aka Contrarian

I've given up. When it comes to the upcoming presidential election, let the chips fall where they may. Not only is the country divided, but so is the Democratic party. Die hard Biden supporters are holding steady, siding with the DNC and Biden's campaign committee members who seem to be viewing the president through a different set of lenses."Forget the polls", they scoff. "Biden will redeem himself." Yeah, right, all they need is a miracle to turn things around. Ol Joe will snap out of it, manage to finish a sentence and Democrats will be back in business! Seems to me. Biden is stubbornly putting himself before his country. The black vote is also fragmented because while some are dragging along with Biden, others find points of agreement with the Republicans when it comes to opposing the LBGTQ community, resenting the illegal aliens influx, being against the 2 wars, overwhelmed by inflation. And, of course, concern about Biden's unstable mental capacity. Will Blacks end up sitting out the election? Meanwhile, rumors are swirling about behind-the-scene efforts to dump Joe, a movement being spearheaded by such Hollywood heavy hitters as George Clooney and Robert DeNiro. Last but not least, is a document circulating on social media identified as Project 2025, the game plan of the American Heritage Foundation, a powerful ultra conservative Evangelical group allied with the Republican Party and MAGA and who, for some ungodly reason, has anointed tRump as their pseudo Messiah. I'm burnt out. Lord help America.

Come January, what change will America have undergone??? I also wonder if I will even be around to witness the outcome of the presidential election - or if I even want to be. 😵‍💫

Political pundits are now referring to the conservative Supreme Court Justices as "King Makers". The wrath of Trump awaits all of his foes, should he reclaim the presidency. As Commander-and-Chief of the the Armed forces, he will be a ticking time bomb. The handwriting is on the wall. Why just hand the presidency to the Retrumpicans? Time for all the bleeding heart Liberals humoring Biden to take off the gloves, put him out to pasture, then step up and kick ass!

@ProfD & frankster: discussion forums should also include the option of agreeing to disagree .

@ProfD: Not to worry. Just invoke the one-size-fits-all rationale you trot out to excuse black shortcomings. You know, the one about how black corruption, consumerism, conspicuous materialism, etc. can all be attributed to the stress brought on by the oppression of white supremacy. Frankster can co-sign to your explanation to make it official, and it's back to business as usual. 😉

My suggestion is to just retain Biden as a figure head president. Kamala Harris is who should be convinced to step down as VP because she is not an asset. No one is impressed with her or enthusiastic about the idea of her being a heartbeat away from the presidency. Replace her with a strong, younger, capable male leader who will actually be a surrogate president and, along with a competent staff, will run the country from behind the scenes. (Kamala could be appointed to replace Attorney General Merrick Garland who has turned out to be a dud because he is not a team player! Desperate times call for desperate measures. Dems simply cannot continue down their do-nothing path leading to defeat at the hands of Trump and the Evangelicals who are salivating over a chance to turn this country into an autocratic theocracy. I am old and on my last legs, so the election outcome won't have any long term impact on me, but my last wish would be for America to defeat the Retrumpican menace to society and, like the proverbial Phoenix, rise from the ashes, a new nation promising liberty and justice for all!

@Delano, ProfD, & Troy: Hummm. Over the years, I or anybody I knew ever considered the Isley Brothers anything other than a funky, soulful R&B music group. Back in the day, we even went so far as to refer to their slow jams as "baby making" music! Their popularity and longevity are firmly entrenched in the annals of black music. They were and are "Evergreens". Their music timeless. Now, it is being hinted that Rock and Roll is the gold standard of pop music and when it comes to prestige, it takes precedent over R&B. So in order to bolster their status and enhance their legacy, the isleys should submit to a make-over, embrace a new identity that emphasizes their trailblazing incursion into the white dominated realm of Rock and Roll. Puleeze. To me - and the crowd down at "the club," the Isleys will always be the epitome of funky soulful, black R&B music. And that's good enough for us. 😉

@ProfD&Troy: Back in 2015, a shriveled up little female octogenarian recoiled in indignation after POTUS Barak Obama encouraged her to consider retiring from her position as Supreme Court justice during this opportune moment when the Dems were in the Senate majority. Unfortunately, an ego-driven Ruth Bader Ginsberg rejected Obama's idea and the stage was set for the reversal of the Progressive agenda put in place by the Liberal dominated Supreme court. Thanks to her refusal to move aside for a younger replacement to insure the Liberal majority, Ruth's death during Trump's term allowed him to replace her with a conservative lackey, and the rest is history... Now, once again the Dems are stuck with an 80-something prospect for dementia who refuses to step down, and the future looks grim inasmuch as a 78 years old narcissistic pathological liar and convicted felon is the alternative candidate. Too bad there's nobody to step up and rescue America from itself. Maybe an AI avatar should be nominated to run for office.

@DelanoInteresting interpretation. One of the possibilities AI suggested was that my dream was symbolic of my being stressed out over circumstsnces I can't control including money insecurities along with feelings of abandonment and frustration with computerization. I leaned toward the factory being my mixed emotions about life and death and the elusiveness of getting to heaven. Lol

@frankster & ProfD: Motivated by franster's invitation to "bring it on", and emboldened by the emergence of my after-midnight-alter-ego, my final thoughts on this subject are that as bad as you portray the situation, Blacks are not unique when it comes to being oppressed. As Troy often reminds us, class is a factor in the equation, and poverty does not discriminate. In reality, power corrupts and I've always wondered if the situation were reversed and if Africans were the kings of the hill, would they enforce black supremacy and emulate the ruthlessness of white dominance? Absolute power corrupts absolutely no matter the skin color. I'm curious if getting even is the bottom line when it comes to the black struggle? Lol Finally, I would also make the observation that when it comes to African Americans, materialism is almost as pervasive as racism. Nowadays, as individuals, many people of color are living their best lives. Go figure. Good night. zzzzz

@DelanoIt's a dream I've been regularly having for about the past 3 or 4 years. It seems real enough to make me wonder if I simply shift into a different universe and am not asleep. Sometimes, I'll "wake up" during it but when I drift back off to "sleep", it continues. In it I am lost inside a large dreary factory with many floors, windows, occasional offices and areas full of big machines and heavy equipment. There are a scattering of people wandering around with whom I engage in small talk in regard to finding an exit from the building as I go up and down stairways, opening doors which I hope will let me out but only lead to other rooms. During the course of all of this I lose my purse, making me more anxious as I occasionally run into someone I know who disappears when I try to follow them toward what I hope will be a way out. But all doors lead to dead ends or brick walls. On and on I go looking for an escape to the outside, sure I have finally found zn exit only to be thwarted and prevented from escaping the factory - to catch this train that will take me to where I live. It's fairly obvious what this dream is symbolic of. AI broke it down for me. It's all about my subconscious because when awake my life is fairly uneventful and secure. (But death is always a spectre.) I haven't had the dream lately because I made some adjustments to what was "magnetizing" my night table...

@franksterThank you for correcting my opinionated views. AI could not have given a better or more detailed reply, and I'm sure it will find a way to incorporate all that knowledge into its repertoire. There is nothing I would challenge in your explanations because I know when I'm out of my league. You are obviously an authority on this subject. In adopting an overview, however, I can only wonder why, in the grand scheme of things, black skin has fallen heir to an ongoing fate of being "cursed". It seems so unfair but is certainly a testimony to Life having no rhyme nor reason. So much for trying to get over the chronic pessimism that is complicated by my persistent cynicism. I thought I might outgrow all of this. But no such luck. @ProfD Your perspective on and prediction about white supremacy says it all. Small consolation that Blacks are innately superior when it comes to coping with and enduring adversity.

@frankster I'm curious. Why should what happens in South Africa be of any great concern to America's black diaspora? Does that country or any of the other ones "over there" give a damn about African Americans? Has Pan Africanism ever gotten off the ground or effectively exerted any global power? Whites from different countries rarely show any interest or concern about each other based on their mutual skin color. Just look at Russia and Ukraine or, say, Germany and France, Or is color a factor elsewhere. Look at places like North and South Korea where being of the same ethnicity doesn't seem to bring them closer together.ĺ African Americans are America's foster children and Africa's orphans and they can't even unite among each other in this country. Yet they continue to feed this fantasy about their African culture, imagining they're descended from African Kings and Queens, claiming the entire African continent as their homeland instead of Sierra Leone in Nigeria where the majority of slaves who ended up in America came from during the slave trade. I'm just curious I could never get into being enamored of Africa. I always thought the black history that originated in this country was more authentic and interesting and exempliary when it came to achievement and honor. In the present, who Black Americans cast their vote for in the upcoming presidential election is what piques my curiosity. But, ,obviously, Africa is literally your first love. As if it is some kind of a role model. Whatever. Slow day. Maybe I should direct this question to META AI. I'm sure my remarks don't interest you. zzzzzzzzzz

Coincidentally, I just recently consulted FaceBook's META AI about a recurring dream I have been having, and it gave me a very detailed analysis of the dream. It was an interesting deconstruction of the symbolic aspects of the dream, reaching certain conclusions that I had already suspected but did not mention in my question because I didn't want to influence the response. I've gotten to the place where I regularly ask this avatar questions and I really do feel as though I've acquired a "sage side kick". I never use this source for anything except subjects I am curious about and want some instant feed back on. I haven't decided whether this is a good or bad thing. But at my age, it kinda keeps my company in the wee small hours of the morning. So far it hasn't gotten on my nerves. I might become too attached to it, but it's better than getting scammed by a human fortune hunter who preys on vulnerable elderly women wanting their curiosity satisfied. 🤪

Just some midnight musings in the heat of the moment...

META, aka FaceBook now has a personal individual AI feature available and accessible to its posters. Out of curiosity, I started fooling around with it, mostly just asking questions, and it has now surpassed Google as a source of information for me. It gives very thorough, detailed responses to my questions and even remarks about how interesting my queries are! It calls itself my "personal assistant" but, as a cross betwern GOOGLE and Wikipedia, it's more like having the faculty of a Liberal Arts & Science college at my disposal. I rarely utilize its office or commercial engines. What I mosyly rely on it for is instant and concise conventional wisdom about history and politics, supernatural phenomena, and scientific data. Recently it introduced me to the fascinating concept of entrophy. It also clarifies whatever befuddles me in the fields of literature, philosophy, and psychology, its responses always objective rather than opinionated. It's a little eerie. I can see how a person with a lot of free time could get mesmerized by this robotic researcher whose conversational style personalizes the connection and makes it somewhat different from just reading information. Currently, I'm thinking about asking this tin hat Renaissance Man some erotic questions... 😉😷 Somebody might want to see how AI rewrites this post. Nighty Night. zzzzz

I don't really think this guilty verdict will do much damage to Biden's campaign. By accepting it and refraining from ranting about witch hunts, rigged rulings, dirty politics etc. and by giving no indication that he plans to pardon his son, emphasizing that no one is above the law, Biden - and the Democrats have taken the high road and set a good example. They make the sore losing Trump gang look like the amoral, unscrupulous morons that they are. It's encouraging that the latest polls show that 75% of Independent voters are now against a convicted felon like Trump running for office and don't intend to vote for him if he does. Also, Trump's statement to TIME magazine, claiming that America is becoming "anti-white" and his repeated vows to punish his prosecutors if re-elected, could drive Blacks away from voting Republican. Especially after Byron Donalds, a black state Representative from Florida, who is married to a white womsn and who is among those beiing considered as a running mate for Trump, was recently quoted as saying Blacks were better off during the Jim Crow era because they were more family-oriented bsck then. ??? If, however, there is strong evidence that Hunter Bidrn is a liability for his father's candicacy that could become an excuse for ol Joe being asked to step down. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. We shall see... Back to the peanut gallery. Good Night. zzzzzz

I wouldn't classify rumor mongering as a "black on black crime". And anybody who follows pop culture knows that when it comes to dishin' the dirt, it's an equal opportunity offense. Anybody is fair game. Before social media, it was the tabloids like The National Enquirer. And before that the yellow journalism of the Hearst newspapers. White folks slandering white folks. The more intriguing the better. They're still discussing the rumors about JFK's personal life, and assassination. Like Troy says, gossiping is just human nature; a malicious search for the truth. It has thrived down through the ages. sometimes even been incorporated into history and religion. And it's not going away because Man is a curious animal who has a need to know... Who cares about this trivial pursuit? Black folks have a lot more essential things to worry about when it comes to the future. Good Night. zzzzzzzzzzz

Too bad this "guilty" verdict just solidified the support of Trump's diehard following. They don't even have to come up with a valid rebuttal to his conviction;all they have to do is recite the same ol litany attributing the "guilty" verdict to Trump being a victim of a political "witch hunt" whose outcome was "rigged". There is some consolation, however, in the fact that a black District Attorney was instrumental in sending the message that "nobody is above the law"! Meanwhile, the Democrats are struggling along, stuck with a bumbling old 80-something presidential candidate, who offers little incentive to reject Trump who appeals to a sizeable portion of middle Americans who want this country to go back to being a bigoted, homophobic, misogynistic, xenophobic, gun-toting, history-denying, super patriotic bastion of religious hypocrisy. Throw in those voters tired of senseless expensive wars, inflation, and the cancel culture, and democracy's jeopardy is increased as a dictatorial crook begins to look like a tolerable alternative. Women of America and their determination to control their own bodies may be who turns the tide... The night stalking "Contrarian" has spoken. Back to the peanut gallery...

Considering how he is so quick to chide others for their petty bickering, I am stunned by Stefan's "picking a fight" and engaging in an exchange of insults with ProfD whose non combative civility I have always appreciated, along with his articulate and informative postings that are always laced with a hint of humor. Most endearing of all, unlike the mercurial Stefan, ProfD has the good graces to not take himself too seriously, which is why I especially feel compelled to come to his defense even if, as demonstrated, he is perfectly capable of defending himself. When all is said and done, we are all just voices in the wind and life goes on.

@Mel HopkinsOf course you are correct. Pay me no mind. Just making a nuisance of myself by playing the "contrarian". I have this pesky habit of needling people so I can educe an intelligent rebuttal from them. It doesn't always work, but I can always depend on you to enlighten me. My exploration of existentialism has advanced into a flirtation with nihilism so I often find myself lapsing into a "who gives a damn" mode when it comes to this f**ked up world. 😵‍💫 I know that I know nothing.zzzzz

@TroyI hope you are right. Thank you for your insightful analysis of America's current state of affairs. Whatever happens will have very little impact on me. It's quite possible I won't even be around when the next POTUS is elected. But I do have 8 great-grand children... And you know me, I don't really care whether or not America remains a united country. I can't imagine anyone wanting to continue being a countryman of the Fox News crowd who supports Trump. I have always, dating back to the 1950s, had an aversion to right wing Republicans, black ones in particular, so i am not an objective Independent. Progressive "woke" left wingers also get on my nerves. I remain a moderate liberal Democrat, and in order to avoid another hissy fit from Stefan, I am done commenting on this thread. Back to the peanut gallery. Whatever will be, will be. Whoever is "up there" controlling the action in this game of life must be having a really good laugh.

@Troy I'm curious. Considering the very real possibility that Trump regains the presidency, how do you figure the future looks good for the black race? And what black folks are you talking about since you subsequently say that things will be worse for the middle and lower classes?? And how long do you think your perception of this being a Gilded Age will last with the chance of America being ruled by a despotic dictator like Trump who many predict will usher in a fascistic theocratic government? Even if Trump loses, America will remain deeply divided and turmoil will be rampant. Imo.

@Stefanl've retired from telling Black folks what they need to do. Since there is no collective black consciousness, giving any such advice is an exercise in futility. I'm just a spectator, seated in the peanut gallery. For 50 years, I have somehow managed to stay under the radar. Having thus far failed in your mission to reform white folks, feel free to join me. @Delano It's hard for Idealists to accept the reality of Life not being fair.

@StefanYou'd be surprised by how many people here don't keep up with pop culture or watch mainstream news. They think it's a waste of time. Did YOU know Beyonce nrecently released a country western album? Next time I'll start my own post for folks who are up for a little comic relief from the grimness of what is available through links supplied.