Your video, Marshmello ft. Bastille - Happier, has made it into the Top 15 New Videos listing. Congratulations on your achievement. For your contribution you have been awarded 1 Power Point.

Nice attack: truck driver named as France mourns 84 killed in Bastille Day atrocity – as it happened

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/jul/14/nice-bastille-day-france-attack-promenade-des-anglais-vehicle

It's true that free markets have enabled innovation over the past two centuries since the adoption of capitalistish models by most of the world.

The issue I see the interviewer struggling with, and Hedges not really getting across to him, is that the free market run amok has led a perversion of capitalism. This perversion, however you wish to describe it (corpratism?/neo-feutilism?) has created ultra-wealthy elite who are able to impose vast influence over society, like princes and kings before the Storming of the Bastille.

Hedges is warning that revolution will may be the only option left if the present shift in power continues on it's present path unchecked. (I do not see such upheaval as possible at the present time---though I don't dispute that the seeds are there. Revolutions are often preceded by disaster or famine.)

The interviewer seemed more interested in making his own points and arguing with Hedges rather than trying to help Hedges to draw out and refine his main point into a digestible thesis.

Right, I think you have described exactly the book I want to read on the subject, so thanks for the pointer
>> ^Ornthoron:


[...]The first big event described is not the fall of the Bastille, but the Day Of The Tennis Court Oath at Versaille, one month earlier. What struck me as I read the book was how it was not really a people's revolution, but a conflict between the bourgoise on one side and the nobility and clergy on the other.[...]

>> ^oritteropo:

Does he touch on what led to the gathering arms and subsequent storming of the Bastille? I read a book on the forbidden literature of pre-revolutionary France, and one of the opinions on the Revolution passed on by the author was that at the decision to storm the Bastille, the terror was already a foregone conclusion.
>> ^Ornthoron:
I just finished this book about the French Revolution. [...] lays out the important events during the 12 year period between the fall of the Bastille and [...]



I expressed myself a bit unclear: The book starts of course with some background and overview of the general condition of french society before 1789. The first big event described is not the fall of the Bastille, but the Day Of The Tennis Court Oath at Versaille, one month earlier. What struck me as I read the book was how it was not really a people's revolution, but a conflict between the bourgoise on one side and the nobility and clergy on the other.

Like so many other events during the revolution, the storming of the Bastille was not really one decision; it was merely a modest confrontation that escalated out of control due to miscommunication. As such it is a good metaphor for the revolution as a whole, which started out relatively moderate and in cooperation with the king, and subsequently was taken over by more and more radical voices culminating in the Days of Terror, after which there was a backlash to more conservative policies again. I wouldn't say The Terror was a foregone conclusion, but it did seem to me that the revolution took on some kind of life of its own and started on a slippery slide outside of any one person's imagination.

Does he touch on what led to the gathering arms and subsequent storming of the Bastille? I read a book on the forbidden literature of pre-revolutionary France, and one of the opinions on the Revolution passed on by the author was that at the decision to storm the Bastille, the terror was already a foregone conclusion.

I looked up all the books you mentioned, and was disappointed to find that my local library holds exactly none of them
>> ^Ornthoron:

I just finished this book about the French Revolution. [...] lays out the important events during the 12 year period between the fall of the Bastille and [...]

I just finished this book about the French Revolution. I felt the knowledge I had received from the Norwegian educational system was inadequate for such an important event in European history. I really liked the book; it is a fast read and lays out the important events during the 12 year period between the fall of the Bastille and the advent of Napoleon in a concise and entertaining manner. What is stunning about these events is how chaotic they really were, and how many similarities there are with other social changes in more modern history, violent or not.

Right now I'm reading two books in parallell:

Ian Cameron Esslemont's Stonewield
er, his 3rd novel in the Malazan universe he co-created with Steven Erikson. I have gotten hooked by this dark and gritty world through Erikson's books, which are unlike any other run-of-the-mill fantasy out there. Esslemont's books in the same universe have so far been under par in comparison, but his writing is getting better and better with each book.

Zur Sache, Chérie by Alain-Xavier Wurst. I'm reading this to learn German better. It's a very funny book written by a Frenchman living in Germany, about how bad German women (and men) are at flirting.

Paris. And possibly? I would think that depends. I mean I know what Bastille day is about and I was born and lived my whole life in Texas. Anythings possible.

P.S. I also know that Napoleon was not a triple flavored ice cream.

Your video, QI - Interesting info on the Bastille, has made it into the Top 15 New Videos listing. Congratulations on your achievement. For your contribution you have been awarded 1 Power Point.

>> ^burdturgler:

>> ^lampishthing:
With all this uproar I haven't read anyone offering a different solution. Any ideas?..
I don't agree with the racial profiling but it's worth keeping in mind that this law will be popular until they have an alternative to solve the problem and if the law is taken away by the feds while it's still popular it will make things worse - make the people angrier and more ruthless on the issue.

^Integration is the key. Make it easier for people to legally immigrate and you'll have less illegal immigrants. Trying to stem the flow of people who want to join our country is not the answer. Spend the money on speeding up and creating easier access to the legal immigration process. America is not supposed to be about building walls, it's supposed to be:
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"


They want to "join" our country rather, FLEE their country because the level of crime and corruption south of the U.S. (assisted every step of the way BY the U.S.) has reached a level any reasonable citizen would have pulled a Bastille Day on their asses for, and killed every last member of their government for getting them there, had they had the education and intelligence. Instead they, like most fucking Americans, are too wiped out from working and too addicted to drugging them selves with chemicals and entertainment.

You are as out of touch as the rest of them buuuurdturgler.

I did not vote because "Rapidly deprogram entire population of the United States in short order, march on washington collectively, and annihilate the puppet government declaring the United States a safe-zone from inbred, empire-seeking, motherfuckers...was not an option.

...Bastille-styley. Wake up from the American nightmare, NetRunner....it's becoming truer every day-

I've got your critical perspective hanging right here, blanky:

I certainly agree that the military industrial complex, the Israel lobby, Big Oil, Big Pharma, etc holds way to much sway over this country, but Obama is the most progressive candidate I've seen in my lifetime. I'd love to see a Nader, Kucinich, Paul or Gravel-type take the reigns (actually, I do have some serious reservations about Ron Paul's 'Free Market Economy', which is useless when it comes to education, healthcare and other social issues), but that just isn't going to happen. If any of those folks got elected, they wouldn't be able to get anything done. A leader has to compromise to some degree if s/he hopes to accomplish anything.

This is the first presidential nominee I've ever seen who is willing to talk so frankly about class, race, healthcare, corporate influence, etc., and while I don't think he'll storm the Bastille or anything, he is a much needed breath of fresh air after the Bush/Clinton/Reagan years. Can't you see the opportunity we have here with Obama?

One thing that gives me hope about Obama is that he made a point to formally sever ties with the DLC, which is the official home of the corporate-imperialist-neocon Lieberman's of the Democratic party. This is certainly a show of independence.

That said, Obama is definitely jumping through some hoops here and tiptoeing around some very expensive tulips, and while I'd love him to tell the influence peddlers to fuck off, I understand that that's probably not an effective way to challenge these institutions and make any kind of meaningful change. I mean, openly insulting the school bully leaves you having to constantly watch your back. Better to track his movements and study his behavior for weakness to be exploited later.

Beyond strategy, your only other options are McCain - who makes no bones about his blood thirst - or writing in a candidate - which is basically a stealth vote for McDeath. So what's it gonna be? GWB part II, or take a chance on an extremely progressive and popular mainstream candidate who pays some lip service to the elites when backed against the wall. Seems like an easy choice to me.

If, in office, Obama strays from promises, we'll hold his feet to the fire, but in the meantime lets give the man a chance. Don't forget that a candidate who thrives on small-donor grassroot support will be expected to deliver, or those millions of individual donations will dry up.

Idealism fails without pragmatism.

SiftBot must be celebrating Bastille Day.

Anyway, great sifting. Enjoy your new powers . . . hopefully very soon . . .

I say, we make it a Fourth Post Fourth, and Include Bastille Day for all the froggies and hosers......
The Rules:
Post a viddy for the fourth, with a fireverks theme, preferably one filmed and uploaded- submitted to admins. for post.
The viddy must contain harrowing or otherwise impressive feats of Class C or homemade ordinance, displayed in a creative or otherwise delightful way, (roman-candle battles, fire-cracker tricks, mortars awry, etc.)

The best sifter posting the best home movie, gets the prize........

Those who don't have cameras or upload savvy, may submit some tripe off one of the stock-footage sites we allow, and they will catch the hind-teat prize....[bucket a' fried chicken er sumpthin')