Which is worse here in these two brief examples of what has become of our two party system.

And when I say become, what I mean is how both sides of the old "Liberal," "Conservative," divide have ground themselves down to nothing left of real substance, as it pertains to new ideas relevant to what we actually face, in this fundamentally new operating environment, that we find ourselves in. An operating environment epitomized in the grand scale of change that has occured since the electrified extension of all of our faculties; via of course, the incredible technological change that an amplified, centuries old, form of economy has launched us into. That very thing we call Capitalism now. Accelerating ever faster now precisely because it wasn't designed to handle something the designers had no way to even begin to imagine then. And because of that becoming mutated in the ever more warped inability to respond properly.

On the one side, (starting from the left because I love irony) here, you have what I can only describe as the following:

To try to suggest that our current, "Clown Car Driver-n-Chief," has even a comic book grasp of anything, even sort of close, to even a simplified Cliff Notes version, of what Hamilton was all about, and that this was actually a integral part of his belief system; that this absurdity is to suggest a leader, with a coherent strategy, and belief system (other than self gratification), is a "new" Republican fever dream of epic proportions.

Is it really the nation in general they're trying to convince here, or themselves? And in a kind of desperation that ought to alarm former Republicans, as much as it ought to alarm the rest of us? Desperation certainly that might explain why they can't even begin to come back to reality enough so as to acknowledge the very real plight our planet is in now?

Trump's governing philosophy shares more in common with Alexander Hamilton than Machiavelli

The End of Economic Growth Is Inevitable. Let’s Plan for It.

On the other side, however, you also have a, maybe not quite so desperate, desire to convince themselves that "Liberalism" can still, somehow, save a way of doing things that has already been tried to be saved, far too many times, even before it was completely obsolete, and thus layered so deeply, with ever more calcifying rigidity, of rules, and regulations, and required process flows, that, even if a "Plan" could be devised to make Capitalism work, with everlasting social equity, in a system designed for individual gain, much more than for collective gain; even if that could be done, you would have no idea of how many new problems you would be creating because of unanticipated side effects; all of the bad interactions with old structure, buried so deep it's almost impossible to find, even with a general idea of where to look. And that burden added, naturally, to the already formidable obstacle of those who like things the way they are now just fine (deluded of course by the notion that money can buy whatever protection one might ever need, come "bad weather," or not).

I can make the above statement about the featured "UnDark" article because it is filled with the same well intentioned generalities of "eco" friendly, and "more socially responsible," that most of the current crop of Democratic candidates, lining up so far to take a shot at our highest office, are trying to brand themselves with now, as uniquely as they can (good luck with that). Generalities that make little mention of just how absurd it has become now; a creaking, old, mechanistic system, always so dependant on shifting costs down the road somehow, timewise, even as it also plays an everlasting shell game of who gets caught having to have to, ultimately, pay for the needed, critical, systems investments, that make society possible at all; the very things everyone wants to benefit from, but few truly want to take full responsibility for now. Then having all of that amplified beyond anybody's ability to cope. And all in a global environment of amplification that keeps pushing for more competition for dominance, in all of the areas that we are already competing far too dangerously in; as in, obviously, the very markets, resources, and military power, that has always been the Troyka of misery for the rest of us that is Capitalism.

That this has become the very opposite of a "Virtuous Circle," is, in my opinion, so obvious that it has become impossible for a good many of us to see now. Coupled with the fact that, if you do find a way to "see" it, you are then faced with the realization of just how much this must take you out of whatever little bit of a "Cold Comfort" zone you have been able to cobble together for yourself. Taking you out of that little bit of comfort left to "human up," as it were, and do the sacrifices it is going to take to implement the fundamentally new way to do things, that we actually do need to do now, if we truly want to survive.

No easy thing to even contemplate, much less do, to be sure, but there is just nothing for it folks. Nothing for it at all but to accept the fact that we must change, or accept our ultimate demise.

This is the choice that each and every one of us faces now. I can only hope, from all forms of "Higher Power," and "Higher Purpose," that each and every one of us takes this choice as serious as life itself is now taking it. Something you feel now viscerally, even if you don't want to admit it.

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[Post Note: Anybody thinking that anything less than a "Full Mobilization" of the nation, to address the looming environmental catastrophe, will get the job done. Or that any workable solutions can be found with money still being left to be "in the way," are both notions of how continued "wishful thinking" will be very lethal indeed. J.V.]