What will the profit margin be on the test kits? Which private companies will supply them? Have these corporations supported Trump as far as supporting RNC or other political 'donations'? Were they(CEO's; COO's) on stage with him at his press conference?

(Perhaps when Trump cancels/postpones the elections because of pandemic or something.) — ssu

That would not surprise me. Especially given all the 'jokes' he's made about being president for life...

In a national state of emergency...

...nearly anything goes. It is a representative republic after-all... replete with the noble lie.

God and belief in God...

There is no difference.

Logic is a measure of consistency/coherence. Good philosophy takes more. It must also be true.

You work for an industry that receives tremendous amounts of government assistance(subsidies), despite the huge record breaking profits realized until fairly recently. You work for an industry that overcharged consumers... exploited them... all the while having nearly all the risk being offset by common people's(exploited people) taxes.

Not just poor people either. Everyone pays at the pump.

Biden is much less of a threat to your own personal well-being...

Since oil has dropped to well under 50 dollars a barrel... when do you figure the exploited people get to see a real savings at the pump?

What about all those fuel surcharges five or ten years back? You know, the ones used to jack up all the travel, and shipping costs because the price of oil was well over a hundred dollars a barrel? The airlines used it as a reason to charge for luggage. When do we see the savings return since those circumstances no longer hold???

I know all of these circumstances are not personally due to you... they are however, directly tied to the industry you work in. The culture... oil industry... goes quite a ways in explaining why you've been arguing what you have been about electability. Biden or Trump is better for your industry than Bernie.

Bernie is better for average everyday American people...

Nevermind all the environmental issues...

Bigot?

That's funny. I may be a lot of things, and accused of being even more, but that's the first time I've ever been accused of bigotry. Shows me that your reasoning skills are lacking on the matter. It's not that I'm intolerant of your opinion on the matter. To quite the contrary, I can perfectly understand why and how you would believe what you do.

I'm intolerant of the public disservices, misinformation, and propaganda that helped forge it.

True statements.

The ability to take proper account of that which exists in it's entirety prior to our report/account of it.

Existential dependency.

Elemental constituency.

Having a good grasp upon thought, belief, truth, and meaning, including how they emerge onto the world stage in terms of their elemental constituency and existential dependency.

That seems exhaustive.

P&G

From the companies themselves nonetheless.

Finally, I live in Texas, and worked for an oil company 33 years. — Relativist

That would explain the push for Biden and the attempt to portray Bernie as 'unelectable'...

Polling can be a tool for a very specific purpose. The questions can be asked in very specific ways to a very targeted audience. The results can then be custom tailored to suit the needs of those using them as evidence to influence public narrative and/or beliefs.

That's the reality.

Prior to placing any value, any confidence, or basing any belief upon polling results, there are some questions that need to be answered.

What were the exact questions asked and in what order and/or context? How were the participants chosen?

You said 'a claim to truth'...

I said true statements.

Not all claims to truth are true. All true statements are. So, are you saying that being true is not necessary for good philosophy?

I agree with what you said... that a claim to truth is not enough.

The problem is that that does not address what I said.

So you think false statements are good philosophy?

Whoopie Goldberg is clueless. As a black prominent influence she ought be ashamed of it. But of course, she doesn't know she's clueless, because she believes the democrat narrative. It's false.

During the Clinton era, the DNC prided itself upon the notion of black(low income) people being able to purchase their own homes. The American Dream for everybody!!! The Clinton administration 'reached across the aisle' and repealed Glass Steagall allowing the financial industry to sow and cultivate the seeds of the the '08 crash which devastated so many of those hopeful home owners. In addition, the DNC also took public assistance from those who needed it most, and perpetuated the movement of everyday average American good jobs(opportunities) overseas.

All supported by the notion of centrists/moderates "getting things done".

The results... more inferior low quality choices... disservices, cheap goods, and low pay, low quality employment. Yay globalism!!! Go Hillary. Go Biden. Way to get things done! Way to be the ones to reach across the aisle!

Etc.

That's exactly why Bernie has said on numerous occasions that he saw very little difference between the two parties. They have both enacted legislation that caused unnecessary demonstrable financial harm to the most vulnerable Americans, as well as the overwhelming majority.

The DNC has caused tremendous harm to black Americans. Let us not forget the three strikes and your out(in prison) for misdemeanor(now legal) marijuana charges.

Bernie would not accept. Trump has been part of the political corruption on both sides of it... the buyer and the seller of public policy.

What makes for a good philosophy? — A Seagull

True statements.

Sorry, but I have to agree - in general - with here.

There is no understanding when thought is absent. All understanding is comprised completely thereof.

Your what-ifs don't relate to reality enough to be plausible I'm afraid. — Benkei

I'm not sure what you mean by this...

Are you saying that those conditions will not be realized?

What if over sixty percent of eligible American voters could identify with the problems Bernie sheds much needed light upon? What if a much higher number than that really want to know what happened to all the good paying lifetime jobs/careers that used to be part and parcel to American life itself? What if nearly everyone becomes acquainted with the relevant facts of the matter?

What if they were shown?

A Sanders/Warren show and tell?

What if those conditions were to arise?

Hey Benkei! Three possible winners.

May I ask what grounds your prediction?

If your morals forbid theft, then you never steal, even if your hunger is more painful than the hunger of the guy who steals not due to fear of criminal charges and of what they might lead to. — god must be atheist

If your morals forbid theft, then you never steal, even if your hunger is more painful than the hunger of the guy who steals without fear of criminal charges and of what they might lead to.

That's my take, my understanding of what you wrote. There's a bit of a change, but... would you agree with it?

Is that what you mean? Does "without" stand in place of "not due to" without loss of meaning?

Ross Perot got nearly nineteen percent against Bush Sr. and Clinton.

Ross Perot!

Sanders takes everyday average American votes from Trump as well as the ones that were for Sanders anyway in the '16 primaries. I don't think that Trump has increased his support to the extent that those lost votes would be recovered.

How would that play out in a field of three?

Bernie could easily inform the black voters of how the DNC has been horrible for them, as well as the RNC. This would be irrefutable. Bernie could easily show that he was right at the time as well. He knew then that it was a mistake that would be devastating to underprivileged Americans, including but not limited to blacks. Many feel as though they were being tricked and/or lied to, and they were. Bernie knows and did at the time. He won't say it that way, nor need he. He just lays the facts on the table... and let's people go... huh... really... and draw their own conclusions.

Yeah.

I think he would win in the current political climate, as long as the debates were many and at prime viewing times, as they very well should be given the seriousness of presidential elections.

It would take high poor turn out though, because higher income people will definitely turn out, and although many may vote for Sanders, I think that most would not.

Beliefs tend to change when people become aware of the facts. Some will not. Those are not in play.

Sure- we can't KNOW who is more electable, but we can and should make a best guess. — Relativist

The best guess at an unknown is also... unknown.

What do you think would happen?

...it sounds like you consider Biden and Trump as equally bad. — Relativist

Actually I don't. Not as people anyway...

The third party run would result in a Bernie presidency... as long as enough people were permitted and encouraged to actually watch and listen to what Bernie has to say to combat all of the misinformation...

I trust that enough people have enough common sense... that enough poor people are willing... that enough Americans will know truth when they hear it, particularly about how their lives have changed for the worse at the hands of the establishment. Everyone knows that that's happened. Very few know why and/or how. Everybody directly effected/affected would like to...

That's a guarantee.

I'm leaning more and more towards liking this idea of third party run...

I just want to see the man get a chance to speak to the American people on the stage along with Biden and Trump. I think enough people would think about it quite a bit differently, if they were certain that one of them was speaking sincerely, 'truly'(making true statements), and on behalf of everyday average Americans.

Bernie does that, and he is very polite... perhaps too polite... about calling falsehoods out when they rear their head.

You believe the DNC is conspiring against Bernie by disseminating the notion that Bernie isn't as electable. What evidence do you have of this? Bernie's electability was an issue during the debates. Candidates like Klobuchar, Buttigieg, Steier, and Bloomberg made an issue of it... — Relativist

All of whom immediately endorsed Biden after securing just about the same amount of delegates as Bernie found himself behind after super tuesday... or thursday if you're sleepy clueless Joe. A planned and coordinated attack could not have been performed any better.

Proof?

Look at the number of nationally televised debates that the DNC has always had when there is a close primary... before Sanders I mean. Compare those numbers to the amount of times Sanders was allowed to talk in front of a national audience in a debate that is supposed to be designed for explicitly that purpose.

Seriously... look at those numbers. Sanders support always increases after such events... There's very good reason for that. Hence, the lack of allowing him to be in a debate on national television when the viewer numbers are known to be high. That is intentional. Keeping Bernie from being heard by the American people is a politically motivated action.

Look at the coverage. Listen to the fearmongering regarding Bernie. Listen to how Bernie is portrayed.

Listen...

Switch stations...

Listen again...

Go back through history...

Listen...

Do you really think that all those different mouthpieces are repeating what a well informed electorate is saying? Of course not. They are rather - to quite the contrary - feeding disinformation into the electorate as a means to discourage people about Sanders. Much of it is downright false.

It's fraud. A tremendous public disservice.

So when Bernie is denied the nomination, I truly hope he runs as an independent. And totally fvcks “the system” and everything else up. Including people’s minds. — 0 thru 9

I'm leaning towards liking the idea of Bernie running as an independent, if for no other reason than to have the chance to allow the American people to hear Bernie's ideas from his own mouth. I'm not at all convinced that that would fuck the system up, nor is that a worthwhile goal in and of itself. The political system needs corrected.

Correcting is fixing a system that is already fucked up.

So...

Due to the fear, many things are being cancelled, including public schools in some places.

Those poor parents with kids who cannot look after themselves... the unexpected and often dramatic increase in childcare expenses...

Wonder if Trump plans to help them with his stimulus spending?

You should have a bidet. — Bitter Crank

Yup. All we need is something to dry off with...

:lol:

That can be a hand towel, and ought be during a toilet paper shortage because it takes quite a bit of that to dry off...

NPR talked about a study or poll which claimed that many more Biden voters would vote for Bernie than Bernie voters would vote for Biden.

Regardless... electability quite simply is an unknown.

The facts of the matter are too numerous and disparate. Trump will make Biden look bad in a nationally televised debate. There is far far too much accurate footage, that does not even need to be doctored.

Bernie destroys Trump in a national debate. He would make him look like the fool that he is.

I think I might not have realized this myself a few pages ago. I just can't see the US government pulling this off without making things much, much worse. Obamacare was sold with lies, did not "bend the cost curve" as they kept telling us, and you could not "keep your doctor," it was passed in a 100% partisan manner, self-employed people got financially destroyed, and it made premiums very expensive for healthy young people, causing them to have to forego health insurance altogether. — fishfry

That's just the beginning of it... It is a piece of legal collusion, not at all unlike internet service providers...

They literally divide up the country and do not interfere into the other people's territory. Reminds me of drug cartels, as well as street and/or biker gangs...

They are said to have the same sort of agreements between each other.

There is no competition.

Perhaps I don't trust the government... — fishfry

Then you ought be more than willing to push the agenda of one who knows the issues and how to correct them... yet you rail against Bernie.

Odd, but common. That's what happens when someone buys into all the publicly available mis and disinformation...

Don't believe me?

Look into Jared Kushner's influence in foreign affairs. That is prima facie evidence that the people do not realize what all the government has been up to...

What Jared is doing is perfectly legal.

What's wrong is that that is a conflict of interest between what's best for Jared and what's best for everyday average Americans. Jared is not an elected official. He serves on a personal level in a private capacity at the behest of one Donald John Trump.

Trump is not the problem. Rather, he is a symptom thereof. He is the inevitable consequence of a corrupted American government.

Six... multinational conglomerates determine what gets talked about and how...

There is no higher power given to the freedom of speech, for whomever sits on the board, be they American or otherwise, in addition to anyone else who has their ear... you know, those that they have business arrangements with and/or financial ties to... again, be they American or otherwise...

:brow:

Trump is not the problem! He is a symptom thereof. The problem is and has been that the American government is chock full of corruption. Trump seized on that overly simplistic and popular true belief, and convinced - somehow - enough people that he was not corrupt because he did not need the money.

All the bricks in the road of corruption that led directly to Trump look just like pieces of legislation. Some missing. Some in place.

Bernie can enumerate them. He was around during much of it. Tremendously outnumbered, but around... and on the right side of history while it was actually happening.

Clueless plagiarism Joe as the underdog?

Please.

Riding the coattails called "normalcy" and "getting things done". What's normal ought not be in many instances, and not just anything will do as far as getting things done. The right things need to get done.

That begins with a well informed electorate.

Let Bernie speak to the American electorate. Let truth be told.

The groundwork has been laid to convince enough people.

Six huge conglomerate corporations decide...

How else do you think so many different satellites could be tuned in to and repeating the same narrative? It's a huge problem when so many are talking about all the wrong stuff and in all the wrong ways... wrong, that is... if we want to correct disastrous mistakes than can be corrected.

The fact that so few have so much power is one of those mistakes long since in need of being corrected.

The election ought be post-poned due to the corona virus.

Until it is deemed safe to have so many people in the same place. Until it is safe to cast a vote... Until then...

National debate after national debate after national debate...

Let Bernie speak!

Nah. That's not important enough to funnel into the brains of American society. Scare 'em and keep 'em in the dark...

Meanwhile advertising costs are through the roof.

Anything less is a public disservice.