They will successfully be labeled socialists, if not communists, and we'll get four more years.

Post #430,103 by a6l6e6x 8/2/19 12:14:34 AM 8/2/19 12:14:34 AM Reply	They will successfully be labeled socialists, if not communists, and we'll get four more years. Democrats cannot elect a president without the independents. There are people who feel about Warren as other people felt about Hilary. Also, if the black voters stay home again it will a a rerun of 2016. Neither Warren of Sanders are their first choice. The primary process is so far generating fuel for tRump to use the electoral campaign. If you think free health care and collage education for the illegals will win votes with independents you will be sadly surprised. The goal has to be to get rid of tRump and work to take the Senate. Only then some liberal goals can be attained. Alex "There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." -- Isaac Asimov
Post #430,106 by mmoffitt 8/2/19 8:58:03 AM 8/2/19 8:58:03 AM Reply	We will never have a Liberal government in this country. It would require, at least, dramatic change in our demographics and that's exceedingly unlikely to ever happen. There are simply too many uninformed, xenophobic, racist and racist sympathizing White people in this country. To understand why this will never change, see the opening of the film "Idiocracy" (based upon the short story "The Marching Morons"), which, despite being a work of fiction accurately reflects what has been happening in (at least) the White community for entirely too long. I used to think education was a key to altering this make up of our countrymen. I've long since abandoned that notion. There are simply too many of them who are ineducable. It's vastly easier for them to just continue to feign belief in an imaginary, magical, invisible friend who will allow them to exist forever if only they believe! bcnu, Mikem It's mourning in America again.
Post #430,120 by Ashton 8/2/19 4:40:10 PM 8/2/19 4:40:10 PM Reply	Well it does raise an Existential question-- regarding the Futchah of ... if "a nation so ~~dedicated~~ feckless, so ~~conceived~~ inconceivable shall long endure". (Por moi , it's not a viewable-factor) but to all the young'uns extant, I extend my condolence: Y. P. B. Refresher: You. Poor. Bastards.
Post #430,124 by a6l6e6x 8/2/19 10:36:08 PM 8/2/19 10:36:08 PM Reply	Education comes in many flavors. What's missing is not education but the teaching of critical thinking as part of education. Alex "There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." -- Isaac Asimov
Post #430,164 by mmoffitt 8/5/19 8:30:59 AM 8/5/19 8:30:59 AM Reply	I sort of agree with that. That a study of mathematics "teaches you to think critically" was always one of the reasons I encouraged young people to undertake the study (it was usually one of my first topics in those College Algebra classes I taught as a TA years ago). But I've often wondered over the years, "Is is possible to teach anyone to think critically if they have no innate ability to do so?" I still can't convince myself such is possible. bcnu, Mikem It's mourning in America again.
Post #430,183 by Ashton 8/5/19 5:27:32 PM 8/5/19 5:27:32 PM Reply	Mid- '70s: a boffin in Blighty had a PBS program just-so. Many subsequent similar names since.. exact title is hors de combat. But ~~ "The Thinking Class"; it featured a small audience, ages ~ pre-teens into er, elderly. Their ouevre was to postulate A Problem (say something awful re parking garages, for one) and aim for solutions. Of course the core of this was the moderator. While the sterling results cannot be separated-from the Problem: "were these pupils sorta self-chosen?" via possession already of "critical thinking", I recall the overall impression that: it Could be taught (as we saw improvements in ongoing episodes) within this group. It was small enough that one could attach 'progress' to a face/name. tl;dr 'Psychology' remains a wanna-be-Science, I wot.

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