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Reports of protests are overblown. A few incidents around the country, but nothing major.

5 (45.5%)

A few major incidents in capitals, but nothing much in DC.

5 (45.5%)

A major incident in DC, but nothing much around the country.

0 (0%)

More than 10 capitals have major upheavals, but nothing much in DC.

0 (0%)

A major incident in DC plus more than 10 capitals with significant upheavals.

1 (9.1%)

More than half the capitals around the country have problems with protesters, but DC is quiet.

0 (0%)

DC has major problems, while more than half the capitals around the country also have considerable trouble with protesters.

0 (0%)

Huge disruption to the day.

0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 9

Voting closed: January 19, 2021, 10:49:21 PM

[Echo2]

Why are we seeing increasing COVID-19 cases and increasing COVID-19 hospitalizations, but fewer deaths?

Conclusions presented all over the internet suggest less fatal mutation, better treatment, the ones getting sick now are hardier than the prior ones, and other such clever notions.

None of them is merited, even if any of them might be right. We don't have data to support any of those theories.

We do, OTOH, have a prime example of Simpson's Paradox.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebEkn-BiW5k&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2GjUCKDiNH2lPxZQJtTRkmGjgnZKVqNcm_O-U4YWm05YuFe2_l-J4wpYQ

This is Arizona:


and Texas:


Oddly enough, they don't look like their deaths are going down.

Many ways to pool data that then give us false conclusions, when we are not careful.

Like I said, one of those notions may ultimately prove to be right, but it won't be soon.

[bodiddley]

https://www.foxnews.com/us/portland-police-union-boss-rioters-elected

Quoting the police union head.
Because those GOPers sure like unions.

Police unions are a big part of the problem.
The Right understands the issue when it comes to teacher unions.  But when it's police unions, the state's violent arm, they're all on board.

More partisan hackery and bullshittery.

[Echo2]

And when it isn't the police unions, it's the so-called leadership in the department.

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/06/30/la-county-sheriff-defund-budget-cuts-sexual-assault-rape-unit/?fbclid=IwAR2egyP5QUnh5E0xlIuBYTjlOnRawJv-vTn3mnAymN0nFecJYI4gis-3doc

"Oh, you're threatening to cut some funding? Well, we'll be "forced" to eliminate the Sexual Assault unit, then. How do you like them apples?!"

[bodiddley]

Part of why I'm not a fan of Cuomo:
NY count: 6,300 virus patients were sent to nursing homes
He doesn't accept blame, shifts blame, shrugs and says the virus was all-powerful.
Useless stuff.  Should own up to his mistakes.

Sidenote: why is everything an analogy with this guy.

Cuomo, a Democrat, reversed the directive under pressure on May 10, but he has argued for weeks that infected home workers, not released COVID-19 patients, were to blame for a coronavirus spread through nursing homes that he compared to “fire through dry grass.”

Seems this has become pretty common in the US.  Where people don't talk in specifics but prefer vague analogies.  Cuomo is a master at this.  I'd prefer facts.

[bambu.]

It was just explained to me  by people who know their stuff on my tv that Trump is the only hope that America and the west has of surviving.
Only hope of surviving the Marxists, leftists/ far leftists who are taking over America and the west.

It was explained that NYC is a disaster area, that the cops have been defunded so much that are no longer making arrests, and their crime investigation dept has been closed.

That BLM co- founder describes herself as "trained Marxist'.

That Rudy calls  Black Lives Matter 'a Marxist organisation'.

Trump must be re elected...to save America and the west from the clutches of the Marxist anarchists.

[Yankguy1]

  by people who know their stuff on my tv

[Hamilton Samuels]

About the unleashed gun violence across the nation...

I’m sure the conditions down the socioeconomic scale is especially chaotic, global pandemic and all.

In normal times Cops spend so much time crushing everybody but when shit crosses the line and people scream enough! Cops pull back and say they’re scared to interact.

Pull the Lion out of the savannah and the jackals and hyenas move up a notch and fight for the turf ceded by the bigger predator.

The citizens catch the shit one way or another.

I'm a little unsettled by this comment. It seems you're using Social Darwinism to explain an American domestic violence issue. But let's look further at the analogy.

Cops are lions. Citizens are, what? Impalas? Hyenas and jackals are pretty good at letting others kill for them, then they swoop in and steal prey. So, they're more like mobsters.

The most effective predators on the Savannah are wild dogs, who collaborate to kill. But they only kill to survive. And they always feed the youngest, oldest, and sickest among themselves, first.

  Most creatures don't join together to stop the predators. Buffalo, however, will fight predators. As will elephants. They have strong social groups. But most animals just bolt from the scene if a predator goes after one of their own.

So. Please clarify. Because when communities like those that buffalo and elephant build come together, they can work to stop predators. They can't eliminate them, but they can greatly frustrate them.

Or they can be like the Impala, and try to outrun predators.

Doesn't always work, though. On the savannah the Impala is known as the McDonald's of the bush. Why? Because every major predator eats them. Their defense mechanism is to always be on the alert, run fast, and reproduce prolifically.

Better to be an elephant than an Impala. Or a buffalo.

Watch: https://youtu.be/LU8DDYz68kM

I’m sure you’re speaking from experience or you’re trolling for a philosophical debate over bullshit semantics usually prefaced with a “Well, actually...”

You’re mansplaining up the wrong tree.

When the elephants fight the grass suffers

Yes. Experience. Botswana. The most beautiful place I've ever seen. And the Tswani people, the most beautiful people I've ever met.

But no troll. Just wanting to understand your comments.

If you think what you wrote is bullshit, then so be it.

[LarryBnDC]

About the unleashed gun violence across the nation...

I’m sure the conditions down the socioeconomic scale is especially chaotic, global pandemic and all.

In normal times Cops spend so much time crushing everybody but when shit crosses the line and people scream enough! Cops pull back and say they’re scared to interact.

Pull the Lion out of the savannah and the jackals and hyenas move up a notch and fight for the turf ceded by the bigger predator.

The citizens catch the shit one way or another.

I'm a little unsettled by this comment. It seems you're using Social Darwinism to explain an American domestic violence issue. But let's look further at the analogy.

Cops are lions. Citizens are, what? Impalas? Hyenas and jackals are pretty good at letting others kill for them, then they swoop in and steal prey. So, they're more like mobsters.

The most effective predators on the Savannah are wild dogs, who collaborate to kill. But they only kill to survive. And they always feed the youngest, oldest, and sickest among themselves, first.

  Most creatures don't join together to stop the predators. Buffalo, however, will fight predators. As will elephants. They have strong social groups. But most animals just bolt from the scene if a predator goes after one of their own.

So. Please clarify. Because when communities like those that buffalo and elephant build come together, they can work to stop predators. They can't eliminate them, but they can greatly frustrate them.

Or they can be like the Impala, and try to outrun predators.

Doesn't always work, though. On the savannah the Impala is known as the McDonald's of the bush. Why? Because every major predator eats them. Their defense mechanism is to always be on the alert, run fast, and reproduce prolifically.

Better to be an elephant than an Impala. Or a buffalo.

Watch: https://youtu.be/LU8DDYz68kM

I’m sure you’re speaking from experience or you’re trolling for a philosophical debate over bullshit semantics usually prefaced with a “Well, actually...”

You’re mansplaining up the wrong tree.

When the elephants fight the grass suffers

Yes. Experience. Botswana. The most beautiful place I've ever seen. And the Tswani people, the most beautiful people I've ever met.

But no troll. Just wanting to understand your comments.

If you think what you wrote is bullshit, then so be it.

I see you’re still “unsettled” and I am thoroughly underwhelmed.

Never been to Botswana I gained my experience in 1980s NYC working in ENG shadowing NYPD especially in East NY and Bedford-Stuyvesant. At the time I was living in Manhattan at 7th and C.
I think my analogy was apt.

[barton]

I'm a little unsettled by this comment. It seems you're using Social Darwinism to explain an American domestic violence issue. But let's look further at the analogy.

It's possible  Social Darwinism isn't what LB was referencing.  It's worth reading Spencer's theories,  if only to prevent misuse of the term.   

[Hamilton Samuels]

About the unleashed gun violence across the nation...

I’m sure the conditions down the socioeconomic scale is especially chaotic, global pandemic and all.

In normal times Cops spend so much time crushing everybody but when shit crosses the line and people scream enough! Cops pull back and say they’re scared to interact.

Pull the Lion out of the savannah and the jackals and hyenas move up a notch and fight for the turf ceded by the bigger predator.

The citizens catch the shit one way or another.

I'm a little unsettled by this comment. It seems you're using Social Darwinism to explain an American domestic violence issue. But let's look further at the analogy.

Cops are lions. Citizens are, what? Impalas? Hyenas and jackals are pretty good at letting others kill for them, then they swoop in and steal prey. So, they're more like mobsters.

The most effective predators on the Savannah are wild dogs, who collaborate to kill. But they only kill to survive. And they always feed the youngest, oldest, and sickest among themselves, first.

  Most creatures don't join together to stop the predators. Buffalo, however, will fight predators. As will elephants. They have strong social groups. But most animals just bolt from the scene if a predator goes after one of their own.

So. Please clarify. Because when communities like those that buffalo and elephant build come together, they can work to stop predators. They can't eliminate them, but they can greatly frustrate them.

Or they can be like the Impala, and try to outrun predators.

Doesn't always work, though. On the savannah the Impala is known as the McDonald's of the bush. Why? Because every major predator eats them. Their defense mechanism is to always be on the alert, run fast, and reproduce prolifically.

Better to be an elephant than an Impala. Or a buffalo.

Watch: https://youtu.be/LU8DDYz68kM

I’m sure you’re speaking from experience or you’re trolling for a philosophical debate over bullshit semantics usually prefaced with a “Well, actually...”

You’re mansplaining up the wrong tree.

When the elephants fight the grass suffers

Yes. Experience. Botswana. The most beautiful place I've ever seen. And the Tswani people, the most beautiful people I've ever met.

But no troll. Just wanting to understand your comments.

If you think what you wrote is bullshit, then so be it.

I see you’re still “unsettled” and I am thoroughly underwhelmed.

Never been to Botswana I gained my experience in 1980s NYC working in ENG shadowing NYPD especially in East NY and Bedford-Stuyvesant. At the time I was living in Manhattan at 7th and C.
I think my analogy was apt.

I spent 40+ years working within depressed neighborhoods like that. You analogy falls short, because you neglected to discuss the elephants, the buffalo, and the Impala.

Dude. You're just incomplete in your explanation. Purposefully, now, it seems.

[Kam]

We could start with the hatred and racism of "White people" being spewed forth in the world today.

Let's say every day you leave your house someone on the sidewalk has a glass of water and they throw it on you and you get wet.
Now let's say they have ten more glasses of water and they throw those at you too.
You ask them to stop but they keep throwing more glasses of water on you and you're completely soaked.
Frustrated, you grab a glass and throw the water at them,  saying "Stop getting me wet! I'm completely soaked"
They recoil and say "How about you stop throwing water right now!  You're the one who just threw the water. I could get soaked if you keep this up!"

[barton]

"Now white people are oppressed and vilified" is a classic white supremacist dog whistle.   It's too stupid to even reply to, IMO.   

[kiidcarter8]

It was just explained to me  by people who know their stuff on my tv that Trump is the only hope that America and the west has of surviving.
Only hope of surviving the Marxists, leftists/ far leftists who are taking over America and the west.

It was explained that NYC is a disaster area, that the cops have been defunded so much that are no longer making arrests, and their crime investigation dept has been closed.

That BLM co- founder describes herself as "trained Marxist'.

That Rudy calls  Black Lives Matter 'a Marxist organisation'.

Trump must be re elected...to save America and the west from the clutches of the Marxist anarchists.

So they like Marx -

leave em alone already.

[barton]

  But he [Marx] worried that representative government was undermining the emancipatory potential of the vote, granting elected officials large discretion over how to vote and act in legislative bodies. Regular elections provide voters with important sanctioning power (they can choose to throw the bums out), but representatives are not formally tied to the wishes of the electorate. Marx believed that this created a class of unaccountable officials who were more likely to represent their own elite interests than those of their constituents.

He endorsed several mechanisms to narrow the gap between representatives and the represented — foremost among them, the recall. This would give citizens the power to immediately sanction representatives rather than waiting years for the next election. Marx joked that while employers trusted in their “individual suffrage” to “put the right man in the right place, and, if they for once make a mistake, to redress it promptly,” those same employers were horrified at the idea that universal suffrage might imply a similar power for voters.... 

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/01/popular-democracy-karl-marx-socialism-political-institutions

[bankshot1]

There are times we should heed the messages of Marxian philosophy.

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies."-Groucho Marx


If Groucho were around toda and were to reflect upon President Trump, he might add,

"and proudly claim victory."