It’s telling that there’s no Impeachment thread on VS...

[happycampyer]

I get enough if it via the news outlets and social media so I personally do not want to listen to it here.

VSalon is supposed to be a nice respite from the real world (for me at least).

”It’s telling that there’s no one yelling ‘fire’ in this crowded theater.”

[Bob Ross]

I get enough if it via the news outlets and social media so I personally do not want to listen to it here.

The thing a VSalon thread on impeachment would offer -- if we had one, which we apparently still don't -- that I don't get via most of the news outlets and all of the social media, is (mostly) well-reasoned. comprehensive, and articulate commentary. I would gladly give up Facebook for eternity if VSalon had a dedicated vibrant & ongoing Politics subforum.

[Saab2000]

The thing a VSalon thread on impeachment would offer -- if we had one, which we apparently still don't -- that I don't get via most of the news outlets and all of the social media, is (mostly) well-reasoned. comprehensive, and articulate commentary. I would gladly give up Facebook for eternity if VSalon had a dedicated vibrant & ongoing Politics subforum.

I gave up FB about a year or more ago. Life got better. FB is a toxic dumpster fire.

Deleted every post, comment,like, etc. Took quite a while. Then announced my imminent departure if folks wanted to stay in touch and a couple weeks later disconnected the life support. Deleted my account. Still do Instagram but that’s happily mostly devoid of toxic political content.

[guido]

Alas most current political discussions are lacking a central requirement. Without some level of agreement about facts, discussion is pretty pointless. Unfortunately even on VS we have reached a state where the two prevailing views of the world have little or no overlap. So all that is left is bitter nasty name calling.

I'll pass.

[Ras72]

So all that is left is bitter nasty name calling.

And that's what we know as the new normal. It's a cheap reality show vote-off episode every hour.

I too will pass.

[bigbill]

I gave up FB about a year or more ago. Life got better. FB is a toxic dumpster fire.

Deleted every post, comment,like, etc. Took quite a while. Then announced my imminent departure if folks wanted to stay in touch and a couple weeks later disconnected the life support. Deleted my account. Still do Instagram but that’s happily mostly devoid of toxic political content.

I'm in some small FB groups, not much appears on public. As we progress into 2020, the great culling will begin. Post a stupid, misleading, or completely false story, that person gets the Old Yeller treatment. Perhaps the Lenny Smalls, depends on how well-read that person is.

[Too Tall]

I'm in some small FB groups, not much appears on public. As we progress into 2020, the great culling will begin. Post a stupid, misleading, or completely false story, that person gets the Old Yeller treatment. Perhaps the Lenny Smalls, depends on how well-read that person is.

Me likey. These days civil convo seems to occur only at arms length. I'm fine with that however MANY of my friends are not where I'm at most of the time. It's frustrating and normal.

[HorsCat]

I'm horrified and positively engaged to be part of what is a massive test of our Democracy.

America has never been a democracy (if it was, the Executive Branch would be controlled by “President Clinton”). And, today, our constitutional republic is actually an oligarchy.

The absence of an impeachment thread tells me this place knows better. Any such thread would quickly devolve into a shit show.

[Colinmclelland]

If nominated I will not run. If elected I will not serve.

Classy. But...it doesn’t leave you with many good choices.

Our house is also a facebook free zone and nothing has caught fire. It is not a force for good at the best of times.

[Too Tall]

America has never been a democracy (if it was, the Executive Branch would be controlled by “President Clinton”). And, today, our constitutional republic is actually an oligarchy.

The absence of an impeachment thread tells me this place knows better. Any such thread would quickly devolve into a shit show.

I can't delve into your quotes yet I am compelled to say "we shall see" and this has yet to play out regarding your closing.

Our elected, try saying that holding your tongue with two fingers, officials are doing their jobs. Whatever happens will be reflected by primaries and general. Between now and than I'm expecting massive voter engagement. You aren't?

[Saab2000]

Classy. But...it doesn’t leave you with many good choices.

Our house is also a facebook free zone and nothing has caught fire. It is not a force for good at the best of times.

Well, I once declared myself Supreme Ruler of Freedonia and once declared martial law to be in effect in these United States. Nobody seemed to notice and the citizenry continued to go about their lives.

I intend to vote in 2020 and will support candidates who support truth (or the best approximation we understand in 2020) and not a candidate who tells demonstrable lies and trades in fear, ignorance and conspiracy. That rules out several from both major parties.

[ZenNMotion]

I have started on an early New Year's resolution that for every hour spent consuming the news and related opinion (and apparently I spend a lot of time on it now that I'm tracking) I'm to spend an equal amount of time on unrelated reading (wife says bike shit don't count including VS ...) including several of Shakespeare's all-too-relevant histories, American History of the past 50 years, maybe some behavioral science etc in an effort to understand how the eff we got here and where we're going from here, I'm making a reading list for coping with it all, looking for literary flotsam to hang on to until the tide comes back in. Suggestions welcome...

[ZenNMotion]

Well, I once declared myself Supreme Ruler of Freedonia and once declared martial law to be in effect in these United States. Nobody seemed to notice and the citizenry continued to go about their lives.

I intend to vote in 2020 and will support candidates who support truth (or the best approximation we understand in 2020) and not a candidate who tells demonstrable lies and trades in fear, ignorance and conspiracy. That rules out several from both major parties.

Dude, I was with you all the way, drafting the manifesto that cycles have exclusive rights to half the road (in the middle), declaring Campagnolo and Shimano bilingual equity, legislating protection for Sram dreamers, spontaneous four day weekend declarations based on National Weather Service forcecast data. We had a small group wielding chain whips and Hozan pedal wrenches (death before dishonor!), ready to dance for the revolution! But then, nobody could find you in the middle of Wisconsin, and the cows looked mean so we went home. Try again?
Wisconsin_bike.jpg

[lumpy]

Dude, I was with you all the way, drafting the manifesto that cycles have exclusive rights to half the road (in the middle), declaring Campagnolo and Shimano bilingual equity, legislating protection for Sram dreamers, spontaneous four day weekend declarations based on National Weather Service forcecast data. We had a small group wielding chain whips and Hozan pedal wrenches (death before dishonor!), ready to dance for the revolution! But then, nobody could find you in the middle of Wisconsin, and the cows looked mean so we went home. Try again?
Wisconsin_bike.jpg

You have my vote for dictator. Power to the pedal!

[Colinmclelland]

I have started on an early New Year's resolution that for every hour spent consuming the news and related opinion (and apparently I spend a lot of time on it now that I'm tracking) I'm to spend an equal amount of time on unrelated reading (wife says bike shit don't count including VS ...) including several of Shakespeare's all-too-relevant histories, American History of the past 50 years, maybe some behavioral science etc in an effort to understand how the eff we got here and where we're going from here, I'm making a reading list for coping with it all, looking for literary flotsam to hang on to until the tide comes back in. Suggestions welcome...

I’d be reading literature from the lead up to the second world war. I hope not, but I’m told history rhymes

[bigbill]

I'm watching all this occur while working on my MA in American History. The term "Founding Fathers" makes my brain itch. I just go to facebook for the cat videos.

[EricKeller]

I get my politics elsewhere, and I'm sure I would be disappointed in some people that post here if we regularly discussed politics. I've had to unfollow some bike people (and relatives for that matter) on facebook because they have some horribly retrograde friends that were not afraid to post things that probably shouldn't be posted in a public forum. And I certainly wouldn't want stuff like that to bleed over onto my account, which seems really difficult to control. I really wish Facebook had a way to filter out politics, because I have had to do it by deleting people that I would otherwise like to know how their life was going.

[Too Tall]

Eric nails it. That is the thing, we are "human" at essence because of our abilities to relate to one another. Degrees of separation confuse our abilities to communicate well also serve to further separate our (appropriate) response. For instance, if all of us were at a backyard social eating platefuls of BBQ and talking about the same d@mn things we'd disagree, fight, kiss and make up than talk about our lives in general, the weather and why YOUR football team sux.

Basically the internet is the devil incarnate.

[HorsCat]

Our elected, try saying that holding your tongue with two fingers, officials are doing their jobs. Whatever happens will be reflected by primaries and general. Between now and than I'm expecting massive voter engagement. You aren't?

Voter turnout will probably be high, but the deck has been stacked so far in favor of money, monied interests, corporations and the wealthy, that “the people” have been rendered effectively powerless. One of our political parties today exists solely for the agglomeration of more power in service of those ends.

[guido]

Voter turnout will probably be high, but the deck has been stacked so far in favor of money, monied interests, corporations and the wealthy, that “the people” have been rendered effectively powerless. One of our political parties today exists solely for the agglomeration of more power in service of those ends.

Completely true. But that has to be used as motivation to use this moment to overcome all that. We will not get another chance.