this idealistic "life," surrounding themselves with like-minded family and friends, attending the same church together, hearing the messages they want to hear, avoiding any area or business that challenges their world view.

For example:

I work for a die-hard -- and, apparently, delusional -- republican, who just last week informed me that the only reason that Obama got re-elected was because "dead, non-existent, black, or brown people voted for him." He then observed that only people "on the dole" voted for Obama.

Needless to say, I cannot refute or contradict him, because I'd be out of a job, and likely unable to get another, in this deeply red state.

Just think: there are hundreds of thousands of sadly delusional people just like this who are still drinking the kool-aide, still virulently racist, still hate-filled...

to be included in your POV...

But, thanks for your concern.

..

Rec

-Laelth

BUT, this is a really good read. As is a lot of your posts. I was at a presentation of The Laramie Project Friday night here in rural Upstate NY. I did the reading of Dennis Sheperd, Matthew's father. Got into the part and made most of the audience cry, along with me. But, before the presentation, two young men, one in the cast, who sat beside me, were billing and cooing. The only thing that happened was that I told them, I hoped they had a room for later. We smiled at their love and affection (maybe more like lust) for each other. One was a local, the other is in the local college. Wouldn't have happened 5 years ago. It's similar to the struggle that our brethren of color are going through. Same Struggle. Same Fight. Stay Healthy. Keep Fighting. xoxoxoxox

White left-wing rage?

I really like his biography "Man of the House", and I've read it several times. He says just about nothing about the budget negotiations, but it was a tactic frequently used under his leadership in the House:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/26/sorry-chris-matthews-tip-oneill-and-ronald-reagan-were-terrible-at-averting-shutdowns/

Here's a timeline of all the government shutdowns, including the shift after 1981 regarding the Antideficiency Act:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/25/here-is-every-previous-government-shutdown-why-they-happened-and-how-they-ended/

that in many of those cases, some appropriations bills had been passed by both chambers meaning the "shutdowns" were not really full (all-Department) "shutdowns". This time, not one of the appropriations bills had been agreed to and enacted by both chambers so none have even reached the President's desk for signature or veto. The WP article doesn't get into any of the details about the various departmental or agency appropriations that WERE approved and enacted in those past instances, so the reader cannot determine who actually experienced the funding lapse and who didn't.

There are pockets of extreme technological development (Google Labs, MIT, other places) and progressive social development (not just San Francisco and other parts of California, but parts of Canada and Europe).

There are also large areas of poverty and retarded (delayed) development (parts of Afghanistan, Africa). Areas of extreme backward social oppression (many parts of Islamic nations, The Jesusland Confederacy).

Overall, the trend is up. Overall, there is progress and advancement.

The reactionary Republicans and Teabaggers are striking out with the last gasp of a dying snake.

The corporatocracy and the regressive part of the 1% are greatly complicating things because even they have internal contradictions in their motives and actions. Note: there are many progressive members of the 1%.

"The future is already here – it's just not evenly distributed."

— William Gibson, quoted in The Economist, December 4, 2003. He is not a technophobe, but he wrote the far-sighted novel "Neuromancer", 1984, on a 1927 typewriter long before the internet was more than a few dozen tech companies and universities and government research agencies.

Orson Scott Card, whose extreme right-wing views have rendered him unpalatable to many former fans.

Gibson was prescient in Neuromancer. I need to read that again.

Card did not "go the way" of being a bigot. It's in his DNA, so he has always had that element in his makeup, inherited from great-great grandpa.

I sure should have known that Card is genetically predisposed to bigotry, silly me! None of his recent right wing shenanigans should have surprised me at all!

Not the States with vote by mail, legal pot, death with dignity laws, Medicaid expanded before ACA, excellent green mass transit, and lots of high tech to go along with the local, low tech food supply?
I am a CA native to moved north because CA was electing Arnold with e-voting machines and working to pass Prop 8. Big liberals, they are. Just ask their huge prison population.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

AlterNet is not exactly read by the masses, it should be but the masses also don't read anymore either.

I wonder if this article can be put on Twitter or InstaGram (I don't Tweet, Instagram, Skype, IM, Facebook) so it will get read by many more or Miley can write it across her ass or something, at least it would make the news and more might read it.

anything about miley`s ass is news

You are right to quote Faulkner. We are living in the second Reconstruction, and the Redeemers are on the march. As a Southerner whose ancestors all fought for the South, I know it when I see it. It's sad, but we gotta own up to it. Defeat is hard to take. Those brave men who served with RE Lee could not manage the moral courage to take on the KKK and co. after the War. Defeat does that to people. This is difficult for non-Southerners to understand. I live with it every day in conservations with friends and relatives. But I will not despair. As a Christian, I cannot despair. thank God for Mr. Obama and other Dems who have hearts of gold and spines of steel. He reminds me of the best of W. Wilson and Harry S. Truman, moral vision and courage.

I can tell you Racism is doing well in the South . The only change i have seen over my 60+ years is that it seems the Racist are a little more tolerant than they use to be, but the Hate remains strong.

But the Obama derangement makes that impossible now. The only people in denial now are the perpetrators.