Any chance of success went out the window in 2021, when the 3.5 trillion dollar Bernie-backed reconciliation bill was killed by Manchin and Sinema. That would have been very good for the country. Instead we got crumbs and some baby steps in climate policy. Not good enough, not impactful enough. — Mikie

A question for 180 Proof and any others - how much would you agree that there was too much emphasis and reliance on women votes re abortion? — Amity

The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt. — Bertrand Russell

As democracy is perfected, the office of the President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and a complete narcissistic moron. — H.L. Mencken

In politics, stupidity is not a handicap. — Napoleon Bonaparte

↪180 Proof
Leave me alone. Fuck off — schopenhauer1

The rest of us need to look at this result with humility. American voters are not always wise, but they are generally sensible, and they have something to teach us. My initial thought is that I have to re-examine my own priors. I’m a moderate. I like it when Democratic candidates run to the center. But I have to confess that Harris did that pretty effectively and it didn’t work. Maybe the Democrats have to embrace a Bernie Sanders-style disruption — something that will make people like me feel uncomfortable.

— David Brooks

Gee thanks David. Glad you’re realizing this NOW.

Him, Bret Stephens, and the rest of the anti-Bernie crowd can just shut up now. — Mikie

Fuck me.
— 180 Proof

Seems gratuitous since you've just been fucked by several million of your countrymen — Benkei

The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history. — GWF Hegel

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. — Karl Marx

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. — George Santayana

DJT is vox populi! — 180 Proof

@180 Proof? — Mikie

Wishful thinking? TBD. — 180 Proof

I really wonder on what people base their predictions ... — Tobias

[M]any of us, most of us, don't see the world and relationships this way. This is your personal, idiosyncratic reaction to your own personal idiosyncratic problems and your solution is your personal, idiosyncratic solution. Doctoring it up with Schopenhauer doesn't change that. — T Clark

A republic, if you can keep it. — Benjamin Franklin, 17 September 1787

[ ... ] I have no problem understanding why people follow Trump, regardless of his behavior. People are more stupid than they think and it demands effort to always be vigil of your own biases. These people have no such abilities and thus are open to a total annihilation of their inner agency, making them into zealots and drones. — Christoffer

Does having the capacity for existential self-awareness imply anything further than this fact? — schopenhauer1

That is to say, does a species of animal(s) that has the ability to conceptually "know" that it exists, entail anything further, in any axiological way?

Consider this recent article on how easily "betting markets" are manipulated ...
https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/dont-trust-the-political-prediction-markets — 180 Proof

My father always said, 'The Zionists love Israel and hate Jews.' — Esther Farmer, A Land With a People: Palestinians and Jews Confront Zionism

There would only be a freakout if your prediction of Harris winning the popular vote by nine points or so and a blue tsunami carrying her to a landslide [blowout] victory is correct. That's not going to happen though. — Baden

Why Religion Exists ... — ContextThinker

Magical thinking. 'Making shit up' is far easier than struggling to find out what is and is not the case. The brains of h. sapiens are adapted for survival and not truths; therefore [ ... ] — 180 Proof

We're natural beings. Paths of least resistance constitute the regularities – processes – of nature. Making shit up (versus figuring shit out) is a path of least cognitive resistance [ ... ] — 180 Proof

The cognitive dissonance is going to be so extreme when Trump wins. Even for the government itself. — Shawn

Trump is up 65% to 35% in the betting markets (which have a solid track record) and ahead in swing state polling. If he outperforms his polling like he did in the last elections he will win all the swing states and it's even conceivable he could win the popular vote (hell, it's within the margin of error for some polls). — Count Timothy von Icarus

Why don't they kill themselves? They're telling us death is nothing to be afraid of and benefits us hugely....yet they seem reluctant to die. Actions speak louder than words. — Clearbury