Norman Thomas vs Barry Goldwater: Socialism vs Conservatism (1961)

Source:Daily Kos- Socialist Party Leader Norman Thomas: the George McGovern/Bernie Sanders of his generation.

“With socialism enjoying a boom right now, I thought it’d be appropriate to write a biography of the most prominent socialist during the mid 20th century. During his long career, Thomas moved the Socialist Party’s image from being a bunch of soapbox orators to an almost respected pressure movement on the left. Even into his old age, he was a tireless activist for social justice and a prolific writer throughout. The Thomas era of socialism was a testament to how social democracy evolved after the war and can teach today’s left a thing or two.

Thomas was born in 1884 in Marion, Ohio. He was the oldest of six children and his father was a Presbyterian minister. During High School, he was a paper carrier for the Marion Daily Star, a newspaper owned by none other than Warren Harding. After graduating, he attended Bucknell University, and left after 1 year after the fortune of an uncle of his allowed him to attend Princeton. After graduating in 1905, he decided to become a minister like his father. He attended the Union Theological Seminary in New York and was ordained in 1911. UTS was a bastion for the social gospel and Thomas would preach this at his congregation where he spoke out against US entry into World War I. This pacificism alienated the leaders of the Presbyterian Church of New York, and he was forced to resign.

220px-Morris_Hillquit_NYWTS.jpg

SPA Leader Morris Hillquit- Thomas’ political mentor

But as the saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens. Thomas became employed with the New York mayoral campaign of Socialist Party leader Morris Hillquit in 1917. This would be his gateway into leftist politics. After the First World War ended, he quickly moved his way up the hierarchy of the socialist movement, at a time when it was being hit hard by the Palmer Raids. He became an editor at The Nation magazine in 1920, co-director of the League for Industrial Democracy (LID) in 1922, and would go on to help found the National Civil Liberties Bureau, which became the ACLU.

He also mounted several electoral campaigns. He ran for Governor of New York in 1924, Mayor of New York City in 1925 and 1929, State Senate in 1926, and Alderman in 1927. None of these were successful.”

From the Daily Kos 

“Socialist Norman Thomas debates Barry Goldwater at the University of Arizona in November 1961.”

Source:Jospeh Hewes- Barry Goldwater vs Norman Thomas in 1961.

From Jospeh Hewes

Senator Barry Goldwater and Socialist Party Leader Norman Thomas represented the intelligent way for Conservatives (like Goldwater Republicans) to debate Socialists (like Bernie Sanders) today. They layout their visions and why they believe what they believe and why they disagree with the other side. While not questioning the other’s patriotism and morality.

Source:The Daily Journal- Mr. Conservative Barry Goldwater (Republican, Arizona) was the face of classical conservatism in Congress for 30 years.

It sounds like Norman Thomas who I’m familiar with the name and know he was a Socialist, but not very familiar with, but what I gather from this debate with Senator Barry Goldwater, was that Norman Thomas was arguing for democratic socialism, not communism, or Marxism. But basically what’s common in Sweden. Private enterprise, mixed in with a very generous welfare state funded by high taxes, to help deal with income inequality and providing services they don’t trust the private sector to provide.

Norman Thomas was debating a real Conservative in Barry Goldwater, who argued for individual freedom, pure and simple. That it’s not the business of government to try to control how people live. As long as they are not hurting anyone with what they are doing.

And Socialists today (even though they prefer to be called Progressives) share a lot of the democratic socialist principles that Norman Thomas and other Socialists have been arguing for, for at least a hundred years now.

I think you would have a very hard time telling the differences between Norman Thomas back in the early 1960s when this debate was done and Senator Bernie Sanders today. That capitalism and private enterprise aren’t bad things and that they are even necessary.

Norman Thomas and Bernie Sanders would argue that the problems with capitalism and private enterprise is when it comes to the distribution on wealth in America. That the resources in the country, meaning the money in the country, tends to be aimed at the top. With people at the top doing very well. And leaving a lot of people at the bottom with not much if anything. So what you need is a central or federal government to step in and provide the resources for people who need it who weren’t able to obtain it in the private economy.

Democratic Socialists believe you need, well a big government, according to the the (Democratic Socialist) big enough to see that everyone is taken care of. Let people make a lot of money, but then tax them fairly high so people at the bottom don’t have to go without and live in poverty. Which is where the welfare state, or even superstate comes in. That you need a big government to make sure that everyone is taken care and doesn’t have to go without. But also to provide services that shouldn’t be for-profit and be trusted with the private sector.

Socialists believe things like education, health care, health insurance, child care, retirement, perhaps energy and banking as well. Plus and social insurance system for people who become unemployed, disabled, or are part of the working poor, or low-skilled and not working at all. This seems to me at least, what Gordon Thomas’s politics was about.

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The Newsroom: Will McAvoy- 'RINOS Are The Real Republicans'

Source:K Sree Kumar- the cast from HBO's The Newsroom.

"This post may seem wildly dated, in that it takes up an American sitcom that first ran from 2012 to 2014 — but stick with me for a moment, and maybe it’ll seem topical again.

I first watched the The Newsroom in India, in re-runs a year or two after it first broadcast, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Notwithstanding criticisms from many reviewers, including some I usually agree with, about ineptitude, intellectual snobbery and worse, to me it seemed one of the smarter, more articulate of American comedy shows, with an interesting focus on what one might call “larger” issues.

Even before I watched the TV show I had, like pretty much everyone else who uses WhatsApp in India, seen an excerpt which went viral, at least in my country. It was labelled, “The Most Honest 2 Minutes on American TV”, or something on those lines. Just icymi, in that clip (viewable here), drawn from from Episode 1, Season 1, an American university student innocently asks a panel including key protagonist Will McAvoy the leading question, What makes America the greatest country in the world." 

From K Sree Kumar 

This is from HBO's The Newsroom episode when anchor Will McAvoy (played by Jeff Daniels) argues that the so-called RINOS (Republicans In Name Only) are the real Republicans. And the fake Republicans are actually populist Tea Party and the rest of the Populist-Right in America.

Source:HBO- Jeff Daniels, as Newsroom anchor Will McAvoy 

Another look at the episode from HBO’s The Newsroom where their anchor Will McAvoy (played by Jeff Daniels) argues that the so-called RINOS (Republicans In Name Only) are actually the real Republicans. And the populists are the fake Republicans.

Source:HBO- Jeff Daniels as The Newsroom anchor Will McAvoy.

I'll be honest, I'm not a regular viewer of HBO's Newsroom, but I've seen a few scenes of it. And what I've gotten out of it, is the anchor of this Newscast, is an admitted Republican. A Conservative Republican even, but a Republican in how the Republican Party use to be. 

Will McAvoy Republicans tend to be well-educated, intelligent, believe and reason and facts, are religious even, but believe in factually based evidence and facts and don't let their religious beliefs runs their lives for them, especially when their religion goes against facts and evidence.  

The people that I'm guessing Will McAvoy (played by Jeff Daniels) believes are the real RINOS (Republicans In Name Only) are people who are so hard-core with their religious and culturally based, nationalistic even political philosophy, that they are the people who are the real RINOS, because they don't believe in facts and evidence, just their political fundamentalism. And screw off facts and evidence, when they go against their partisan politics. 

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Janet Jackson: State of The World (1990)

Source:Janet Jackson Chile- Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation tour (1990)

"Janet "State Of The World (Rhythm Nation Tour) "State Of The World" From "Rhythm Nation 1814"

©1989 A&M Records" 

From Janet Jackson Chile 

"Janet Jackson: State of The World" 

Source: Alex De Santos- Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation tour (1990)

Source:Alex Dos Santos

A great sexy performer, who can sing and dance and an absolute pleasure to watch perform. Whether you're a fan of Janet Jackson or not and I like some of her songs and not a fan of others, she always gives you more than your moneys worth in concert and when she performs. I could watch her dance and perform with the sound down or being there live but death and still enjoy her performance. She's a great dancer and always has great energy and I believe is perhaps at least the best performer when it comes to both dancing and singing at the same time. 

Janet Jackson has a great ability to sing while in rhythm and what I mean by that is she sings while she's in motion and I believe brings more to what she's saying with her movement. You can't hope but to check her out when she's singing because she moves so well and is so great to look at. A beautiful, baby-face, woman, with a great body and great style. And you can't help but check her out when she's performing. (Assuming you're attracted to women, anyway) And to sing hear her sing a song that I really like, like Black Cat or Love Will Never Do, just makes her that much better for me. 

Strange Days: Light My Fire Live (2011)

Source:Strange Days- as Jim Morrison and The Doors, performing Light My Fire in Sherman Oaks, California, in 2011.

"Los Angeles-based STRANGE DAYS performed "Light My Fire" 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." 

From Strange Days

The Lizard King cover looking like the Leather King in those skin-tight, black leather jeans. I'm impressed that anyone whether it was Jim Morrison himself or anyone else like someone playing him, can move and perform so well and gracefully in skin-tight leather jeans and cowboy boots, that must have squeezing his legs and feet. 

This cover is the best I've seen so far when it comes to The Doors. They have the look, sound and act, they've studied The Doors very well.

As far as the Jim Morrison cover: the hair is too long unless you look at Jim Morrison in 1969 when his music career was basically over. His alcoholism basically took over his life and he became very angry at almost everything he saw in life. And he grew a very long thick beard which you don't see on this Jim Morrison cover. 

And in early 69 Morrison was going downhill physically and emotionally and that lead to his horrible performance in Miami where he ends up in jail for his bad behavior. He was even accused of exposing himself at that Miami concert. 

Jim Morrison in his prime had a somewhat short, but thick dark haircut. The guy you see in this video has a hairstyle has a long haircut that was common with headbangers in the 1980s. But not with a blues rocker like Jim Morrison from the 1960s. 

Mike Din NYC: Jim Morrison & The Doors- Blue Sunday: Touch Me

Source:Mike Din NYC- Jim Morrison & The Doors's cover band Blue Sunday.

"Touch Me - The Doors, As performed by "Blue Sunday: The Doors Experience."

From Mike Din NYC

In real-life Jim Morrison was maybe 5'10-5'11 and perhaps more like 5'9 and maybe weighed 160 pounds or so. Sort of an average height slightly built man. Most of the Jim Morrison covers I've seen have been at least 6'0 and generally taller than that and have been tall muscular men. The lead vocalist from the Strange Days band would be an exception if not the only exception to that.

So most of the Jim Morrison covers haven't looked like Morrison other than the dark hair, the tight leather jeans, the cowboys boots, and concho built. They have his outfit down and some of them even have his moves and sound down very well as well. So if you're looking for a Morrison cover that looks a lot like Jim Morrison, this is not Saturday Night Live where they have people who who look a lot like the men they're playing like with Phil Hartmann playing Bill Clinton back in the day.

The Morrison covers tend to be much taller and larger men, but a lot of them do a really good job playing The Lizard King as far as the wardrobe, sound and presence. 

Mike Din NYC: The Doors: Blue Sunday- Performing LA Woman

Source:Mike Din NYC- the vocalist for Blue Sunday.

"As performed by "Blue Sunday: The Doors Experience"

Source:Mike DIN NYC 

A lot of the Jim Morrison covers have been big, tall, men, 6''0 or taller, 200 pounds or so, wearing The Lizard King's, skin-tight leather jeans, concho belt, and leather cowboy boots. Generally with a white or black button-down shirt. They get The Lizard King's wardrobe correct. I mean that's all he wore in public from 1967-69, for the most part, at least when he was out in public or giving performances. But in real-life, Jim Morrison was around 5'10 (give or take) and probably didn't way more than 160 pounds. 

Source:Mike Din NYC- the vocalist for Blue Sunday.

I guess this a Doors cover band that calls themselves Blue Sunday. Which of course is one of the most famous and popular songs that was created by Jim Morrison and The Doors. Which I believe came out in 1968, but you can fact-check me on that if you want.

That is common of Doors cover bands to do which is to use the name of one of The Doors songs as the name of their band. There's a band called Peace Frog. Another band called Strange Days. Have yet to see or hear of a band called Light My Fire or The End, or Roadhouse Blues, but they may exist as well.

I mean not every Doors cover band could call themselves The Doors, for obvious reasons. Or Jim Morrison and The Doors, again for obvious reasons. Because you would have a hard time extinguishing from one to another. Or even, "this is The Doors Cover Band" as someone is introducing them. The way to tell each of these bands apart is by their name of course, but also accuracy. Who looks, sounds, and plays the part the best, or even does a good job.

TNT: 'Dallas 2012 First Look'

Source:TNT- The great character actor Larry Hagman, back as J.R. Ewing on Dallas.

"We laid waste to everything in our path, J.R., and for what? Television's landmark drama returns to TNT next summer! Catch this exclusive first look at the all NEW series of DALLAS!

First look promo at the "Dallas" reboot on TNT airing Summer 2012."

From TNT'

I saw a few episodes of TNT's Dallas and it looks like a good show and has the potential to be a better show. But without JR Ewing played by Larry Hagman, having the starring role instead of more of a part time supportive role, its just not the same and of course Larry Hagman is in his early eighties now and probably doesn't want to act full-time anymore, but you don't replace a Larry Hagman.

On a show like this and only a few others of the former cast members are back, like Patrick Duffy whose very good and Linda Gray, who still looks great, but Larry Hagman was the franchise player of this show and he only has a part-time role and they don't have anyone who can fill his build.

So the show is somewhat lacking and the new cast is simply not as good, much younger than when the original cast was on the show, perhaps most if not all of them looking for that breakout role that leads to bigger roles. So the new Dallas still has some ways to go, to becoming a great show like the old one.