubber hammer when winning, in a Circus of Trump haters we have been reluctantly reading for the last 8-10 years. Gotta love it!! I do, at least. No one other than you , has boldly stepped out to give credit to Trump, for Obliviating not only the Progressive far left Liberal Democrat machine, but also the far Right RINO machine!
And the surprise of all Wonders, is that Trump , unlike most of the old Satsangi Hippies here, who tired of Tripping on psychedelics in the 60s and 70s, and left it to become initiated in to Sant Mat, Trump has never used Alcohol or Psychedelics to be fairly chosen to become the Leader of the Free World for the 2nd time, while not only the Trump haters are still dissing him, but even Maharaj Manjit Mushroom fails to see the Golden Light of TRUMP’s Halo Hair glistening under Sacred MAGA hair sprey! Hahahahahaha!
I suggest that all the Looser Satsangis who meditate daily, and have never seen any Light, should start doing Surat Shabd Yoga Meditation using a brand new Simran, replacing the Simran that has failed them.
Here it is: Repeat it internally, 2-1/2 hours daily, Tithing your time, seeking your Master,…._
TEF LON DON ALD TRUMP,…..TEF LON DON ALD TRUMP,…..
Slowly, but surely, as you contemplate his Mug shot photo, while doing Darshan of his FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT photo, of his fist bumping , with his bleeding face, after being saved from death by the Assassin’s bullet missing his brain by only a quarter of an inch, should be more than enough for all the Skeptics and Atheists here in this Churchless Church to have their own ‘Come to Jesus” moments, at least with the next 4 years to practice the new Mantra!
HaHaHa, keep the interesting and rational clear, Posts coming Santmat64, to keep the Trump Train Chugging.
Jim Sutherland

[um]

https://www.statisticshowto.com/probability-and-statistics/normal-distributions/

Draw a bell shaped curve.
Cut it on the median and the extreme ends
Put the extreme ends together and paste.
There it is the reverse bell shape.

the extremes no longer separate from one another by resp. 50 to 80% of the population but facing one another directly after forcing the 50 to 80% of the population to spliut in 2 and take sides, offering fuel and force to the two, 10% extremists in the middle.

How could that happen?

Is that something to attribute to the newly elect president of the USA?

Think, ,sant64 and Mr. Sutherland

[umami]

"There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact."
~Arthur Conan Doyle

[Jim Sutherland]

@um,….I don’t think that out siders who are not American born, nor who have not grew up in the U.S. and lived through as many Presidential campaigns as I have , could possibly understand how it feels to be lectured by Progressives , since the mid 60s, by their using all the Racial slurs against any one who disagrees with their politics. I don’t think there are any Bell Curves that are able to disentangle and dissect what just happened in this U.S. Election. A genuine Red Wave shift of consciousness has happened, exactly as stated by Santmat64, but it isn’t the result of what has happened only by what has finally been exposed the last 4 years under the current Progressive Administration. You would need to be an American Elder like me, or at least born after WWII and watched and lived through what now has been witnessed in American history and politics unfold up to now. Plus, you would need to carefully research Trump history, not just by what the recent Trump hating Media has echoed, using the Mocking Bird technique of Slandering the personalities of those who oppose the New World Order of Progressive Globalists, but starting with Obama roasting Trump publicly at a formal banquet. None of those incidents show up on any Bell Curves.
Jim Sutherland

[sant64]

"I believe in democracy!" "Democracy is in peril!" "We must vote to save our democracy!"

America just had a democratic election and Trump won both Electoral College and popular vote.

"Votes don't mean anything!" "The majority of voters voting for Trump over Harris doesn't mean anything!" "We don't really believe in democracy at all!" "The only reason Trump won was determinism!"

Does that mean that determinism elected Biden in 2020?

"No!" "When Dems win it's because of democracy, but when Dems lose it's because of determinism!"

[um]

@ Mr Sutherland

>> .I don’t think that out siders who are not American born, nor who have not grew up in the U.S. and lived through as many Presidential campaigns as I have , could possibly understand how it feels to be lectured by Progressives , since the mid 60s <<

The same movement and sentiment is to be found in Europe, stamped by cultural and social characteristics of the different countries.

Your culture, your values etc is predominant Christian [evangelical] ..Calvinistic how did that come to pass?
By Europeans, ...english, Dutch etc ..your so called founding fathers.
They had to leave Europe because of their "extreme" thoughts, idea's and feelings

Europe is in your [cultural etc] DNA

[um]

Americans do not exist as an people

[umami]

Folks vote whichever way the wind blows, and their memories are short. If Trump was really so great for the country, he wouldn't have lost in 2020.

[Whocudpossiblyhavthunkit]

Dems rigged it in 2020 overnight mail in ballot rigging plus Covid BS under Gates and Fauci epidemic con game helped them

This time there was too much of an overwhelming swelled up red tsunami bursting through the so called blue wall and no surprise midnight manoeuvres to deflect it.

Bottom line the choosing of a double talking "joy cometh in the morning" Hollywood celebrity groupie, hair brained lightweight, half Irish slave trade heiress, quarter East Indian pseudo African American con artist dumbo bimbo wannabe for president was the most diabolical catastrophe of a proposal as a candidate any sane thinking political savvy analyst could have hoped to expect to don a massive responsibility as the so called custodian of the democratic protector of western style "freedom".

I reckon deep down your little play acting Missy Kamala Doolittle is most likely massively releived she didn't get the gig because she probably knows in her heart of hearts she would have been so far out of her depth she would have catastrophically blown it.

And the world including the crestfallen leftists in the hallowed halls den of democrat denial can heave a massive sigh of relief such emphatic disaster wasn't fated to unfold, just yet.

[Jim Sutherland]

Um writes,…..” Americans do not exist as a people”.

All HUMANS,…..BORN in the U.S. are legally , natural born Americans. True, that most of us are Multi-cultural Mongrels, with strained , mixed Ethnicity. I loathe hearing people with dark skin refer to them selves as “African Americans” or Anything other than Americans, if born here .
Imagine me, victimizing my self, looking for empathy, by referring to my self as a poor Scottish English French Canadian Micmac Indian American? Well, that’s exactly what I am, by just knowing the Ethnicity of my Grand Parents only, of which , if I did a Geniality search on all my Ancestors commencing with the very first Gorilla my Higher Soul Self ever incarnated in, as a Biped, here on earth, I might very well even have some Dutch DNA mixed in my American Mongrel physical body.
Jim Sutherland

[Jim Sutherland]

The only thing left that will blow the minds of Churchless Trump haters, and watch an even greater melt down with tears flowing, and flooding this Churchless Church, above Trump’s Phenix Resurrection to The POTUS, would be an invited visit to the newly decorated White House, of course, only after the Trump Family has reoccupied it, after it has been completely fumigated , and all secret Spy cameras and conversation recorders se used and removed from every room in the White House along with Fire Wall blocked wire tapping on phone conversations,…….Gurinder Singh, JSG and their Entourage of Indian Army Security Guards with Trump’s Secret Security Guards would have a live meeting on the White House , televised by all Fake News channels. It would add another Dignitary to Trump’s past meetings during his first Administration, and it would add another BBJ and the Pope video, of BBJ and POTUS Trump to the RSSB Web site.
( But with signed NDAs of all present, to keep Classified , for the next 65 years , before releasing, of Gurinder kissing Trump’s Ring,…..followed by Trump being initiated in to Sant Mat by Gurinder and JSG, with Trump squatting in Bahjun position with thumbs on his ears, listening to the Shabd!)
With a White House Chorus singing and chanting,…….
“Praise The Lord, and pass the ammunition, as they sing RADHASOAMI Halahewya !

[Jimmy]

Donald Trump was not a good leader and will not be a good leader.
He doesn't have the traits to be a good leader. A good leader has to have fairness,no bullying, and no name calling.
A great leader has to create consensus with a population that has great diversity.
A fantastic leader doesn't divide people or make people hate each other.
He doesn't appeal to the worst base notes of humans and Donald does all those things.
Donald Trump is a salesman/conman,sexual predator. Who promises- but don't count on him delivering.
He's a slimy Madoff used car salesman who sold his followers a Ferrari and will deliver a Honda Fit.
Step away from the punch bowl of koolaid MAGA you've been had.

[Jim Sutherland]

Jimmy writes, ……” Donald Trump was not a good leader and will not be a good leader.”

A good Leader should be able to lead his Children, and retain their respect, and love, first and foremost, as his Resume for leading others, before attempting to lead others.

I confess, I’m a miserable failure, envious of Trump’s loving children.

I have a 62 year old married daughter, who is distant, and a 61 year old Son, who refused to move to California with us , and has deserted us with out ANY communication since he was 17 years old. In my opinion, we were a normal American family with out any problems. I wrote my Son a long letter with $100.00 check for his 40th Birthday, and he never answered me in return, and told his sister he tore up my check. He has never married. And I have no Grand Children. Over the years, I have been tempted to try and contact him again, but after reading how Brian Hines rejected his Father, then decided to go visit him when he was dying, and shared his displeasure of meeting his Father just before he died, has always convinced me to leave well enough alone, and not try to reconciliate my Prodigal Son. I have been able to justify my detachment from my 2 Adult Children as a blessing from The Lord to make it much easier for me, when my day arrives to leave this mortal body for the last time. But, if any Church members here, want to compare the successes of their relationships to their Children, with Trump’s, yet reject Trump’s ability to be a Leader of other followers, please share why Trump is where he is now! Who put him there?
Jim Sutherland

[Ron E.]

@ Brian: - “We humans don't see reality as it is, but how it appears to us. While I'm a big fan of "objective reality," those words deserve the quotation marks because they're an aspiration, not how things actually are.”

It is often the way that outsiders (in other countries) can have a more realistic and accurate view of the current trends occurring in other countries. When one is intimately involved in an issue an outside perspective can help which is why many institutions hire consultants.

So are people seeing the true picture regarding Donald Trump being elected. People from within Trump’s circle and those who have listened to his talks and interviews and witnessed his actions realise that his main drive is that of a narcissistic-sociopath. Sociopath is not a derogative term, but one that addresses someone’s behaviour and actions.

An article from ‘Independent Australia’ ‘Sociopaths and Why We Elect Them’, addresses the issue. Makes an informed read. Have a read if you feel inclined.

[manjit]

Lots of talk about the great American election, democracy, about decent and empathetic folks, about how evil and "Nazi" like Trump is, etc.

So I thought it may be nice to take a break and have a look at some of the greatest hits of Biden and Harris, 400+ days into their genocide of Gaza.

Yes, THEIR genocide.....no politician has come anywhere near as close as Biden has to recieving money from pro Israeli genocide groups over the past 34 years. Nowhere NEAR as close:

https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary?cycle=All&ind=Q05&recipdetail=S

At any point over the past 400+ days they could have ended the slaughter within hours by putting America and the rest of the world first by denying Israel unlimited bombs and tens of billions of US tax payer money. 70% of the cost of the genocide has been paid for by US tax payers. Think. Let alone asking for a ceasefire, the US has blocked every single UN resolution asking for one.

Make no mistake, this is a US conducted genocide paid for by US tax payers and governed by a neo-liberal, blood thirsty administration., whilst almost the entire electorate turns a blind eye.

This is disgraceful and barbaric, however much people ignore, pretend it isn't happening, or blame other folks like Netenyahu or even more bizarrely Trump for it.

Inarguable facts.

So for a bit of light relief, here's Biden and Harris's greatest hits:

"Nearly 70% of Gaza war dead are women and children, UN says"

"The ages most represented among the dead were five to nine-year-olds."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn5wel11pgdo

I cannot for the life of me imagine where millions of US folks who either normally vote for Dems or are independent disappeared to and didn't vote for the "decent" neo-liberal, imperialist death machine?

🤔

[manjit]

"From Iron Dome to F-15s: US provides 70% of Israel’s war costs"

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/hktyrfiekl

"US vetoes another UN Security Council resolution urging Gaza war ceasefire"

"The US was the only country to vote against the draft text while the United Kingdom abstained. The UN Security Council’s 13 other member countries voted in favour of the text demanding a halt to the war that has killed more than 29,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian authorities, and displaced more than 80 percent of the population."
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/20/us-vetoes-another-un-security-council-resolution-urging-gaza-war-ceasefire

Yep, that's the Biden and Harris dream team in all their glorious, "empathetic", genocidal splendor right there!

How very dystopian it must be in your heads, where the media has been telling you you're the good guys!

America is sick, but Trump isn't the cause, he's a SYMPTOM.

[sant64]

"We're the party that loves democracy, that wants to save democracy!"

Um, you're the party that stole the nomination from Bernie Sanders and gave it to Hillary.
and the party that stole Joe Biden's presidential candidacy and gave it to Kamala without any democratic process.

Much worse though, you're the party that opened the border and flooded the nation with illegals. You did this to make every swing state like California, a total lock for your party.

Your party flooded the country with illegals, giving them benefits sometimes greater than what citizens get. You flew these illegals to swing states. In states like California, your party actually made it illegal to show an ID when you vote. And you're working hard to put this system of total lack of transparency in every state.

Elon Musk pointed all this out as the reason he chose to get involved in politics. Simply put, your party, the party that crows about loving democracy, was pushing a colossal power grab that was undermining America's democratic systems.

Your party doesn't care about democracy at all. Your party only cares about power by any means necessary.

If you're sad about the election results, you don't understand what your party was up to. Either that or you have a strange conception of democracy.

[um]

@ Sant64

>> "We're the party that loves democracy, that wants to save democracy!"<<

These were NOT my words

[Jimmy]

JS Life throws us all many curve balls. I went over my technique I used from Neville Goddard in a earlier post to handle those now. I discovered N.G. 2 years ago and am happy with the results.
So your goal is rectify a relationship. When you go to sleep imagine what it would be like to hug them again, or the wife crying with joy. Really get into the feeling as it is the secret. I describe it as a explosion of excitement as when you ran down for Christmas presents. Then sleep and continue this every night until you have a resolution.
I wish you all the best.

[manjit]

https://x.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1855593982958379321?t=LxIe3e8k3BxuVRYRt5epkg&s=19

Huh.

Perhaps this is why the entire western military industrial complex and it's media outlets, aka legacy media, have been absolutely shitting themselves over another Trump presidency, and have tried absolutely everything to get him to lose?

It's early days yet, but we can at least hope the trickster surprises us all....

[manjit]

"The “stop Pompeo” movement is great but it’s not enough. Right now we need maximum pressure to keep all neocons and war hawks out of the Trump administration. They have had their time at the table and brought nothing but disaster to the world and this country.

America First: screw the war machine!"
Comedian Dave Smith

"Agreed💯💯💯!!! I’m on it."
Donald J Trump Jr

[manjit]

There are just so many reasons, incidents, factors etc for why Harris lost and Trump won, it would take a huge volume to cover even a fraction of it.

I can tell you something for shit sure though, none of your neo liberal mainstream media pundits and their theorising has even the faintest Idea why. Not only have they been wrong about absolutely everything for the past year, they're also part of the problem!

But I digress. There is one incident which nicely contains and displays within otmany of the reasons behind Harris's failure. It highlights so many of the things wrong with Harris's campaign....the abject dishonesty, the media complicity, the lack of integrity of supporters, the attempt to mask their genocidal bloodthirstyness and the utter absurdity of imagining the electorate is so stupid as to fall for it.

Here is just 2 of countless examples of Western mainstream media and politicians response and reporting on Trump's comment about Liz Cheney, a typical headlines:

"Trump conjures up violent fantasy about Liz Cheney being shot at
‘Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her,’ Trump said of his most prominent GOP critic"
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-liz-cheney-rifle-guns-tucker-carlson-b2639521.html

"Arizona prosecutor investigating Trump for saying Cheney should face gunfire"
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-suggests-liz-cheney-should-face-firing-squad-her-foreign-policy-stance-2024-11-01/

But here is what Trump actually said, the original video of which is widely available:

"“Well, I think it hurts Kamala a lot. Actually. Look, [Cheney is] a deranged person. The reason she doesn’t like me is that she wanted to stay in Iraq.”"

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In Context: What former President Donald Trump said about Liz Cheney facing a firing squad
National Congress Elections
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, left, and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney. R-Wyo., participate in a town hall Oct. 21, 2024, in Royal Oak, Mich. (AP)Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, left, and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney. R-Wyo., participate in a town hall Oct. 21, 2024, in Royal Oak, Mich. (AP)
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, left, and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney. R-Wyo., participate in a town hall Oct. 21, 2024, in Royal Oak, Mich. (AP)

Amy Sherman
By Amy Sherman
November 1, 2024
Former President Donald Trump called former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney a "radical war hawk" and said she should see how it feels to face guns "trained on her face."

Trump made the comments to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson at an Oct. 31 campaign event in Glendale, Arizona. Carlson asked Trump whether it was "weird" for him to see Cheney, daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, campaigning against him. Liz Cheney has vocally supported Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee; her father also said he would vote for Harris.

With widespread interpretations of Trump’s remarks, we’re using our In Context feature to let voters review his comments in their original context and reach their own conclusions.

Trump’s answer to Carlson’s question lasted several minutes and covered his feelings about former President George W. Bush and Dick Cheney; the pardon of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who was a former Dick Cheney aide; and the U.S. House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol.

Trump’s comments about Liz Cheney and a firing squad drew the most public attention.

Sign up for PolitiFact texts

When asked about Liz Cheney campaigning for Harris, Trump said, "Well, I think it hurts Kamala a lot. Actually. Look, (Cheney is) a deranged person. The reason she doesn't like me is that she wanted to stay in Iraq."

Trump covered many other topics, then said: "I don't want to go to war. (Liz Cheney) wanted to go, she wanted to stay in Syria. I took (troops) out. She wanted to stay in Iraq. I took them out. I mean, if were up to her, we'd, we'd be in 50 different countries. And you know, number one, it's very dangerous. Number two, a lot of people get killed. And number three, I mean, it's very, very expensive."

Later, Trump added "I don’t blame (Dick Cheney) for sticking with his daughter, but his daughter is a very dumb individual, very dumb. She is a radical war hawk. Let's put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, OK? Let's see how she feels about it. You know, when the guns are trained on her face."
https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/nov/01/in-context-what-former-president-donald-trump-said/

https://youtu.be/47_XcdW7A7A?si=DvBb7o5BInHmCarz

Oh decent people, full of integrity, can you see what is happening here?

Can you see why this despicably dishonest campaign lost, yet?

[Jim Sutherland]

@Jimmy,…thanks. But I am now an old man,…only 2 months short of 83, and unless my Prodigal Son miraculously would return to me, asking me to help him with some thing , than I won’t try to interfere with his life, nor instigate any relationship. The thousands of times in the past I imagined him showing up at our door, no longer haunts me. The last time I saw him, was when he was 17, when I was on business near where he lived, and called him, and asked if he would let me take him out to dinner. He obliged me, and showed up with a Girl friend. We had a cordial dinner, and parted with me embracing both he and his girl friend. Since then, he has never sent Cards, nor contacted ANY of us since, , other than his Sister, a couple of times, after she called him. All of his Grand Parents died, with out him ever inquiring any thing about them. His Grand Mothers quit sending him Christmas presents after a few years when he would never even respond that he received them. So, he would now be a complete stranger if he showed up, with only his 1st 17 years of history to reminisce …….which was not very good from his age 14 on, after he got hooked on Weed, then, we are all afraid of him. My Wife and Sister were afraid to be alone in the house with him with out my presence. Weed quickly led to harder drugs, and he became unmanageable. But hey, that’s what young males do. We Leave home, and create our own lives. I also left home, a month after my 17th Birthday to join the USAF. My Son did,…..hell if I know! Many times, I would start a Research Report on him, on the Internet, and never once followed through to spy on him. To date, what I am most curious about is, if He ever fathered any children, but I know he never married, so if he did, they would be out of wedlock. Up to before he started Weed, we had a normal family relationship. Christmas Trees, loaded with presents, his 1st Bike, and me teaching him to ride it at about 9 or 10, …Snow Sled week end outings, Speed Boat and Water Skying, ….and I even had a 50CC Honda Motor Cycle I taught he, and his Sister to ride alone! And it all ended after he disappeared in to the dark world of Weed and drugs.
Jim Sutherland

[Jim Sutherland]

The main difference between my Son and I, is, I never went longer than 2 weeks in my entire life, with out either writting a letter to, or calling my Father and Mother to let them know about every single thing going on in my life, right up to their deaths. My Dad died at only 71 of a heart attack, and my Mom died at a month short of 98, and I had called her 2 weeks before to wish her Happy Mother’s Day!
Jim Sutherland

[manjit]

Recently I wrote: "Harris Win % chance of continuing US Imperialist barbarism, genocide and war: 100%

Trump Win % chance of continuing US Imperialist barbarism, genocide and war: 99.999999995%"

From an excellent article that all Dem voters should read:

"We can be certain that the Democrats lost voters because of Gaza. The numbers are stark"

"“Even if he will continue this genocide at a 99% chance,” one voter who cast her ballot for Trump said, “I’m going to take that 1% chance that he’s going to stop it, as opposed to the 100% chance that it’s going to continue under Harris.”"

"Events in Palestine and the broader Middle East over 13 relentless months have driven despair and estrangement. First there is the psychological effect of the images and footage of the killing – most of all, of the children. And it’s not just the death, but the nature of it. Thousands are being mangled, torn apart, buried under buildings, their parts collected in plastic bags for burial. We are not wired to absorb such horror without sustaining profound injury and moral trauma. It changes you."

"In both the continuing killing and ethnic cleansing, and the refusal to do anything about it but at best express sorrow at the sad state of affairs, there is a personal message, one that is sent to those of Arab background: people like you do not matter. This is a message that extends to others from the global south, or those who identify with Palestinians as an oppressed, racialised ethnicity – and who, whatever their background, are alienated by the Democratic party’s unresponsiveness to their concerns.

Inspire all these feelings of trauma, erasure and contempt in people, and they start to vote in ways that are an expression of those feelings. That expression is multifaceted: rage, nihilism, disconnection, last-chance-saloon gambling. Trump may seem like a wild card, but at least with a wild card there is still a chance of an upside, of an unlikely – but still possible – positive outcome. Because these guys? Well, screw these guys. They’ve told us who they are, and who they think we are."

"But these thoughts and behaviours are understandable given the choices on offer. I saw it in the UK election, too, this insistence that voters stop being ridiculous – and focus on the fact that the other option is probably worse. But in the disorientation and anxiety that arise from seeing atrocity after atrocity on a daily basis, there is no rational calculation of what could be “worse” in the future. Only a desperation to end what is intolerable in the present."

"Because ultimately for the Democrats, the same moral vacuum that has enabled and allowed the slaughter in Gaza to continue is the same one that prevents them from seeing voters as ethical beings. The realpolitik attitude that weighed up Palestinian lives against loyalty to Israel is the same one that cannot conceive voters who do not also act in similarly cold and self-interested ways.

The feeling of unperturbed exceptionalism is the same one that cannot allow them to understand the sense of vulnerability, precarity and fear that the past year has given rise to. Those astonished by Trump’s win and who worry about the terrifying era that he is about to usher in will never grasp that to many, that world is already here, they’ve just not been living in it."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/11/kamal-harris-gaza-democrats-arab-american-voters-donald-trump

[manjit]

What with this being predominantly an RS related blog and readers, thereby with an average reading audience of age 75, I understand many folks don't believe in actual real news and accurate information unless it is presented on their neo-liberal, billionaire owned state propaganda, mainstream legacy media.

So here it is, in response to what could Dems have done to win this election, around the 2.40 mark:

https://youtu.be/uwr8fp-_UcA?si=d2EHly9gO7IWKOvN

[sant64]

Shakespeare on Current Events and the Error of Hard Determinism:

"Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs and peep about
To find ourselves dishonorable graves.
Men at some time are masters of their fates.
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings."

Ever heedless, the Dems will continue to cry racism and sexism and fascism and will continue to let slip the dogs of lawfare and calumny.

[um]

@ Sant64

>> "We're the party that loves democracy, that wants to save democracy!"<<

These were NOT my words

[sant64]

Still feeling this way?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5k_arVcqR8

[um]

@ Sant64

>> "We're the party that loves democracy, that wants to save democracy!"<<

These were NOT my words

[Jimmy]

JS I can relate as I had a wayward partying daughter from 15 to 21. She had 4 ER visits within 2 months.I wrote her off but life stepped in and threw her a real curve ball- pregnancy. It was the greatest thing that could have happened. Daughter is now settled down with a successful businessman.
This was not what I was writing about originally.
Think of this, everything in this world started in imagination. I used this Neville technique recently. As you know the R.E. market has gone crazy. We've been looking around with a budget of 800k. Well the area, we wanted has run from 800k to 1.6mil. So the budget was shot. No problem according to Neville,just go to sleep and imagine with feeling living in the area.
I did this for 2 years now and since, a friend gave my wife 800k to seal the deal. Where before there were no houses available now we bid on one that failed. Tomorrow we bid on another.
Every problem is solvable with 1. Going to bed and imagine your goal is achieved. 2. Whip up your feelngs ,excitement or feel a friend shaking your hand. 3. Then sleep and continue this every night.

[Jim Sutherland]

@Jimmy,….Congrats on getting what you desire, by imagining it will manifest. It has already worked for me. I have now, after traveling the world, fulfilled all on my Bucket List , which is now fulfilled, and empty. The biggest problem I have left is,…..I have yet to know what I want to be when I grow up! And worse, if I must reincarnate back here again, even if I remembered this present life, there will still be no other new plan , other than what has manifested during this life. Survival!
Jim Sutherland

[Jim Sutherland]

Countries we have toured since Aug. 2012, after retirement.
Countries We've Visited:
Andorra, Antigua, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, Chili, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Curaçao, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Vatican City (Holly See) Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Panama, Portugal, Russia, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, San Marino, Singapore, Saint Maarten, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, United States, China, Tibet, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slavakia, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg. Our last Trip ended in Paris, in May 2019.

And of course all over the U.S. and National Parks and Tourist areas.

Jim Sutherland.

[sant64]

Reports are that Kamala Harris raised a billion dollars in her 3-month presidential campaign. And yet, some staffers are complaining they haven't been paid. Also, despite getting a billion dollars, Harris is 20 million dollars in the hole. Where did the money go?

Trump raised half what Harris did, had a nine-month campaign, and yet had 36 million dollars left over.

We didn't have to wait long to find out that America dodged a bullet by electing Trump instead of Harris. Kamala Harris showed she had no grasp of economics. Extreme tax plans, Soviet-style price restrictions that have never worked anywhere, ridiculous accusations that thousands of American businesses hatched a scheme to "price gouge." Classic socialist rhetoric all of it.

She couldn't even run a campaign without going 20 million in the red. Pscheew we dodged a bullet!

[Jimmy]

JS Good on you and your travels. Are you a CIA agent? I'm just as Gerry Lopez said "keep paddling." in reference to surfing which is my hobby. Give me waves or give me death! Surfing is the one sport that combines survival with physical activity and I recommend it. Someone called it yoga. I'm not sure about that.
I just know it cleans my head out from the worries of the world,so I can pursue my other hobby- Astral Projection. Yes I've done it dozens of times. It is more fun than riding 14 ft waves or skiing 3ft of powder in Utah.
I've posted on here the Frank Kepple(a engineer) series on youtube regarding this. It is what every person desires- mind blowing experience. Drugs are no match for the AP experience.
Jurgen Ziewe is another on youtube with his videos based on his experience.
I'll show myself out with this thought. Why can we stare at a sunset or a fire burning endlessly? It is because we know those colors from the worlds we came from before we were born. We are like the homing pigeon , we know what home looks like. It is why we search for every new adrenaline rush.
Why does a beautiful person fix our attention? We recognize they resemble the beings who populate the other worlds.

[Jim Sutherland]

@Jimmy,…yes, I am a CIA Agent,….i.e. “Christian In Action.” Well, a Hybrid one. I consider my self a Gnostic Christian Spiritist. Most of my International travels have been as a Tourist. We planned to buy a new house after selling our Laguna Beach house of 31 yeas, and moving to Virginia, but ended up spending a half million dollars traveling instead of getting stuck in another house . We are in our same apartment for the last 13 years, and are content. I still do plenty of travel daily . Astral Traveling that is, during my daily Meditations. It’s much easier, cheaper, and less tiresome, and I don’t even need to bring any luggage or money. As for Jurgen, he has been one of my Facebook friends for years, and we have had many private conversations and shared books in pdf. I’ve read all his books, and listened to all his videos on his generous Web Site. He originally accessed the Astral Realms using TM, and has meditated daily with out using drugs or psychedelics to access his Astral Travels. He is one of my favorite NATURAL Astral Travelers. Nice Gentleman.
As for Surfing, I only tried it once, and failed miserably embarrassed! My Wife was watching me. We were in Hawaii, and I had never surfed, but I had water skied, and snow skied, so surfing looked easy. I rented a Surf Board, and laid on it and paddled put. The waves were huge that day. When I got out far enough, I tried to stand up on the Board, and was unable to. As I kept struggling to even stay on top of it, with out flipping up side down, the Board kept slipping out of my arms, and the metal fin underneath kept scraping my arm pits as I tried to hold it from getting away from me. The more I struggled, the closer I came to loosing the Board. Meanwhile, the Ocean currents kept taking me further, and further out to Sea, away from the shore! And I was unable to remount the Board to paddle to shore. I was really panicking as I saw the people on the shore looking smaller and smaller. At long last, a gorgeous young Female paddled out on her Surf Board, and rescued me! She quieted me down, helped me get up on my Board, and helped me paddle back to shore. I was embarrassed to be rescued by a young Angel Lady as my Wife watched, but grateful to have been rescued, and I never tried Surfing again. I was about 40 when that happened.
Jim Sutherland

[manjit]

All politics is tribal, insular, self-ish.

Humans are an incredibly self-absorbed, self-interested, callous and cruel race, where we can easily turn a blind eye to babies being massacred in the most cruel of ways in their tens of thousands, if they are not the right colour skin, or religion, or piece of land, or if our investments increase by 1%.

I do not have any interest in politics whatsoever and I have excused myself from the heavily karmic accruing activity of voting for wolves in sheeps clothing, or perpetuating the façade and charade of a fair and honest democratic process.

My only interest over the past year with this whole obscene nightmare that is US politics and elections is the cessation of one of the most barbaric, inhumane and brutal acts in recent human history, fully supported and indeed conducted by our democratically elected governments.

Humans are a cruel species.

If you are going to turn a blind eye to the very depths of depravity which your governments are perpetrating, right NOW, then at least excuse yourself the humiliation and degeneracy of voting for those committing it.

Just a thought.

[sant64]

The Kamala Disaster! Has to be the worst presidential campaign of all time.
Vetern Dem strategist James Carville said:

"I think if this campaign is reducible to one moment, we are in a 65% wrong-track country. The country wants something different. And she’s asked, as is so often the case, in a friendly audience, on 'The View,' 'How would you be different than Biden?' That’s the one question that you exist to answer, alright? That is it. That’s the money question. That's the one you want. That’s the one that everybody wants to know the answer to. And you freeze! You literally freeze and say, ‘Well, I can’t think of anything,’"

Like a cult follower, Kamala would rather jump off a bridge than admit the Biden/Harris admin had done anything wrong in the last 4 years.

And out of all the Dem talent, she picked Tim Walz as her running mate. What was she thinking?

Kamala fed her followers and the media with word salads that didn't impress anyone. People in this country are hurting, they wanted answers, wanted change, and she came across as the typical bs politician. "I can't think of anything that I'd change." wOW! Truly, Kamala is the actual VEEP from the TV show.

Why did you do it Dems? Why did you pick Kamala? (Just joking -- of course, you didn't pick her, Schumer and Pelosi did).

A billion dollars was raised and spent, and 20 million dollars over that, and you still couldn't win.

You tried to throw Trump in jail for nonsense, and demonized him to the extent that several attempts were made on his life. Trump still won.

Know who's most responsible for getting Trump elected? YOU ARE.

But remain in denial you will. (Yoda)

[Appreciative Reader]

"But even in science, disagreements arise about the same phenomena, the same results, the same observations. Raw sensory data always is interpreted by the human brain. We never see things as they are in themselves, only as our brains lead us to see them."

"While diversity of opinions can be annoying when we want other people to agree with us, this is an unavoidable feature of human cognition. And really, who would want it to be any other way? If everybody was just like us, life would be unbelievably boring, a hall of mirrors where our own reflection is the only thing we perceive."

----------

I suppose it's a question of what we're here for.

Some clearly are here for propaganda: of their politics, and of their religio-spiritual worldview. With neither the capacity nor the inclination to actually learn anything, or to self-correct.

Then, haha, it seems there are those that are here for self-aggrandizement, essentially. Effected by presenting tall claims centered around spiritualism primarily, given spirituality’s such an easy target; but not averse, apparently, to diversifying to dramaqueening by latching on to other subjects also, as opportunistically present themselves, like politics. As well as propaganda of their religio-spiritual worldview, and again with neither the capacity nor the inclination to actually learn anything or to self-correct.

Some seem to be here simply in order to blather away incoherently, at whatever unsuspecting victim they're able to buttonhole, with their vague, unsupported, and fundamentally disingenuous hints at profundity.

Some are here to vent about religion in general and RSSB in particular; others to straight-on proselytize; and yet others who use this place to just catch up on news about RSSB --- which last, well, why not.

Then there’s some that are here simply to shoot the breeze, and to pleasantly spend the time of day. Again, as far as that last, no reason why not, is how I myself look at it.

----------

But some are here primarily in a spirit of enquiry. To understand the nature of ourselves, of the world, of reality, in the company of like-minded enquirers. …And, while “we” aren’t particularly solemn about how we go about it, and while “we” aren’t averse to occasionally, often, talking about other things, or generally chatting: but “our” primary intent in spending the time and effort here that “we” do, is a serious one. Primarily that is what “we” are here for.

"We" do not look for agreement per se, and nor do we find disagreement per se and divergence in opinion per se in the least annoying. "We" welcome diversity of opinion, sure, but not mindless contrarianism (nor mindless agreement either), what we welcome is diversity of opinion that is reasoned and coherent.

"We" look for honest enquiry, that might accompany and facilitate our own. "We" look for meaningful rational discourse, for coherence, and above all "we" look for sincerity and honesty.

"We" abhor lies and liars. "We" abhor disingenuous self-aggrandizing dramaqueening poseurs. "We" abhor petty smallmindedness and vileness. "We" abhor gaslighting and gaslighters.

All of that is just noise. And a high noise-to-signal ratio is not a good thing, it is very decidedly a bad thing. It is an impediment, and not an aid, to what “we” are here for primarily. While "we" do look for meaningful discourse, and welcome diversity and a thriving community within which to more robustly and meaningfully conduct that discourse --- which is why "we" are here in the first place! --- but "we" would prefer even complete silence to the kind of dishonest, imbecilic, incoherent and high-noise-to-signal cacophony that this place sometimes devolves to.

---------

Yes, you’re right, scientists disagree all the time! Disagreement is, in fact, an essential part of science. But here’s the thing: all of science starts with a common base of rationality, of sincerity in intent, of honesty, and of coherence. No liars or delusionals throwing around wild unsupported self-aggrandizing claims will be welcome in a community of the scientifically minded; nor gaslighters; nor incoherent blatherers; and nor mindless proselytizers and propagandists.

"We" welcome diversity. "We" do not crave, nor even necessarily want, agreement per se. But "we" would much prefer complete silence to this incoherence and this …noise, essentially, from what looks like cackle of Calibans, of intellectual, moral and spiritual cretins.

--------------------

Yep, it boils down to what "we" are here for primarily.

And that, I suppose, makes for a different kind of diversity, this diversity in the reasons for which we congregate here. And what kind of diversity "we" want, at this meta level, is a somewhat different question, essentially a strategic one.

A question which, haha, ties back, yet again, to the question of what "we" are here for in the first place, primarily; except this time at a meta level.

[sant64]

To try to get a full picture of the political landscape and make informed decisions, I read both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. One paper is wholly to the left, the other to the right.

I almost always find myself in agreement with the Wall Street Journal. But not always. That newspaper is just about as neocon as they come. The Wall Street Journal opinion writers never saw a war they didn't love. Of course, the Journal is 100% pro-Ukraine, and despairs that we're not funding a full-scale war on Russia. And Iran. And China in the South Seas. I find their gung-ho attitude foolish and futile. And quite dangerous.

Then there's the Journal on Israel and Gaza. I yi yi. To its credit, the WJS news dept does cover the constant atrocities Israel commits on innocent Gazans. But the WSJ opinion writers seem blissfully ignorant or morally numb to the humanitarian disaster, and actually blame the Biden regime for not giving MORE $ to Israel to "finish the job." Sickening.

As I predicted here many months ago, Biden's rhetoric about support for Palestinians was mere words without any substance. Total Kabuki. But then, the Trump side will also be pro-Israel. Let's be real, no one will buck Israel, to do so is political and career suicide. No one tells Israel what to do. On the contrary, Israel tells us what to do, as we saw with Netanyahu appearing before Congress, demanding that the US go to war with Iraq, and not committing a single Israeli soldier to that war while our country lost trillions of dollars and thousands of lives.

So things look grim for the Palestinians, and this pains me. My hope is that Trump's team can negotiate better with Israel to bring this war and the Ukraine war to a close ASAP. And I think there's reason to believe Trump will do better than Team Biden on that score.

[sant64]

According to mainstream media, such as the New York Times, here's why Trump won:

1) Trump is evil and has evil powers of persuasion to communicate evil ideas is such a way that a lot of people thought they were good and wholesome ideas.

2) Women didn't do the right thing to stand for their sister, Kamala.

3) Russian disinformation is responsible for Trump winning (unbelievably, the ever-shameless NYT dared to put this on their front page.

4) Racism! The country wasn't ready for a black (or is it Indian?) president.

5) Sexism! The country is so sexist that it couldn't stand the idea of a woman president. Never mind that women turn out more than men in elections. It was sexism that cost Kamala the election!

6) People are just stupid.

7) Joe Biden's fault

[sant64]

let’s take a moment to congratulate Kamala Harris for convincing America to vote for Trump.

[Chiro]

Have you seen the Trump admin's first public information film? Should give you a general view of the direction things are going: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS37SNYjg8w