aka Contrarian

Well, the arena of America's sports world reflects its national character. Everybody loves a winner, the roaring crowds in agreement with the "winning not being everything, but the only thing" slogan that mocks the nice guys who finish last. And lip service is all that comes into play when it involves being a good sport. Unfortunately, this is the nature of the beast, and the.law of the jungle that is the real world. Bottom line: Winner takes all. Losers eat crow. Pass Kamala the salt, Joe. Behind closed doors, this has never been a country that practiced what it preached about the merits of integrity, - platitudes uttered against the backgroud of the star-spangled banner fluttering in the breeze, Soul stirring images, indeed, but politics, is a dirty business as Donald Trump proves. He regained the presidency because he epitomizes what the majority of his countrymen represent: Folks who do anything they can get away with in the pursuit of status and financial gain, 2 main ingredient of the American dream. Fuck scruples.They don't pay the bills. "Honesty is the best policy" is a recipe for payday-to-payday mediocrity. Have at it, Suckers! I've never been patriotic, yet I did imagine the Free Press as a pillar of independence that adhered to journalistic standards because I was desperate to have SOMETHING to believe in. But when TIME magazine sanitizes Donald Trump, when MSNBC obeys his back and call, when ABC agrees to pay him 15 million dollars to settle a character defamation suit, disgust was all I was left with! In addition, Corporate America gives all indication of closing ranks around him, ready to kiss the ring of this pants-shitting scoundrel who is avenging past slights, filling posts in his rag tag administration with a bunch of unqualified lackeys cut from the same tattered cloth as he is. Shame on America! And the hapless Democrats might as well throw in the towel. They are part of the problem, not the solution. The tide will turn, but it will do so on its own when corruption eventually destroys itself. Ho-Hum.

Social media reports that TIME magazine has been flooded with subscription cancellations due to this year's choice.

@Delano: Elaborate.

@:ProfD: i beg to differ. Luigi Magione represents the left-wing progressive counter culture. The right wing regime which is now about to take control has no use for this element, sometimes mistakenly labeling them as Communists. The Capitalistic fascistic regime waiting to take office will not hesitate to punish those Whites who rebel against it. The white Establishment sentenced the Unabomber to life for his crimes and they executed Timothy McVeigh who blew up the Government building in Oklahoma. Currently, there's a lot of bad blood between white Retrumpicans and white Democrats. A Caucasian "family feud" is going on. White entitlement will be one-sided when Trump takes his revenge on the Whites who antagonized and prosecuted him. Also, there are still a bunch of white bleeding heart Liberals out there including the democracy-cherishing ones that voted for Harris and who don't agree with the indiscriminate killing of Blacks. POWER remains the top priority. For Blzcks it will be business as usual under Trump. However, white people :challenging his authority will be thwarted, their white skin neutralized. Unlike stabilized black subordination, white supremacy can fluctuate.

@ProfD:Why do you couple Luigi Magione, the white guy who gunned down the white CEO of United Health Insurance, with "white supremist racism" when the reason he is being hailed as a hero by many is because he struck a blow against oligarchic corporate America for how it exploits and underserves its customers. I wouldn't put him in a category with the "subway killer". Conservatives are the ones being so vocal about this killing.

@Troy:Yes; my brother and his lady friend attended the ceremony. There were about 8 or 9 other surviving crew members who also attended. Whoever was Predidrnt Clinton's Secretary of Navy back then presented the medals. I underdtand there is a TV documentary about the original USS Mason on one of the cable channels out there. The Navy retired this ship and commissioned a new one with that name.

@Pioneer1The goal of women is not to abandpn what they have helped achieve. It is to keep power hungry men from destroying what already exists. That's the ideal situation. Living in harmony. When praising men for having the traits that enabled them to build empires, you neglect to mention that it's also in their DNA to go to war and kill and destroy in order to dominate. Women are more about diplomacy than violence. And they are not as egocentric.

@ProfDIn a perfect world, a woman takes care of the house and kids, and the man provides food and shelter and protection. But when push comes to shove women, especially black ones, can step up and do both jobs. We are talking about capabilities, here. Under the rule of men, the world is in bad shape. Maybe it's time for a change in command.

Are you serious? Women work in factories where these machines are made! And they've been doing so ever since World War 2 when they took over all the factory jobs while men went off to war to kill each other and bomb out of existence what "they built"! Ever heard of "Rosie the Riverter"? And today am*zon et al warehouses are full of women operating automated machinery and robots. Face it! Men are very dispensable. And if you'd ever been a fly on the wall of a hen party you'd be surprised to hear about the efficiency of vibrators. There was a time when I'd never spew such things but now I don't care about offending men and deflating their egos. I'm off the market. zzzzzzzzzzzz

Women can delegate the hard labor (brawn) to men just like males in charge do. When it comes to architecture and engineering, (brains) they can draw up the plans just like men do. They have expertise in these fields. Building isn't about just nuts and bolts. And nowadays, even common labor can be computerized or be a matter of operating machinery. In the future, these will be tasks that can be performed by anybody, including robots.

@ProfD But Empires have collapsed and Civilizations self destructed. Mankind stumbles and falls, but Mother Earth regenerates herself. Trump is about to destroy the American Democracy and erect an oligarchy that will eventually fall victim to a power struggle. Next time around, women may finally fill void. 😁

Ironically, the character Cynthia plays is a witch who has green skin. So she had to wear green make-up to cover her brown skin, something whoever plays the role has to do. The only young girls the character could serve as a role model for are ones who have🤖 green complexions or - frogs.

Men are also who destroy what they build. So this neutralizes their accomplishments, reducing this to a brain vs brawn proposition.

As a member of the US Navy during WW2, my brother served aboard the USS Mason a destroyer escort which was the only naval vessel during this war that was manned by an all-black crew; kinda like a sea -going version of the Tuskeegee airmen. He and his shipmates served honorably aboard this ship, risking their lives in the rough seas of the North Atlantic in action against the Germans, going unrecognized for their valor. Finally, 50 years later, President Bill Clinton invited all the USS Mason survivors to Washington DC to be honored in a ceremony where they received special medals commemorating their bravery. I was 8 years old when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, setting off America's entry into WW2 but I'll never forget that December day. There was no TV back in 1941 but this news was blasting on every radio station!

Cleopatria ruled in Egypt. Queen Elizabeth the first, ruled England. Golda Meir was Israel's first head of State, Angela Merkel just retired as Germany's Chancellor, Mexico recently elected its first women president (who just told Trump to go f--k himself.) Women are are often the power behind the throne. When President Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke, his wife was secretly running the country. Both Roosevelt and Truman regularly relied on their wives for advice. Hillary Clinton was thought of as her husband's co-president. Women have proven themselves as capable leaders. But we know that. Under the leadership of men, is why the world is in such terrible shape. That blubbering excuse for a man is about to turn America into a dictatorship.

@richardmurrayI'm sure you're familiar with the black female author Zane who specializes in erotica and whose book, a best seller entitled "Addicted" detailed the sexual escapades of its black female protagonist . Zane has her own publishing company and even went on to produce a black soft porn TV series called The Sex Chronicals. I used to watch it because I found people having sex in almost every scene amusing. I was in my 60s by the time porn came into its heyday on videos and TV. At some point checking it out became boring to me; too repetitive. I didn't get any vicarious thrills from watching it. Sex toys were more interesting.

I guess Stefan put us down after I made the very uncalled for remark about him "taking himself too seriously". (As if that made him unique on this forum. Lol) I'd have been interested in hearing his take on why the Democrats lost the election because he was a genuine card-carrying Democrat, not someone calling themself an Independent, while bad mouthing both parties. But, Stefan has apparently moved on, leaving us to deal with that right wing dyed in the wool Republican, nels. I've always felt that nobody talks any worse about black folks than other black folks. You guys really bore that sentiment out. The only people you hold in lower regard are white supremists who say the same things that you say about wayward niggas. This whole scenario is why the much sought-after black unity is so elusive. Too much excess baggage. Obviously, the black herd needs thinning. Somebody once shared an opinion with me, insisting that there are only a certain amount of souls in the "Keep" and that the black underclass is so prolific, they've used up the available supply so there's nothing left but a bunch of aimless rogue souls loitering around, and they are who are snatching up and invading the bodies of all the excess newborns the baby mama culture is giving birth to. Of course that's an outrageous theory. Or is it? 😜 zzzzzzzzzz

Biden has realized that, when the convicted felon who is now the president-elect with plans to weaponize the presidency, goes "low," you cannot go "high" if you want to survive. Trump appointees were set to crucify Hunter Biden when they took office. Father rescues son. Trump has made it OK for Presidents to be corrupt. That's what he does. He enables the worst in people. And instead of trying to bring the country together, his only focus is getting even with his enemies. I despise him.

'Glad you guys don't take me too seriously. Consider the source of what I post in the wee small of the hours of the night when I'm either waking up - or falling off to sleep... 😵‍💫

I think me and a lot of others are aliens, descendants of life forms transported to Earth by asteroids and comets from outer space. We are the15 percent of the population with the O negative blood type that science can't figure out. I've never felt comfortable on Earth or at home in America. I'm like a stranger in a strange land. Too many odd scenes appear before me when I close my eyes. And my tinntinitus sounds like the sound of the wind whistling. My dreams are bizarre and very vivid. As a grade schooler, i remember being very excited when reports about "flying saucers" first began appearing in the news. I believed in them! Nobody but an alien would think they were an alien. 🤪 źzźżzźzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz

Thank you, Mel, for pointing out some very significant things about the dynamics of the election. When it comes to waging a verbal war, I wanna be in the trenches with you!👍 The Bible says something about "reaping what you sow." ( Unless you're the orange teflon Don, I guess.) Black folks still waitin' on Jesus to deliver them. Maybe he didn't get the memo. I'm beginning to suspect God is a Republican, - or that Satan is at the wheel. 😳

It amazes me that you guys still think Blacks have any power left to do or influence anything in America. With the Retrumpicans in control of EVERYTHING, the only thing any of the leaderless black tribes or the demoralized Democrats will be able to do is what the entrenched regime will allow them to do. Pioneer's delusion that America will be what Blacks make it become is beyond ludicrous. Do y'all really think those in power will concede elections to opponents if, indeed, elections are held any more. Do you really think Congress or the Senate backed up by the Supreme Court and Speaker of the House and, if necessary, the Military, not to mention the technology of the shadow dictator, Elon Musk, will pass any legislation that benefits anybody but those already in power? You dreamers seem to be totally oblivious to the reality that Retrumpicans, aided and abetted, by the Ameican Heritsge Foundation, which crafted Project 25, and also got out the vote for tRump, will take over the country. They are organized and they've got the numbers. It will take a revolution to overturn the new Reich. And revolutions take decades to get it together. Am I an alarmist? Time will tell.

Time for the cynical pessimist aka Contrarian to check in. America has not only outgrown itself but it has regressed, becoming a cacaricature and a mockery of the noble high standards it supposedly stands for. With the re-election of the orange buffoon who Sylvester Stallone just referred to as a modern George Wasgington (?), what was destined to happen, is about to happen. A new American zeitgeist is set to begin,the government of which will be a comedic farce with a cast of quacks and shysters and tin soldiers all gathered in the wings, waiting for the curtain to fall on what a Congress of racist misogynistic foundling fathers labeled a "perfect union". And a majority of this country's present population will feel right at home in the emerging fascistic theocracy because it represents who they really are. A bunch of religious hypocrites and patiotic bigots who aren't too smart. What Americans actually are, has caught up with their 250 year old masquerade. Sadly, going up against a Retrumpican Reich which will control all branches of the Government including the Supreme Court and the Armed Forces, will be a formidable task for the Liberal opposition. Free speech may even be punished. Welcome to the Red States of the American Heritage Foundation. Any regrets or apprehensions I had about leaving this life have miraculously disappeared. I'm ready to blow this pop stand. 🤪

I disagree with what are the opinions expressed by nels - and pioneer when it comes to America being ready for a female president Imo, Kamala and Hillary were both much more qualified than the lying-ass felonious SOB they lost to. Furthermore, chauvinism of black and brown males and the unacknowledged racism of white middle America played a significant role in Kamala's loss. Ready for a black female president, hell. Plus, Kamala's black father and her choice of college and sorority legitimize her right to self-identify herself as a black woman. She's certainly not white. nels doesn't have an objective bone in his body. Everything he says is inspired by his hate for Democrats and underscored by his slavish devotion to Retrumpicans. He expects everthing he utters to be accepted as the gospel truth. In another post, he disputes the impression of Kamala appearing confident in defeat, by claiming she is, instead, a "basket case", something we are supposed to believe because - HE says it. He's full of shit turned orange colored by the koolaid served at meetings of the tRump cult.