Bruce’s Ten Hot Takes for July 19, 2023

Written by

Bruce Gerencser

War and Peace, Politics

Israel is an apartheid state.

The war in Ukraine is a proxy war between the United States/NATO and Russia.

We must have an honest, science-based discussion about transgender women athletes.

Institutional racism is very much part of America’s social, political, and economic DNA.

Anyone who votes for Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis is promoting fascism and religious extremism.

A yes vote on Ohio Issue 1 on August 8, 2023, is an attempt to subvert democracy and majority rule.

The Democratic Party is clueless about how rural people live or what is important to rural Americans.

The Biden administration’s job numbers don’t tell the truth about employment, unemployment, and underemployment in the United States.

The pissing war between the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the International Committee of the Fourth International (World Socialists) harms the socialist movement as a whole.

Electric vehicles, LED lighting, and recycling will do very little, if anything, to meaningfully combat global climate change.

Bonus: Americans will not do anything unless you make them.

Leave your hot thoughts in the comment section.

Bruce Gerencser, 69, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 48 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Comments

16 responses to “Bruce’s Ten Hot Takes for July 19, 2023”

July 19, 2023

Leonard Ostrander

My hot thought: It is time for vagina people to boycott penis people until the Equal Rights Amendment becomes law and until vagina peoples’ access to medical care, including and especially abortion is fully restored without restriction.

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July 19, 2023

Charles S. Oaxpatu

Bruce said: “The Democratic Party is clueless about how rural people live or what is important to rural Americans.”

Okay Bruce. Educate me. Just exactly how do rural people live and exactly what is important to rural Americans? And why? You may list them if you like along with your commentary.

However, please be aware of this. If one of those important things to rural Americans is stopping 100 percent of the abortions throughout the United States for Reverend Farkus Snarkus down at the Possum Holler IFB Church, there is no way he is going to force his religion on the women and girls in the Oaxpatu family—–and he can kiss our round, punctuated assholes right in the brown, creamy centers if he does not like that. We shall resist mightily, and he will never be able to force his version of the Christian faith on our urban United Methodist family—-and we will fight to the death, if necessary, to keep it from happening and to maintain the reproductive freedoms of all American women who want to have, keep, and maintain such reproductive freedoms. I want to make that perfectly clear. The anti-abortion movement is all about religion—–not about saving fetuses——and the key issue is whether one religion can use government to force its beliefs down the throats of Americans who do not subscribe to that one religion. This fight is all about religious freedom—–my religious freedom—–and it is going to stay that wayIII

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1. July 20, 2023
  
  Bruce Gerencser
  
  Failing to understand why many (most?) rural people are pro-life (and a host of other issues) leads to continued conflict. The issue will never be resolved, but the least we can do is understand why they oppose abortion. The Internet and social media have made it almost impossible to have civil conversations with those we have sincere disagreements.
  
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July 19, 2023

Dan

Bruce said: “The Democratic Party is clueless about how rural people live or what is important to rural Americans.”

I agree.

We have a divided country pretty evenly between Red and Blue. The “Purple” the independent voter is the one that actually tips elections.
There is a huge difference with a Rural and Urban voter.

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July 20, 2023

missimontana

Yes, I firmly agree with no. 3. This needs to be studied for the arguments to end. And no, it doesn’t mean we hate transgender people to ask if it’s fair to compete in regular sports with women.
As for rural communities, Democrats do need to address the real problems of farmers, ranchers, and those living in what’s fast becoming ghost towns because of lack of opportunities. Drought, water shortage, rising temperatures, increasing pests, risks from developers taking advantage of these problems – that is the concerns of rural people. Add to that poor schools, dying communities, no or unreliable internet, poor fire and police departments, no clinics or hospitals in reach – yeah, rural people are mad. In Colorado, that’s why nuts like Boebert get elected. Republicans blame it all on liberals and everyone else they hate. Then, they promise to return the U.S. back to the “good ‘ol days” of prosperity. After they get rid of the undesirables, of course. The Republicans give them nothing either, but people in desperate times will cling to religion. Republicans are experts in pushing those buttons. Democrats need to reach out and start solving problems, not get caught up in an unwinnable culture war.

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July 20, 2023

Ben Berwick

Israel as a government has a lot to answer for.

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1. July 20, 2023
  
  Bruce Gerencser
  
  I agree.
  
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July 20, 2023

MJ Lisbeth

I totally agree with what Bruce and Missimontana say about trans people. Even supposedly liberal and enlightened people who’ve taken all of the gender studies classes and workshops harbor misconceptions about us and commit all manner of micro— (and macro-) aggressions against us.

I am hardly an expert when it comes to rural people. But I can say this: People become more tribal and even paranoid when they feel they’re under siege and nobody’s listening to them. In that sense, rural people aren’t so different from poor and working class people in non-gentrified city neighborhoods and suburbs. (I know many such folks.) Demonize any group of people with whom they have no regular contact (at least knowingly) and give them their God, and they’ll vote for you (or join your church).

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July 20, 2023

Dan

I want to add there has been quite a bit a controversy lately about a new Jason Aldean song that speaks about the Rural person. It actually was banned from CMT.
https://youtu.be/b1_RKu-ESCY

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1. July 20, 2023
  
  Bruce Gerencser
  
  And rightly so. His lyrics were, at best, careless, and they stereotype rural people.
  
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July 20, 2023

ObstacleChick

I agree with a lot of these and don’t know enough about the various socialist groups to comment.

It is important in sports to have a science-based assessment regarding trans athletes. While I err on the side of “there’s a wide range of abilities among members of a sex” I cannot say with certainty what types of advantages or disadvantages a trans athlete may have. I think it can vary by sport, but there hasn’t been enough research, period, to bear that out.

People who really like Trump or DeSantis are people who love fascism and authoritarianism, with some racism, misogyny, and xenophobia to boot. I don’t see any way around that.

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July 20, 2023

bob

I may disagree slightly this one Bruce:
“We must have an honest, science-based discussion about transgender women athletes.”
Sports (all sports) is a “game”, and should be treated as such – a pastime. If we must have “authorities” running a damn game, perhaps we have allowed play-time to become far too important to us. I do not and never have understood this mentality. How in the world have we become a society where people who participate in a sports game become multi-millionaires?
Having said all that – perhaps if a transgender woman wants to compete against non-trans women – the non trans women could, or should just refuse to participate…?
I have a feeling I am going to regret expressing my opinion 🙁

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1. July 20, 2023
  
  Bruce Gerencser
  
  I am for an equal playing field. High testosterone levels can give some transgender women an unfair advantage. However, some women naturally have higher testosterone levels, as do some men naturally have higher estrogen levels. Where do we draw the line? I have lots of questions. That said, there aren’t many transgender athletes. Here in Ohio last year, less than six transgender women participated in competitive sports.
  
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  1. July 21, 2023
    
    MJ Lisbeth
    
    I agree. When I started my gender transition, I found out that I had a normal testosterone, but a high estrogen, level for a man. It probably didn’t make any difference when I was playing soccer or bike racing. Today, I have basically no testosterone. Were I to compete today, I probably wouldn’t have much, if any, of an advantage over other women. Of course, some of that has to do with my age and the loss of muscle mass that has come with it.
    
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July 20, 2023

Troy

I disagree that Israel is an “apartheid state”. I’d say the Arabs who reside there are for the most part sore losers in the wars they start (and then lose) and ungracious when they are given concessions. For example, Israel gave autonomy to Gaza, the first thing they do is elect a Hamas terrorist government, the next thing they do is fire rockets into Israel. If it is apartheid (Afrikaans for segregation), the Palestinians are the ones who want it. In addition the terrorist groups are funded by Iranians and their hatred of the Jewish state.
If Michigan was firing rockets into Ohio, there would be more than a football rivalry.
When people blame Israel for being the heavy, it reminds me of my mother’s retort when she was called a “witch” : “YOU made me what I am today.” (Search on “In Defense of Israel | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)” I think is a rational discussion on the issue)
Yes the Ukraine war is a proxy war. NATO pays for it. I suspect it is a necessary evil. I’m sure Putin would be knocking on NATO’s door (the Baltics, Poland, Moldova) if he was able to take it over and install a puppet government in a couple of weeks as was his plan. China would probably nab Taiwan as well.
As for Biden’s employment, there will never be a perfect economic landscape where everyone has the fulfilling job that they love and no one has to take out the trash.
The rest I fully agree except for the socialist pissing war which is beyond my ken.

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July 20, 2023

Ange

The mixing of religion and politics is getting down-right terrifying here in the rural south where people are mostly reactionary and tribal and do not think things through. Churches didn’t used to mingle in politics and try to control the entire town like they suddenly are. If republicans care so much about saving babies why do they fight against healthcare for all expectent mothers, children, WIC and foodstamps, free or regulated childcare, free school lunches? Why do they not rush out to adopt the unwanted babies?
Biden is not fit for office, but neither is Trump or DeSantis. The prospect of DeSantis is horrifying because he comes across as a dictator. DC is clueless how rural Americans are suffering right now especially in Southern states because the Democrats are intent on attacking the South over politics when they need to do something to stop companies from buying up entire neighborhoods and turning all houses into overpriced rental properties that locals cannot afford to live in. People are being put out on the streets because housing costs more than the local jobs pay.
We need something to stop the separation social media and news media is causing in American society where their have turned neoghbor against neighbor, and family members against one another over politics, conspiracy theories, social isses and religion. Now nobody wants to talk to anyone else, people stay to themselves, hardly anyone Gen X or younger has friends or speaks face to face. Society cannot go on like this.

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