[Andrew Mandelbaum]

I don't know who you are talking to, but far from voting for him, I was down with direct confrontation and resistance to his foreign policies and his person in those days. Clinton isn't the antonym for Trump anymore than tuberculosis is the antonym of ebola but that doesn't mean people who, when forced to choose, go with the former don't recognize disease. They can just distinguish between symbolism and policies that stand a fair chance of occasionally increasing the distance between life and the violences of the State and those that innately exclude any options but those violences.

[Andrew Mandelbaum]

I hear you Julie. When and if people finally figure out what the Church has actually accomplished in the polis in the last decade, I will surprised if they don't burn half the steeples to the ground. Not that there aren't good churches or that the church is the sole actor here but eventually you do have to pay the checks you sign so clearly with your real name.

[Gregory Palmerino]

Originally Posted by Julie Steiner

Gorgeous, Nigel. Just gorgeous. I needed this to fully enjoy it, but I found it.

I'm sorry to leave that beautiful thought for the following.

Charlie's been warning us of Epstein for years, in association with Bill Clinton, e.g. in this Fox News link, if you've the stomach for it.

Seems there's enough slime in that bucket to splash Donald Trump, too.

But it won't make any difference to Trump's conservative base.

The Religious Right is thrilled with the way Trump is doing what they perceive to be God's work. After decades of ineffectual grumbling or gridlock, in a wasteland of too-liberal Democrats and too-moderate Republicans, they're now getting what they've longed for: they've got their war on Islam, they've got their first of potentially several Supreme Court picks on the way to eliminating abortion and gay rights, and soon they'll have their so-called pro-Israel policies. A lot of Jewish Israelis are going to be very, very surprised when they find out that certain extremist Christian groups define "Israel" as themselves, the spiritual descendants of Abraham, so "pro-Israel" doesn't really mean what it sounds like. But oh, well. The geographical Israel is important mainly because it plays a key role in conservative Christians' longed-for End Times, which Trump will no doubt hasten. (Since the Second Coming of Christ is what ISIS wants to bring about, too, I'm sure ISIS is thrilled with the assistance.)

I'm sure Trump's boast from last year, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose voters" (video here), is not far from the truth. The Religious Right knows that Trump is evil, but they don't care. They think Beelzebub is doing God's work despite himself.

Trust me, they won't care about this Epstein stuff, if it manages to stick. And they won't care if there's proof of conflicts of interest, or fraudulent business practices, or tax evasion, or misrepresentation of Trump's wealth, or favors owed to Russia, or ANYTHING. The Religious Right had enough practice justifying their boy's other morally reprehensible stuff along the way, in the name of a higher good, that they will have no problem finding a way to justify anything, at this point.

And on that depressing note, I'm going to bed.

No, I'm not--I'm going to listen to Karine Polwart sing that positive song in that beautiful space again. And then I'm going to bed.

Julie, well-said. Sometimes the light is brightest just before the darkness.

Cheers,
Greg

[Jim Moonan]

Yes, Julie, Yes.

And Greg, I loved your comment, “Sometimes the light is brightest just before the darkness” in the context of Julie's ending in #149.

[Jim Moonan]

Charlie: "And you guys wonder why I didn't support Trump for president. The allegations won't touch him. It's too late. The counter argument will always be Clinton. No one cares, and you wanna know why? Because Clinton was elected and re-elected and if it weren't for term limits on him, you'd have voted for him again. Such hypocrisy. Someday, the Devil will run on the democrat ticket and ya'll will vote for him (or her) too."

I'm afraid Charlie's right... But I'm not sure... if any of us are. It's so messy.

[Roger Slater]

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned, but the lyrics to the Polwart song can be found here.

[John Whitworth]

Nope, Gregory. The light is never brightest just before the dark. The dark may be darkest just before the dawn. As in England in 1942 I am told.

[Jim Moonan]

John,
I think Greg was playing off of "It's always darkest before the dawn" to Julie's closing comment in #149 that she was going to watch the video (bright) one more time before going to bed (dark) to put her in a better frame of mind. I think.

Although your reference is a point well taken by me.

[James Brancheau]

I firmly disagree with that Jim (and Charlie- surprise surprise). Liberals have a hell of a time building consensus, even when the candidate isn't the devil. Or worse, Trump (I'm assuming the devil is at least intelligent).

[Gregory Palmerino]

Yes, I was commenting on Julie's lucid prose just before bedtime, unless she works the night shift. Then maybe John is correct. HA!

Cheers,
Greg