Not sure. I never studied much art history, though I took three years of art in high school and a painting course at Loyola.

A Pollack? It’s a mess, but you can still pick out some form here and there.

My whole life is a tortured, beautiful piece of art. My making (with God’s canvas and medium).

Interesting story.

My take: I use my real name and make no qualms about how I feel about the President on this forum. I think the career bureaucrats need to buck up and not be so sensitive and blow the whistle on any and every abuse of power by the President. I’m not afraid of retaliation because I know I’m right. When you are on the side of right, then there is no need for fear, unless you’re a coward.

I know your niece and her colleagues can be brave, too, for the sake of the country. Send her flowers with a note.

But as far as Trump goes, I think more people need to show him their anger. The more of us who speak out, the more difficult it is for him to vanish us all.

Huh, wasn't Bush a conservative, elected by conservatives and strongly supported by the Christian Right? Why are you lying this wrong on liberals? — Athena

A neoliberal is not a liberal. Google the term.

That’s irrelevant to the real crime they are pursuing, viz. the Justice Department that is a political tool of the President’s whims.

I was taught that I was my Dad’s toy. It’s not good to show anger towards your father when you’re three and four years old (and beyond). Maybe I can heal now.

You’re still not getting it. The interview on ABC was a ruse. Barr and Trump have a friends and enemies list. Because Trump tweeted about Stone as Barr was recommending a lighter sentence than the four resigning prosecutors did, Barr HAD to go on TV.

It's a bit like how people who really judge anger can sometimes explode. And their explosion seems to confirm their judgments of anger. But the truth is they have very little experience with things like self-assertion and other balanced expressions of anger. — Coben

I have this problem.

Christianity without education for higher order thinking skills is not a good thing. Christianity sustained ignorance and mistreatment of human beings for hundreds of years. I would not expect humans to do better without better education. — Athena

Agreed. I couldn’t make good use of anything in the Bible until after I got my degree in philosophy. It takes a liberal arts education (I got a Bachelor of Science instead of Arts which I think helped me read the sacred text more critically but still with some background in history and the other humanities) to understand how the text was created, which parts are spiritual truths, which parts were matters of practical law for ancient Hebrews, which parts are “good” moral philosophy (the Golden Rule and forgiveness, as examples), and which parts are utter propaganda by the Church founders and rulers like King Solomon who had to subdue his subjects.

Now that I am more well-rounded, I can appreciate the Bible and value it as it should be. However, with my mental and emotional problems (clinical), I find the Bible is more of a comfort some days than a check on my self-destructive behaviors. Other days my faith does check some bad inclinations.

I don’t think Christ is everybody’s answer, though. For some people, I think their religion actually makes them worse people, unbeknownst to these people who lack self-awareness. Some Jesus freaks are truly awful people. I can be an awful person, too, but at least I’m not cloaking myself in religion to look down on others or to feel superior. I love Christ for the meaning it gives my life. Some people use Christ for self-serving ends. I love the story of Christ. It helps me to not be so afraid of suffering, a natural part of life.

I have also studied Hinduism, Taoism, and Buddhism. I know that studying these religions have also enriched my life, and I take from each of them to better understand reality; along with my studies of mathematics (up to Calculus and statistics), physics, biology, psychology, history, sociology, and English literature. And, of course, Anglo-American analytic philosophy. (I took one course in Existentialism and Continental philosophy).


Anyway, not to give a curriculum vitae, but just agreeing with you with an illustration of my journey.

He criticized inappropriate action by Trump. That was the correct thing to do. Contrast this with the typical things we hear: telling us how wonderful it is that he hear exactly what the President thinks. — Relativist

Barr has to keep the DOJ together after four prosecutors resigned from the Roger Stone case and one altogether quit.

“Mr. President, you can’t go tweeting out our friends and enemies list otherwise I won’t be able to keep prosecutors on staff. This won’t work if you telegraph our plans to the world. I will go on TV to try to recover whatever credibility I might still have, but you’ve got to keep quiet!” -AG Barr (mutters under his breath, “What a fucking moron!”)

I mean what I say and I say exactly what I mean.

Being stubborn is alright for the right matter. :halo: — Wallows

Not sure it’s you who is on the right side of the matter. With my belief system, I know that I will suffer many, many times in my life and it doesn’t bother me too much because I have a higher purpose. With your belief system, you are in continuous agony and fear of suffering. Suffering owns you. You are not free.

You’re almost being religious in your stubbornness. Did you ever want to be persuaded, or are you trying to persuade others?

You believe that smokescreen by Barr? He’s working with Guiliani.

:up:

I wish I could work for Trump for a day. I would make him cry.

Meanwhile, sudden outbreak of sanity from an unexpected source:


In an extraordinary rebuke of President Trump, Attorney General William P. Barr said on Thursday that Mr. Trump’s attacks on the Justice Department had made it “impossible for me to do my job” and asserted that “I’m not going to be bullied or influenced by anybody.”

Mr. Barr has been among the president’s most loyal allies and denigrated by Democrats as nothing more than his personal lawyer but publicly challenged Mr. Trump in a way that no other sitting cabinet member has.

https://nyti.ms/2tVh4jH]

Trump's meddling in the judiciary is yet another impeachable offense. — Wayfarer

I won’t hold my breath, but maybe I will be humble and say that Barr could surprise us. Everything it’s been reported he’s been doing including working with Guiliani speaks otherwise.

Unhappiness comes in different levels. — ssu

If you ask me, Trump is definitely throwing a wrench in the system to say the least.

Well, then it doesn’t sound like you would agree that Sanders is indeed a socialist because he calls these parts of our system “socialism”. He wants to make the power companies public, too. He wants union rights, subsidizing clean energy instead of oil and gas as they do now, higher marginal tax rates, Medicare for all, free public colleges, student loan forgiveness, etc. He says he’s going to pay for all of this mainly by raising taxes on the wealthy, a wealth tax, and modest tax increases on the middle class. I say he’s dreaming, but God bless him! I don’t disagree with him.

They are for the social benefit. At least they are supposed to be. In reality, they work for the business owners and wealthy for the most part.

But they’re not a private police force, like a security detail would be. They’re public.

People are happy when things work. — ssu

People weren’t happy. That’s why Trump.

The police motto is To serve and protect. It’s meant to be that way. Just because police forces across the country have been corrupted to mainly harass the poor, doesn’t mean that they aren’t supposed to be public servants.

That's not true Noah. Some atheists... the militant ones... may hate God, whatever that means. Not all. — creativesoul

Well, the atheists who didn’t even start out hating God first before denying His existence are a rare breed. You are a rare breed. It seems to me that Wallows wants to blame something or someone.

Spiritual people are open to the universe (or God) and know that we all have a purpose. The universe (or God) will reveal yours to you when it’s your time. You just have to read the signs. Don’t be so hubristic to think that you’ve got it all figured out already. Then you won’t hear it or see it. Life has meaning. Life has purpose. The universe has purpose (how else could we discover its laws?). If you remain open and loving, soon enough you will know your purpose with certainty.

I’m not going to repeat myself. Go back and read what I said.

Well, I'm really concerned about the typical response to these questions. Being quietism, mysterium, and esoterics. — Wallows

You’re not fooling me. With all atheists it starts out as personal. Only after finding reasons to hate God do they then rationalize that there is no God.

Are you really concerned about some hypothetical fawn in a forest, or are you in pain? I suspect it’s the latter. I recommended talking to someone who is a good listener that you trust.

Fact: Bad shit happens to everyone. And yes, sometimes it’s no one’s fault.

If you are going to stipulate that there is a God (which I don’t believe you want to believe in but rather are looking to place the blame on someone for your pain), then isn’t it more comforting to assume that this stipulated God loves you and still has purpose for you than to assume that He doesn’t care? Perhaps God is priming you for your purpose. Are you up to the challenge?

You just claimed that institutions are socialist when they "place what's best for the overall community at the forefront". Sorry friend, but that's ridiculous. — NOS4A2

Don’t take his word for it. Google what conservative scholars think about Social Security and Medicare, as examples. Google “tax is theft” while you’re at it.

Have you seen the crowds at the Trump rallies? I mean apart from the token minorities standing behind Trump that are placed there for PR purposes. What do they look like? Do you think they are mostly multi-millionaire donors? Or do you think they are working class?

That means almost 60% is white. I’m not saying that this is good or bad. I’m explaining how Democrats lost to Trump.

Right, because all lawyers and educated folks are Democrats and smart and all rural white conservatives are dumb as shit. Only morons buy into the liberty mythology which has time and time again failed. One day they'll notice the wild success of Marxism and all the joy it has brought to the world and they'll change their tune.

Good post. Thank you. — Hanover

Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, food stamps, WIC, the right to form a union are not Marxism; but you certainly sound like a conservative pundit. Conservative politicians don’t like these programs that help the rural poor. These politicians (who have law degrees as well) don’t sound like Democrats with law degrees. You see this on the political ads on TV.

I was making the point of how the Democrats appear or come across to people like my ex-wife’s brother. People who work the factories, work construction, or who are now struggling to live after 40 years of union-busting and Reaganomics.

Conservative pundits and Trump know how to manipulate them, while the Democrats don’t know how to speak their language.

You live in Atlanta. I have lived in rural Wisconsin for most of my life apart from six years in the ghetto. I think I know rural America better than you.

That's just not true, unless 'better' means continued harm against American workers. — creativesoul

He wants better deals for our exporters. I didn’t say he actually accomplished anything yet.

For me at least, Trump represents a rebuke to the Ivy-League style of politics. I'm done with talkers and the public/private, public relations form of politics, where they promise us one thing and we end up with another. — NOS4A2

And that’s exactly why I understand how Trump got elected. I voted for Sanders then Hillary in 2016. I’m sure the Republican House and Senate in 2017 would have impeached her for something (her emails maybe?) We live in an age where government can’t do anything without the presidency and both chambers solidly in one party.

I disagree with Trump’s proposed budget, the new tax code, the right-wing judges, the environmental deregulation, the immigration policies, and just about everything else he’s done. He really is far right wing on a lot of issues. He is for better trade deals, however, so we will see what he gets done there.

You're a Democrat? I've never liked either party and will remain an independant, though I do favor the Republicans more and more these days. But I'm with you: I hate the people on TV. I hate fox news as much as I hate CNN. I would also include in that celebrities and those who give each other golden statues at award shows. — NOS4A2

I’ve always voted Democratic. I guess that makes me a Democrat. However, I would have been happy under Eisenhower, I think. George H.W. Bush wasn’t bad for a Reaganomics-type president. Obama was a disappointment for me, but I do believe that his and George W. Bush’s policies got us out of the Global Financial Crisis, even though Clinton and Bush, Jr. paved the way into it.

I can totally understand how Trump got elected. I just don’t see any policies of his that I like (to put it mildly).

You’re welcome. I’m very passionate about politics. I have been ever since 9/11. I may get personal sometimes, but I fight like a Republican. Just know that I don’t hate everyday people. I mostly hate the people on TV, which I think is part of the design to divide the nation against itself so the corporations can keep the government divided and ineffective.

I love politics, and this aspect of politics is of particular interest to me. I enjoy the dialectic. I admit that I find it strange that an opposing opinion is met with such hostility, especially from those who claim to enjoy philosophy, but then again so much the better. Also, it helps get through an otherwise boring work day. — NOS4A2

Okay. I just want you to know that I don’t hate Trump supporters. I just hate Trump.

And that raises an interesting point, because a constant argument from the left is that the working class rural right often votes against its interests by supporting policies that favor the wealthy. The response is that they are not motivated by self-interest, but by ideology, which is as consistent as the very rich voting for socialism. The rural working class are motivated much more by American concepts of liberty than they are in receiving additional government social security measures, even if pragmatically, they'd be better off with a larger government. — Hanover

This is a good point. Rural-white-male-right wingers believe in the mythology of freedom as given to them by their favorite pundits including Limbaugh, Hannity, Carlson, and now Trump himself is his own biggest pundit. They hear from them that the illegal immigrants are getting free healthcare and food stamps, and the welfare momma in the ghetto is driving a Cadillac, so they don’t want to be associated with them because they are gaming the system and taking the tax money of these hard-working poor white men. These pundits also tell them that the Democrats are going to confiscate their guns without any evidence for that claim. The poor rural white man believes them because these pundits speak their language, making the voter feel like pundit is one of them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Trump inherited $250,000,000. Limbaugh is a multi-millionaire, as is Hannity, and none of these people would freely become good friends with the people they daily dupe.

Meanwhile, the Democrats with their liberal arts and law degrees speak to them as if they are speaking to a college professor, using fancy words and acting like namby-pambies, expecting the rural white male right winger to listen because the Dems policies would make their lives better, but who wants to listen to a pussy?

What do you hope to accomplish here? Seriously. I’m trying to figure you out. Either you work for Breitbart and are throwing pasta at the wall to see what sticks to use in your editorials, or you work at the White House doing similar work, or you work for the Internet Research Agency, or you are Steve Bannon, or you are just trolling us because you’re in love with diapered creamsicles, or you’re bored?

It sure is funny to watch you twist yourself into a pretzel to try to reach Trump’s tiny penis to your mouth.