This sums it up for me.....

I saw a meme on the Internet this morning - in regards to the CEO murder - that I believe fits perfectly. And is not horrificly offensive to those who don't get it.

Verbatim, it said: People are not celebrating the death of a CEO. People are "denying a claim for sympathy" that is outside of their emotional network.

Bingo! This covers it for me perfectly - and also illustrates why I believe the US is destined to split up. Too many are fed up with the exploitive status quo and have lost all faith in the United States. What should really scare anyone still believing in the US? Many of these people have little or nothing to lose and perceive gains from the destruction of the status quo - conditions beyond their control leading to their having little to lose to begin with.

SO and most of my neighbors are content to sit back with popcorn and watch it burn. Not lifting a finger to aid the demise but not lifting a finger to stop it. Neutral - like Switzerland.

You'all might find this interesting - not only am I alone here - but also in my neighborhood. I still maintain the one good thing DJT's election victory may deliver - a quicker split of this country - caring to keep it intact is outside the emotional network of many.....claim denied. Rob

PS To be clear, I am alone so far in the neighborhood seeing anything at all positive in the DJT victory.

I have a good friend and neighbor. He suffered through the Bosnian War as a teenager. We talk.

There will be no "clean split" of this country. If your dreams come to pass, cities will burn, grandmas will be killed by snipers on their way to get groceries, and millions will die.

Your vision is the fevered dream of a madman.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.co...ngtortoise.jpg

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Originally Posted by bae

I have a good friend and neighbor. He suffered through the Bosnian War as a teenager. We talk.

There will be no "clean split" of this country. If your dreams come to pass, cities will burn, grandmas will be killed by snipers on their way to get groceries, and millions will die.

Your vision is the fevered dream of a madman.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.co...ngtortoise.jpg

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It's not a vision or a dream....given the intense inequality and polarization in this country, my take is that it's inevitable, it's just a question of when and what will be the event that tips things over. Rob

Holy shit. Comrade Rob, just another post that confirms you would be a good little Bolshevik.

And you’re just like the far right idiots who want a civil war to happen so they can kill all the libs.

Well, I for one can see a possibility of state's rights going so far as tipping us back into a looser confederation. In that case, states could more easily break away via treaty - this could result in realignments more in line with the prevailing regional politics. I'm not convinced that any future break up of our Union will necessarily be by another bloody civil war, although that does seem much more likely. And that would be a horrible thing for almost all of us, regardless of what side of the political spectrum one is on. It would come down to resources - as is all politics- a matter of who has what, and how that resource is controlled.

Personally, I can't blame Rob for wanting a more just, equitable country. I used to think we were headed to that future, in fits and starts, at least. I'm more pessimistic now, as it seems pretty clear that there's a majority of people who are much more concerned keeping others down than lifting themselves up. That whole rising tide thing doesn't seem to be what many want. It seems they want only people like them to rise - or at least stay where they are- and are intent on keeping everyone unlike them ground into the dirt. Civic virtue is - what? Dead? Oh, wait, that's one of those lib-DEI-feminist things, right??

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Originally Posted by early morning

Well, I for one can see a possibility of state's rights going so far as tipping us back into a looser confederation. In that case, states could more easily break away via treaty - this could result in realignments more in line with the prevailing regional politics. I'm not convinced that any future break up of our Union will necessarily be by another bloody civil war, although that does seem much more likely. And that would be a horrible thing for almost all of us, regardless of what side of the political spectrum one is on. It would come down to resources - as is all politics- a matter of who has what, and how that resource is controlled.

Personally, I can't blame Rob for wanting a more just, equitable country. I used to think we were headed to that future, in fits and starts, at least. I'm more pessimistic now, as it seems pretty clear that there's a majority of people who are much more concerned keeping others down than lifting themselves up. That whole rising tide thing doesn't seem to be what many want. It seems they want only people like them to rise - or at least stay where they are- and are intent on keeping everyone unlike them ground into the dirt. Civic virtue is - what? Dead? Oh, wait, that's one of those lib-DEI-feminist things, right??

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Thank You, early morning. I too wish to live in a more just, equitable country - elsewhere, in a remade US, or in the more liberal country after a US split up. And I VERY MUCH agree with all of your second paragraph. Thank You for giving me some hope. Rob

This article is very well-reasoned. It is about his analysis of Luigi based on personal interactions with him.

https://substack.com/home/post/p-153...6-c4408d0da736

One of his observations the author makes that relates to the "riddle of Luigi" is this:

"When someone is found to have committed murder, friends and relatives will usually say things like “I can’t believe it, he seemed like such a nice guy.” I instinctively said the same thing about Luigi. But as the shock faded and my wits returned, I ceased to be surprised. I’ve long known that people who are capable of great kindness also tend to be capable of great cruelty, because both extremes are often animated by the same crazed impulsivity. It’s why many of the people celebrating the murder are those who self-identify as “compassionate” leftists. And it’s why most of history’s greatest evils were committed by people who thought they were doing good."


I think this is correct. I think sometimes frustrated compassion does indeed erupt in anger and violence.

I believe almost any human is capable of extreme violence, given the right provocation but I haven’t read up on Luigi‘s issues other than the speculation that he had withdrawn from his friends and community, which could indicate some mental illness.

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Originally Posted by catherine

This article is very well-reasoned. It is about his analysis of Luigi based on personal interactions with him.

https://substack.com/home/post/p-153...6-c4408d0da736

One of his observations the author makes that relates to the "riddle of Luigi" is this:

"When someone is found to have committed murder, friends and relatives will usually say things like “I can’t believe it, he seemed like such a nice guy.” I instinctively said the same thing about Luigi. But as the shock faded and my wits returned, I ceased to be surprised. I’ve long known that people who are capable of great kindness also tend to be capable of great cruelty, because both extremes are often animated by the same crazed impulsivity. It’s why many of the people celebrating the murder are those who self-identify as “compassionate” leftists. And it’s why most of history’s greatest evils were committed by people who thought they were doing good."


I think this is correct. I think sometimes frustrated compassion does indeed erupt in anger and violence.

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I think it was CS Lewis who said something to the effect that the most oppressive tyrannies are intended for the good of the oppressed.

Personally, I think anyone who praises an act of terror for whatever cause needs to consider recalibrating their moral compass. I take comfort in the belief that all but the sickest of the people cheering this idiot are merely going for shock value or to further some political agenda.

Great article, Catherine, thank you. I thought this was very true:

"If you celebrate someone gunning down a defenceless person in the street, then you advocate for a world in which this is an acceptable thing for anyone to do. You in fact advocate for a world in which a stranger can decide that you’re also a bad person, and gun you down in the street. In such a world, I promise you, your health insurance would cost much more."

That's an interesting article. I don't follow any "bloggers", but apparently there is a world of people who do. The article refers to other bloggers having some unverified information I thought was interesting. More about the healthcare system than the murder. What ever Bernie is talking about when he says they are making HUGE profits must use different numbers? I tend to agree with the author, that they are bloated with inefficiencies.

“the US has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy, ignoring the fact that the US’s healthcare costs are broadly in line with its income level, and its life expectancy has little to do with health insurance and much more to do with Americans being disproportionately obese, violent, and drug-addicted."

"Health insurance companies don’t get rich by denying payouts for claims. UnitedHealthcare’s net profit margin is just 6.11%, which is only about half of the average profit margin of companies in the S&P 500. "

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Originally Posted by Rogar

That's an interesting article. I don't follow any "bloggers", but apparently there is a world of people who do. The article refers to other bloggers having some unverified information I thought was interesting. More about the healthcare system than the murder.

“the US has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy, ignoring the fact that the US’s healthcare costs are broadly in line with its income level, and its life expectancy has little to do with health insurance and much more to do with Americans being disproportionately obese, violent, and drug-addicted."

"Health insurance companies don’t get rich by denying payouts for claims. UnitedHealthcare’s net profit margin is just 6.11%, which is only about half of the average profit margin of companies in the S&P 500. "

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One of the many requirements of Obamacare (The Affordable Care Act)
was a limit to the amount of profit health insurance companies could make. They have to refund money if they make over X amount. I know my employer got this refund money.

I would like to remind everyone, as I often do, that your president Obama made sure the Affordable Care Act was pegged so that everybody could, you know, afford it. Premiums are tied to your income. I guess anyone who can’t afford it must realize that the President was lying (?) Personally, I found the ACA to be affordable in my household when we had minimal income, and when we had a big income. It worked either way.

I think so many people just like to gripe about healthcare, health insurance, healthcare outcomes. It is a national past time.

I’ve heard our Swiss relatives gripe about what they would get over the border in Germany. Or maybe it was Austria.. Cannot remember which.

https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight...social%20care.

This survey of citizens in the United Kingdom shows that only 23 percent are satisfied with their National Health Service. Looks like Rob‘s buddies need to kill some bureaucrats across the pond.

https://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticl...new-poll-found

This poll shows 59% of Americans are satisfied with their health insurance. Of course health “insurance “is different from “healthcare” of the NHS so I’m comparing apples and oranges here, but some conclusions can be drawn.