Pernicious Anti-Intellectualism

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Friday November 06, 2015 · 7:32 AM PST

2015/11/06 · 07:32

Ben Carson's beliefs about the Pyramids are just the tip of the iceberg and I'm not sure we're giving it enough attention. Like a ship in icy waters, if the United States doesn't steer away soon, it will be too late.

Carson's deliberate anti-intellectualism is very disturbing. It's emblematic of a growing movement among America's religious extremists and right wing "don't tread on me" libertarians that started back in the 70s and has been picking up steam since the election of President Obama. Throw in Faux news' non-reality based hucksterism and I think you have the biggest challenge to the American Dream since the Civil War. You can't have democracy, liberty, and equality without the knowledge of what those mean.

Poll

56 votes Show Results

Are we doing enough as a nation to fight anti-intellectualism?

56 votes Vote Now!

Are we doing enough as a nation to fight anti-intellectualism?

Not an issue, you're making a mountain out a molehill

0 votes

Yes, America's younger generations get it

0 votes

Yes, but just barely

1 vote

No, we're heading in the wrong direction

12 votes

No, it's worse than you think

43 votes

A Christmas Wish (what to do with bank bonuses)

indigoskye

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Thursday December 24, 2009 · 2:49 PM PST

2009/12/24 · 14:49

The spirit of Christmas is different this year. So I wrote a poem that sums up how I think many of us are feeling. I'm not exactly William bleepin' Shakespeare, but I hope you like it.

indigoskye

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Sunday September 06, 2009 · 8:46 AM PDT

2009/09/06 · 08:46

In reading Charlie Stross' great post on transhumanism and the dangers of fascist influence, he linked to this Umberto Eco essay from 1995 warning of the rise of modern day fascism. I see a lot of overlap between Eco's warning and today's politics of power. How much of the current push from the right wing can be attributed to Ur-Fascism, and how do we push back?

indigoskye

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Wednesday November 05, 2008 · 10:24 AM PST

2008/11/05 · 10:24

I am rejoicing today. A mandate for change has come to the United States of America. But at my core I am sorrowful for the hate and prejudice shown across America when we institutionalized discrimination against many of my brothers and sisters. Prop 8 in California and Amendment 2 in Florida show how far we still have to go.

I think we have 6 years to come up with a good argument to convince those who voted for Prop 8 (CA) and 2 (FL) we are all equal. But the work on a new constitutional amendment to prove it once and for all begins today. So let's mobilize the netroots that have been so successful and take the reins of this opportunity to right that wrong.

indigoskye

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Saturday October 11, 2008 · 3:15 PM PDT

2008/10/11 · 15:15

As was diaried earlier, Iceland has asked for help from the IMF. All of their banks of gone bankrupt and now a few members of the island nation have issued an apology on the nations behalf.

We, members of the Icelandic nation, are truly sorry for the problems we have caused, and plead guilty with an explanation.

Apart from a brief interlude during the era of the Vikings, we have pretty much kept to ourselves, sitting on a rock in the middle of the ocean.

Poll

85 votes Show Results

Is Iceland well and truly fracked?

85 votes Vote Now!

Is Iceland well and truly fracked?

Yes

28 votes

8 votes

I hope they find who did this and lock them up

25 votes

Watch out USA, you're next.

24 votes

FL-08: Central Florida moves from Red to Blue

indigoskye

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Wednesday October 08, 2008 · 6:10 PM PDT

2008/10/08 · 18:10

Democrat Alan Grayson is showing real strength in the Central Florida House District 08. His opponent has served 8 years as a Bush lackie and is paying the price in the polls. The Orlando Sentinel reports that Ric Keller's decision to run for a 5th term and violate his pledge not to serve more than 8 years is costing him support from his base. Meanwhile Grayson has been running a strong campaign with plenty of ads and hitting Keller over and over where it really hurts his campaign.

Let's check the numbers after the cut:

indigoskye

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Tuesday September 30, 2008 · 9:44 AM PDT

2008/09/30 · 09:44

America has got a gun pointed at its head and we don't even know for sure who is pulling the trigger. We shouldn't be talking about a bailout (a Swedish style buyout maybe) because that's a misread of the situation. In reality we're in a hostage situation.

The people with the gun (bankers and foreign lenders for the most part, right) want something from the US. What they want is to clear out our treasury and kneecap America for the next 10 years. This is a play for world dominance at a time when world resources (mainly oil, but also concrete and other things required to run a modern nation) And stupid us, we're going to do just that.

indigoskye

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Friday May 30, 2008 · 5:24 PM PDT

2008/05/30 · 17:24

I have a slightly different take on this whole Florida Primary delegate seating issue than what I've been hearing in the news and in the forums. I was not happy when I found out Florida's January Democratic Primary would not count. For Florida, there would be no campaigning, no chance to get to know the candidates, no organizing on the local level, and perhaps worse of all, no voice in who gets to be our Democratic nominee.

At the time we were told in no uncertain terms by Democratic party leadership and by the candidates themselves that Florida was off limits and the votes would not be counted no matter what. Many people I talked to just decided to stay home, if their vote wouldn't count, why bother.

I thought about whether to vote in the primary long and hard. I felt at the time the National Democratic Party was making a big mistake by dis-enfranchising the people of Florida, dis-enfranchising me, and I was mad. But again, this was Florida where voting fraud and errors is part of our past. So perhaps it was to be expected.

indigoskye

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Friday May 23, 2008 · 11:46 AM PDT

2008/05/23 · 11:46

There is talk about all the speculators in the housing market. Investors buying a house or condo with the intention to flip it and turn a profit when as the market continued to rise. One investor profiting on another, it was a house of cards doomed to fall. Luckily, the families affected by the housing market are still a minority of the economy.

The other speculator market that's really hurting the average American family is that of oil. Sur,e there are some market forces that explain rising gas prices; but the very real fear of a short supply of oil in the future has driven up the cost. The weak dollar compounds the problem and now we're seeing $4.00 gasoline.

These forces are mostly out of our control. Who we elect and what kind of economic policy has some effect, but the supply of oil and the growing demand for it is very real.

But the truth is we've all been speculators in the oil market for the last 40 years. We've been speculating that gas prices would stay low and the urban planning and mass transit system we should have been investing in all along would never be needed.

We couldn't have been more wrong.

Poll

40 votes Show Results

Is a national effort to build mass transit a key to economic recovery?

40 votes Vote Now!

Is a national effort to build mass transit a key to economic recovery?

No. High Gas and Oil prices will provide market incentives that will solve the problem on its own

2 votes

No. Too bad for you suburban SUV drivers. I own a Hybrid and live where I work. You should do the same

0 votes

Yes. We're 40 years behind schedule and need to catch up quick.

34 votes

Yes. But private enteprise should do the job, not the government.

4 votes

George Bush is a Pirate King. Don't give him your Stimulus Check

indigoskye

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Wednesday May 07, 2008 · 7:25 AM PDT

2008/05/07 · 07:25

Jon Nadleberg has a great analogy that directly links the actions of George Bush with those of the very real Pirate Captains Walt Disney based his famous attraction on.

Not too many people are aware of the background of the auction section of Pirates of the Caribbean. In this scene, the captain of the ship has gathered the women of the town together and is selling them off to the crew of the pirate ship.

This is based on what actually used to happen with clever sea captains. Back then, the captain would get an equal share of the loot stolen from the city as just another member of the crew. In this manner all would seem fair to the crew who only followed the captain so long as the captain did right by them.

That's a pretty good analogy for democracy, btw. It's well past time for us to find a new captain.

indigoskye

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Monday August 13, 2007 · 12:58 PM PDT

2007/08/13 · 12:58

Goodbye, good riddance

Three simple words from John Edwards sums up what millions of Americans are feeling right now. "Goodbye, good riddance" is the sum total of John Edwards statement regarding the resignation of Karl Rove. His economy of words tells a lot.

Aside from any future criminal or investigative proceedings against the man, can we now just move on and realize that the Bush Whitehouse is completely and totally irrelevant. Even his biggest supporters are jumping ship.

If Al Gore won't run... (with poll)

indigoskye

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Tuesday July 03, 2007 · 10:23 AM PDT

2007/07/03 · 10:23

What happens when Al Gore sticks to his guns and stays out of campaign politics? He won't run for President as he's making a world of difference as a private citizen and doesn't want that to stop if he gets himself elected into office. All those pent up dollars people have been waiting to donate to his campaign; all the volunteer hours from the 'Draft Al Gore' movement; all the great thinkers, blog roots specialists, environmental activists? All those people waiting to crash the gate with Al... what happens to all that?

Poll

298 votes Show Results

Which of the current candidates should Al Gore endorse?

298 votes Vote Now!

Which of the current candidates should Al Gore endorse?

Edwards

150 votes

Obama

81 votes

H. Clinton

19 votes

Richardson

10 votes

Gravel

4 votes

Biden

2 votes

Dodd

4 votes

Kucinich

14 votes

Other

14 votes

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Pernicious Anti-Intellectualism

A Christmas Wish (what to do with bank bonuses)

The Right Wing and the Price of Liberty

It's Time for a New Equal Rights Amendment

An Apology from Icelanders (with Poll)

FL-08: Central Florida moves from Red to Blue

It's a Hostage Situation, how to react to Bailout

Rules Committee, Please don't dis-enfranchise me (again)

A path to recovery for America (with poll)

George Bush is a Pirate King. Don't give him your Stimulus Check

Goodbye and good riddance to Karl Rove

If Al Gore won't run... (with poll)