Its going to be a rough ride

[Thermos aquaticus]

One instance does not a trend, make. Neither does two in a ten year period. If you have to reach THAT FAR to claim an antithetical, it basically just ends up proving the original point.
The truth just gets lost in the 'sea of lies', now. When someone is "reporting" whatever someone else wants to believe is news, everyone thinks they know what's going on, and no one really does.
In the reality created and pushed by their "news" sources, it makes sense. Dishonesty has consequences. Especially when it becomes systemic.

Good journalism does exist out there, but you are right in that we have to wade through all of the muck to find it. Democracies only work when there is an engaged citizenry, and that is true now more than ever.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Modern liberals were very much behind the military draft & various wars.
So I wouldn't condemn only social conservatives for unreasonable
impositions on others. And it was only recently that liberals supported
gay marriage.....Dick Cheney did before Obama or the Clintons.

And again I agree. But I'm not a modern liberal. At seventy, I'm not a "modern" anything. I'm much more of a classic liberal, in the Locke, Mill and Adams sense, and hence nowadays more conservative than many conservatives. How's that for a conundrum?

But really, classical liberal thinking extols (when possible, and constrained only when necessary), personal, social, economic and political freedom. That's about where I'm coming from.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Good night, little dreamer. Enjoy your cocoon.

Did another gibe make you feel larger? Better? More important? Then I hope you enjoy the feeling.

 

[Revoltingest]

And again I agree. But I'm not a modern liberal. At seventy, I'm not a "modern" anything. I'm much more of a classic liberal, in the Locke, Mill and Adams sense, and hence nowadays more conservative than many conservatives. How's that for a conundrum?

But really, classical liberal thinking extols (when possible, and constrained only when necessary), personal, social, economic and political freedom. That's about where I'm coming from.

I wouldn't accuse you of being a modern liberal.
And I too identify as a classical liberal, although not on RF.
The reason is that RF staff equate it with "conservative".
I think that's wrong.
I also identify as Jeffersonian liberal (but with less miscegenation & slave holding).

 

[PureX]

Good journalism does exist out there, but you are right in that we have to wade through all of the muck to find it. Democracies only work when there is an engaged citizenry, and that is true now more than ever.

Engaged is one thing, but now days it requires an obsession to wade through all the deliberate lies and misinformation to find real and accurate news. And there are a lot of people that have never been taught how to do it. Keeping people poorly educated and distracted is a deliberate and significant factor in the rise of plutocracy.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

There is also a high bar that has to be met in order to change the US Constitution which is a good thing. As US citizens we could throw out anything in the US Constitution if there were enough votes, so the majority can still be tyrannical, but I think most citizens see the value in protecting the rights of the minority because you never know when you may be in the minority.

Very well said! Thank you.

 

[pearl]

That aside, everyone in the world except the 51 percent of Americans who elected him knows that Trump is a moron and the current situation in the US is not likely sustainable.

Trump lost the popular vote by more than 1 million. Granted some of those who voted for him were duped into believing their life would improve, but others, knowing full well he was a 'moron' nevertheless he was their vehicle to the Supreme Court. The result of one issue voting and the result of not bothering to vote.