[continued]

"By default, they therefore have fewer means to gain power, not in class terms, so they have had to turn to 'issue politics', critiquing society as it is, as consumerist, materialist, hedonistic, in order to weaken its foundations in any way they can. So they attack freedom of expression, the institution of marriage, the notion of fixed genders, anything which will disorient and upturn current society.

On the other side, the 'Right' have thus been given opportunities to tear down society in their own way, by attacking, in turn, the 'Left' and what it purports to stand for, in order to put up their own power alternatives. This attack will greatly increase under Trump and his cabinet. In response of course, the 'Left' will of course increase their opposition to the 'Right'.

Are they two ghastly sides of the same coin ? Neither is interested in maintaining the status quo, or the status quo ante. Maybe this is Turnbull's dilemma here, that he has been trying to steer a middle course, of 'steady as she goes', incremental change. Perhaps Shorten has no other option either, except to cut down Turnbull. So what is it to be a liberal conservative, rather than a reactionary conservative ? Or to be a 'progressive conservative' , i.e. someone who wants social improvement and justice, but not via disruption to the basic institutions of current society, rather, to build on those institutional foundations and/or reform them in a progressive direction ?

It seems that both groups (b) and (c) devalue the hard lessons of the Enlightenment, as far as they have painfully evolved. Each wants to put in place a scenario which tears that down and assumes that somehow a better world can be built on its ruins.

Day #6: When a narrative is seriously challenged, its underlying rationale may come to the surface. viz. the Left's attack on freedom of expression may indicate its underlying totalitarianism, as does Trump's attack on the press.

To 'revolutionaries': (b) and (c), the past is unknowable and the present is indeterminate: only the future is certain."

Joe

What? Like the unknown knowns or the known unknowns or the unknown unknowns Joe?

There is a way forward to better times and better outcomes for all, none of which lies the endless divisive power struggle or the fighting over spoils of defeat!

But by understanding we are passengers in one lifeboat!

And need to work together in common purpose if we are to draw back from the raging waterfall that awaits those who just want to beat time?

While a divided crew row in opposite directions, or in ever decreasing circles and to hell with the eventual (unintended?) consequences!

Or stand and dance to the tune of hokey pokey? You put your left foot in, you take your left foot out and shake it all about. Then you put your right foot in and you take your right foot out and shake it all about, and that's what it's all about?

Well they look very busy and extremely energetic! If not downright TRiUMPhant?

But what avails if all we do is get too close to that last long drop to get together and row as one race, the human race, just trying to save the one planet that succors us all, flora, fauna and last but not least human beings!

And excluding any to favor the other just makes it worse for all!

Thus we saw the mountains of northern Ethiopia, denuded by drought stricken natives, scratching for a every root,twig or a grub, as the world watched, waited and waited!

None of us made richer by turning our face away time and again, just poorer as the remnant common herd, with a new (grate again) head bull running us back toward the (grate balls of furore) Great Depression/Great war?
Alan B.

Although there is plenty I could add to this topic, I want to simply share a couple of links.

The first is last nights Crosstalk 'Trump's Middle East' from RT.
http://youtu.be/prcuaQPijug

The next is a short discussion with David Knight from Infowars regards Trumps proposed economic policies, specifically the Border Adjustment Tax.
http://youtu.be/GoNZ30HKpIs

Hi AC,

You watch RT ? Gosh, what a surprise.

Hi Alan,

Yeah, I apologise for making my analysis unnecessarily difficult for you. Maybe I could put things more simply, if much more crudely:

Those groups within the educated classes: very, very crudely,

* Group (a) would have voted for Clinton;

* Group (b) would have voted for Sanders, if he had got up; and

* Group (c) voted for Trump.

Maybe it's just a useful way to pivot an analysis. Not too many unknowns there, although there may be some that nobody has noticed - the unknown unknowns, if you like - what Kant called the 'noumenal' as opposed to the 'phenomenal' i.e. what is already known.

Of course, the educated classes are not the only ones in the US, but they tend to become the talkers, the spokespeople, for other classes. Trump, for example, purports to articulate, stretching the word somewhat, the views and aspirations of much of the US population - a total of around 48 % in fact.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,

Joe

Hey Loudmouth,

"You watch RT ? Gosh, what a surprise."

Not overly, but I thought the topic regarding Trumps foreign policy would be interesting.

If you're asserting that RT is fake news or Russian propaganda, (and I must point out that combating RT was actually the original basis for the 'fake news' agenda) then I encourage you to actually watch the video and point out any topic or position that you felt was misrepresented.

Please argue the facts and not the rhetoric.
You really need to break free from that Corporate Media conditioning.

Hi AC,

Yes, I'm happy to assert that. Is he a Russian stooge ? I don't know, yet.

It looks like he might buckle on his promise to eject undocumented workers, mainly from Mexico, or Latin Americans coming to the US via Mexico. Or he might 'double down' on that promise. If he does, and millions are taken out of the US workforce, from some of the lowest-paid jobs, I wonder who would take those jobs. Americans ? Perhaps he can get his mate Putin to ship over a million or so Chechens.

And what might happen to prices if those workers are paid decent ages ? Prices of fruit and vegetables, for example. And with a source of cheap labour gone, will there be upward pressure on other prices that his working-class base has to pay ? Policies usually have unintended consequences.

Will jobs come back to the US if he slaps tariffs on overseas products ? Who really believes that ? Even US firms currently in the US might move overseas if their illegal cheap labour is taken off them.

Roll up, roll up ! I wouldn't miss this circus for quids.

Joe