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The Dangerous Myth That Hillary Clinton Ignored the Working Class

theatlantic.com
To many white Trump voters, the problem wasn’t her economic stance, but the larger vision—a multi-ethnic social democracy—that it was a part of.

nellacitta:

mswyrr:

sandalwoodandsunlight:

In the days after her shocking loss, Democrats complained that Clinton had no jobs agenda. A widely shared essay in The Nation blamed Clinton’s “neoliberalism” for abandoning the voters who swung the election. “I come from the white working class,” Bernie Sanders said on CBS This Morning, “and I am deeply humiliated that the Democratic Party cannot talk to where I came from.”

But here is the troubling reality for civically minded liberals looking to justify their preferred strategies: Hillary Clinton talked about the working class, middle class jobs, and the dignity of work constantly. And she still lost.

She detailed plans to help coal miners and steel workers. She had decades of ideas to help parents, particularly working moms, and their children. She had plans to help young men who were getting out of prison and old men who were getting into new careers. She talked about the dignity of manufacturing jobs, the promise of clean-energy jobs, and the Obama administration’s record of creating private-sector jobs for a record-breaking number of consecutive months. 

She said the word “job” more in the Democratic National Convention speech than Trump did in the RNC acceptance speech; she mentioned the word  “jobs” more during the first presidential debate than Trump did. She offered the most comprehensively progressive economic platform of any presidential candidate in history—one specifically tailored to an economy powered by an educated workforce.

What’s more, the evidence that Clinton lost because of the nation’s economic disenchantment is extremely mixed. Some economists found that Trump won in counties affected by trade with China. But among the 52 percent of voters who said economics was the most important issue in the election, Clinton beat Trump by double digits. In the vast majority of swing states, voters said they preferred Clinton on the economy. If the 2016 election had come down to economics exclusively, the working class—which, by any reasonable definition, includes the black, Hispanic, and Asian working classes, too—would have elected Hillary Clinton president.

The more frightening possibility for liberals is that Clinton didn’t lose because the white working class failed to hear her message, but precisely because they did hear it.

Trump’s white voters do support the mommy state, but only so long as it’s mothering them. Most of them don’t seem eager to change Medicare or Social Security, but they’re fine with repealing Obamacare and its more diverse pool of 20 million insured people. They’re happy for the government to pick winners and losers, so long as beleaguered coal and manufacturing companies are in the winner’s circle. 

Massive deficit-financed spending on infrastructure? Under Obama, that was dangerous government overreach, but under Trump, it’s a jobs plan by a guy they know won’t let Muslims and Mexicans cut in line to get work renovating highways and airports.

#THANK YOU#it’s just a flat-out lie that she had nothing to say to the working class#you know why the working class didn’t hear it?#1. because a lot of them won’t listen to a thing she says because of years of media smears#2. because a number of them are super racist and only care about that#3. BECAUSE THE MEDIA DIDN’T REPORT ON HER ACTUAL POLICIES#emails emails emails benghazi emails#that was all they reported on#if they’d reported on her THOUSANDS OF PAGES OF INTRICATE POLICY#or even the highlights of her speeches then people would have heard all she had to say to working/middle class people#i am so disgusted by the false narratives constructed to ‘explain’ why white people didn’t vote for her#ugh ( queenofattolia
)

And also why the immediate dem party reaction to figure out how to appeal to the white working class is wrong and dangerous.

The (not so) surprising disappearing parrots

nambroth:

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“Guys, let’s not with the extinction, please.”( Cacatua sulphurea, Lesser Sulfur-Crested Cockatoo, Critically Endangered. Photo Source)

I’m about to talk about something that is a bit of a bummer. Okay, it’s a really huge bummer, but I think it’s really important to talk about this stuff, otherwise we lose things before we even know they are gone.

If you are a bird lover (HIGH FIVE, MY DUDES), you probably know by now that there are some endangered parrots. I won’t shut up about Kakapos, but another one that is somewhat famous is the Spix’s macaw, thanks to the kinda-recent Rio movies. These are really important species that are getting much needed attention.

What might surprise you (or, not, if you have been keeping an ear to the ground on this stuff) are some of the other species that are endangered.

Like, African Grey Parrots. Sun Conures (yes). Lesser Sulfur-Crested Cockatoos (critically endangered). Many Amazon parrot species (yellow headed, double-yellow headed, red-crowned, etc etc. Some declining more than 90%). Several Macaws (Blue-Throated, critically endangered, probably fewer than 300 left) . Red-And-Blue Lorys. Lovebirds (yeah…). Just to name a few.
(If you did a double take at Sun Conures or Lovebirds, you’re not alone. They are among the most commonly sold pet parrots here in the USA).

There are many more species on the endangered list, and a great number more that are listed as vulnerable/decreasing at an unsustainable rate (essentially, these species are usually destined for the endangered list unless population trends change for the better). Here’s a chart if you are interested. A few seem a bit out of date; as African Greys have been re-listed as endangered recently. http://rainforests.mongabay.com/endangered/charts/birds-parrots.html

It’s easy to see animals commonly kept in captivity as pets and not realize the really serious threat that hangs over the heads of their wild cousins. While imports into the US are less of a concern than the used to be ( The Wild Bird Conservation Act (WBCA) was enacted in 1992 to protect exotic bird species from international trade. The Act maintains that wild-caught birds may only be imported into the United States if they are produced in accordance with service-approved management plans for sustainable use of the species. Essentially, it’s illegal for hobbyists to import birds for the pet trade any longer. They are still smuggled, however.), it’s still a really huge problem in some parts of the world. Habitat loss/destruction are also an enormous factor in the decline of many of these species. If you are interested in a parrot, please research not only care (and the incredible requirements of time and money), but source. Though much decreased, illegal trade still happens. Educate yourself about how to avoid accidentally buying a smuggled bird.

Though this is depressing, knowing that they are in trouble is the first step to helping. I know not everyone can donate, but even just spreading the word and creating awareness is a huge step in the right direction (how many of you were surprised to see Sun Conures, or African Greys, or Cockatoos on the list?). There is a lot of good information over on https://www.parrots.org/ both about keeping captive parrots, as well as conserving wild ones. If you can’t donate, you can always put something from their shop in your wish list! https://www.parrots.org/shop
You can make some art of an endangered parrot to spread the word, too. It’s good #decembird2016 fodder, hey?
If birds aren’t your thing (I.. forgive you, I guess), spread the word about other endangered animals commonly kept as pets (oh my gosh, poor Axolotls).

I could write about this stuff for days, but this is already a long post. Please use this as the launching point: stay interested, stay curious, say upset… because without people that give a flying flip, these birds will go extinct.

why-animals-do-the-thing:

the-future-now:

Giraffes are on their way to becoming extinct — thanks to humans

  • There’s a troubling new report from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on giraffes.
  • The global giraffe population is shrinking fast, and giraffes may be on their way to extinction.
  • According to the IUCN’s report, “the global giraffe population has plummeted by up to 40% over the last 30 years,” which represents a “devastating decline.”
  • Giraffes are under threat from “illegal hunting, habitat loss and changes through expanding agriculture and mining, increasing human-wildlife conflict, and civil unrest.” Read more

follow @the-future-now​

Good article, although this title is a bit over-dramatic. Here’s a great summary from when the article was shared on the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo facebook page - a facility known for their giraffe care and conservation involvement:

“We’ve known for a few years that wild giraffe populations are in dramatic decline. But now it is official in that the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has reviewed the population data and reclassified giraffe from “Least Concern” to “Vulnerable” to extinction.Giraffe are already locally extinct in 7 African countries. Overall, the population has seen a 40% decline in the past 30 years. While none of this is good news for giraffe, the IUCN reclassification will hopefully bring attention and energy to giraffe conservation.”

avianawareness:

PLEASE SHARE: PRINT PDF | 1855x1200 JPG

I made this in hopes that people will wake up to the huge responsibility that is sharing your life with a parrot. It’s possible they will outlive you. What are your plans if/when they do?

We have people seeking out our rescue because a family member passed away and they are not prepared to take over the care of their bird.

In the absence of flockmates and actual mates (which they would have in the wild), birds often proceed to form strong emotional bonds with a particular person. Upon their passing, they may actually become vicious or neurotic, even resorting to self-mutilation/plucking. They suffer heart break just as we do.

This is why I cringe at photos of people with baby macaw, cockatoos, and amazons that are destined to be pets. 

Please think of the needs of birds before you bring one into your home. They have many.

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enbabe: Why do some cats act strange when you scritch the base of their tail? My cat will raise her butt up and start looking around weirdly but she'll turn around and stop me if I do it too much. (Obviously I don't do it often. She doesn't like it that much.)
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why-animals-do-the-thing:

I think it’s just a really sensitive spot, and they stretch into it the way you’d lean into someone poking a tight spot on your shoulder. It’s likely that it’s also easy to over-stimulate it, though, which is why cats get so grumpy if you do it for prolonged periods. 

why-animals-do-the-thing:

followthebluebell:

Cats also can’t scratch this spot on their own.  They can clean and groom it (unless u have a Very Fat Kitty), but vigorous licking and nipping aren’t the same as a good scratch. It’s kinda like tickling.  Even if you like being tickled, it’s still really easy for it to become Too Much.


There are a lot of nerves there and for a good reason (actually several)!  Like most baby mammals, newborn kittens have to be stimulated by their mother in order to pee and poop.  Their mother does this by licking around the base of their tail, including the top. It’s a good idea to develop those nerves quick so they can have that ‘whoops, gonna pee!’ response.


For intact females, this is also a breeding behavior.  When presenting to a male, an intact female lifts her butt in the air and swishes her tail to the side (and sometimes kneads with her back paws). There’s actually a gland at the base of the tail called the caudal gland.


There are also scent glands in the area, so elevator butt can also be an attempt to exchange odors with their favorite human.


So there u have it.  The many reasons for Elevator Butt.

We all needed to know about elevator butt. 

wilwheaton:

All very good points, and a very solid analysis. But the thing that matters, the thing that’s pointed out in a reply to this tweetstorm is that it’s actually really simple:

This is treason. What the Trump Campaign did with Russia’s help using Wikileaks, what Mitch McConnell tried to suppress, what James Comey did eleven days before the election, is treason. 

This transcends political parties. This is bigger than Trump and Clinton and any single politician at any level of government. What is happening, right now, is a state-sponsored coup. 

Look at all the connections that the Trump campaign has to Russia:

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Putin wants Russia to be a global superpower again, and wants to reconstitute the former Soviet Union. That isn’t whacko conspiracy stuff, that’s widely-known fact, published and researched and well documented.

Right now, at this moment, the integrity of the United States as a nation is under threat. Right now, the only people who can stop this are the electors, and this is exactly why the electoral college exists, according to Alexander Hamilton, who some of you may know as one of the founders of this nation.

If this is allowed to go unchallenged, if this is swept up by some bogus Republican “investigation” that does nothing, because Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell and the chairs of the House committees that would be tasked with doing something about this put partisan politics ahead of the fucking sovereignty of the nation they are sworn to serve, they should all be tried for treason. 

This can’t be said loudly and often enough: Russia manipulated our election and at the moment appear poised to install their puppet into the presidency of our nation. Are our elected officials in Washington DC with us, or against us?

neo nazi trigger warning first of all

fumbledeegrumble:

smarmygryffindor:

so, in case you haven’t heard of Stormfront (here’s the tumblr post about it), I figured it was worth posting here so people can be aware of their actual tactics:

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notice shit like “this isn’t about anti-whites, use them to humiliate them and make them look bad” and “winning isn’t important”. this is why i say not to argue with fascists, at least, not seriously. if you do, argue with them calmly at first and post sources and all that shit to prove that you’ve got facts and reasoning on your side for the sake of others who will read it, and under no circumstances let them piss you off or upset you. then, once you’ve made your point well enough, just start fucking with them back. don’t make the mistake of thinking arguing with fascists is a debate; it’s all for show, all about who can make the other one look worse. so it’s vital that you point out how fucking inane their talking points are, yes, but it’s also vital that you let them (and everyone else) know that you Are Not Taking Them Seriously. Because you shouldn’t, no one should. You don’t have to prove that human beings deserve rights and racism is wrong. As soon as you start to treat them as equals in debate on the topic of human rights, you inadvertently let them gain ground that should never be surrendered.

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Guys, I don’t often ask this, but do me a favor and reblog this if you see it. Stormfront is a gigantic operation for the modern neo-nazi movement, and I don’t see nearly enough people even recognizing their existence.