you nailed it here, John. there was a time when RESPONSIBLE CAPITALISM was how we at least PRETENDED to do things.

no pretense any more. and we are the lesser for it.

From my Facebook feed ~ kinda/sorta says it ALL ~ ~ Sooz

From my Facebook feed ~ daaammmmnnnnn, I love the way this man's mind works! ~ Sooz

From my Facebook feed ~ this wins "best question" of the day with "The public good by not cooperating with Democrats?" ~ ~ Sooz

From my Facebook feed ~ while some obviously will, I don't know how anyone can argue with "We must do everything possible to reclaim our democracy." ~ ~ Sooz

To an extent we haven’t seen since the Gilded Age of the 1890s, the upcoming election is between a tiny group of super-rich and their huge masses of water carriers brain-washed by Fox and friends, and the rest of us.

There, fixed it for Robert.

From my Facebook feed ~ as I've come to expect, Robert Reich nails this short commentary ~ ~ emphasis/bolding below is mine ~ Sooz

From Robert Reich on Facebook;


Quote of the day:

On this morning's “Meet the Press:”

Host CHUCK TODD, interviewing Bernie Sanders: "You know, you’ve always been hesitant to contrast yourself with Secretary Clinton. But you have, you make certain subtle differences by saying on some of these issues, where she now agrees with you, you welcome her over and you emphasize you’ve had these positions for a long time. Why should that matter? Why should that matter to a voter that you’ve held this position for a much longer say on TPP–"

BERNIE SANDERS: "Good question."

TODD: "–than Secretary Clinton?"

SANDERS: "Yeah, okay. I’ll tell you why it should matter. And let me be very clear. I mean, I happen to respect and like Hillary Clinton, so I don’t get into personal attacks, you know that. But are there differences of opinion that should be discussed? Of course, there are. That’s what that election is about. To answer your question, what it’s about is at a time when so few have so much and when the big money interests have so much political power, the real most important question is, who is prepared to mobilize the American people to stand up to these very powerful and wealthy special interests? Whose track record for the last 25 years has been to say to Wall Street, “You know what? We are going to have to break up the large financial institution.”

TODD: "Well, that’s a trust issue. You’re basically saying, “You know what? I’ve been there so you can trust that I’ll never leave that fight.” With somebody else who gets there late, you think it’s perhaps a trust issue."

SANDERS: "No, I mean, Keystone Pipeline, all right? I believe that climate change is the great global crisis that we face, environmental crisis. From day one, I opposed the Keystone Pipeline because I believe that if you’re serious about climate change, you don’t encourage the excavation and transportation of very dirty oil. That was my view from day one. TPP. I believe that our trade policies going way back when. I voted against NAFTA, CAFTA, PNT, all with China. I think they have been a disaster for the American worker. A lot of corporations that shut down here move abroad. So people will have to contrast my consistency and my willingness to stand up to Wall Street and corporations, big corporations, with the Secretary."

From my Facebook feed ~ for me, the BEST comment is "... Trump’s brainless bullying demeans our democracy ..." ~ Sooz

The lack of substance in Trump's campaign will eventually be his downfall. It seems like people often like angry emotional mean people but when it comes to voting they look for more substance. He's not even spouting the party line. He'll fade away.

I'm counting on that too, queenie ~ but I've learned to never say never ~

Sooz

Even though the public faces of the party are a bunch of nuts, the core of the party are still old white men who will not allow the world to see a candidate for president like Trump. The Republican war machine cannot have him leading them in foreign policy. They would be too embarrassed.

From my Facebook feed ~ Bernie pushing the word "socialist" concerns me too ~ I'm thinking Bernie is giving too much credit to the voting public to hear/read/understand what he's identifying as the core of his belief set ~ FTR, I recognize and support the difference ~ the closest analogy I can think of is GOP/TPer passionate hatred for anything with the "ObamaCare" label but just as passionate love for the "ACA" ~ ~ Sooz

He's not going to be President, no matter what he calls himself. It's an honorable thing to say what you think, but it's a bad idea always say everything you think.

Is Sanders truly pushing the phrase "democratic socialism"?

From what I see, he doesn't tend to bring it up but is always asked about it. Perhaps I've not seen speeches where he talks about it.

I think that since the media constantly mentions it, he needs to discuss it. Otherwise it becomes something that it seems he is trying to avoid.

It's the media that is the problem. Consider the following;

The problem isn't Sanders, the problem is a media that allows candidates to say the most outrageous things and acts like it's just a difference of opinion, another side in a debate.

So Trump can say "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive" and Carson can say "I'll tell you what I think about climate change. The temperature's either going up or down at any point in time, so it really is not a big deal" and they can lead in the polls.

These are good examples of what a bad idea it is to say everything you think, esp. Trump's example. Now Trump is actually fairly intelligent, I think, so I really don't think that's what he really thinks, since it is so stupid. Carson is smart too, but he's simple. The less he says, the better. I suppose there is a constituency of simple people who believe them both, but not large enough to win the Presidency. Simple mindedness is surely an advantage in the Repub primary this year, though.

Food for thought from my Facebook Feed ~ Sooz

From my Facebook feed ~ and added to all his personal flaws, Paul Ryan will be beholden to the "Freedom Caucus" ~ ~ Sooz

I’ve been imagining who might come to our door tonight on Halloween, and what treat they’ll want.

Donald Trump will come by disguised as a Mexican, wanting an anchor baby.

Carly Fiorina will come disguised as a CEO, wanting my job and 29,000 others.

Jeb Bush will come disguised as his brother, and want us not to notice.

Ben Carson will come disguised as mild-mannered doctor, and want every woman in America to hand over her rights over her own body.

Marco Rubio will come disguised as a Senator who takes his job seriously, wanting us to believe he’ll take the presidency seriously.

Chris Christie will be disguised as the George Washington Bridge, asking that we pretend he's not.

Other Republican candidates will come disguised as their big donors, asking that we not see them.

Hillary Clinton will come as herself, and want us to believe whatever she says.

Bernie Sanders will come disguised as Bernie Sanders, and give us candy.

The Koch brothers will come disguised as Republican politicians, and take all our candy.

Who will appear at your house, in what disguise, and wanting what treat?

Just saw that Robert Reich message on my Facebook feed, John ~ I laughed at his wonderful sense of the absurd ~

Sooz

From my Facebook feed ~ I still have NOT decided on a candidate ... both Hillary and Bernie have strong points and points that deeply concern me ~ but I see the Ds/libs/progressives as lucky to not be having to choose between which unqualified idiot will do less harm ~ ~ the only thing I can guarantee is that I will be voting Dem in 2016, up and down the ticket ~ Sooz

What’s your view? Who won this argument?

Neither of them. Given the state of American politics, in a showdown between Bernie and even Carson or Trump the outcome would be a toss-up with the odds probably leaning toward the Republican. Crazy trumps socialist every time. Remember, you are putting you're faith in an electorate that re-elected George Jr. in 2004.

Just a little history from the democratic primary of 2008. No black man named Barack Hussein Obama could ever get elected president. Hillary Clinton has the Democratic primary wrapped. She has the party machine behind her and the women's vote. Said everyone eight short years ago...

Good point, Queen.

And didn't many think it would be a piece of cake for Romney because the economy was bad?