Chopin's Comments (1354)

“Thanks, very interesting !”

“The first practical achievable step to break this downward spiralling trend is for all thinking people to agree to remove all incumbents of BOTH corporate parties in ONE unmistakable massive move in 2010, or 2012, by actively organized primary challenges. Money influence will not be stopped until auctioned bodies in Congress are stopped. There'll be no more talk of "everybody else's incumbents out, except our own favorite bacon bringing Senator or Congressman."”

“How? This is 21st century America, not Europe, nor America in 1960's, 1930's. Sentiments alone don't move mountains or shut down Congress. The sedation and tranquilization of America is almost complete, . . . just like in some sci-fi horror movie "Invasion of the Body Snatchers".
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=invasion+of+the+body+snatchers&search_type=&aq=9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-jzblCbsuA

The novel "1984" had already warned of the fictional possibility that had become more than real today.

National strike? Reagan and Republican Congresses since 1980's had seen to it that unions and unionism had been steadily dismantled. A generation of middleworkingclass activism in America had vanished with the jobs.”

“You're on right track. Iquite agree with you, maybe not on all details. The gist of what you say is objectively and evidentially true. There're good reasons for narrative. Context and logic cannot all be explained by bucketful of raw numbers. Most people can see the results of pervasive corruption. But most of us would be at a loss for words and narrative logical reasoning to explain how this dumbing down process works in everyday life 24/7 on everybody.

Al Gore makes brilliant and valiant attempt to explain in his book "Assault on Reason" how this process works in real life. If everybody reads it, and discusses it, at home, on Huffpost, around the office water cooler, at the laundries, . . . then perhaps next time around, in 2010, 2012, . . . when 24/7 milliondollar ads appear on TV and in print, with "Willy Horton", "Dukakis riding in a tank", "Howard Dean's primal yell", "Harry+Louise", . . . ads appear, we the people will be innoculated and immune to them by corporate billiondollar campaigns to bend our minds.

So, yes, there're valid legitimate reasons for narrative, logical reasoning, with context to help everybody, not only progressives, get on the same page and understand how the process of general and pervasive corruption and indocrtination works. Numbers alone don't tell the story. Thinking does. Otherwise, the 15million war casualties in WW1 and 75million war casualties in WW2 would have explained everything there is to explain why and how human race”

“A comic but feeble retort.
Most ironically, wdw, if you're truly worried about paying taxes, Americans are the biggest suckers in the world, . . . when the cost of 3 TRILLION DOLLARS ** racked up by the war in Iraq is amortized in direct and INDIRECT taxation over the next 10 years. That tax burden will far FAR F_A_R exceed any taxes you're referring to. Those taxes will be paying for a substantial DECREASE in social services and standards of living for ALL (middleworkingclass) AMERICANS. That's the irrationality of your knee-jerk remark and attitude.

**Note: Total costs of 3 trillion dollars for the war in Iraq was estimated last year by Dr. Stiglitz, Nobel prize winner in economics.”

“Merci, Monique. Your personal testimony is valuable. It confirms information from other sources --- WorldHealthOrganization, and Michael Moore's documentary "Sicko" shows an extensive excerpt of group discussion among young Americans living and working in France discussing French healthcare system. A lot of disinformation are thrown on the wall on Huffpost to see what would stick. Debunking them takes patience and time. Your effort is worth it.

Here's one of my favorite movies and videoclips from "Casablanca":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KL76edqCKc&NR=1
Vive la France !
Lang Lang plays un petit Hors d'oeurve from Frederic Chopin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrM0gAXXMs4
"Andante Spianato" from Frederic Chopin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUcD9VAjUnI
"Grande Polonaise Brillante" from Frederic Chopin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fnAa4micUg&NR=1
Merry Christmas!”

“I don't know where you get your far-fetched ideas from. They have absolutely nothing to do with healthcare. You are drawing a phony caricature of what are really being debated by thoughtful people, and the laugh is on you.

If your doubts are well-based and your questions sincere, I would refer you to some very thoughtful and professionally well done video documentaries and interviews on PBS prepared by Bill Moyers, and others. I am sure many of your real questions would be answered in those documentaries.
http://www.pbs.org/”

“You repeat the childish word "whining" once too often, it loses effect and becomes meaningless. Save your words.”

“Consorting bipartisanship in this kind of Congress is like Queen Cleopatra holding an adder (venomous snake) to her bosom. There was only one reason she did that. It was her last act on Earth.”

“The "cornerstone" of this entire new edifice is wrongly conceived, dimensioned, and put in place. Imagine how difficult it is to reconstruct the cornerstone of a potentially massive structure. That cornerstone is the basic unconstrained private for-profit motive and legally enforced increased subscriptions. Those two elements make for a bonanza for insurance and pharmaceutical cartels, as the huge stock market rally of insurance stocks on Friday objectively confirm. Now, Dr. Dean (and the National Nurses Association with 150,000 members?) have laid out a very logical and well considered case against going ahead with this foundational approach. So far, nobody with well-meaning intentions has offered any credible explanation of why putting down such an ominous foundational cornerstone is a good idea to start, or that future improvements would not be hamstrung by this wrongly prioritized and designed foundation. It's like giving the foundational design criteria and first watch of a new chicken coop over to a class of foxes historically known to be chicken raiders.”

“Progressives and independents have never had to confront their true common roots and define their unique destinies. Their common foundational basis is humanistic conception of life, liberty and society. That fundamentally and sharply contrast them from social segments founded on core beliefs in corporate dominance and class exploitation. Republicans know where they stand. Corporate (centrist) Democrats will be forced to define themselves where they truly belong. Call the humanistic based party coalition a "New Democratic Party", or "Social Democratic Party", or some other variations.

Manifesto of core beliefs and goals should be formulated. "ContractForAmerica" (1994) was a dynamic model of how a new sociopolitical agenda is conceived and born. HowardDean's "50states primary challenges" is how a strategy can be implemented to launch a new ideological party.

Green Party is natural ally. Their agenda is too narrow, but avocado green is good party color. Blue and Red have been historically imbedded with corporatism. Environmentalists, labor unionists, small business and independent professionals are all natural philosophical allies. Essentially the majority of 299 million American middleworking class people are constituents and natural allies. Large corporations are incompatible with a new Social Democratic Party, from historical, ideological, and philosophical perspectives.

That ought to kick off good serious discussion on how to approach 2010 without retrenching back to nihilistic politics of business as usual. Time to start is now. Energy is there. Burning issues are there. Growing disappointments with corporatist Democratic party philosophy and organization are there. Time to launch is less than one year.”

“That's a good clear warning, true and objectively factual.
I'll make it short. I believe the times have come to offer a clear genuine alternative to the existing party and ideological structure.

Ralph Nader has been saying truthfully for 20 years, "There're no great differences between two corporate parties." (paraphrased) But he's not good presidential candidate, for many personal reasons. He's great reformer in specific issues.

It's time for all "progressives" and "independents" to coalesce in solidarity of goals, ideology, and identity. Real hard times ahead will FORCE all people to make choices, or suffer by default. The true implications and ill effects of cartel-driven corporate healthcare will surface soon enough, amidst rising unemployment, cascading waves of house mortgage foreclosures, plummeting dollar, multiple new war sparks (Iran, Pakistan, Venezuela, ... potential oil-producing nations abandoning dollar pricing), . . .
There'll likely be increasing social chaos, and reactionary repressive measures because of rising social conflicts from those factors. There'll be rising indigenous American fascism, encouraged by teabaggers, neocons, and paramilitary mercenaries.”

“I believe the sense of betrayal of trust and hope cuts much deeper and hurts more when his million strong yearlong volunteers reluctantly come to realize it's an empty suit. I don't call this "whining", as so many smug old-style Democrats sneer in dismissive sarcasm. I fear that in 2010 election, everybody ends up losing, except for Republican neocon resurgence by default, because of back to usual low voter participation rates.”

“Thanks, Mikas.
Very well and clearly stated, with reference link.”

“Eachtime I've watched these videoclips, iget fresh insights into humannature, politics + theworld.

Here's HowardBeale, rousing PublicOpinion leader, saying "I'm human being. My life has value":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_qgVn-Op7Q

. . . tranformed into HowardBeale, cynical coopted corporate compromiser, who pronounces death of individual humanvalues, endof democracy, + triumph of corporatism:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzSj1yNZdY8

I contemplate on BarackObama, rousing speaker, who said (in2003):
“I happen to be proponent of a single payer universal healthcare program.” (applause)
“I see no reason why the UnitedStatesofAmerica, wealthiest country in history of the world, spending 14percent of its GrossNationalProduct on healthcare cannot provide basic health insurance to everybody. And that”s what Jim is talking about when he says everybody in, nobody out. A Single payer healthcare plan, a universal healthcare plan. And that”s what I”d like to see. But as all of you know, we may not get there immediately. Because first we have to take back the WhiteHouse, we have to take back the Senate, and we have to take back the House.” (borrowed from commenter "breakingpoint")
http://jischinger.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/the-health-care-cartel

. . . transformed into President Obama today, an able speaker and corporate compromiser that retreated into the background watching the spectacle of primadonnas in the Senate acting out the slow smothering of people's hopes of audacity for their deliverance from suffering, . . . and I wonder about the fate of this presidency and destiny of this nation and people.”

“Numbers are objective evidence of influence. But it's more than that. Many good people enter the web of power and intrigues of WashingtonDC, and they internalize new reality that engulfs their entire being -- body, mind, soul, + relationships to people + institutions. Some don't have steadfast internal moralcompass and firm corebeliefs to withstand that 24/7 realm and aura of psychic seductions and threats of power + money. They become transformed by it, instead of being agent of transformation. First they lose touch with millions of ordinary people that elected them, and eventually lose touch with their inner selves. Their ideas of right + wrong, concepts of the possible, probable, and impossible, all change for the worse, from perspective of the people and reasons that elected them.

These videoclips from the classic movie "Network", portraying inner transformation of HowardBeale provide interesting revealing insight into how that happens:--
"I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna to take this anymore!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_qgVn-Op7Q
"You have meddled with primal forces of nature . . . There's only one holistic system of systems"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzSj1yNZdY8

This movie scenario of a transformed leader of people's opinions and the disappointment of followers reveals clues about evolution of political fortunes of leaders.

This panel discussion on "transformational presidency" provides historical insight into what makes transformational presidents:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-tv/arianna-joseph-nye-robert_b_382929.html?show_comment_id=36212812#comment_36212812

People become better informed to assess if PresidentObama is transformational president.”

“PWM, thanks for your testimony.

"Canada has a life expentency ranking of 8th in the world, the US is 50; obviously Americans are doing something wrong." That should be a sad reminder and a sober warning to all Americans who care about health.”

“Hah, Donatella, you touched on a news item that escapes most people's attention. Those who truly believe the magic forces of the free market should understand that very well. The speculative stock market future value of heathcare insurance corporations jumped sky high, for obvious market reasons --- their anticipated future profits are going to jump OBSCENELY HIGH, according to the stock market. That's objective evidence that the Senate bill is designed to enhance profits of insurance cartels, and not for the benefit of the American people.”

“"getting something for nothing" is another false assumption. Nothing worthwhile and necessary is for free. Everybody knows that. Universal healthcare in most countries are simply paid for by general taxes or private-public collaborative systems. They all work very effectively and efficiently. The healthcare system overhead costs in USA amount to 30%, the HIGHEST among advanced industrialized countries in the world, according to World Health Organization data. That makes intelligent thoughtful people wonder what's going on here in USA that other countries have succeeded in avoiding, right, wdw505?

To be among advanced civilized societies today with universal healthcare systems, you could regard health and medical services much the same as any other essential civic services universally provided, like police and firefighters, with NO EXCEPTIONS, even the poor and indigent. Especially in medical health services, have you honestly never caught a common flu in public, and you had no idea where it came from? Well, honestly, crimes, fires, public health hazards, infectious or contagious illnesses or pandemics make no such man-made distinctions between people. If there's a crime, or a fire, or a health medical emergency, among "poor indigent people", I hope the police, firefighters, and medical staff would show up, don't you? for reasons of intelligent self-interest, if not for humane reasons. You need to reconsider your reasons for objecting to universal healthcare for everyone.”

“Waiting times in Canada? Have you been following the comments in past few months on Huffpost from many Canadians and some Americans from personal experience? They don't support your scary proposition. In fact that worn out scare tactic has been debunked over and OVER again. You just haven't been paying attention, as many HP readers diligently do.

Socialized medicine? That's the most tiresome of all scare tactic. I challenge you to do an independent non-partisan public survey on that question, and see how many people are scared away by SOCIALIZED MEDICINE. No, you're way behind times. People, real people, who have been commenting here on Huffpost, with wrenching personal testimonies of their own and their famiy members' suffering and deaths, just from lack of such universally practiced socialized medicine today as in France, UK, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Singapore, Japan, . . .

There are PLENTY of accurate reliable public information available on Huffpost, Youtube, PBS (Public Broadcast System), C-SPAN, NPR (National Public Radio), and many other well informed media. Most Huffpost readers are not the ignorant misinformed folks you believe you're talking to. They are a lot better informed and more caring than you are.”

“People can respond in one of 3ways:
1)Join the crowd. Join the corporate plutocratic power structure, advocate what they advocate. They're primarily Republicans, centrist Democrats, and hangers-on.
2)Practice amnesia, individually and collectively. Carryon personal lives asthough living on another planet, and haven't much to do with goings on. They're traditional nonvoting majority.
3)Revolt. They don't like what they see, don't agree with what's going on. They visualize other altenatives, organize to engage the majority to transform society. They're progressive Democrats, Independents, reactionary neocons, and knownothing neanderthals who react but see only what's outside their windows.

Major social / economic / political / environmental transformation-revolution is coming. Might take years, decades, . . . Unavoidable inexorable trends point that way. Imperial military sector consumes majority of nationalbudget for unproductive warmachine. Paper dollarcurrency is rapidly hyperinflating to collapse. Social fabric is visibly disintegrating, aided abetted by dysfunctional unrepresentative government serving plutocratic rulingclass interests. 1% of society owns 95% of people's national wealth, showing no signs of givingup. Some say classwar is brewing. This problem goes beyond class cleavages. Recalcitrant plutocratic class resisting change in healthcare exacerbates + accelerates momentum towards major transformation.

People who would stay active and sane are the minority of progressive and reactionary segments of society. The disengaged amnesiac vast majority would be most prone to mental depression when swept along by incomprehensible forces. The know-nothing neanderthals would serve as tools of repression of any authoritarian government that might emerge to take control. All eventually would have to choose”

“The Supreme Court 5-4 tyranny of majority consisting of Scalia, Thomas, Alito, Roberts + one swing justice would ensure your suit gets nowhere. Besides, recent past Congresses have systematically dismantled and gutted antitrust laws against corporations (and their Congress). It's downbeat reality.”

“The operative words "dysfunctional" and "non-representative" are right on. The choice between "vanilla icecream" and "French vanilla icecream" is humorous theme that conjures up appropriate caricature analogy. Picture strict authoritarian disciplinarian parent trying to be nice and accommodating to clueless youngchild Suzie / Johnny. Soon as child exceeds purview of "generous" offered choices and asks, "Can ihave mint chocolate chips?" That clueless innocent assertion of independent choice carries implicit challenge to right of choice and preferential needs of young Suzie / Johnny. Can you imagine what an inflexible disciplinarian parent would say?

. . . which reminds me of another context to understand nature of this phony choice, to create ILLUSION of democracy or freechoice. When i had marketing training longtime ago, standard trick or psychological device to elicit frame of mind of making choices and implicit incremental commitments is to end presentation with saying "Now, would you like this in red or blue?" . . . knowing it's not the choice that's important to the seller, but the implicit commitment of the potential customer to buy.

In present political context, EVERYTHING is illusion. The presidential debates, the right of party choice, the right of media free speech between NBC, ABC, CBS, MSNBC or Fox, the right of representation in Congress. . . etc. all owned and operated by behind scenes handful of multinational corporate puppet masters. AlGore analyzes incisively this insidious process of mental and political indoctrination of people from birth over decades, in his book "Assault on Reason".”

“I love your enthusiasm, cavegal. Ditto!”

“The central important question for people to ask themselves is:
"Have we learned anything? When is enough ENOUGH?"”