Liberal Democrat

Liberal Democrat
Individual Freedom For Everyone

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Russia Today: The Resident: ‘American Monarchy, It’s Time’

Source:Russia Today- the woman in this photo might just be a comedian. So like with any dictator, (take Vladimir Putin, as an example) I wouldn't automatically take her seriously on this.

Source:FreeState MD 

“America’s federal republic is failing its citizens, who more and more do not feel properly represented in their government. And there is no doubt that America is celebrity-obsessed. It might be time to rethink American government structure to establish an absolute monarchy. The Resident (aka Lori Harfenist) discusses.”


“RT (formerly Russia Today or Rossiya Segodnya) (Russian: Россия Сегодня)[9] is a Russian state-controlled[1] international news television network funded by the Russian government.[16][17] It operates pay television and free-to-air channels directed to audiences outside of Russia, as well as providing Internet content in Russian, English, Spanish, French, German and Arabic.

RT is a brand of TV-Novosti, an autonomous non-profit organization founded by the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti in April 2005.[8][18] During the economic crisis in December 2008, the Russian government, headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, included ANO “TV-Novosti” on its list of core organizations of strategic importance to Russia.[19][20][21] RT operates as a multilingual service with channels in five languages: the original English-language channel was launched in 2005, the Arabic-language channel in 2007, Spanish in 2009, German in 2014 and French in 2017. RT America (2010–2022),[22][23] RT UK (2014–2022) and other regional channels also produce local content. RT is the parent company of the Ruptly video agency,[5] which owns the Redfish video channel and the Maffick digital media company.[6][7]

RT has regularly been described as a major propaganda outlet for the Russian government and its foreign policy.[2] Academics, fact-checkers, and news reporters (including some current and former RT reporters) have identified RT as a purveyor of disinformation[58] and conspiracy theories.[65] UK media regulator Ofcom has repeatedly found RT to have breached its rules on impartiality, including multiple instances in which RT broadcast “materially misleading” content.[72]

In 2012, RT’s editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan compared the channel to the Russian Ministry of Defence.[73] Referring to the Russo-Georgian War, she stated that it was “waging an information war, and with the entire Western world”.[17][74] In September 2017, RT Americawas ordered to register as a foreign agent with the United States Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.[75]

RT was banned in Ukraine in 2014 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea;[76] Latvia and Lithuania implemented similar bans in 2020.[77][78] Germany banned RT DE in February 2022.[79] After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Poland and then the entire European Union as well as Canada announced they were formally banning RT as well, while independent service providers in over 10 countries suspended broadcasts of RT.[80][81][82] Social media websites followed by blocking external links to RT’s website and restricting access to RT’s content.[83][84] Microsoft removed RT from their app store and de-ranked their search results on Bing,[85][86] while Apple removed the RT app from all countries except for Russia.” 

From Wikipedia

First of all, I’m not sure this commentator was being completely serious or not. And just giving a satiric editorial about the American political system and perhaps I just didn’t find it very funny. So what I’m going to do is write what I think about what she said as if she was completely serious and not out to lunch and never came back, perhaps kidnapped or whatever and having a good excuse for not reporting back to work. Which is how off the wall of a proposal this sounds like to me, for the sake of this post.

The problem with America is not the political system and certainly not the United States Constitution. The problem with American politics are people who are in it and operate it including the voters. When you combine bad, dumb, voters, especially when they vote often and if you are familiar with America, you know that dumb voters tend to vote the most, but with voters like this, you tend to get bad politicians in the crooked sense. But great politicians in the sense they know how to get reelected and who they need to vote for them to get reelected. So I can’t feel sorry for people who vote for bad people and then complain about the public officials they voted for.

Call me crazy (and I’m sure you will any way) but I don’t feel sorry for voters like that. Because as George Carlin said over and over we get what we vote for. So we have bad people who are bought off in charge of our political system. But who wouldn’t be there had it not of been for the dumb people who voted for them in the first place.

So the first problem with American politics is the people in power. But again those people who are in power were voted into office. So the solution is to stop voting for the same people. And vote for people who care about the country and their constituents, at least a lot more than the special interests who bankrolled their campaigns. So what we need in America is an educated voting public. Not a dictatorship.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Strange Days: Riders On a Storm (2011)

Source:Strange Days performing at Sherman Oaks, California in 2011.

Source:The Daily Journal

“Los Angeles based Strange Days performed Riders On a Storm (The Doors classic) on Saturday, June 25, 2011 at the Sherman Oaks Galleria. The performance was part of Galleria “LIVE!”, the free concert series hosted by the Sherman Oaks Galleria.”


There are plenty of Jim Morrison impersonators, perhaps especially not just in California, but in Los Angeles. But the guy from the Strange Days Band, has Morrison's look and sound down. I think the real Lizard King would've been in love with this guy's concho belt and black leather jeans.
Source:Strange Days performing at Sherman Oaks, California in 2011.

I’m a big Doors fan like many people, especially Jim Morrison himself and how he presented himself, as well as his talent as far as a performer, his intelligence, his ability to communicate, and his ability to write and sing.

As many other people I see him as a rock god and someone who would’ve been a no-brainer for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame had he lived a normal life as far as years. And had he gotten his act together (so to speak) sobered up and got back to business.

Because The Lizard King has so many fans, there are now never Doors cover bands and Jim Morrison covers. Strange Days is the best Doors cover band that I’ve seen and their lead vocalist is the best Morrison cover that I’ve seen. Except for perhaps his hair being a bit longer than the real Lizard King, he has the size and look of the Lizard King down.

The Morrison cover has The Lizard King down: the patent Jim Morrison skin-tight black leather jeans, with the cowboy boots and the concho belt and he is able to move in that outfit and of course his voice. And the band itself has the sound of the Doors down. And they do a great job of playing The Doors.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

CBS News:: The Death of President Harry Truman (12/26/1972)


Source:CBS News commercial break.

Source:The Daily Journal

“CBS news broadcast from Dec 26 1972 focusing primarily on the death of 33rd U.S. President Harry Truman.” 

From Melody Cat

I believe Harry Truman was one of our top 3-5 presidents in American history, but certainly in the top ten. Because of how he managed post-World War II especially in Europe and put America in position to successfully win the Cold War. With the buildup of the national security state to deal with Russia, as well as the NATO.

Harry Truman was the man not many people respected until they saw him in action. I don’t know of an American politician, especially a great American politician that was more underestimated than Harry Truman. A fairly unknown U.S. Senator who had only been a Senator for ten-years, where all of his Congressional service was served, becomes Vice President of the United States in 1945. Who didn’t have much of a professional resume at all before he was fifty-years old, not just becomes President of the United States, but achieves that within days of becoming Vice President. And becomes one of the best President’s in American history.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Phil Donahue & Vladimir Pozner: Noam Chomsky (1994)

Source:Mike Gardner with Professor Noam Chomsky's appearance on Donahue & Pozner from 1994.
Source:FreeState MD

“Noam Chomsky Vs Phil Donahue FULL Debate”


They are discussing the Yugoslavian civil war from the early and mid 1990s probably in 1993-94. In the early days of the Clinton Administration right before America and Europe got involved in the Yugoslavian civil war in September, 1995. And they were debating exactly if anything could be done about the situation in Yugoslavia.

New Economic Thinking: Rob Johnson: Who is John Maynard Keynes?


Source:New Economic Thinking with a look at John Maynard Keynes.

Source:FreeState MD

“An introduction to the great 20th century economist John Maynard Keynes and an explanation why the Institute is launching at Keynes’ King’s College at Cambridge University.” 


Just from this quote alone someone whose fairly familiar with Franklin Roosevelt at least, but perhaps not so much with Economist John Maynard Keynes, would have to assume that John Keynes was way to the Left of Franklin Roosevelt on economics. At least in President Roosevelt’s first term as President of the United States.

President Roosevelt, did send an Economic Bill of Rights to Congress in 1944-45. Where he essentially made the case that no American should go without. Meaning what people need to live well and live a good life, education, employment, health care, housing, health insurance, retirement, food, etc.

Franklin Roosevelt was a Progressive Capitalist. He believed that individuals needed economic freedom as well as organizations. But that it had to be balanced with a strong safety net for people who fall down and need help up. As well as a strong regulatory system to protect innocent consumers and workers, as well as companies from predatory behavior. Along with a strong modern infrastructure system so more people benefit from Capitalism.

FDR never believed that capitalism and private enterprise should disappear and be outlawed. But that it had to be regulated and you needed an insurance system for when capitalism fails and people need help.

As radical as the New Deal might have been in the 1930s, it was actually pretty moderate compared with what else was being offered to help deal with the Great Depression. From Communists way over as Far-Left as you can get who wanted to see American industries be nationalized and private property to be confiscated by the Federal Government. To Democratic Socialists, who didn’t want to see private enterprise ended, but that we should have a much more generous public social insurance system than we have.

John Keynes was more inline with the lets’s democratic socialist-left and where people like Democratic Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders is today. Private enterprise, with a generous welfare state and strong regulatory state. To balance out the private enterprise system.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Jim Morrison & The Doors: Live in Copenhagen (1968)


Source:The Doors Live in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1968.

Source:The Daily Journal

“The doors – the unknown soldier live in Copenhagen (Denmark) 1968. HQ audio. If there is a problem with this video let me know…” 

From The Doors

The Lizard King Jim Morrison, with guitarist Robby Krieger and piano player Ray Manzarek in the background. You can really see why Jim Morrison was called The Lizard King all leathered up in his skin-tight, snakeskin, black leather suit, that he wore practically everywhere in public, at least the black leather jeans and cowboy boots. And wore those pants and boots almost the whole time from 1967-69. He didn’t wear the same leather jeans and boots, but always in the leather jeans, usually with the leather jacket and cowboy boots during that period. Until he was arrested in Miami, Florida in 1969 and then he moderated his wardrobe a little bit.
Source:The Doors- The Lizard King Jim Morrison in 1968. He was also The Leather King in that outfit. The rock & roll, leather cowboy.

Had this concert been in color and the Hollywood Bowl concert in black and white, then The Doors in Copenhagen would’ve definitely been The Doors best concert ever in the 3-4 years they were in concert.

This concert had The Doors best sound and The Lizard King at his best on the vocals. But the Hollywood Bowl concert was The Doors especially Jim Morrison looking his best especially being in color. It would be nice to get the Copenhagen concert in color, colorized even so you could see how The Lizard King looked and sounded at his best. In the his leather suit, the leather jeans, the cowboy boots, the jacket, the concho belt and how he moved around on stage in this concert. And he sounded, but all in color.

But unfortunately even though The Doors were big in the late 1960s when color TV, color movies and everything else was shown in color for the most part, a lot of The Doors footage and even their photos were still shown in black and white.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

History Channel: 1968 With Tom Brokaw


Source:McKeow Tube with The Hippie & Tom Brokaw.

Source:The Daily Journal

“In this video, Tom Brokaw presents the causes, details, and legacy of the pivotal year 1968.”


1968 was one of if not the most explosive years in American history, for good and bad. With everything that happened that year from political assassinations, with people being freed to be themselves and live the way they want to. With all the good movies and music that came from this era. With the sporting events, as well as a new political movement in America that emerged on the Left-Wing and what I call the New-Left in America.

The New-Left (orFar-Left) that came into the Democratic Party that was anti-establishment, anti-war, anti-capitalist, anti-anything that was previously done in America that seemed as part of the establishment. The mid and late 1960s was changing to the point that for people who weren’t Baby Boomers and were older, we’re seeing a completely New America.

The term New America I believe gets thrown around a lot and has become another corny catch phrase in American pop culture especially. But we did become a New America not in 1968, but go back to 1964 and perhaps even 1963 when the civil rights movement became mainstream in America.

1968 is that year where America became that true melting pot and where we became that country that just didn’t claim to believe all of those great liberal democratic values of opportunity, diversity, tolerance, individual freedom, freedom of choice, speech, tolerance etc, but we no longer just claimed those values, but actually owned them. We were no longer just a great melting pot ethnically, racially and everything else, but a country where all sorts of Americans became free to be themselves and live their own lives.

Culturally, the 1950s America that the Christian-Right have tried to move America back to ever since, it didn’t end in 1960 or even 1968. That culturally collectivist decade ended in 1963 or 64. But 1968 was a year where the right-wing came back and took on all of these millions of Baby Boomers who represented millions of Americans of all sorts of ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds and got behind Richard Nixon for president. And where these New Americans stood their ground. And that is where you see this cultural battle, Cultural War even that is still going on America today. Between Americans who want their 1950s back. Versus Americans who want to continue to progress and create an America that works for all of us.

1968 is a year where you see two America’s emerge. They were always there, but thanks to Hollywood and TV, they became obvious to most Americans. An America who saw things in black and white and if you saw things differently they would view you as Un-American. Versus an America that didn’t see things so simplistically. Who didn’t believe women’s place was necessarily in the home. That women should be able to make this decision for themselves whether to work at home and run the house, or work out of the home for money.

1968 is a year where our religious, ethnic and racial diversity, became celebrated. Where equal rights and diversity were celebrated in the New America. In 1968 you saw young adults essentially taking on their parents and grandparents in this new Cultural War.

America, went through a lot of hell in the 1960s with all of the assassinations and the Vietnam War. The violence that came about against the civil rights marchers (to use as examples) but with all of that violence and chaos came a lot of positive things as well. A Cultural Revolution where millions of Americans and not just Baby Boomers, but my Generation X and Americans after that, were given true American individual freedom to be themselves.

So in that sense at least and from my perspective, the 1960s and 1968 even, the most explosive year of that incredible decade, was a great time. It was a time where millions of Americans were given true individual freedom to be themselves. And with what comes with individual freedoms, comes personal responsibility as well. So Conservatives should support this as well.