The Third Estate Sunday Review focuses on politics and culture. We're an online magazine. We don't play nice and we don't kiss butt. In the words of Tuesday Weld: "I do not ever want to be a huge star. Do you think I want a success? I refused "Bonnie and Clyde" because I was nursing at the time but also because deep down I knew that it was going to be a huge success. The same was true of "Bob and Carol and Fred and Sue" or whatever it was called. It reeked of success."
In reality, the nomination of the pro-war corporate shill Biden and
the right-wing character of his campaign constitute a devastating
refutation of the central claim of Sanders and the various pseudo-left
organizations that support him: That the Democratic Party can be pushed
to the left and transformed into an instrument of progressive change
through pressure from below.
Sanders’ acknowledgment of Biden’s refusal to support even his mild
reform proposals did not prevent him from affirming his full backing for
the Democratic campaign. Since pulling out of the race for the
Democratic nomination last April and endorsing Biden soon
after—reprising his endorsement of Hillary Clinton in 2016—Sanders has
demanded that his supporters line up behind Biden and attacked those who
criticize the Democratic ticket.
Biden is so brazenly running a right-wing campaign and spurning any
serious appeal to the social needs and grievances of the working class
that Trump could win the election. This would be a devastating blow to
the Democratic Party from which it would never recover, after the
debacle in 2016.
To lose an election in the midst of a pandemic which has already cost
200,000 lives, under conditions where the president has been caught
lying to the public in order to play down the danger, protect the stock
market and reopen businesses at the expense of workers’ lives, where
there are Depression levels of unemployment, and where hunger,
homelessness and poverty are soaring, would discredit the Democratic
Party for all time.
The greatest fear animating Sanders, and the Democratic Party as a
whole, is the collapse of the party as an instrument to contain and
divide working class opposition and protect capitalism from socialist
revolution.
Ava and C.I. wrote their piece on Sunday. We are on notice from them that if THIRD's next edition does not go up by Monday night, they will be posting whatever they write this weekend all by itself.
Why else, he wanted to know, would we avoid promoting Alica's new TCM program WOMEN WHO MAKE FILM?
But don't women make music as well?
We ask that because Labor Day weekend was music non-stop on TCM.
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT (documentary about The Who), THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION (at least directed by a woman if focusing on men), THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION (ibid), THIS IS ELVIS, THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME (Led Zeppelin), JIMI HENDRIX (documentary), JIMI PLAYS MONTEREY, SHAKE: OTIS! AT MONTEREY, DON'T LOOK BACK (Bob Dylan), A HARD DAY'S NIGHT and GO GO MANIA. Women were featured . . . in FESTIVAL, WOODSTOCK and MONTEREY POP.
They weren't the focus, they shared focus with men -- with more men than women. Does that strike you as fair? All those programs focusing on men making music and when it came to women? Three programs that included them -- not focused on them, just included them.
Diana Ross, to cite only one artist, could have been represented. She's an Academy Award nominated actress. She has every reason to be on TCM. She's also done multiple specials that, as we've noted here in the past, could be used by TCM to give her a day of programming. There are her ABC specials for example and now ABC and TCM are owned by the same corporate parent. So where were Diana's specials? She was one of the first to do HBO specials, where are those?
For some reason, the most successful popular female singer of the 20th century wasn't part of the music line up. In fact, no individual woman made the line up for music.
Why haven't we offered TCM praise for their women in film series? Because their other actions cancel it out.
We're critics. Our job is to analyze and to offer assessments. From time to time, we may have a notion or two about solutions but, as critics, that's really not necessary. We thought about that Saturday night as yet another bad commercial from Joe Biden's presidential campaign aired. He was acting . . . or trying to, in his stumbling manner, as though he were a critic.
Donald Trump has done this, Joe weakly offered, and that, and it was wrong. Now before we get into the nonsense of him quoting Pope John Paul II on fear (if you're a Democrat and you're quoting about fear, you quote FDR -- but FDR is too 'radical' for right-wing Joe), let's just stop a moment. Donald does this wrong and that wrong?
Does Joe think he's providing brave or even new information? Has he missed every op-ed over the last four years? He's providing nothing.
Most importantly, he's providing no solutions.
We're critics. That's what we do here every week. We're critics and we're not running to be leaders, certainly not a leader of the United States. But Joe is. So why is it that he can't provide leadership? Why can't he talk about what needs to be done?
He has no campaign to speak of. Just one long critique of Trump. What would happen the day after the election? Some people note the whores for Joe. How these whores, for example, are using everything -- every lie, every deception, every bullying tactic, to get Joe elected and wondering what happens the day after the election to these whores? Do they suddenly switch from oral, hand jobs, half-and-halfs, anal, et al and begin demanding action from Joe?
Good question.
But here's a better one since Joe is running for president: Day after the election what does Joe do?
Because he's not campaigning on ideas or hopes or plans. People mocked Elizabeth Warren for having a plan for everything -- TIME magazine even titled their cover story on her "I HAVE A PLAN FOR THAT." Where are Joe's plans for anything?
As Jimmy Dore points out, Joe's on record for increasing the military budget. "He's not giving you healthcare in the middle of a pandemic," Jimmy observes and he also asks, "What's the difference between these candidates again?"
It's also Jimmy Dore who reports to the people about Joe's conversations with Wall Street.
Joe told his corporate backers that he's not going to propose any legislation, if elected. to curtail corporate abuses -- and he explained that to them on "multiple calls." So the few plans that Joe has are plans he keeps secret and from the public.
Jimmy notes that so many have lied for Joe and he calls out those ridiculous task forces and he calls out the ridiculous Bernie Sanders:
So this is Joe Biden pissing directly in Bernie's face and in your face. And what does Bernie Sanders say? 'Thank you, sir, piss on me again.' And it's not just pissing on his face, it's 'let's f**k over people hard. 'Yes, sir, I'm going to help Joe Biden f**k over people
There is so much dishonesty in the media and so few Jimmy Dores. Is there a purpose to the media these days? Informing the public doesn't seem to be a priority. Holding the powerful accountable doesn't seem to be a role they see themselves in.
Take the mincing queen Trevor Noah. At 36, what does the future hold for him? Batting his eye lashes and trying to look cute? Well Bob Hope made a career out of it. We lose interest in his career by the late fifties (our favorite Hope movie is MY FAVORITE BRUNETTE with Dorothy Lamour), but he kept working for decades so maybe Trevor can as well?
It won't be memorable work -- Bob's wasn't -- but he may be able to continue working.
We just wish he'd leave THE DAILY SHOW. What was once a laugh factory led by Jon Stewart is now fey facial expressions fronting Andy Rooney-type 'observations.' He's not funny anymore. He just minces before the camera serving up tired and boring 'observations' and we're left wondering what happens to a comic when the hunger inside dies? Maybe we'll find out in 2022 when Trevor's contract with COMEDY CENTRAL is up?
Maybe he could look to another faded COMEDY CENTRAL alumni? Say, Amy Schumer.
When Trevor's ratings were a bit higher, Amy was a COMEDY CENTRAL star with her much talked about INSIDE AMY SCHUMER (2013 to 2016). She was The Big Thing -- hit (or 'hit' when you look at the actual ratings) show and destined, based on TRAINWRECK, to be a movie star.
It's not even a half decade later and it's over for Amy. After I FEEL PRETTY, no one thinks she has a film career. Even COMEDY CENTRAL isn't interested in a TV series from her. She turned up on THE FOOD NETWORK. Few watched AMY SCHUMER LEARNS TO COOK but it appeared that it was increasing in the low number of viewers with the second episode. So THE FOOD NETWORK renewed it for a second season thinking that, even if they were wrong, just four episodes, how bad could it be?
How they regret that decision now. How bad? Season two managed to get even lower ratings. No one wants to watch Amy cook any more than they want to pay money to see her on the big screen.
She also turned her pregnancy into a reality show -- that she billed as a documentary -- which was aired on HBO MAX to a limited and very small audience.
We'd argue Trevor had a better chance at a cooking show but, after last season's "Hannah Hayes" on THE BLACKLIST took MPREG out of the realm of WINCEST fan-fiction and put it into TV drama, who knows who or what might latch onto Trevor's nipples in the future?
I don't hate Susan Sarandon. I don't dislike her nor do I wish her ill. But I am disappointed in her.
I learned in that video that Susan plans to vote for Joe Biden. I'm puzzled and surprised by that decision. She voted for Jill Stein in 2016. I know she's not a Green. I am a Green. It would be nice, to me, if she'd vote for Howie Hawkins this go round, he seems her type.
But she's voting for Joe Biden and I honestly do not see how Biden's any better than Hillary Clinton? In fact, I could see a stronger argument for voting for Hillary than voting for Joe. She's a Clinton which means she is influenced by public opinion. Both she and her husband follow polling. She also is capable of taking a stand on principle. When MOVE ON stole Wally and Cedric's Petraeus-Betray-us, karma bit them in the butt and they were denounced by friends in Congress. Hillary was a senator then and was pressed to denounce MOVE ON but refused to do so. I could also see some voting for Hillary because they thought a woman being president would send a powerful message.
I didn't vote for Hillary but I understood why many did. And, like C.I., I will not say an unkind word about any Hillary supporter from 2008. They stood against sexism and they deserve (and have) my respect. Delilah Boyd, even River's Daughter, all of them made a difference. The press was repeatedly dismissing charges of sexism -- while they used sexism to attack Hillary -- and it's those people -- include Ava and C.I. on that -- who changed the conversation and did so with no help from the Patty Arquettes and the other play 'feminists.' 2008 supporters who supported her in 2016 will never be criticized by me for that decision.
But Joe?
What's the reason to vote for Joe?
So that little White boys everywhere will know that they can grow up to be president? Don't they already know that from every president so far with the exception of Barack Obama?
Joe offers nothing symbolic.
He offers nothing in any manner at all. He's against Medicare For All and has stated he will vote against it. He's for fracking. He tells Wall Street nothing will change. And he wants to keep US troops in Iraq.
Susan, honestly, WTF? I don't recall Hillary saying that she wanted to keep US troops in Iraq when she was running for president. But Joe says it and his record on the Iraq War is even worse than Hillary's was.
What really bothers me about her statements regarding voting for Joe is that she's 'back in the fold.' She's saying that the people who attacked her for voting for Jill Stein last time were right. Why else vote for Joe now? She's bought into the lie that Donald Trump was worse. He's the exact same. And she disowns the strong stand she took in 2016 with this move.
I like Susan. I don't wish her ill. I'll continue to see her films and continue to appreciate what she has done in the past and the brave things I know she'll do in the future but I am disappointed.
Here are my top ten favorite Susan Sarandon films:
1) THELMA & LOUISE
2) WHITE PALACE
3) DEAD MAN WALKING
4) THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK
5) THE MEDDLER
6) BULL DURHAM
7) TWILIGHT
8) A DRY WHITE SEASON
9) ACE THE CASE (my kid's favorite film, by the way)
10) TAMMY
Those are my top ten but I enjoy many more (including COMPROMISING POSITIONS which I think is highly underrated). I like Susan as an actress and as an activist. But, yeah, I'm disappointed.
For me, that remains the standard. I cannot think of a low impact workout that does as much as that one and I can't praise that workout enough.
I had pregnancy weight to get rid of and that video -- the beginner's section -- was easy to follow and produced excellent results. I bought it on DVD back when I wrote about it. I continue to use it but bought it on streaming a few years back and have it in "My Stuff" on AMAZON PRIME -- where your purchases and rentals go. I still use it and can use it anywhere with an internet connection. Right now, that's not very important, as we all know. But before the pandemic, that allowed me to work out with it when, for example, we went to my parents for the holidays.
Yes, I know the routine by heart and there are times when I just put on music and work out by memory. But there are also times when I just don't have the enthusiasm so I really need to watch Jane and go through it with her (and one of the reasons she's been so successful in this field is that she is so very good at motivating you during a workout).
The pandemic has allowed many of us to get fluffy. I was no exception and a week or two of Jane's WALK OUT had me back in shape. Remember the freshman fifteen? That term used for when so many first year college students gain weight? They now have a similar term for Covid weight: the quagmire 15.
If you've gained some, you are not alone. Don't beat yourself up for it. Just find a way to get moving and know that this is common. Most of us can get moving. Jim's great aunt comes to mind. When we visited last time and I worked out to Jane, she showed me her own exercise, SIT AND BE FIT.
It airs on her local PBS station. There are two instructors, one who remains seated at all times. If this doesn't air on your local PBS, visit the website to check out where it does air and also for more information. SIT AND BE FIT has some workouts online. For example, you can visit their YOUTUBE channel.
With working out, I find the hardest thing to lift is your guilt when you let a bit of time elapse between workouts. If it's been awhile for you, ditch the guilt and just get back to it. We can never change yesterday but we can always work to make tomorrow better.
John Bolton's a War Criminal -- also an alleged swinger but the thought of John Bolton doing it is just too disgusting so we won't go there. But he's in hot water and we hope it's a long, slow boil. Devan Cole (CNN) notes he's in trouble for allegedly disclosing classified information:
The Times reported that two of the people familiar with the issue said Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe referred the matter to DOJ last month. The move prompted the head of the department's national security division to open the criminal investigation, a person briefed on the case told the newspaper.
Bolton, who served for a time as President Donald Trump's national security adviser, has said he has complied with all of the revisions requested by the White House.
Did he do it? Who knows. If he did, he deserves to be punished. That's what happened to David Petraeus, remember? He ran afoul of Barack Obama and they took him out by prosecuting him for sharing classified information with his biographer and lover Paula Broadwell. Had they not destroyed his image by doing that, he might have run for president in 2016.
So if War Hawk John disclosed classified information, let him be punished as such.
Me and Schumer? We're supposed to be buds or something?
I wonder because every time I go to YOUTUBE, he's yelling at me. What did I do to him?
Stacey Abrams is usually in the same commercial with him -- but not onscreen with him. I don't think she could smile so real and come off so friendly if she were in the same room with him.
Chuck Schumer apparently doesn't grasp the concept of a light touch. The New York senator appears to believe the way to get people to donate to the Democratic Party is to yell at them -- like some angry, neighborhood elderly psycho screaming at kids to get off his lawn.
It's not an attractive stance and I can't imagine it yields many donations.
I'm not voting for Biden (not sure if I'm voting for Howie Hawkins or Gloria La Riva yet) but Stacey's so warm and personable, she makes me want to dig into my wallet and get something, anything, to donate. Then along comes red faced, fuming Chuck and I'm all "forget it." You really have to wonder who was in charge of this ad campaign? And were they in on the joke -- making Chuck look like a braying ass?
Money grubbing is sad and tawdry enough. Maybe next election cycle, they can offer up someone who is less embarrassing and less annoying?
This Russian bounties allegation was yet another story breathlessly run by corporate media without evidence. Months later, headlines say there’s no evidence - now that the allegation has been locked into the public’s mind as fact, aided by Biden using it as a talking point.
Libertarian Presidential nominee Dr. Jo Jorgensen visited Meridian, Idaho, and Idaho Dispatch was able to cover the event.
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Let's talk Wisconsin and more. Howie Hawkins and Angela Walker are the Green Party nominees for president and vice president. This is a weekly event that is broadcast on many platforms. Howie and Angela will address current events at the top of the hour, then they'll take your questions from the chat stream regarding their platform. To read a campaign summary platform, visit https://hawkins20.us/sumplat.
