Caity Johnstone rebuts Bill Maher's "lesser evil/gfy" sermon on medium.com
Yesterday I posted a link to this piece by Aussie blog-mistress Caitlin Johnstone. I expected controversy would erupt, and it did, but not as much as I had envisioned. Still, there was enough discussion to learn a sad lesson.
As I replied to one of the comments, for the record, I do not agree that Hillary Clinton represented a greater evil than the Orange One, even in light of Clinton's announced policy of imposing a no-fly zone in Syria. For all we know, our alleged president may get sweet-talked or arm-twisted into enacting the same policy. After all, regional instability and things going boom are profitable for certain segments of the military-industrial crowd.
But a few of those who commented—who consider themselves liberal to progressive and with whom I share many positions on The Issues—revealed that they found Clinton's foreign policy more acceptable than the current occupant of the White House's "policies." They even went so far as to say that they were willing to accept Clinton and her entire history, even if it means poor and brown people dying violently, than President Pussygrab.
As I replied to one of the comments, for the record, I do not agree that Hillary Clinton represented a greater evil than the Orange One, even in light of Clinton's announced policy of imposing a no-fly zone in Syria. For all we know, our alleged president may get sweet-talked or arm-twisted into enacting the same policy. After all, regional instability and things going boom are profitable for certain segments of the military-industrial crowd.
But a few of those who commented—who consider themselves liberal to progressive and with whom I share many positions on The Issues—revealed that they found Clinton's foreign policy more acceptable than the current occupant of the White House's "policies." They even went so far as to say that they were willing to accept Clinton and her entire history, even if it means poor and brown people dying violently, than President Pussygrab.
OK, I'll say his name: Donald Trump is an appalling individual, as any of us who read Spy in the 1980s should know. I wouldn't vote for him for president of the Midtown Manhattan Benevolent Order of Shitheels. His evil is of the same kind as George W. Bush's—acting exclusively on profit motive for himself and his cronies, seeming not to understand that government has any other function—only exponentially worse. He has ushered in an era of bigotry ascendant, with self-appointed brownshirts in the streets invoking his name, state legislatures feeling empowered to enact anti-human legislation.
Still, I am unwilling, yea unable, to declare Hillary Clinton the acceptable alternative.
What Is a Progressive Anyway?
Where does one draw the line between progressive and merely liberal? Is there in fact a line to be drawn? What must one be willing to tolerate or accept and still maintain one's progressive identity? Different people will have different answers.
For me, the baseline is at War & Peace issues. If you are willing to accept US or US-sponsored aggression, whether "killing in the name of..." within our borders as at Standing Rock or in faraway corners of the planet like Yemen, you forfeit your progressive credentials.
Even though you make a mighty noise in favor of Trans Rights, even though you march with Black Lives Matter, even though you write your Congresscritter daily about the Fight for 15, if you ain't woke to our lethal foreign adventures and the blowback they bring, you ain't woke enough.
It's all connected. All of it. You either support the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all born humans, or in my book you Just Don't Get It. And I have some very intelligent friends who haven't yet had that same epiphany, which saddens me.
You can apply Mark Twain's maxim about changing politicians and diapers often, but until the system is changed, the shit will continue to flow downhill. Hillary Clinton and her pals in the DNC are, have been, and will continue to be avatars of that system.
As I have mentioned elsewhere, my Green vote is a vote against that system. I don't care whether it's effective, whether any of my preferred candidates actually win. It doesn't matter that elections are probably just for show as it is, or that people with the keys to the machines are massaging the numbers. It's more important to me to express my truth as I know it.
Still, I am unwilling, yea unable, to declare Hillary Clinton the acceptable alternative.
What Is a Progressive Anyway?
Where does one draw the line between progressive and merely liberal? Is there in fact a line to be drawn? What must one be willing to tolerate or accept and still maintain one's progressive identity? Different people will have different answers.
For me, the baseline is at War & Peace issues. If you are willing to accept US or US-sponsored aggression, whether "killing in the name of..." within our borders as at Standing Rock or in faraway corners of the planet like Yemen, you forfeit your progressive credentials.
Even though you make a mighty noise in favor of Trans Rights, even though you march with Black Lives Matter, even though you write your Congresscritter daily about the Fight for 15, if you ain't woke to our lethal foreign adventures and the blowback they bring, you ain't woke enough.
It's all connected. All of it. You either support the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all born humans, or in my book you Just Don't Get It. And I have some very intelligent friends who haven't yet had that same epiphany, which saddens me.
You can apply Mark Twain's maxim about changing politicians and diapers often, but until the system is changed, the shit will continue to flow downhill. Hillary Clinton and her pals in the DNC are, have been, and will continue to be avatars of that system.
As I have mentioned elsewhere, my Green vote is a vote against that system. I don't care whether it's effective, whether any of my preferred candidates actually win. It doesn't matter that elections are probably just for show as it is, or that people with the keys to the machines are massaging the numbers. It's more important to me to express my truth as I know it.
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