I think it might be useful, given his current popularity (not only among Democrats), if Joe Biden were to go on national TV and call out the GOP on their voter suppression antics. Y'know, just tell the GOP electorate - in no uncertain terms - that their leaders are lying to them, that there is zero evidence that the last election was stolen from them, and that they have lost touch with reality if they still believe it was stolen.
Of course, all they have to do is follow mainstream media to know this already, but it seems the GOP nutcases don't do that too much and are more inclined to believe the latest conspiracy theories. But they might tune in President Biden in primetime. Worth a try anyway.
If I'm reading Biden correctly, he is choosing to prove he is the President of all the People by focusing on making the government work for all the People. He's not going to be drawn into the GQP sound bites and craziness. I think this is the way to gain the respect and votes of the Republican voters. The polls already show Republican voters approve of what Biden is doing. The For the People Act is getting a lot of approval especially about getting money out of politics. It seems the Republican elected officials are the ones becoming so out of touch with their constituents. Its still been less than 100 days. We just need to be a bit patient and let President Biden get the job done with our support. We the People, All of Us This Time!
Cathy, you may be right, but I think it is a very close call. 2022 is already bearing down on us and the time for patience will run out quickly, as will this moment of relative unity within the Democratic party. The "serious people" are telling us that we may be stuck with the filibuster and that there are several Democrats not entirely on board with respect to Biden's ambitious (but necessary) agenda. In any case, telling the truth about what the GOP is up to is not the same as being "drawn into GOP sound bites and craziness." A nationally televised presidential speech is not the same as a tweet. At some point bastards like McConnell will need to be soundly defeated and basically run out of town.
Yes, I agree this is not going to be easy and possibly not soon enough. If For the People doesn't pass, Republicans could take back the Congress in 2022 and the Presidency in 2024 and then declare the end of democracy. The thing that gives me hope is how prepared President Biden is for this moment in time. 30 years experience in the US Senate means he will find a way if anyone can. He has three difficult but great things to accomplish -- getting COVID under control; restoring voting rights; growing the economy with jobs. He's laid out excellent plans for each of these. Yes, I hope it will all happen before November 2022!
In a little over two months, President Biden has undone so much of the dreck that fraud45 imposed on us for 4 years that it is nothing short of miraculous. I’m happy to let him keep to his timetable and get the virus under control before the maskless hoards kill us all. It’s on the rise again and cannot be ignored and yet the faithful cult of 45 continues to make it political. Why should we expect them to listen to reason?
Sorry, I like to be supportive generally, but what is his strategy for S1? Perhaps I am missing it but what I see is no comment and unsure about the filibuster. NO comments on the committee.
Schumer's current stategy on passing S1 is to use an obscure rule from somewhere in ancient law codes to attach it to a non-filibusterable (word I made up) bill, and to continue to negotiate with Manchin and Sinema. I think what actually will happen is that Coca Cola, Delta and American Airlines, Home Depot, Merck, Microsoft, UPS, et al, will threaten to stop funding Republican candidate campaigns if they support S1 and voter suppression. We the People have voted withbour wallets.
I think it will be something like MaryPat suggests. These big corporations siding with the People could make a huge difference. It negates the dark money corrupt of Citizens United. We need to tell both our Senators and these corporations how much we appreciate their support of democracy for the People. The People do have power if we stand together. The Republicans have to wake up that they won't win re-elect if they don't go beyond the Trumpian cult base. Moderate Republican voters are polling that they like S1 especially the part about getting the dark money out of politics. It isn't one person one vote until Citizens United is overturned! We the People, All of Us This Time!
Unfortunately, we herein are preaching to the choir when it comes to reminding one another to contact our Senators and the corporations. What is needed is a massive outpouring of Republicans doing the same to say they support S1, oppose voter suppression, want the infrastructure package to go through, and abhor filthy dark money in politics.
It looks like Biden is figuring to use the same approach to infrastructure as to covid relief, with a longer time allowed to build wide public support and let the congressional R's either join in or hang themselves with the public as open non-participants. After that, use the accumulated political support to enable Manchin to do whatever it takes to pass the For the People Act.
You all sound more savvy than I. The only problem I see is since your observations are really thoughts and hopes with no observables, if this is not what is happening, the time it takes to discover that is lost.
David, I agree with you that we can’t just sit back and expect Biden’s good deeds to speak for themselves. Democrats, for far too long, didn’t go on the offensive with the result that laws, judges, etc. were all put in place by the Republicans and now we have a massive hill to climb. We need to publicize loudly and by as many voices as possible, that the election was NOT stolen.
Cathy, you could not have said it better! Let’s keep quietly welcoming each former T voter, if there is a chance. I have already seen small healing gestures among neighbors. Two houses nearby (in Missouri, remember) have stopped flying T flags. One has invited people to a small birthday gathering, including a household with a BLM sign in window. In Kansas My son’s very MAGA neighbor tapped elbows and agreed “we are neighbors first”. Then he explained his fears about real estate, pensions, losing his dreams while a family member is ill. Fear.
The Biden Harris complete lack of outrage speak will continue to give people space to feel less anger. I hope they start to refocus on rebuilding an honorable party. As to Formerly powerful Mi#&ch. he just does not know he is history. Ignore him.
Cathy, my part of KCMO is racially and ethnically diverse, overwhelmingly "Blue," and, although still mostly working- and middle-class, is being yuppified as the housing stock gets more scarce and prices go up. The few T flags that were in the neighborhood were overwhelmed by the "Together We Rise," rainbow, and BLM signs and flags. These neighbors are now being remarkably friendly to those of us whose politics are clearly not their own. There are a few who still are sporting false white supremacy symbols (the dopes who think that Scandinavian runes actually mean what the Nazis say they do). But they are clearly not feeling the need to be noisy. As the city becomes more prosperous and the mayor continues to do what he promised to do when elected, all the boats are being lifted by the rising tide. This will change minds in ways that politics cannot.
Yes, I feel the tide is turning as the stimulus checks go out, the For the People Act gathers momentum, and the American jobs plan starts to be real. The economic report today is a very positive indicator. When people finally realize that President Biden is making their lives better rather than Wall Street and the billionaires they will come around. When a GQP person says Trump kept his promises I like to ask if they personally feel better off than they did four or five years ago. Here in Texas there are still plenty of Trump flags on the back of pick-up trucks. But I do feel the tide is beginning to turn.
Linda, hello. I did not know you were here too. Glad for what you see. I am north of river but thank the powers that be, and voters, every day for Mayor Lucas!
Nope. Trumpism is a cult. And if they weren't all aboard before, all the Republicans are now. I wish it was otherwise. Now is not the time to be Chamberlain at Munich.
Hating government and taxes allowed too many Republicans to "hold their nose" and vote for Trump and they will continue to vote against higher taxes and more government even as they accept money from government programs. There is no changing this mindset, it's how they became wealthy, and they think it is a zero sum game and want to pull the ladder up behind themselves .
The base of 74 million are not wealthy billionaires, there are only about 600 of them. The Repugnant Party is supported by billionaires and idiots and every Repugnant should look in their wallet to see which one they are.
Elizabeth, I cannot deny that what you say is partially true, and the cynical ultra-rich, convinced they will always find a way to stay safe and comfortable, will likely double down on this GOP mindset. However, I believe they are greatly outnumbered by wanna-be millionaires who are, in fact - after 40 years of Reaganistic governance - having trouble making ends meet, working too many hours for shitty pay or not working at all and trying to keep their kids off oxycontin, all this while the truly rich keep getting richer and the folks who they believe are not "real " Americans seem (to them) to be right on their heels. I mean, some Trumpies might be convinced to switch to the Democrats for what most Democrats think are all the wrong reasons. So be it. I say it beats having them rampage through the Capitol chasing wild conspiracy theories.
I do not believe that any mindset cannot be changed, however hard it may seem, and this certainly can't be plan A for Biden. But I think if the dike springs a leak, the sea could be rushing through it in a hurry
I think it comes down to who they blame for their poverty, though. If the rich people and their sycophants are to blame, then what Biden is doing will make sense to them. But if it's the fault of people of color, immigrants, and women's rights, then the Rs have the lies all ready for them.
It is truly a zero sum game for these people. And unfortunately when one side plays it the other side ends up, as the Dems have, playing catch up. The Republicans have truly become Repugnants. They are not other but they define you and I as other.
TCinLA, I think you are overstating your case a bit. There must be a few Republicans who have - at times - been convinced that the Democratic party is run by Marxist/Leninists, or who hate having to pay taxes but who have not bought into all of Trump's foolishness, and maybe are not complete idiots and could even change their minds about what really happened in the last election. Maybe a few of them thought invading the US Capitol was a bit over the top and even know that calling Biden a commie is political hyperbole. Maybe they understand that the GOP has not been governing well lately (not since Ike, and even Tricky Dicky signed a couple of good bills when he wasn't being too tricky) and are ready for something new.
Of course, if you are right that we are in a moment somehow similar to the eve of WW2, even if Biden's speech were to fall on..... un-listening ears, well, no harm done. There would still be time for him to ram his legislation through, assuming he could pry Manchin and a few others off their ultra-moderate fence. Nothing wrong with trying a little persuasion first.
It seems to me that we are in our own unique moment. It’s not 1928-1932 when people were plunged into a depression the likes of which had never been seen before. They were thus desperate enough and so vulnerable as to look for a savior. Hitler provided that option. With his bold economic moves and calculated strikes at the Treaty of Versailles, he became in many people’s eyes the savior they craved.
We’ve been there and done that already. Without a world war and without the suicide of Trump, America has returned to an uneasy sort of nether world where democracy has barely prevailed and the remnants of a movement towards strong man government lie around us.
I agree with TCinLA that we cannot argue with those captivated by a cult. I agree with him too that there are many millions who hold to their beliefs blindly in order to preserve even a modicum of self respect (and the respect of their cloth-headed community).
However, this train won’t leave the station again. Trump has long since passed his high water mark. He is floundering, disgorging the same tired message over and over again. It has no relevance now and repeated iterations of it will resonate less and less with his followers who are trickling away of their accord.
The Republicans gave up on party when they bought into Trump. They are in for a spectacular fall, a fall so epic that to stave it off they are counting on the likes of Joe Manchin to preserve them. Imagine being that spectacularly impoverished.
The rotten timbers are already beginning to snap. Matt Gaetz this week. The January 6 plotters in the House are going to be exposed legally. There will be a wash of other revelations, now that the Trump NDA has been ruled unenforceable. More books. More fuel for the fire.
With time and distance those who hung on to their jobs in the face of the pandemic by submitting to the anti-science mantra of the Trump regime will be revealed as the grifters they were. The stench of Redfield, Birx, Azar et al will be firmly attached to the Republican Party. The verdict on the needless 400 000 deaths will be given long before historians amplify it and will similarly cling to the Republicans.
Voter suppression laws in state legislatures will not be tolerated. They are a desperate rearguard action which only serves to illustrate the paucity of ideas in this particular opposition. They are a party of schemers, not planners.
After the crash, the long term consequences are worrying to some degree. The Democrats may in time come to view themselves as the Natural Governing Party and if that happens, they will, bit by bit, fall prey to corruption. America needs a clean, hard-fighting party in opposition - one that is prepared to take the reins of government.
For now though, there will be carnage. The Republican collapse is going to be fearful. And deserved.
Eric, what an excellent comment. Bravo! I think I will save it and then compare your predictions with events as they happen. Yours is, however, a best-case scenario, and I still worry that the Democrats will somehow screw it up, squander their demographic advantage, overreach, under perform, or perhaps do things in the wrong order, seem incompetent and lose elections they really must win.
In the long run, until parents see fit to have their children schooled with children of different skin colors, ethnicities, religions and economic circumstances, our racism and xenophobia and class privilege will continue to plague us. It always astounds me that with all we humans have in common with one another, we continue to view the "other" as a threat, and there is nothing primitive about this; it is totally modern and exacerbated by the wonders of modern communication. As if global warming were not enough of a problem for human beings to solve....
Anyway, I hope you are right about the imminent demise of the GOP. Thanks for this food for thought.
I have a hard time picturing a clown 🤡 supporter seeing the truth of what we have experienced for the last four years, even belatedly, it’s been slapping them in the face for the entire time. In my opinion if you really believe that the election was stolen you have your head up your ass, it’s that simple, that there might be 75 million of them doesn’t change the truth of it as I see it.
Even the orange menace voters who held their noses and disliked the Jan.6 attacks, believe it was more or less caused by the racial justice protests in the summer, etc, etc - and will believe that until the people they are following tell them otherwise. Anyone capable of seeing that it's all a scam has figured it out by now.
I agree, invoking Neville Chamberlain is a bit premature. There may be a way to get from where we are to where we need to be without widespread violence.
They just aren't members of the Republican party any more. You can find the people you're talking about in the Never Trump movement and over at places like the Bulwark. Adam Kinzinger is making a fight out of staying in the party, and given his district in Illinois, he might pull it off, but the odds are very much against him, as he acknowledges. Look at what the party does to dissenters like the ten congresscritters who voted for impeachment or the senators who voted to convict. That's what the Republican Party is. If President Truman wasn't 100% correct back in 1948, he certainly is now: "The only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies.
As to "trying a little persuasion first," that's been done. Look at McConnell's statement yesterday to see how much good it did - he's proud to oppose everything and plans to continue, with all the R's in the Senate.
This isn't Hitler reclaiming the Rhineland in 1936 - this is Hitler taking the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939 and starting to make comments about Poland.
Yes. But most wouldn't belive it until Fox "News" said it. So Fox "News" needs to be made to say it. Would be nice if that was part of their settlement with Dominion and Smartmatic. Actually THAT would be brilliant!
I say welcome to our world, MaryPat! Women are perpetually scared for their lives--as are Dems in supposedly Red states. They need to grow a pair (of ovaries) and get on with it.
Yes. Being primaried is one thing; getting credible death threats against your family and yourself is another. And that's what they get from the Hang-Mike-Pence Caucus.
I think it's pretty clear that it's a continuum. There is the cult of true believers, but they are dwarfed by the massive number of people who see him as a somewhat repellent means to an end, and the end varies from one to another. Guns, abortion, taxes, freedom to do what you damn well please, greed, power, white supremacy, male supremacy, heterosexual supremacy, cis-gendered supremacy--you name it, they believe he will promote it and cynically attach themselves to indecency.
This may be, but is hard to prove and almost beside the point. What matters is how people vote and how they behave towards one another. Clearly the GOP is having a very bad moment and trying to rally Republicans around.... something. But, if all they have to offer is continued insistence that the election was stolen from Trump - in the absence of any evidence of this -- then they don't really have very much apart from their same old anti-tax, antigovernment, anti-immigrant, anti-science, anti-BIPOC, anti-LGBTQ, misogynist, pro-gun message (did I miss a few antis?) which improves no one's life and is anti -historical. I think they are on a very self-destructive trajectory. My only worries are the SCOTUS and the GOP's control of so many state legislatures and what will happen if they resort to Jan. 6th style violence again and have to be put down.... harshly. It is the nature of cults led by charismatic narcissists to end badly. Just a matter of time. The sooner the better.
Cult members are not unlike addicts. They cling to the very thing that is destroying their lives. Peer pressure from other addicts/cultists perpetuates the cycle. I don’t believe attacking or shaming is useful.
When I talk to my Republican family members, I focus on issues that matter to them. When we find common ground I point it out. When we disagree, I don’t argue, I ask questions. By gently probing our differences I often learn something. Slowly, I’m trying to remove the toxicity and reactive comments. I don’t believe there is any quick fix.
I wonder if Biden is doing something similar on a national level.
Just deep breaths and patience. The only agenda I take into these conversations is to understand. I can usually diffuse a diatribe pretty quickly. If not I walk away. Everyone knows they can talk to me about anything, but, I won’t tolerate abusive language. It’s part of my nature and may not work for everyone.
The cult members may not stop "doubling down" on the big lies, but I think this is the MOST important message we need to hear directly from Biden's lips. Lies, all lies. Something like, enough is enough already. Or is this just nasty politics as usual in our long history of nasty politics? I think not, we need direct, clear leadership. Our house is on fire imho.
“The Cult of Trump” by David Hassan, psychologist is a good read comparing to DT ism actual cults. Direct challenges to a cult members belief system seldom works. Several chapters explain the way out of any cult.
The problem is that those who are in a cult never believe they are in a cult, but are clear-eyed. Any cult documentary reveals this conundrum. For starters, watch Leah Remini's "Scientology and the Aftermath" for a closer look.
I wonder if Dr. Jill has read this book and is coaching hubby with his responses these days. It wouldn't surprise me to know that their "pillow talk" is more elevated than that of the former FLOTUS! (That's a not very good attempt at sarcasm.) I definitely want to read this. Thanks!
Unfortunately, this is true. And it is especially true if they are people who have invested some sense of their identity or ambition with Trump's base, even if they aren't cultists. For instance, politicians hoping to co-opt the T base for their own future agendas, whether national, state, or local.
An example: in a western state that I shall leave unnamed, a young evangelist small business owner (inherited) with a high-school diploma, was appointed to the legislature of a western state. This happened at a time when Republicans of both houses were using minutiae in the operating rules to stall action and bring the ability of the legislature to function to a halt. Then the pandemic hit. In the 2021 session, some Republicans who retained a sense of honor worked with the Dems on developing programs to address the health and economic needs of the state, and made a good run at catching up on essential budgetary business left over from the previous session.
During this time, somehow (I do not even want to know how, though I know people I could just ask) the young senator was selected minority leader. Shortly after that the Republican Party of Oregon (the party itself, not linked to the legislature, composed of self-identified "conservative" citizens along with, I imagine, honored donors) fired their president for not being vicious enough in his criticism of the Dems- a requirement these days, it appears, for Republican leadership. They replaced the ousted president with the previously mentioned young senator. I say "young" because of the maturity level which he has exhibited throughout the current session. Early in the first Senate floor session, he asked for a minute to speak to the members of the Senate, which he was granted. He embarked on a haranguing on several topics that are the backbone of the Extreme Right and refused to yield the floor. Asked and then directed to leave, he removed his mask and slowly walked down the center aisle, reading aloud from the bible (version unknown) and accompanied by two masked State Police officers keeping their distance behind him.
For several weeks he was absent without excuse. He has returned, but refuses to undertake any of the responsibilities of his office. On the Senate floor (which I hasten to assure is well-separated, with only the errant senator unmasked), he refuses to vote or even sign in.
The Senate President-pro-tem, as part of his/her duties, calls the names of those whose votes are not recorded to ensure that no one is missed. This man, though clearly present, refuses to answer. The other day the pro-tem repeated his name half a dozen times, asking "Do you intend to vote?" (This is also part of the process.) Finally, the renegade answered loudly and angrily "NO!". He apparently left then, and was recorded as absent without excuse on each of the many following votes.
His district is effectively without representation in the Senate. The media in the district either pretty much glosses over what is going on in the Capital, or is so far to the extreme right that even straight news stories are bent. It is surreal to read in this day and age, like something left over from 1890.
I haven't checked the House reps in the region yet. In the past session House Republicans were not as reactionary as in the Senate, but used some of the same tactics. I haven't been paying much attention to them this year. There is only a backlog in the Senate process, while House bills seem to be flowing through in a timely way. One of these days, I'll watch and see. Maybe.
One man, poorly educated (and boasts of it), uninformed about almost everything that doesn't fit his preconceptions about how the world works, is attempting to hold an entire state hostage. It appears that he will fail, but his district is likely to keep electing people like him.
I had relatives who lived in this area a long time ago- they wanted a small town to raise their children in. My uncle taught music in the local schools. After their second year, they moved to a town in another state, midway between two major cities. The town they left became a place we just passed through on our way to visit. It is as if they live in a world with a wall around it.
The cult leader needs a little help in imploding as exploding him without his help is likely to create a martyr. The more that he can be encouraged to react in direct contradiction to his own purported "image" the more confusion you sow in the "republican" spirit".....as saying mind might be an oxymoron.
I agree, the 74 million nut cases got used to listening directly from their coniver in chief. They believed all his lies. Biden needs to speak directly to us, at least when our democracy is still under attack. Point out the attackers in clear, concise soundbites that any 5th grader could understand. Sigh.
And unlike Obama, he needs to come out and say these things because they need to be said, not out of any sense of political calculation. Some things have got to be said out loud by the president and when our basic values are under attack he needs to speak out clearly.
Believe....or find the way their "leader" characterizes the Dems as "funny" and.... as in chatter in bars....exaggeration is "allowed" when you are laughing at people. It allows them to feel superior despite the circumstances of most.....pure "white trash" psychology!
The audience for reason and truth is not die-hard Republicans, but suggesting that it is fruitless to speak truth because these folks won't listen is wrong-headed. Many people begin to develop political awareness in their teens and early twenties. They are not yet hardened and are still receptive. The right-wing media universe is loud and pervasive. We should not surrender future voters to it without a fight. Suggesting that it's hopeless to reason with "them" is probably true, but "they" are not the only ones listening.
I will give you naïveté again (and again ad nauseam): Why are we having to put up with seditionists in our chambers. Why do we not get rid of these anti-Americans instead of pretending we are trying to work with a party that hates democracy? What is the point? There is one easy way to stop this fragility-- slap lawsuits on all of the who signed the sedition paper and promoted insurrection and the Big Lie that stated our last election was illegal when it was not. Let Truth and Justice prevail against the party of Sedition and lies. I apologize that I am so naive to think such thoughts.
When we get rid of them, where will we put them, and who will replace them? To each his/her own naiveté. I agree the Justice Dept. should go after them, no holds barred, and anyone who was injured or otherwise messed with during the insurrection should lawyer up and go for it. As for Truth and Justice, our Supreme Court will have the last word, unfortunately. But if we think enough thoughts, one will be the thought of thoughts that will save us from ourselves. I hope.
I fear the Supreme Court is, has been for a long time, and will continue to be, one of our biggest problems, as it seems to have been for the last 50 years. (Adam Cohen: Supreme Injustice). I am horrified at what I am learning, and will continue to be extremely concerned at its influence over our lives, support for big money, and indifference to lesser mortals.
We have a phenomenal candidate to replace our seditionist congressman for northern Michigan and the U.P. - someone actually from our state instead of Louisiana (the guy bought a cabin here shortly before the election. Is that a key Republican strategy?). Maybe they will take him back.
I have to think, though, of how my 3 smart, kind, educated trumper brothers and my 1 "nutcase" Proud Boy neighbor would react to hearing "Sleepy Joe" (if they would listen at all) say "that their leaders are lying to them, that there is zero evidence that the last election was stolen from them, and that they have lost touch with reality if they still believe it was stolen." I suspect they'd just dig in deeper to their twisted beliefs. You are not naive - a speech from The President once held value and power for this same crowd (even before the former guy). But my brothers and my neighborhood insurrectionist won't believe a word of it. So, Biden is saying it through his rescue package, his infrastructure bill, his calm governance, his stock market numbers, his superb appointees. Now if Fox "News" said those same words about tRump and Republicans suppressing the vote - WOW!!
I envy you your in-the-family, up close and personal contact with real Trumpers, maybe not so much your Proud Boy neighbor. Here in Italy Trump was viewed as just the latest scary American weirdness, and most folks - apart from some proto and not-so-proto fascists - are glad he's gone, or so it seems to them despite my protestations that we will most likely hear more from him sooner or later. I'm sure you have the virtues of kindness and patience and, as we all know, love conquers all. You're certainly right that FOX would have more sway with these folks than Biden. Good luck to you and your brothers!
We are communicating again on only safe subjects. Now I have to watch The Voice and cook mexican food to relate. So sad to think how the world sees us here. And even sadder is you are right. The former guy ain't all that past tense.
MaryPat, you know full well that Faux will never utter those words, but you deserve credit for hoping. I'm feeling more hopeful about everything now that the four year water torture is easing!
He already did this David--several times in the last two weeks. He called the GA laws "Jim Crow 2.0" in his nationally televised news conference. When asked and when possible to insert it he has said this in public since then. His press office has also made it clear they are aware of what is going on.
We know from the T=&*p playbook that repeatedly saying something works. The Biden Harris admin members are doing that. Every chance they get. And on Fox where they still say “Mr. Biden”.
BIDEN WEIGHS IN ON GEORGIA: “In an interview aired on ESPN, Biden said he would ‘strongly support’ players who believe Major League Baseball should move the summer All-Star Game from Truist Stadium, the home of the Atlanta Braves — a site eight miles from where Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed the new election measures into law,” our colleague Cleve R. Wootson Jr. reports.
“Biden called Georgia’s new slate of voting rules ‘a blatant attack on the right to vote, the Constitution and good conscience’ and ‘un-American.’ Later he declared it ‘Jim Crow on steroids.’"
Context: “Georgia has become a key battleground in the partisan fight over voting rights, as Democrats in Washington attempt to push through far-reaching legislation aimed at dramatically expanding access to elections.”
Meanwhile, in Texas, “corporate giants American Airlines and Dell Technologies on Thursday became the first business heavyweights to lend their opposition to Republicans’s legislative proposals to restrict voting” in the state, the Texas Tribune's Alexa Ura reports.
The proposed legislation prohibits “extended or overnight voting hours, outlaws drive-through voting, makes it illegal for local election officials to proactively send applications to vote by mail voters, allows partisan poll watchers to video record voters and sets specific rules for the distribution of polling places in the state’s largest counties.”
Perhaps some naivete is in order these days. It wouldn't hurt to hear from Biden. Although Delta, Coca Cola and Microsoft are late to the table, they're better late than never. If Georgia gets too heavy handed with Delta, it could blow up in their face. Delta and Coke might be too heavily invested in Atlanta to leave, but I'm sure they have other ways to put the pinch on the Republicans, and this will energize Democrats everywhere that is practicing disenfranchisement.
Biden should call out Trump specifically by name telling him it’s time to put up or shut up about his claims of massive voter fraud. Now is the time, today, to present to the world his proof.
David, I think that there cannot not be too much truth telling. More than Biden but including him, a 'Truth' campaign emanating from the White House is warranted. I am suggesting a series of creative spots, which utilize entertaining modes of communication - drama, humor, clarity and performance, along with visual techniques, which enhance interest, the facts and recall. Fact checking would be the foundation of this endeavor but not the sole aspect of each presentation, perhaps serve as a coda for each spot. While many pieces would correct the lies; which the Republicans promulgate, others would indicate what is actually being done to improve our lives and to look forward to The American public yearns for moral clarity and trust. A 'Nothing but the Truth' campaign would satisfy the public interest as it serves the truth tellers and the country as well. We are looking for good news and hope, too. The Truth campaign will be a vehicle promoting our new and positive direction as it corrects the falsehoods spread by the Republicans, Dark Money and on social-media sites.
That’s an amusing idea but not what I had in mind. I’m imagining clever, sharp and striking 1 minute pieces for tv, cable and social media - stylish, memorable and to the point. These ‘Nothing but the Truth’ spots need a hook as 60 Minutes has with the stopwatch - maybe a bell ringing...
Thank you MaryPat. I think, perhaps, the spots would need more like a minute and a half or two, at the most. Wishing you and the family a lovely Easter Holiday.
I thiink you are on to something extraordinary!! Advertise the truth! I would like to run this by my daughter, who is a voice actor and writer, for her perspective. She does commercials, news, and History Channel's "This Day in History" for smart speakers, if that's okay by you. This is brilliant.
MaryPat, I am honored by your support. I would love to know what your daughter thinks as well as the rest of the family. Your 'Advertise the truth' is catchy and TRUE!
Davids do tend to be charming people (Duke notwithstanding). I wonder why that is? Does the name make the man? Sadly, the sample size of Reids is far too small to draw any conclusion about whether we are all irascible.
You guys are a hoot! Has anyone noticed that this tussling is new to the flock since Joe assumed the throne? Who wanted to joke and jab while we were in the throes of Failed45? BTW, I have a brother David. Sometimes he's charming, but not always . . . .
MLB taking the All-Star game away from Georgia, and other economic retaliation against the Confederacy will be the "stick" with which the White Male Southern "Mule" gets hit over the head, so it knows we're here. It would also help if these companies would start lobbying in favor of H.R.1/S.1 because the only way the hydra can be defeated is to cut off all the heads back below the neck.
The "cultways" of the far right have to be smashed.
A tiny plug for the Nytimes who released an article about three days ago calling out corporations who had remained silent. The role of good journalists endures in our democracy
I agree with your sentiments entirely on a human level. The only problem that I see here is perhaps wanting things both ways. Can we encourage these economic organizations to lobby for things we like but complain when they massively fund politicians of which we don't approve? I feel that we should of course in theory end up deciding that Corporations have a duty to obey the law and accept that society has a right to impose by that law obligations that incurr economic penalties or costs for the greater good but which might not concurr with their own expressed corporate values. I also would suggest that lobbying expenditures, be they "advice" to politicians or payments to whoever who is "in or near the game" be classified with much advertising as not deductable costs when calculating corporate or personal income tax as they are intended mostly to subvert, change or create needs oe desires which we don't necessarily either really need or want and even which can be both detrimental to our wellbeing and the planet. I would suggest that all of this requires their money to be taken decisively out of the "free speech" category protected by the constitution and that any political expenditures made nonetheless be open to challenge in court and damages if proven responsible for pain, anguish or loss.
HOWEVER, in a situation of crisis where the rights of everyone are menaced by insurrection and galloping autocratic invasion of our democratic political system by people only concerned with their own power and wealth then it is all hands on deck for the battle......but thereafterwards we send the corporations and their money back where it belongs into the working economy generating jobs and wealth for the people and supporting mother nature.
"Can we encourage these economic organizations to lobby for things we like but complain when they massively fund politicians of which we don't approve? " Of course we can, and we should, up until the moment we are able to get corporations out of politics.
Re "I would suggest that all of this requires their money to be taken decisively out of the "free speech" category protected by the constitution." Free speech for corporations is not in the Bill of Rights.
Lynell, I'm glad you are one of the Commonwealth of Virginia's residents, a state I grow more proud of as it turns bluer and bluer! Let's keep this going!
As it turns out, MLB decided to listen to TCinLA (you do know the sun won't rise if the rooster doesn't crow about it, right?). They have announced this morning that the All-Star Game will not be played in Georgia, due to the Georgia voter suppression law.
In addition to not letting up on the rhetoric, the most important action companies and corporate leaders can do now is shut off the money supply that feeds these repressive republicans.
So, in every single one of the 43 states where Republicans are using voter suppression as a lever to hold onto power, the fulcrum stands… on a marsh.
If we switch briefly from metaphor to weird reality, the entire scam depends upon one man’s hypnotic power to make his followers believe whatever he wants them to believe, despite conclusive evidence conclusively confirmed to the contrary.
The scam no longer depends on sleight-of-hand but on over four years of incessant conditioning to make believers believe whatever the hypnotist tells them, even when the message at 3 p.m. is the opposite of that put out at 11 a.m..
Since the whole enterprise is grounded in pure fantasy, descriptions are forced back onto metaphors like that of the Emperor’s New Clothes or the villain in a Tex Avery cartoon running over a cliff edge and keeping on running… until he too realizes there’s no ground under his feet… when he falls.
All this makes the Big Lie seem a very childish action with no power to harm, but that is not so. On the contrary, it threatens immense potential danger for the State. The Taiping uprising in mid-19th century China was grounded in one villager’s visions of himself as the brother of Jesus Christ bringing a Heavenly Kingdom. Civil war lasted 13 years and tens of millions died.
Businessmen may not like all that the new Administration brings but their common concern is with the foundations of the economy. Unless they wish to see the country's future jeopardized all for nothing, it will be in their interest to work with -- and thus influence -- the powers that be, not those that were.
“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”
― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
There’s a huge problem here in people’s propensity to have blind faith in things that are absolutely incompatible, a tendency that is overdeveloped in America; one that lays people open to delusions and to the total misinterpretation of science, reason and religion.
The strangest thing—though, in one way or another, this kind of thing has happened time and again in history—is how self-professed Christians have been taken in by this demonic pseudo-Father figure. If they were able to attend to Christ’s message and abandon the adoration of Mammon for just one moment, daylight would get in and dispel their delusion.
Any genuine religion—as opposed to worshipping shattered splinters of a confused idea of God—would have the same effect.
Which could be the reason church membership is dropping. People are rejecting what the modern church has become. When we moved to the South we dropped our church membership, we found most southern churches to be more like country clubs and Yankees not wanted.
I believe that many Christians have no idea that Christ’s messages of love, and that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” are what is important. Too many believe that faith in the name is all you need. This leads to an easy explanation for what has happened, Jesus has been supplanted. Faith is all they have.
They take shelter in the institution and the community it creates. It follows the history of the Catholic Church from 400 AD as a "political" organization protecting the faithful and offering up themselves as both controller of mores and mediator with God....as most people have difficulty handling the demands personal responibility implicit in a more direct relationship.
Gregory Bateson called that 'the double bind'. Indeed, I need to think this through but perhaps that is exactly what is going on at a societal level. Nice play Stuart.
Reid, you're touching something there. "Blinds" is the right word too.
To be a little kinder and more understanding, people have every reason to feel lost in a world in which change, social, economic and technological, is unprecedented and forever accelerating. One would have to be stupid and insensitive never to feel alienated. Alienated by the take-over of our lives by alien forces that have no longer any connection with our human bodies, our minds or our shared household.
As far as I’m concerned, this compels humans to stop messing around and ask ourselves the most basic questions: What, who are we? What do we think we are doing here? What do we really need? What do we really want? Especially the first question. The others flow from it.
Socrates is said to have spent a whole morning looking at a market stall selling bric-a-brac. When one of his students picked up the courage to ask him what was so special about it, he replied: “Isn’t it wonderful? All these things I don’t need!”
This is significant, I think. On an individual level, I've noticed that helping others change can involve helping them maintain their self-regard as they face wrongs they've committed. Not sure how that applies on the level of society, but I know that it takes more finesse than displaying a superior attitude. I wish we'd learn this lesson.
The truth of equality is a hard one to swallow and digest. The Germans took the bitter pill in 1949, having no choice but to face the truth: “Human dignity shall be inviolable”—the dignity of ALL human beings without exception—this is the foundation of the German constitution. However, the victors failed to apply the same high standard to themselves.
A truth hard for oppressors and their heirs whose collective self-image is wedded to delusions of superiority, while stirring uneasily in the darkest shadows of their unconscious lurk phantoms of guilt and shame which, when they come to light, often take the form of yet more violent aggression projected against the usual victims who, by their mere presence, remind the would-be masters of a heritage of guilt.
Hard for the oppressed, heavily conditioned by all the filth, the shape-shifting evil, the fear and hatred endlessly projected against them. Often it will feel safer for these victims to play the vile parts reserved for them by their self-appointed “betters”. Under the circumstances, is it surprising that the 2016 Republican line-up of presidential candidates should have looked like a page out of a psychiatric manual showing specimens of narcissistic perversion? A page into which the winner, with his in-your-face narcissism and imposition of “superiority” didn’t even fit.
There’s no space left for the oppressed, no time. They breathe the same air, but—as we have seen—on sufferance. Although the Declaration of Independence states that they too “are created equal” the oppressors arrogate unto themselves a monopoly right to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”.
Becky, you speak as one who understands education, the need to make students feel they are even better than they really are, freeing space so that they may rise to the occasion. What the oppressor understandably fears is blowback, that when victims are freed from all that has long weighed them down, they too may indulge in delusions of superiority. Hence the all-important role of education, including cradle-to-grave civic education. Hence the resistance of those privileged beings whose mindset of poverty assumes there is not enough liberty and happiness to go round…
The Germans did have a choice in 1949. They are to be commended for the one they made. Other countries who had been conquered into the Nazi orbit - Austria and Poland come to mind - did not face the truth.
. When the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme came to light, some of his biggest defenders were his victims‼️ They were too sophisticated, too rich, too smart to get taken in by a Ponzi scheme. What a massive blow to their ego that must have been.
So many people equate admitting they've been wrong with humbling themselves, bowing down. If they only knew that, if the admission is genuine, you raise yourself to your full height and gain dignity, not lose it.
The rot goes much deeper than one man, though. He was simply the right person in the right place at the right time to take advantage of pre-existing bigotry and fear.
Problem is, there never was a bottle, so there's nothing to put it back into. The virulent hatred is simply now at the forefront, or so it seems to me. Trump is the modern incarnation of Jim Crow, lynching, head bashing on the Edmund Pettus bridge, and slave ownership. The hate remains the same, only the costumes change.
Trump gave the haters permission to come out of the closet, so to speak. Parading around in public with high powered rifles and nazi symbols is OK. Sedition is OK. “There are good people on both sides.” is OK.
Wow! And I thought I was the pessimist around here! I am in the camp of people who think this is the last gasp of the white, male patriarchy and they will wane. The real question is whether their passing will be too late for our democracy and the health of the planet. I fear so.
The one man, taken in isolation, is NOTHING. As was Hitler. What's deadly is the combination between the voice and its mass following. The voice that utters all the rage, resentment, prejudices buried in what a bitter Nazi-hating German described as those "psychic catacombs in which all our concealed desires, our fearful dreams and evil spirits, our vices and our forgotten and unexpiated sins, have been buried for generations."
He is not the reason. Read Heather's past posts on her blog. Watch her videods - past and present. The Republican party has been a corporate money, white wealthy male party since the 50s. It has lost intellectual members like William F. Buckley. There are no more intellectuals to be found among the elephants. It stopped being able to work across the aisle since the Newt. It became desperate for members and courted the evangelicals. It is now a few old white racist men clawing to hold onto their power because their cowardice keeps them in bed with white supremacists.
Although I did read your past 2 letters, that was the extent of my involvement. I have been completely sidelined by a particularly nasty reaction to my 2nd Pfizer vaccine. I do hope everyone is getting their 1st and 2nd shots. I am seeing more peer review (Pfizer) that boosters are going to be needed as variants unveil themselves. This should be an expected discovery as we learn more about this pandemic.
That said.
I wonder when someone will call out the GOP for their in plain site lies to the degree that it will make a difference. So far, no one has. It's as though , collectively, this Nation is fine with the perpetual Big Lie. Why is that? The GOP was already fleshing out "The Big Lie" on day 1 of Trumps Presidency as the rest of us sat back in the misaligned illusion that we won Democracy and everything will change forever.
What Stacey Abrams did was colossal, but we don't have 52 of her to pull off next years mid terms.
As I sat back watching the 2020 election results unfold, I couldn't help but think as I keep hearing over and over that we have 4 years to rebuild this country. No we don't. Our window of opportunity is even shorter than I thought it would be considering the push back from the GOP towards Biden from day 1. I expected there would be more bipartisan efforts as Trump would be physically out of the picture and those Republicans could do the right thing.
Biden has done amazing things in his short time in office. For that we should be grateful. I am.
Thank you Robert. I do feel better this morning. I did get fair warning from my Doctor that I would likely have a problem. They are finding that people who have an intolerance to vitamin shots are at a greater risk of having a reaction for 24-48 hours. I have to have B12 weekly injections, each time with a reaction. A necessary evil.
Be sure to drink a good share of water. You'll be fine.
Each of our bodies uniquely responds. Some have a tougher go of it than others. I remember thinking that couples perhaps should not get their 2nd shot at the same time so they could be there to support one another in they event they both react as I did. I was alone and had not the energy to properly take care of myself. I had prepared in advance but my loss of energy was greater than anticipated.
My advice, from experience, don't make any plans for tomorrow! Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Have someone check on you 24 hours & 30 hours after receiving the shot. 😘
Sending best wishes that you & your wife fare better than I did. The 2nd 24 hours was the toughest but it took me about 3 days to fully recover. My solace was in knowing my body was indicating the vaccine was working!
Yes, I spent the next day after my second Moderna dose with a fever, strangely not debilitating as if I had a real virus - I was able to eat & had good appetite, but lethargic & feverish about 100 degrees F.
Glad you got the second shot Linda! And I sympathize: those of us who are immunocompromised have had some weird-ass reactions to the jab . . . I agree: we have less than 2 years to get stuff done. And I think the Biden team is well aware of this. Vide the 11 judicial nominees trotted out this past week, who are among the most diverse group of potential federal judges ever. The man-in-a-hurry tempo of this administration has to keep going, even if it is probably exhausting to all. We can't let up.
Linda, thank you. Yes, we need to stick together. I have to admit, the reaction wasn't fully anticipated, but I shouldn't have been surprised.
We do have a multitude to do in a short period of time but I certainly agree that the team in place will do everything in their power to keep control. Biden understands how dire this situation is.
I got the 1-and-done Johnson & Johnson. Very tired the first 3 days, then a very sore upper arm about 5 days later; and a major shingles outbreak (in an area not experienced before) about 10 days later. They're both viruses, eh?
Sorry to hear you had such a tough time, Barbara. Have you had the vaccine specifically designed to prevent shingles? I've had both Pfizer doses. After the first, sore upper arm and mild malaise - just vaguely "off" for two days. After the second dose, no noticeable effects. Clearly the level of side effects varies a lot. I hope you're all better now!
Thanks Lindsay. I had my 2nd vaccine Tuesday afternoon and as anticipated I am on the mend. As far as the first vaccine, I only had a minimally sore arm for a day. As will any injection, you will want to keep hydrated. You will do just fine.
Please add Dell Computers to the list of corporations supporting voting rights and against the Republican push for voter suppression. Is there a list somewhere of all the corporations that are joining the side of democracy? This is the kind of pressure we need against the state legislatures that are passing anti-democratic laws. I hope everyone will personally thank each one of them. I am going to write to Dell and the others of my appreciation for their position. I have no connection with Dell other than buying one of their computer systems a couple of months ago which I'm quite pleased with. I'm also very happy to see Microsoft join the for democracy corporations.
To follow up, I have just sent an email directly to Michael Dell, CEO of Dell, telling him of my gratitude and appreciation for Dell taking action in support of their consumers -- the voters. Talked a bit about Texas specifically and requested that Dell not donate to any US Senate not voting to pass the For the People Act. Also wrote to Coca-Cola a similar email. And to my Texas state representative to ask him to be on the right side of history and defend voting rights. We the People, All of Us This Time!
Republicans in Georiga, Texas, and elsewhere are irrationally out of touch with what's happening in the country. When big companies are speaking out against voter suppression and Republicans (REPUBLICANS!) are seeking to punish them, there's a disconnect with reality. The big question is what's the next step? The companies aren't going to pack up and leave places like Atlanta and Dallas. Instead, they're going to devote their sizable lobbying efforts to influence Congress. And that may be enough to sufficient push the Manchins and Sinemas to finally oppose the filibuster.
It's the ultimate in selfishness. They, and people like them, must be allowed to do whatever they want, without interference or restriction. David Frum at The Atlantic writes about it in "The Strange New Doctrine of the Republican Party. The GOP’s version of freedom puts greater priority on right-wing cultural folkways than on rights of property and ownership."
But think about this, Coca-Cola's headquarters and lab is in Atlanta but its products are made and bottled in plants around the world. It owns a huge percentage of the carbonic distribution (CO2 to pump fountain drinks) in the US. So realistically, Coca-Cola could up and.move its HQ to a friendlier environment. And, the fact is, the people who run Coca-Cola are not necessarily Georgians. Coca-Cola doesn't really need to be in Atlanta because they are already everywhere. Literally. The same is true for every other Georgia based large business. Pulling out of Georgia would cost hundreds of thousands of jobs. Is it realistic to think they would pull out? No, but if large companies in Georgia and the rest of the country would band together and stand up against the Republican Voter Suppression Agenda by withdrawing financial support and threatening to go elsewhere things would change quickly.
The same goes for a ton of other large businesses in the other voter suppression states. Airlines might have a difficult time pulling out quickly because they rely on a ridiculous hub system but, can you imagine Delta and American threatening to pull their hubs out of Georgia and Texas respectively? Legislators believe they have the upper hand. Corporations and voter/consumers need to leverage their authority starting today. It would be far more effective than writing to Congress Critters because, frankly, the suppressor don't care how many letters they get. They do care about $$$, however.
I'm rambling in my semi sleep state. It's 4.34 where I am. See you when the sun rises!
It is always about the $$$$. Political lobbying efforts by large corps can be targeted and VERY effective. As soon as these companies discover that the talent they need won't move to/live in these divisive cities, it all goes 'fall down, go boom'.
According to an email reply I received, a number of them did meet with legislatures and state their objections to voter suppression. I don't think. however, that they may also have withdrawn their patronage ($$$).
All in all, the corporate response has been pretty mild, though. Strong words fade away. They need to hit the pols where they live: donations from these corporations must go away and they must make noises about leaving the state. Other corporations have abandoned states before (though admittedly almost always over taxation, not politics).
It’s absurd and highly undemocratic to retaliate against these companies that speak out against their former Republican sponsors’ bills. Whether they should have had the special privileges is a separate question. But stopping the voter suppression bills in their tracks is critical to moving the country forward.
It may be absurd and undemocratic, but is certainly in keeping with the methods used by governments admired by these Republican leaders. Just like with Truillo, the Duvaliers, Putin, Bolonsario, and the long list of others of the same feather, there is no real concept of the "public good." The machinery of government, including laws, are a means to reward or punish cronies and supporters on one hand, opponents and their supporters on the other, never simply to support the entire society. It's like in the old Dominican Republic under Truillo, where he would never have considered paving a road his opponents might use, regardless of the economic benefits that could be enjoyed by the entire society.
In the same vein, Trump several times tried to punish New York and California by suspending government programs or denying aid. After all, who cares if they are full of American citizens? They didn't vote for him. So why shouldn't Texas legislatures increase the taxes on their critics, like the head of American Airlines, but keep it low for oil and gas companies? Cut taxes and increase benefits for rich people who support Republicans (who often think they don't need government), cut benefits and (differentially) increase the tax burden on non-rich people (who tend to rely more on laws and public benefits), who tend to support Democrats. Screw the overall society, right?
That's politics, for these Republicans. The "public" must be divided into "us" and "them." The further apart they can drive those rather artificially-created divisions, the more likely they will continue to win.
Punishment might include some "very heavy scratching" on their backs as they were wont to do to their slaves in the times for which they are so nostalgic.
They would take us back more than the 100 or so years we often talk about, this takes us back in the end of the day to the absolute monarchy of yore.....the good King Mitch and his courtiers!
On the murder trial of George Floyd, I'd like to point out not only the racial arrogance of the policemen involved but also their misogyny when they ignored the offer of help from the woman off-duty EMS professional and wouldn't even let her talk through the steps to get Mr. Floyd's pulse.
Cathy of course they wouldn’t allow her to enter their space and actually intervene—she was merely a woman and this murder was their moment. I was struck by how sad and depressed the paramedic seemed to be as he kept answering the questions—a young white man who had been the ambulance driver. His training was all about saving lives and yet you could see the toll that day took from him.
While public statements by large firms are certainly welcome, Republican legislators will respond more readily when the checks to their campaigns and PACs stop arriving, or, worse, are diverted to Democrats.
In addition, consumer product companies such as Coca Cola are very aware that a boycott by minority consumers is a real possibility with very real effects on the bottom line. A similar boycott by Trumpistas, I think, would not be nearly as effective and thus is less of a threat.
"In 1890, southern white leaders promised the North that voter suppression would make the South bloom. They were wrong: by concentrating wealth and power among a few white leaders, it kept the South mired in poverty for at least two generations. Rejecting voter suppression this time around could write an entirely different story.”
The question which presses more and more upon Americans is whether the GOP leaders care about average people being “mired in poverty?” Indeed it appears that this is precisely where the GOP and its billionaire backers want to push Americans-- in the ancient belief of oppressors that an ignorant, impoverished people is a passive and quiescent people, manipulable because they have no real independent intentions of their own.
The authoritarian intention behind the GOP revealed itself openly under Trump, though its mob mentality had been increasingly on display at Republican conventions. It seems to me that the dark money people and their minions have calculated that now is the time to come out of the closet and stop pretending altogether to care about justice and equality, to fight for the power which is their overriding concern. The wealthy don’t want to be subject to the needs of their fellow citizens, they want their fellow citizens to be functional subjects, servants of their intentions and whims.
This at any rate is how it appears to me. So far as I know the only politician who has been addressing this directly is Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. We need more of his caliber.
The only answer for this question is that the Repubs prefer an us/them slave state where they control us. Capitalism gone awry. Imperialism. Knee/neck thing.
“They like our public policy when we’re doing things that benefit them,” then added: “You don’t feed a dog that bites your hand. You got to keep that in mind sometimes.”
Wait, does this guy think that Big Capital is the dog biting them? Does he imagine that he and his cronies have all the power in this relationship?
That’s going to be one hell of a wake up call.
Oh and I love Ralston proclaiming his love of Pepsi. He’s probably the first person to point out the futility of boycotts.
I think he has who is the biting dog backwards. The airline is reacting to the Republicans biting them by taking away the jet fuel subsidies. Interesting.
>>Last week, Trump lawyer Sidney Powell claimed in a court filing that “no reasonable person” would believe that her lies about election fraud “were truly statements of fact.”<<
Here we have a Republican saying explicitly what we always suspected: the GOP regards its own voters as stupid and gullible.
Very interesting article....guns and anti-vaccine and whatever other anti-social attitudes take precedence over property rights. Another contradiction! What happens when the Republican-biased Insurance companies cease to offer gun-injury coverage within the plant, building or centre as guns are allowed in the parking lot? Republican contradictions create conflict of interest within the Republican family. Their house of cards crumbles from within a little more with every new contradictory stupidity.
The scary thing about the Repugnant Party is its ignorant cult base, which disdains science, verifiable facts and even law & order. The manipulative politicians discovered this cult mentality by accident when a conspiracy driven, mentally defective conman garnered great support and they latched onto it, knowing it was all a con game. Now they are stuck trying to figure out logically how to play it before enuf intelligent ppl pull back the curtain and see the fraud. There are 74 million verifiable idiots out there in the cult base, so it’s worth a gamble. Even tho they have put idiots in Congress like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene who yesterday filed a bill to fire Dr. Fauci without having a clue that Congress can’t do that. He is protected in his position by civil service regs and can’t be fired without cause, which there are none because he follows science & not politics as required of his position. The same with the Repugnant Georgia legislators who do not understand the concept of symbiosis & want to start a trade war with Delta Airlines. I have been thru the Atlanta Airport – you need a tram to get from one Delta concourse to another. Delta gets tax breaks as incentive to locate in Atlanta, the same as movie studios and tech industries. But, these companies rely on intelligent workers of many races who may not want to live in 1950s Dixie. Also, these companies are subject to approval of a diverse public who may boycott them if they side with bigots.
I believe every individual who desires to run for public office should be required to first pass a basic civics test. The purpose of the test is not to classify them by party or determine their position on issues. It's to determine if they are qualified to serve in government as an elected official. I fear too many presently are distinctly unqualified. After all, many professions require those serving in them to be qualified, tested, and licensed. Why not politicians? Please spare me the response that this is the purpose and role of elections. If you respond this way you will force me to take the position that voters, with only appropriate accommodations should have to pass a civics test as well. Remember we already place that requirement on immigrants to become citizens in order to vote. If it is required of immigrants to earn citizenship, can we not at least require it of aspiring politicians?
I think it might be useful, given his current popularity (not only among Democrats), if Joe Biden were to go on national TV and call out the GOP on their voter suppression antics. Y'know, just tell the GOP electorate - in no uncertain terms - that their leaders are lying to them, that there is zero evidence that the last election was stolen from them, and that they have lost touch with reality if they still believe it was stolen.
Of course, all they have to do is follow mainstream media to know this already, but it seems the GOP nutcases don't do that too much and are more inclined to believe the latest conspiracy theories. But they might tune in President Biden in primetime. Worth a try anyway.
Excuse me if I sound naive. I probably am.
If I'm reading Biden correctly, he is choosing to prove he is the President of all the People by focusing on making the government work for all the People. He's not going to be drawn into the GQP sound bites and craziness. I think this is the way to gain the respect and votes of the Republican voters. The polls already show Republican voters approve of what Biden is doing. The For the People Act is getting a lot of approval especially about getting money out of politics. It seems the Republican elected officials are the ones becoming so out of touch with their constituents. Its still been less than 100 days. We just need to be a bit patient and let President Biden get the job done with our support. We the People, All of Us This Time!
Cathy, you may be right, but I think it is a very close call. 2022 is already bearing down on us and the time for patience will run out quickly, as will this moment of relative unity within the Democratic party. The "serious people" are telling us that we may be stuck with the filibuster and that there are several Democrats not entirely on board with respect to Biden's ambitious (but necessary) agenda. In any case, telling the truth about what the GOP is up to is not the same as being "drawn into GOP sound bites and craziness." A nationally televised presidential speech is not the same as a tweet. At some point bastards like McConnell will need to be soundly defeated and basically run out of town.
Yes, I agree this is not going to be easy and possibly not soon enough. If For the People doesn't pass, Republicans could take back the Congress in 2022 and the Presidency in 2024 and then declare the end of democracy. The thing that gives me hope is how prepared President Biden is for this moment in time. 30 years experience in the US Senate means he will find a way if anyone can. He has three difficult but great things to accomplish -- getting COVID under control; restoring voting rights; growing the economy with jobs. He's laid out excellent plans for each of these. Yes, I hope it will all happen before November 2022!
I would only add that I don't think it's a matter of COULD take back Congress and the Presidency if HR 1 is not passed, they WILL.
In a little over two months, President Biden has undone so much of the dreck that fraud45 imposed on us for 4 years that it is nothing short of miraculous. I’m happy to let him keep to his timetable and get the virus under control before the maskless hoards kill us all. It’s on the rise again and cannot be ignored and yet the faithful cult of 45 continues to make it political. Why should we expect them to listen to reason?
Sorry, I like to be supportive generally, but what is his strategy for S1? Perhaps I am missing it but what I see is no comment and unsure about the filibuster. NO comments on the committee.
Schumer's current stategy on passing S1 is to use an obscure rule from somewhere in ancient law codes to attach it to a non-filibusterable (word I made up) bill, and to continue to negotiate with Manchin and Sinema. I think what actually will happen is that Coca Cola, Delta and American Airlines, Home Depot, Merck, Microsoft, UPS, et al, will threaten to stop funding Republican candidate campaigns if they support S1 and voter suppression. We the People have voted withbour wallets.
And so much goes on behind the scenes.
I think it will be something like MaryPat suggests. These big corporations siding with the People could make a huge difference. It negates the dark money corrupt of Citizens United. We need to tell both our Senators and these corporations how much we appreciate their support of democracy for the People. The People do have power if we stand together. The Republicans have to wake up that they won't win re-elect if they don't go beyond the Trumpian cult base. Moderate Republican voters are polling that they like S1 especially the part about getting the dark money out of politics. It isn't one person one vote until Citizens United is overturned! We the People, All of Us This Time!
Unfortunately, we herein are preaching to the choir when it comes to reminding one another to contact our Senators and the corporations. What is needed is a massive outpouring of Republicans doing the same to say they support S1, oppose voter suppression, want the infrastructure package to go through, and abhor filthy dark money in politics.
Hear! Hear!
It looks like Biden is figuring to use the same approach to infrastructure as to covid relief, with a longer time allowed to build wide public support and let the congressional R's either join in or hang themselves with the public as open non-participants. After that, use the accumulated political support to enable Manchin to do whatever it takes to pass the For the People Act.
You all sound more savvy than I. The only problem I see is since your observations are really thoughts and hopes with no observables, if this is not what is happening, the time it takes to discover that is lost.
David, I agree with you that we can’t just sit back and expect Biden’s good deeds to speak for themselves. Democrats, for far too long, didn’t go on the offensive with the result that laws, judges, etc. were all put in place by the Republicans and now we have a massive hill to climb. We need to publicize loudly and by as many voices as possible, that the election was NOT stolen.
Cathy, you could not have said it better! Let’s keep quietly welcoming each former T voter, if there is a chance. I have already seen small healing gestures among neighbors. Two houses nearby (in Missouri, remember) have stopped flying T flags. One has invited people to a small birthday gathering, including a household with a BLM sign in window. In Kansas My son’s very MAGA neighbor tapped elbows and agreed “we are neighbors first”. Then he explained his fears about real estate, pensions, losing his dreams while a family member is ill. Fear.
The Biden Harris complete lack of outrage speak will continue to give people space to feel less anger. I hope they start to refocus on rebuilding an honorable party. As to Formerly powerful Mi#&ch. he just does not know he is history. Ignore him.
Cathy, my part of KCMO is racially and ethnically diverse, overwhelmingly "Blue," and, although still mostly working- and middle-class, is being yuppified as the housing stock gets more scarce and prices go up. The few T flags that were in the neighborhood were overwhelmed by the "Together We Rise," rainbow, and BLM signs and flags. These neighbors are now being remarkably friendly to those of us whose politics are clearly not their own. There are a few who still are sporting false white supremacy symbols (the dopes who think that Scandinavian runes actually mean what the Nazis say they do). But they are clearly not feeling the need to be noisy. As the city becomes more prosperous and the mayor continues to do what he promised to do when elected, all the boats are being lifted by the rising tide. This will change minds in ways that politics cannot.
Yes, I feel the tide is turning as the stimulus checks go out, the For the People Act gathers momentum, and the American jobs plan starts to be real. The economic report today is a very positive indicator. When people finally realize that President Biden is making their lives better rather than Wall Street and the billionaires they will come around. When a GQP person says Trump kept his promises I like to ask if they personally feel better off than they did four or five years ago. Here in Texas there are still plenty of Trump flags on the back of pick-up trucks. But I do feel the tide is beginning to turn.
Linda, hello. I did not know you were here too. Glad for what you see. I am north of river but thank the powers that be, and voters, every day for Mayor Lucas!
I think you’re right Linda.
I sure welcome any signs of healing and general friendliness.
Cathy, I agree 100%
“We the People, All of us This Time” 🇺🇸❤️🤍💙
Totally
Cathy, I stand with Andrea and Liz.
AGREE!
Unfortunately, telling cult members they're involved in a cult doesn't ever get them to voluntarily give up the cult.
Well, perhaps not all Trump supporters are cult members. A few may only be misinformed.
Nope. Trumpism is a cult. And if they weren't all aboard before, all the Republicans are now. I wish it was otherwise. Now is not the time to be Chamberlain at Munich.
Hating government and taxes allowed too many Republicans to "hold their nose" and vote for Trump and they will continue to vote against higher taxes and more government even as they accept money from government programs. There is no changing this mindset, it's how they became wealthy, and they think it is a zero sum game and want to pull the ladder up behind themselves .
The base of 74 million are not wealthy billionaires, there are only about 600 of them. The Repugnant Party is supported by billionaires and idiots and every Repugnant should look in their wallet to see which one they are.
Though I agree entirely, I think we also must include abortion (the desire to control women's bodies) as a major motivator.
Elizabeth, I cannot deny that what you say is partially true, and the cynical ultra-rich, convinced they will always find a way to stay safe and comfortable, will likely double down on this GOP mindset. However, I believe they are greatly outnumbered by wanna-be millionaires who are, in fact - after 40 years of Reaganistic governance - having trouble making ends meet, working too many hours for shitty pay or not working at all and trying to keep their kids off oxycontin, all this while the truly rich keep getting richer and the folks who they believe are not "real " Americans seem (to them) to be right on their heels. I mean, some Trumpies might be convinced to switch to the Democrats for what most Democrats think are all the wrong reasons. So be it. I say it beats having them rampage through the Capitol chasing wild conspiracy theories.
I do not believe that any mindset cannot be changed, however hard it may seem, and this certainly can't be plan A for Biden. But I think if the dike springs a leak, the sea could be rushing through it in a hurry
I think it comes down to who they blame for their poverty, though. If the rich people and their sycophants are to blame, then what Biden is doing will make sense to them. But if it's the fault of people of color, immigrants, and women's rights, then the Rs have the lies all ready for them.
Yes
It is truly a zero sum game for these people. And unfortunately when one side plays it the other side ends up, as the Dems have, playing catch up. The Republicans have truly become Repugnants. They are not other but they define you and I as other.
At least they can be called out.
TCinLA, I think you are overstating your case a bit. There must be a few Republicans who have - at times - been convinced that the Democratic party is run by Marxist/Leninists, or who hate having to pay taxes but who have not bought into all of Trump's foolishness, and maybe are not complete idiots and could even change their minds about what really happened in the last election. Maybe a few of them thought invading the US Capitol was a bit over the top and even know that calling Biden a commie is political hyperbole. Maybe they understand that the GOP has not been governing well lately (not since Ike, and even Tricky Dicky signed a couple of good bills when he wasn't being too tricky) and are ready for something new.
Of course, if you are right that we are in a moment somehow similar to the eve of WW2, even if Biden's speech were to fall on..... un-listening ears, well, no harm done. There would still be time for him to ram his legislation through, assuming he could pry Manchin and a few others off their ultra-moderate fence. Nothing wrong with trying a little persuasion first.
It seems to me that we are in our own unique moment. It’s not 1928-1932 when people were plunged into a depression the likes of which had never been seen before. They were thus desperate enough and so vulnerable as to look for a savior. Hitler provided that option. With his bold economic moves and calculated strikes at the Treaty of Versailles, he became in many people’s eyes the savior they craved.
We’ve been there and done that already. Without a world war and without the suicide of Trump, America has returned to an uneasy sort of nether world where democracy has barely prevailed and the remnants of a movement towards strong man government lie around us.
I agree with TCinLA that we cannot argue with those captivated by a cult. I agree with him too that there are many millions who hold to their beliefs blindly in order to preserve even a modicum of self respect (and the respect of their cloth-headed community).
However, this train won’t leave the station again. Trump has long since passed his high water mark. He is floundering, disgorging the same tired message over and over again. It has no relevance now and repeated iterations of it will resonate less and less with his followers who are trickling away of their accord.
The Republicans gave up on party when they bought into Trump. They are in for a spectacular fall, a fall so epic that to stave it off they are counting on the likes of Joe Manchin to preserve them. Imagine being that spectacularly impoverished.
The rotten timbers are already beginning to snap. Matt Gaetz this week. The January 6 plotters in the House are going to be exposed legally. There will be a wash of other revelations, now that the Trump NDA has been ruled unenforceable. More books. More fuel for the fire.
With time and distance those who hung on to their jobs in the face of the pandemic by submitting to the anti-science mantra of the Trump regime will be revealed as the grifters they were. The stench of Redfield, Birx, Azar et al will be firmly attached to the Republican Party. The verdict on the needless 400 000 deaths will be given long before historians amplify it and will similarly cling to the Republicans.
Voter suppression laws in state legislatures will not be tolerated. They are a desperate rearguard action which only serves to illustrate the paucity of ideas in this particular opposition. They are a party of schemers, not planners.
After the crash, the long term consequences are worrying to some degree. The Democrats may in time come to view themselves as the Natural Governing Party and if that happens, they will, bit by bit, fall prey to corruption. America needs a clean, hard-fighting party in opposition - one that is prepared to take the reins of government.
For now though, there will be carnage. The Republican collapse is going to be fearful. And deserved.
From your lips to God’s ears.
Eric, what an excellent comment. Bravo! I think I will save it and then compare your predictions with events as they happen. Yours is, however, a best-case scenario, and I still worry that the Democrats will somehow screw it up, squander their demographic advantage, overreach, under perform, or perhaps do things in the wrong order, seem incompetent and lose elections they really must win.
In the long run, until parents see fit to have their children schooled with children of different skin colors, ethnicities, religions and economic circumstances, our racism and xenophobia and class privilege will continue to plague us. It always astounds me that with all we humans have in common with one another, we continue to view the "other" as a threat, and there is nothing primitive about this; it is totally modern and exacerbated by the wonders of modern communication. As if global warming were not enough of a problem for human beings to solve....
Anyway, I hope you are right about the imminent demise of the GOP. Thanks for this food for thought.
Brilliant!
I have a hard time picturing a clown 🤡 supporter seeing the truth of what we have experienced for the last four years, even belatedly, it’s been slapping them in the face for the entire time. In my opinion if you really believe that the election was stolen you have your head up your ass, it’s that simple, that there might be 75 million of them doesn’t change the truth of it as I see it.
Even the orange menace voters who held their noses and disliked the Jan.6 attacks, believe it was more or less caused by the racial justice protests in the summer, etc, etc - and will believe that until the people they are following tell them otherwise. Anyone capable of seeing that it's all a scam has figured it out by now.
I can't deny it, you may be right, hope you're not.
Eve of WW2? No, not really. more accurate would be to say, 1928-1932-Germany, or closer still Italy.
I agree, invoking Neville Chamberlain is a bit premature. There may be a way to get from where we are to where we need to be without widespread violence.
Yep. The Fed can not print their way out of this one. Take a close look, but hold your nose.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-adrs-whipsaw-amid-delisting-172924156.html
Oh. No.
They just aren't members of the Republican party any more. You can find the people you're talking about in the Never Trump movement and over at places like the Bulwark. Adam Kinzinger is making a fight out of staying in the party, and given his district in Illinois, he might pull it off, but the odds are very much against him, as he acknowledges. Look at what the party does to dissenters like the ten congresscritters who voted for impeachment or the senators who voted to convict. That's what the Republican Party is. If President Truman wasn't 100% correct back in 1948, he certainly is now: "The only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies.
As to "trying a little persuasion first," that's been done. Look at McConnell's statement yesterday to see how much good it did - he's proud to oppose everything and plans to continue, with all the R's in the Senate.
This isn't Hitler reclaiming the Rhineland in 1936 - this is Hitler taking the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939 and starting to make comments about Poland.
Jeez, TC, guess I'm lucky to be living in Italy these days. How are things in LA?
Is the United States a sovereign country? Tim Snyder has some answers and more questions.
https://soundcloud.com/user-998760545?fbclid=IwAR15JAnCJcwzbp9UQTUUTenBgKmKiLhQBDsIFiUj7ZiW_WV-pnGwIqfPLms
Yes. But most wouldn't belive it until Fox "News" said it. So Fox "News" needs to be made to say it. Would be nice if that was part of their settlement with Dominion and Smartmatic. Actually THAT would be brilliant!
In FL, the Republicans you speak of all flipped to Independent a long time ago.
Yeah, Florida's got a real problem.
Well stated, David. I know several people like that. Won't speak to the rest.
Too many non-cult Republicans chose not to run again. It's scary they gave up on their party.
They were scared for their lives actually.
I say welcome to our world, MaryPat! Women are perpetually scared for their lives--as are Dems in supposedly Red states. They need to grow a pair (of ovaries) and get on with it.
Yes. Being primaried is one thing; getting credible death threats against your family and yourself is another. And that's what they get from the Hang-Mike-Pence Caucus.
TC time for the Bulldog in all of us to come out.
I think it's pretty clear that it's a continuum. There is the cult of true believers, but they are dwarfed by the massive number of people who see him as a somewhat repellent means to an end, and the end varies from one to another. Guns, abortion, taxes, freedom to do what you damn well please, greed, power, white supremacy, male supremacy, heterosexual supremacy, cis-gendered supremacy--you name it, they believe he will promote it and cynically attach themselves to indecency.
Perfectly put!
Agree
If they are still Trumpians, then they are firmly embedded in the cult.
This may be, but is hard to prove and almost beside the point. What matters is how people vote and how they behave towards one another. Clearly the GOP is having a very bad moment and trying to rally Republicans around.... something. But, if all they have to offer is continued insistence that the election was stolen from Trump - in the absence of any evidence of this -- then they don't really have very much apart from their same old anti-tax, antigovernment, anti-immigrant, anti-science, anti-BIPOC, anti-LGBTQ, misogynist, pro-gun message (did I miss a few antis?) which improves no one's life and is anti -historical. I think they are on a very self-destructive trajectory. My only worries are the SCOTUS and the GOP's control of so many state legislatures and what will happen if they resort to Jan. 6th style violence again and have to be put down.... harshly. It is the nature of cults led by charismatic narcissists to end badly. Just a matter of time. The sooner the better.
Cult members are not unlike addicts. They cling to the very thing that is destroying their lives. Peer pressure from other addicts/cultists perpetuates the cycle. I don’t believe attacking or shaming is useful.
When I talk to my Republican family members, I focus on issues that matter to them. When we find common ground I point it out. When we disagree, I don’t argue, I ask questions. By gently probing our differences I often learn something. Slowly, I’m trying to remove the toxicity and reactive comments. I don’t believe there is any quick fix.
I wonder if Biden is doing something similar on a national level.
I think he’s looking for any possibility of bipartisanship and healing and his empathetic personality really helps.
I agree totally, but invariably my first question to trumper relatives is "Whattareyou, Nuts?!" I could use some training.
Just deep breaths and patience. The only agenda I take into these conversations is to understand. I can usually diffuse a diatribe pretty quickly. If not I walk away. Everyone knows they can talk to me about anything, but, I won’t tolerate abusive language. It’s part of my nature and may not work for everyone.
Thank You.
My maiden name is from the French for "love." I will try to keep that and your wise counsel in mind, Ms. Love.
The cult members may not stop "doubling down" on the big lies, but I think this is the MOST important message we need to hear directly from Biden's lips. Lies, all lies. Something like, enough is enough already. Or is this just nasty politics as usual in our long history of nasty politics? I think not, we need direct, clear leadership. Our house is on fire imho.
“The Cult of Trump” by David Hassan, psychologist is a good read comparing to DT ism actual cults. Direct challenges to a cult members belief system seldom works. Several chapters explain the way out of any cult.
The problem is that those who are in a cult never believe they are in a cult, but are clear-eyed. Any cult documentary reveals this conundrum. For starters, watch Leah Remini's "Scientology and the Aftermath" for a closer look.
I wonder if Dr. Jill has read this book and is coaching hubby with his responses these days. It wouldn't surprise me to know that their "pillow talk" is more elevated than that of the former FLOTUS! (That's a not very good attempt at sarcasm.) I definitely want to read this. Thanks!
I’m glad to never be in a cult to begin wi thank you.th
Ty, another book to add to my list!
Unfortunately, this is true. And it is especially true if they are people who have invested some sense of their identity or ambition with Trump's base, even if they aren't cultists. For instance, politicians hoping to co-opt the T base for their own future agendas, whether national, state, or local.
An example: in a western state that I shall leave unnamed, a young evangelist small business owner (inherited) with a high-school diploma, was appointed to the legislature of a western state. This happened at a time when Republicans of both houses were using minutiae in the operating rules to stall action and bring the ability of the legislature to function to a halt. Then the pandemic hit. In the 2021 session, some Republicans who retained a sense of honor worked with the Dems on developing programs to address the health and economic needs of the state, and made a good run at catching up on essential budgetary business left over from the previous session.
During this time, somehow (I do not even want to know how, though I know people I could just ask) the young senator was selected minority leader. Shortly after that the Republican Party of Oregon (the party itself, not linked to the legislature, composed of self-identified "conservative" citizens along with, I imagine, honored donors) fired their president for not being vicious enough in his criticism of the Dems- a requirement these days, it appears, for Republican leadership. They replaced the ousted president with the previously mentioned young senator. I say "young" because of the maturity level which he has exhibited throughout the current session. Early in the first Senate floor session, he asked for a minute to speak to the members of the Senate, which he was granted. He embarked on a haranguing on several topics that are the backbone of the Extreme Right and refused to yield the floor. Asked and then directed to leave, he removed his mask and slowly walked down the center aisle, reading aloud from the bible (version unknown) and accompanied by two masked State Police officers keeping their distance behind him.
For several weeks he was absent without excuse. He has returned, but refuses to undertake any of the responsibilities of his office. On the Senate floor (which I hasten to assure is well-separated, with only the errant senator unmasked), he refuses to vote or even sign in.
The Senate President-pro-tem, as part of his/her duties, calls the names of those whose votes are not recorded to ensure that no one is missed. This man, though clearly present, refuses to answer. The other day the pro-tem repeated his name half a dozen times, asking "Do you intend to vote?" (This is also part of the process.) Finally, the renegade answered loudly and angrily "NO!". He apparently left then, and was recorded as absent without excuse on each of the many following votes.
His district is effectively without representation in the Senate. The media in the district either pretty much glosses over what is going on in the Capital, or is so far to the extreme right that even straight news stories are bent. It is surreal to read in this day and age, like something left over from 1890.
I haven't checked the House reps in the region yet. In the past session House Republicans were not as reactionary as in the Senate, but used some of the same tactics. I haven't been paying much attention to them this year. There is only a backlog in the Senate process, while House bills seem to be flowing through in a timely way. One of these days, I'll watch and see. Maybe.
One man, poorly educated (and boasts of it), uninformed about almost everything that doesn't fit his preconceptions about how the world works, is attempting to hold an entire state hostage. It appears that he will fail, but his district is likely to keep electing people like him.
I had relatives who lived in this area a long time ago- they wanted a small town to raise their children in. My uncle taught music in the local schools. After their second year, they moved to a town in another state, midway between two major cities. The town they left became a place we just passed through on our way to visit. It is as if they live in a world with a wall around it.
The cult leader needs a little help in imploding as exploding him without his help is likely to create a martyr. The more that he can be encouraged to react in direct contradiction to his own purported "image" the more confusion you sow in the "republican" spirit".....as saying mind might be an oxymoron.
The lack of oxygen in that cult of tRump has created the oxymorons.
Ha! Took me a minute...
Ox and morons definitely that have evolved to live without oxygen and breathing CO2 and NO (nitrous oxide)...in the superhot, polluted world.
True
How do we address the issue of cultists?
I agree, the 74 million nut cases got used to listening directly from their coniver in chief. They believed all his lies. Biden needs to speak directly to us, at least when our democracy is still under attack. Point out the attackers in clear, concise soundbites that any 5th grader could understand. Sigh.
Yes, but it needs to be carried by Fox and other right wing media. No one will listen if it's not available in their language.
Fox will carry direct president's words. After all, "president's words matter."
Which president? Fox would undoubtedly find reason to deny all that a Biden speech would bring to the public attention.
And unlike Obama, he needs to come out and say these things because they need to be said, not out of any sense of political calculation. Some things have got to be said out loud by the president and when our basic values are under attack he needs to speak out clearly.
Believe....or find the way their "leader" characterizes the Dems as "funny" and.... as in chatter in bars....exaggeration is "allowed" when you are laughing at people. It allows them to feel superior despite the circumstances of most.....pure "white trash" psychology!
The current state of close to 1/2 our citizenry.
The audience for reason and truth is not die-hard Republicans, but suggesting that it is fruitless to speak truth because these folks won't listen is wrong-headed. Many people begin to develop political awareness in their teens and early twenties. They are not yet hardened and are still receptive. The right-wing media universe is loud and pervasive. We should not surrender future voters to it without a fight. Suggesting that it's hopeless to reason with "them" is probably true, but "they" are not the only ones listening.
Right on!
I will give you naïveté again (and again ad nauseam): Why are we having to put up with seditionists in our chambers. Why do we not get rid of these anti-Americans instead of pretending we are trying to work with a party that hates democracy? What is the point? There is one easy way to stop this fragility-- slap lawsuits on all of the who signed the sedition paper and promoted insurrection and the Big Lie that stated our last election was illegal when it was not. Let Truth and Justice prevail against the party of Sedition and lies. I apologize that I am so naive to think such thoughts.
When we get rid of them, where will we put them, and who will replace them? To each his/her own naiveté. I agree the Justice Dept. should go after them, no holds barred, and anyone who was injured or otherwise messed with during the insurrection should lawyer up and go for it. As for Truth and Justice, our Supreme Court will have the last word, unfortunately. But if we think enough thoughts, one will be the thought of thoughts that will save us from ourselves. I hope.
I fear the Supreme Court is, has been for a long time, and will continue to be, one of our biggest problems, as it seems to have been for the last 50 years. (Adam Cohen: Supreme Injustice). I am horrified at what I am learning, and will continue to be extremely concerned at its influence over our lives, support for big money, and indifference to lesser mortals.
I agree, but there are a number of problems that can only be solved by Constitutional amendment. This venerable document is really showing its age.
We have a phenomenal candidate to replace our seditionist congressman for northern Michigan and the U.P. - someone actually from our state instead of Louisiana (the guy bought a cabin here shortly before the election. Is that a key Republican strategy?). Maybe they will take him back.
I have to think, though, of how my 3 smart, kind, educated trumper brothers and my 1 "nutcase" Proud Boy neighbor would react to hearing "Sleepy Joe" (if they would listen at all) say "that their leaders are lying to them, that there is zero evidence that the last election was stolen from them, and that they have lost touch with reality if they still believe it was stolen." I suspect they'd just dig in deeper to their twisted beliefs. You are not naive - a speech from The President once held value and power for this same crowd (even before the former guy). But my brothers and my neighborhood insurrectionist won't believe a word of it. So, Biden is saying it through his rescue package, his infrastructure bill, his calm governance, his stock market numbers, his superb appointees. Now if Fox "News" said those same words about tRump and Republicans suppressing the vote - WOW!!
I envy you your in-the-family, up close and personal contact with real Trumpers, maybe not so much your Proud Boy neighbor. Here in Italy Trump was viewed as just the latest scary American weirdness, and most folks - apart from some proto and not-so-proto fascists - are glad he's gone, or so it seems to them despite my protestations that we will most likely hear more from him sooner or later. I'm sure you have the virtues of kindness and patience and, as we all know, love conquers all. You're certainly right that FOX would have more sway with these folks than Biden. Good luck to you and your brothers!
We are communicating again on only safe subjects. Now I have to watch The Voice and cook mexican food to relate. So sad to think how the world sees us here. And even sadder is you are right. The former guy ain't all that past tense.
MaryPat, you know full well that Faux will never utter those words, but you deserve credit for hoping. I'm feeling more hopeful about everything now that the four year water torture is easing!
He already did this David--several times in the last two weeks. He called the GA laws "Jim Crow 2.0" in his nationally televised news conference. When asked and when possible to insert it he has said this in public since then. His press office has also made it clear they are aware of what is going on.
5th graders do not understand "Jim Crow". I have 5th generation friends who do not understand! This is unfortunately, our current state of our union.
It's an opportunity to teach them about it - any 5th graders listening to Presidential speeches are ready to understand some history.
Yes, he and Jenn have both been clear. They just do not rant, insult, and interrupt. That makes their words much more powerful!
I think he needs to say it more and on a better stage than a news conference.
We know from the T=&*p playbook that repeatedly saying something works. The Biden Harris admin members are doing that. Every chance they get. And on Fox where they still say “Mr. Biden”.
David, this was in this morning's WaPo feed:
At the White House
BIDEN WEIGHS IN ON GEORGIA: “In an interview aired on ESPN, Biden said he would ‘strongly support’ players who believe Major League Baseball should move the summer All-Star Game from Truist Stadium, the home of the Atlanta Braves — a site eight miles from where Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed the new election measures into law,” our colleague Cleve R. Wootson Jr. reports.
“Biden called Georgia’s new slate of voting rules ‘a blatant attack on the right to vote, the Constitution and good conscience’ and ‘un-American.’ Later he declared it ‘Jim Crow on steroids.’"
Context: “Georgia has become a key battleground in the partisan fight over voting rights, as Democrats in Washington attempt to push through far-reaching legislation aimed at dramatically expanding access to elections.”
Meanwhile, in Texas, “corporate giants American Airlines and Dell Technologies on Thursday became the first business heavyweights to lend their opposition to Republicans’s legislative proposals to restrict voting” in the state, the Texas Tribune's Alexa Ura reports.
The proposed legislation prohibits “extended or overnight voting hours, outlaws drive-through voting, makes it illegal for local election officials to proactively send applications to vote by mail voters, allows partisan poll watchers to video record voters and sets specific rules for the distribution of polling places in the state’s largest counties.”
It’s not just Texas and Georgia.
Yea!!! I so agree. This is what we elected him for. He is going 'reasonable governance' well and that is good but not enough.
Perhaps some naivete is in order these days. It wouldn't hurt to hear from Biden. Although Delta, Coca Cola and Microsoft are late to the table, they're better late than never. If Georgia gets too heavy handed with Delta, it could blow up in their face. Delta and Coke might be too heavily invested in Atlanta to leave, but I'm sure they have other ways to put the pinch on the Republicans, and this will energize Democrats everywhere that is practicing disenfranchisement.
Agreed.
Biden should call out Trump specifically by name telling him it’s time to put up or shut up about his claims of massive voter fraud. Now is the time, today, to present to the world his proof.
Speak now or forever hold your peace.
The ones losing touch with reality of the last 5 years are anyone labeled a Republican and Trumplican. Shockingly crazy.
David, I think that there cannot not be too much truth telling. More than Biden but including him, a 'Truth' campaign emanating from the White House is warranted. I am suggesting a series of creative spots, which utilize entertaining modes of communication - drama, humor, clarity and performance, along with visual techniques, which enhance interest, the facts and recall. Fact checking would be the foundation of this endeavor but not the sole aspect of each presentation, perhaps serve as a coda for each spot. While many pieces would correct the lies; which the Republicans promulgate, others would indicate what is actually being done to improve our lives and to look forward to The American public yearns for moral clarity and trust. A 'Nothing but the Truth' campaign would satisfy the public interest as it serves the truth tellers and the country as well. We are looking for good news and hope, too. The Truth campaign will be a vehicle promoting our new and positive direction as it corrects the falsehoods spread by the Republicans, Dark Money and on social-media sites.
A traveling democracy minstrel show?!
That’s an amusing idea but not what I had in mind. I’m imagining clever, sharp and striking 1 minute pieces for tv, cable and social media - stylish, memorable and to the point. These ‘Nothing but the Truth’ spots need a hook as 60 Minutes has with the stopwatch - maybe a bell ringing...
I LIKE!!
Thank you MaryPat. I think, perhaps, the spots would need more like a minute and a half or two, at the most. Wishing you and the family a lovely Easter Holiday.
Then there's my son in LA who is Executive Assistant to a famous TV/Movie director...
I thiink you are on to something extraordinary!! Advertise the truth! I would like to run this by my daughter, who is a voice actor and writer, for her perspective. She does commercials, news, and History Channel's "This Day in History" for smart speakers, if that's okay by you. This is brilliant.
MaryPat, I am honored by your support. I would love to know what your daughter thinks as well as the rest of the family. Your 'Advertise the truth' is catchy and TRUE!
Being a fellow David I share in your naïveté.
I have another friend named David who is much more naive than I am, but he's a charming fellow nonetheless, like most Davids.
Davids do tend to be charming people (Duke notwithstanding). I wonder why that is? Does the name make the man? Sadly, the sample size of Reids is far too small to draw any conclusion about whether we are all irascible.
I've never met anyone named Reid, but I have met several Reeds. Perhaps the "i" is for "irascible"?
You may be on to something! And see how charmingly you said that? You Davids just can't help yourselves.
You guys are a hoot! Has anyone noticed that this tussling is new to the flock since Joe assumed the throne? Who wanted to joke and jab while we were in the throes of Failed45? BTW, I have a brother David. Sometimes he's charming, but not always . . . .
Not naive at all
MLB taking the All-Star game away from Georgia, and other economic retaliation against the Confederacy will be the "stick" with which the White Male Southern "Mule" gets hit over the head, so it knows we're here. It would also help if these companies would start lobbying in favor of H.R.1/S.1 because the only way the hydra can be defeated is to cut off all the heads back below the neck.
The "cultways" of the far right have to be smashed.
A tiny plug for the Nytimes who released an article about three days ago calling out corporations who had remained silent. The role of good journalists endures in our democracy
I agree with your sentiments entirely on a human level. The only problem that I see here is perhaps wanting things both ways. Can we encourage these economic organizations to lobby for things we like but complain when they massively fund politicians of which we don't approve? I feel that we should of course in theory end up deciding that Corporations have a duty to obey the law and accept that society has a right to impose by that law obligations that incurr economic penalties or costs for the greater good but which might not concurr with their own expressed corporate values. I also would suggest that lobbying expenditures, be they "advice" to politicians or payments to whoever who is "in or near the game" be classified with much advertising as not deductable costs when calculating corporate or personal income tax as they are intended mostly to subvert, change or create needs oe desires which we don't necessarily either really need or want and even which can be both detrimental to our wellbeing and the planet. I would suggest that all of this requires their money to be taken decisively out of the "free speech" category protected by the constitution and that any political expenditures made nonetheless be open to challenge in court and damages if proven responsible for pain, anguish or loss.
HOWEVER, in a situation of crisis where the rights of everyone are menaced by insurrection and galloping autocratic invasion of our democratic political system by people only concerned with their own power and wealth then it is all hands on deck for the battle......but thereafterwards we send the corporations and their money back where it belongs into the working economy generating jobs and wealth for the people and supporting mother nature.
"Can we encourage these economic organizations to lobby for things we like but complain when they massively fund politicians of which we don't approve? " Of course we can, and we should, up until the moment we are able to get corporations out of politics.
We are very much on the same wavelength. All is fare in love and in war!
Re "I would suggest that all of this requires their money to be taken decisively out of the "free speech" category protected by the constitution." Free speech for corporations is not in the Bill of Rights.
Spot on, Stuart. Well said, and I completely agree.
What Kathy said!
TC, I hope companies nationwide follow your advice and support H.R.1/S.1
What the Great State of Virginia is doing:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/02/us/politics/virginia-voting-rights-northam.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
When we know better, we do better.
Lynell, I'm glad you are one of the Commonwealth of Virginia's residents, a state I grow more proud of as it turns bluer and bluer! Let's keep this going!
Absolutely agree, Alexander. And did you hear about the State Supreme Court's decision on the removal of confederate statues? Here it is: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/virginia-supreme-court-clears-way-for-removal-of-charlottesvilles-confederate-statues/ar-BB1fcX6e?ocid=uxbndlbing
As it turns out, MLB decided to listen to TCinLA (you do know the sun won't rise if the rooster doesn't crow about it, right?). They have announced this morning that the All-Star Game will not be played in Georgia, due to the Georgia voter suppression law.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/voting-rights-mlb-kemp-georgia-baseball
In addition to not letting up on the rhetoric, the most important action companies and corporate leaders can do now is shut off the money supply that feeds these repressive republicans.
YES!
Yes...but...that works in the longer time frame than that we have available for the mid-terms.
Perhaps not if they are very public about it.
So, in every single one of the 43 states where Republicans are using voter suppression as a lever to hold onto power, the fulcrum stands… on a marsh.
If we switch briefly from metaphor to weird reality, the entire scam depends upon one man’s hypnotic power to make his followers believe whatever he wants them to believe, despite conclusive evidence conclusively confirmed to the contrary.
The scam no longer depends on sleight-of-hand but on over four years of incessant conditioning to make believers believe whatever the hypnotist tells them, even when the message at 3 p.m. is the opposite of that put out at 11 a.m..
Since the whole enterprise is grounded in pure fantasy, descriptions are forced back onto metaphors like that of the Emperor’s New Clothes or the villain in a Tex Avery cartoon running over a cliff edge and keeping on running… until he too realizes there’s no ground under his feet… when he falls.
All this makes the Big Lie seem a very childish action with no power to harm, but that is not so. On the contrary, it threatens immense potential danger for the State. The Taiping uprising in mid-19th century China was grounded in one villager’s visions of himself as the brother of Jesus Christ bringing a Heavenly Kingdom. Civil war lasted 13 years and tens of millions died.
Businessmen may not like all that the new Administration brings but their common concern is with the foundations of the economy. Unless they wish to see the country's future jeopardized all for nothing, it will be in their interest to work with -- and thus influence -- the powers that be, not those that were.
Carl Sagan summed it up when he said
“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”
― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
There’s a huge problem here in people’s propensity to have blind faith in things that are absolutely incompatible, a tendency that is overdeveloped in America; one that lays people open to delusions and to the total misinterpretation of science, reason and religion.
The strangest thing—though, in one way or another, this kind of thing has happened time and again in history—is how self-professed Christians have been taken in by this demonic pseudo-Father figure. If they were able to attend to Christ’s message and abandon the adoration of Mammon for just one moment, daylight would get in and dispel their delusion.
Any genuine religion—as opposed to worshipping shattered splinters of a confused idea of God—would have the same effect.
Which could be the reason church membership is dropping. People are rejecting what the modern church has become. When we moved to the South we dropped our church membership, we found most southern churches to be more like country clubs and Yankees not wanted.
I believe that many Christians have no idea that Christ’s messages of love, and that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” are what is important. Too many believe that faith in the name is all you need. This leads to an easy explanation for what has happened, Jesus has been supplanted. Faith is all they have.
Alas, is that faith? Sounds like a cheap talisman, a counterfeit token. An alibi for irresponsibility.
"The Kingdom" is not a somewhere else, promised at another time.
"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."
Weird how such a radical, immensely demanding religion can have been reduced to a means of imposing social conformism.
They take shelter in the institution and the community it creates. It follows the history of the Catholic Church from 400 AD as a "political" organization protecting the faithful and offering up themselves as both controller of mores and mediator with God....as most people have difficulty handling the demands personal responibility implicit in a more direct relationship.
Mutually contradictary instructions/obligations are also recognized as triggers of episodes of schizophrenia!
Gregory Bateson called that 'the double bind'. Indeed, I need to think this through but perhaps that is exactly what is going on at a societal level. Nice play Stuart.
I think the abortion issue blinds many of them.
Reid, you're touching something there. "Blinds" is the right word too.
To be a little kinder and more understanding, people have every reason to feel lost in a world in which change, social, economic and technological, is unprecedented and forever accelerating. One would have to be stupid and insensitive never to feel alienated. Alienated by the take-over of our lives by alien forces that have no longer any connection with our human bodies, our minds or our shared household.
As far as I’m concerned, this compels humans to stop messing around and ask ourselves the most basic questions: What, who are we? What do we think we are doing here? What do we really need? What do we really want? Especially the first question. The others flow from it.
Socrates is said to have spent a whole morning looking at a market stall selling bric-a-brac. When one of his students picked up the courage to ask him what was so special about it, he replied: “Isn’t it wonderful? All these things I don’t need!”
This is significant, I think. On an individual level, I've noticed that helping others change can involve helping them maintain their self-regard as they face wrongs they've committed. Not sure how that applies on the level of society, but I know that it takes more finesse than displaying a superior attitude. I wish we'd learn this lesson.
The truth of equality is a hard one to swallow and digest. The Germans took the bitter pill in 1949, having no choice but to face the truth: “Human dignity shall be inviolable”—the dignity of ALL human beings without exception—this is the foundation of the German constitution. However, the victors failed to apply the same high standard to themselves.
A truth hard for oppressors and their heirs whose collective self-image is wedded to delusions of superiority, while stirring uneasily in the darkest shadows of their unconscious lurk phantoms of guilt and shame which, when they come to light, often take the form of yet more violent aggression projected against the usual victims who, by their mere presence, remind the would-be masters of a heritage of guilt.
Hard for the oppressed, heavily conditioned by all the filth, the shape-shifting evil, the fear and hatred endlessly projected against them. Often it will feel safer for these victims to play the vile parts reserved for them by their self-appointed “betters”. Under the circumstances, is it surprising that the 2016 Republican line-up of presidential candidates should have looked like a page out of a psychiatric manual showing specimens of narcissistic perversion? A page into which the winner, with his in-your-face narcissism and imposition of “superiority” didn’t even fit.
There’s no space left for the oppressed, no time. They breathe the same air, but—as we have seen—on sufferance. Although the Declaration of Independence states that they too “are created equal” the oppressors arrogate unto themselves a monopoly right to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”.
Becky, you speak as one who understands education, the need to make students feel they are even better than they really are, freeing space so that they may rise to the occasion. What the oppressor understandably fears is blowback, that when victims are freed from all that has long weighed them down, they too may indulge in delusions of superiority. Hence the all-important role of education, including cradle-to-grave civic education. Hence the resistance of those privileged beings whose mindset of poverty assumes there is not enough liberty and happiness to go round…
The Germans did have a choice in 1949. They are to be commended for the one they made. Other countries who had been conquered into the Nazi orbit - Austria and Poland come to mind - did not face the truth.
As further support of what Sagan said.
. When the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme came to light, some of his biggest defenders were his victims‼️ They were too sophisticated, too rich, too smart to get taken in by a Ponzi scheme. What a massive blow to their ego that must have been.
What a brilliant and succinct observation Carl Sagan was a truly amazing man.
You don't get it back without serious dammage to your ego......a good lesson which many prefer to avoid.
So many people equate admitting they've been wrong with humbling themselves, bowing down. If they only knew that, if the admission is genuine, you raise yourself to your full height and gain dignity, not lose it.
It strikes at the heart of our attitude towards failure...as a result of personal incompetence or inadequacies.
Yes.
The rot goes much deeper than one man, though. He was simply the right person in the right place at the right time to take advantage of pre-existing bigotry and fear.
True.
All Trump did was release the genie of hate from the bottle.
Question is, how do you put it back?
Problem is, there never was a bottle, so there's nothing to put it back into. The virulent hatred is simply now at the forefront, or so it seems to me. Trump is the modern incarnation of Jim Crow, lynching, head bashing on the Edmund Pettus bridge, and slave ownership. The hate remains the same, only the costumes change.
Trump gave the haters permission to come out of the closet, so to speak. Parading around in public with high powered rifles and nazi symbols is OK. Sedition is OK. “There are good people on both sides.” is OK.
There is no turning back.
Wow! And I thought I was the pessimist around here! I am in the camp of people who think this is the last gasp of the white, male patriarchy and they will wane. The real question is whether their passing will be too late for our democracy and the health of the planet. I fear so.
The one man, taken in isolation, is NOTHING. As was Hitler. What's deadly is the combination between the voice and its mass following. The voice that utters all the rage, resentment, prejudices buried in what a bitter Nazi-hating German described as those "psychic catacombs in which all our concealed desires, our fearful dreams and evil spirits, our vices and our forgotten and unexpiated sins, have been buried for generations."
For sure
He is not the reason. Read Heather's past posts on her blog. Watch her videods - past and present. The Republican party has been a corporate money, white wealthy male party since the 50s. It has lost intellectual members like William F. Buckley. There are no more intellectuals to be found among the elephants. It stopped being able to work across the aisle since the Newt. It became desperate for members and courted the evangelicals. It is now a few old white racist men clawing to hold onto their power because their cowardice keeps them in bed with white supremacists.
Yes
Well said, Peter.
Thanks Heather.
Although I did read your past 2 letters, that was the extent of my involvement. I have been completely sidelined by a particularly nasty reaction to my 2nd Pfizer vaccine. I do hope everyone is getting their 1st and 2nd shots. I am seeing more peer review (Pfizer) that boosters are going to be needed as variants unveil themselves. This should be an expected discovery as we learn more about this pandemic.
That said.
I wonder when someone will call out the GOP for their in plain site lies to the degree that it will make a difference. So far, no one has. It's as though , collectively, this Nation is fine with the perpetual Big Lie. Why is that? The GOP was already fleshing out "The Big Lie" on day 1 of Trumps Presidency as the rest of us sat back in the misaligned illusion that we won Democracy and everything will change forever.
What Stacey Abrams did was colossal, but we don't have 52 of her to pull off next years mid terms.
As I sat back watching the 2020 election results unfold, I couldn't help but think as I keep hearing over and over that we have 4 years to rebuild this country. No we don't. Our window of opportunity is even shorter than I thought it would be considering the push back from the GOP towards Biden from day 1. I expected there would be more bipartisan efforts as Trump would be physically out of the picture and those Republicans could do the right thing.
Biden has done amazing things in his short time in office. For that we should be grateful. I am.
Be safe, be well.
Hope you feel better soon, My wife and I will be getting our second Moderna dose later this morning.
Thank you Robert. I do feel better this morning. I did get fair warning from my Doctor that I would likely have a problem. They are finding that people who have an intolerance to vitamin shots are at a greater risk of having a reaction for 24-48 hours. I have to have B12 weekly injections, each time with a reaction. A necessary evil.
Be sure to drink a good share of water. You'll be fine.
Each of our bodies uniquely responds. Some have a tougher go of it than others. I remember thinking that couples perhaps should not get their 2nd shot at the same time so they could be there to support one another in they event they both react as I did. I was alone and had not the energy to properly take care of myself. I had prepared in advance but my loss of energy was greater than anticipated.
My advice, from experience, don't make any plans for tomorrow! Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Have someone check on you 24 hours & 30 hours after receiving the shot. 😘
thank you
Sending best wishes that you & your wife fare better than I did. The 2nd 24 hours was the toughest but it took me about 3 days to fully recover. My solace was in knowing my body was indicating the vaccine was working!
Kelly, did you have a reaction to your first shot?
Just a sore arm.
I feltl like I was comingd own with something the day after my second Moderna & I felt chilled all day. Felt great the next morning.
Yes, I spent the next day after my second Moderna dose with a fever, strangely not debilitating as if I had a real virus - I was able to eat & had good appetite, but lethargic & feverish about 100 degrees F.
We got our 2nd Moderna shots last week. No problems other then a sore arm. Good luck!
Glad you got the second shot Linda! And I sympathize: those of us who are immunocompromised have had some weird-ass reactions to the jab . . . I agree: we have less than 2 years to get stuff done. And I think the Biden team is well aware of this. Vide the 11 judicial nominees trotted out this past week, who are among the most diverse group of potential federal judges ever. The man-in-a-hurry tempo of this administration has to keep going, even if it is probably exhausting to all. We can't let up.
Linda, thank you. Yes, we need to stick together. I have to admit, the reaction wasn't fully anticipated, but I shouldn't have been surprised.
We do have a multitude to do in a short period of time but I certainly agree that the team in place will do everything in their power to keep control. Biden understands how dire this situation is.
Hope you continue to feel better.
I got the 1-and-done Johnson & Johnson. Very tired the first 3 days, then a very sore upper arm about 5 days later; and a major shingles outbreak (in an area not experienced before) about 10 days later. They're both viruses, eh?
The shingles take quite awhile to fade away. But I'm moving in a better direction. Thx for good juju!
Barbara, sounds like you had a rough time of it. Sorry to hear that. I hope you are on the mend. Sending positive thoughts your way.
Urf. Hope you're feeling better Barbara! I heard that shingles can reappear as a side effect at times. You just got "lucky" I suppose.
Sorry to hear you had such a tough time, Barbara. Have you had the vaccine specifically designed to prevent shingles? I've had both Pfizer doses. After the first, sore upper arm and mild malaise - just vaguely "off" for two days. After the second dose, no noticeable effects. Clearly the level of side effects varies a lot. I hope you're all better now!
Hope you've recovered from the nasty reaction, Linda! - I'm in for my first vaccine next week (Pfizer). Willy-nilly.
You'll be fine. Maybe a sore arm or headache. But the relief and gratitude you get from the first shot is worth it!
Thanks for the encouragement, Julie!
Thanks Lindsay. I had my 2nd vaccine Tuesday afternoon and as anticipated I am on the mend. As far as the first vaccine, I only had a minimally sore arm for a day. As will any injection, you will want to keep hydrated. You will do just fine.
Thanks, Linda. Good tip about keeping hydrated (which I tend to forget,,,).
My husband and I are getting our second Moderna shots next week. Fingers crossed...
Please add Dell Computers to the list of corporations supporting voting rights and against the Republican push for voter suppression. Is there a list somewhere of all the corporations that are joining the side of democracy? This is the kind of pressure we need against the state legislatures that are passing anti-democratic laws. I hope everyone will personally thank each one of them. I am going to write to Dell and the others of my appreciation for their position. I have no connection with Dell other than buying one of their computer systems a couple of months ago which I'm quite pleased with. I'm also very happy to see Microsoft join the for democracy corporations.
Corporate "report cards" and political donation data:
https://politicalaccountability.net/hifi/files/CPA---CNBC---Companies-quiet-on-whether-they-will-keep-donating-to-GOP-supporters-of-Georgia-voting-law---04-01-21---CPA-quoted.pdf
https://politicalaccountability.net/hifi/files/2019-CPA-Zicklin-Index-Report.pdf
Top Contributions from Organizations: All Federal Contributions, 2019 - 2020
https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/top-organizations
Top Individual Contributors: All Federal Contributions, 2019 - 2020 (often with the individual's corporate affiliation)
https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/biggest-donors
Thanks, Ellie. You always come through!
Thank you, Ellie, for this information.👍
Thank you, Ellie Kona! ❤️🤍💙
Thanks, Ellie.
Thank you, this helps
I, too will write letters.
To follow up, I have just sent an email directly to Michael Dell, CEO of Dell, telling him of my gratitude and appreciation for Dell taking action in support of their consumers -- the voters. Talked a bit about Texas specifically and requested that Dell not donate to any US Senate not voting to pass the For the People Act. Also wrote to Coca-Cola a similar email. And to my Texas state representative to ask him to be on the right side of history and defend voting rights. We the People, All of Us This Time!
Republicans in Georiga, Texas, and elsewhere are irrationally out of touch with what's happening in the country. When big companies are speaking out against voter suppression and Republicans (REPUBLICANS!) are seeking to punish them, there's a disconnect with reality. The big question is what's the next step? The companies aren't going to pack up and leave places like Atlanta and Dallas. Instead, they're going to devote their sizable lobbying efforts to influence Congress. And that may be enough to sufficient push the Manchins and Sinemas to finally oppose the filibuster.
From your lips, to all the gods and goddesses ears. End the filibuster. ❤️🤍💙
Republicans EVERYWHERE are out of touch.
It's the ultimate in selfishness. They, and people like them, must be allowed to do whatever they want, without interference or restriction. David Frum at The Atlantic writes about it in "The Strange New Doctrine of the Republican Party. The GOP’s version of freedom puts greater priority on right-wing cultural folkways than on rights of property and ownership."
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/04/sudden-conservative-outrage-over-vaccine-passports/618476/
It is a good article. I subscribe to The Atlantic, and always read Frum's articles.
Yes, I thought this was a very good article. Thanks for posting the link.
We can hope that the economic threat to Delta and to Coca-Cola leads to a reaction greater than lip service here.
Delta and Coca-Cola have come out and said the right words. But what are they going to DO?
Exactly.
I hope they will fight the good fight. We need their lobbying efforts.
I sure hope you’re right and I think you are. These corporations in Georgia aren’t leaving.
But think about this, Coca-Cola's headquarters and lab is in Atlanta but its products are made and bottled in plants around the world. It owns a huge percentage of the carbonic distribution (CO2 to pump fountain drinks) in the US. So realistically, Coca-Cola could up and.move its HQ to a friendlier environment. And, the fact is, the people who run Coca-Cola are not necessarily Georgians. Coca-Cola doesn't really need to be in Atlanta because they are already everywhere. Literally. The same is true for every other Georgia based large business. Pulling out of Georgia would cost hundreds of thousands of jobs. Is it realistic to think they would pull out? No, but if large companies in Georgia and the rest of the country would band together and stand up against the Republican Voter Suppression Agenda by withdrawing financial support and threatening to go elsewhere things would change quickly.
The same goes for a ton of other large businesses in the other voter suppression states. Airlines might have a difficult time pulling out quickly because they rely on a ridiculous hub system but, can you imagine Delta and American threatening to pull their hubs out of Georgia and Texas respectively? Legislators believe they have the upper hand. Corporations and voter/consumers need to leverage their authority starting today. It would be far more effective than writing to Congress Critters because, frankly, the suppressor don't care how many letters they get. They do care about $$$, however.
I'm rambling in my semi sleep state. It's 4.34 where I am. See you when the sun rises!
It is always about the $$$$. Political lobbying efforts by large corps can be targeted and VERY effective. As soon as these companies discover that the talent they need won't move to/live in these divisive cities, it all goes 'fall down, go boom'.
Yes I sure wish the corporations would continue to make a stand against anti democratic repugs by not funding them.
You make some good points, especially about the loss of jobs if corporations leave a state.
I wonder why these corps didn't speak up or quietly lobby when this bill was being considered, not after it passed into a law! They're a day late.
According to an email reply I received, a number of them did meet with legislatures and state their objections to voter suppression. I don't think. however, that they may also have withdrawn their patronage ($$$).
The email is from Coca Cola.
All in all, the corporate response has been pretty mild, though. Strong words fade away. They need to hit the pols where they live: donations from these corporations must go away and they must make noises about leaving the state. Other corporations have abandoned states before (though admittedly almost always over taxation, not politics).
It’s absurd and highly undemocratic to retaliate against these companies that speak out against their former Republican sponsors’ bills. Whether they should have had the special privileges is a separate question. But stopping the voter suppression bills in their tracks is critical to moving the country forward.
It may be absurd and undemocratic, but is certainly in keeping with the methods used by governments admired by these Republican leaders. Just like with Truillo, the Duvaliers, Putin, Bolonsario, and the long list of others of the same feather, there is no real concept of the "public good." The machinery of government, including laws, are a means to reward or punish cronies and supporters on one hand, opponents and their supporters on the other, never simply to support the entire society. It's like in the old Dominican Republic under Truillo, where he would never have considered paving a road his opponents might use, regardless of the economic benefits that could be enjoyed by the entire society.
In the same vein, Trump several times tried to punish New York and California by suspending government programs or denying aid. After all, who cares if they are full of American citizens? They didn't vote for him. So why shouldn't Texas legislatures increase the taxes on their critics, like the head of American Airlines, but keep it low for oil and gas companies? Cut taxes and increase benefits for rich people who support Republicans (who often think they don't need government), cut benefits and (differentially) increase the tax burden on non-rich people (who tend to rely more on laws and public benefits), who tend to support Democrats. Screw the overall society, right?
That's politics, for these Republicans. The "public" must be divided into "us" and "them." The further apart they can drive those rather artificially-created divisions, the more likely they will continue to win.
Quid pro quo exemplified, amplified and glorified.
Punishment might include some "very heavy scratching" on their backs as they were wont to do to their slaves in the times for which they are so nostalgic.
Absolutely what terrified me about the last administration.
They would take us back more than the 100 or so years we often talk about, this takes us back in the end of the day to the absolute monarchy of yore.....the good King Mitch and his courtiers!
On the murder trial of George Floyd, I'd like to point out not only the racial arrogance of the policemen involved but also their misogyny when they ignored the offer of help from the woman off-duty EMS professional and wouldn't even let her talk through the steps to get Mr. Floyd's pulse.
Cathy of course they wouldn’t allow her to enter their space and actually intervene—she was merely a woman and this murder was their moment. I was struck by how sad and depressed the paramedic seemed to be as he kept answering the questions—a young white man who had been the ambulance driver. His training was all about saving lives and yet you could see the toll that day took from him.
While public statements by large firms are certainly welcome, Republican legislators will respond more readily when the checks to their campaigns and PACs stop arriving, or, worse, are diverted to Democrats.
In addition, consumer product companies such as Coca Cola are very aware that a boycott by minority consumers is a real possibility with very real effects on the bottom line. A similar boycott by Trumpistas, I think, would not be nearly as effective and thus is less of a threat.
Why do you believe a boycott by minority communities would be more effective than one by trumpistas? Curious. Thank you.
Numbers
Right, thank you.
This is a beginning. Those with a voice must take a stand to support the right to vote.
We all have a voice, would we only use it. Preferably, in large numbers.
"In 1890, southern white leaders promised the North that voter suppression would make the South bloom. They were wrong: by concentrating wealth and power among a few white leaders, it kept the South mired in poverty for at least two generations. Rejecting voter suppression this time around could write an entirely different story.”
The question which presses more and more upon Americans is whether the GOP leaders care about average people being “mired in poverty?” Indeed it appears that this is precisely where the GOP and its billionaire backers want to push Americans-- in the ancient belief of oppressors that an ignorant, impoverished people is a passive and quiescent people, manipulable because they have no real independent intentions of their own.
The authoritarian intention behind the GOP revealed itself openly under Trump, though its mob mentality had been increasingly on display at Republican conventions. It seems to me that the dark money people and their minions have calculated that now is the time to come out of the closet and stop pretending altogether to care about justice and equality, to fight for the power which is their overriding concern. The wealthy don’t want to be subject to the needs of their fellow citizens, they want their fellow citizens to be functional subjects, servants of their intentions and whims.
This at any rate is how it appears to me. So far as I know the only politician who has been addressing this directly is Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. We need more of his caliber.
The only answer for this question is that the Repubs prefer an us/them slave state where they control us. Capitalism gone awry. Imperialism. Knee/neck thing.
“They like our public policy when we’re doing things that benefit them,” then added: “You don’t feed a dog that bites your hand. You got to keep that in mind sometimes.”
Wait, does this guy think that Big Capital is the dog biting them? Does he imagine that he and his cronies have all the power in this relationship?
That’s going to be one hell of a wake up call.
Oh and I love Ralston proclaiming his love of Pepsi. He’s probably the first person to point out the futility of boycotts.
Ralston's comment showed just how stupid he is. What a boor.
I think he has who is the biting dog backwards. The airline is reacting to the Republicans biting them by taking away the jet fuel subsidies. Interesting.
Does it surprise you that Ralston doesn't know what he's talking about?
No at all!
>>Last week, Trump lawyer Sidney Powell claimed in a court filing that “no reasonable person” would believe that her lies about election fraud “were truly statements of fact.”<<
Here we have a Republican saying explicitly what we always suspected: the GOP regards its own voters as stupid and gullible.
Republicans would sacrifice their states’ economic well-being to suppress voting. How pitiful is that?
Read this by David Frum:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/04/sudden-conservative-outrage-over-vaccine-passports/618476/
"The GOP’s version of freedom puts greater priority on right-wing cultural folkways than on rights of property and ownership."
Very interesting article....guns and anti-vaccine and whatever other anti-social attitudes take precedence over property rights. Another contradiction! What happens when the Republican-biased Insurance companies cease to offer gun-injury coverage within the plant, building or centre as guns are allowed in the parking lot? Republican contradictions create conflict of interest within the Republican family. Their house of cards crumbles from within a little more with every new contradictory stupidity.
Thank you. I subscribe to The Atlantic.
We do too.
I do too. My self-imposed "incarceration" due to the pandemic has given me a gift of uninterrupted time to read!
Thank you. Time to re-subscribe to The Atlantic!
The scary thing about the Repugnant Party is its ignorant cult base, which disdains science, verifiable facts and even law & order. The manipulative politicians discovered this cult mentality by accident when a conspiracy driven, mentally defective conman garnered great support and they latched onto it, knowing it was all a con game. Now they are stuck trying to figure out logically how to play it before enuf intelligent ppl pull back the curtain and see the fraud. There are 74 million verifiable idiots out there in the cult base, so it’s worth a gamble. Even tho they have put idiots in Congress like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene who yesterday filed a bill to fire Dr. Fauci without having a clue that Congress can’t do that. He is protected in his position by civil service regs and can’t be fired without cause, which there are none because he follows science & not politics as required of his position. The same with the Repugnant Georgia legislators who do not understand the concept of symbiosis & want to start a trade war with Delta Airlines. I have been thru the Atlanta Airport – you need a tram to get from one Delta concourse to another. Delta gets tax breaks as incentive to locate in Atlanta, the same as movie studios and tech industries. But, these companies rely on intelligent workers of many races who may not want to live in 1950s Dixie. Also, these companies are subject to approval of a diverse public who may boycott them if they side with bigots.
I believe every individual who desires to run for public office should be required to first pass a basic civics test. The purpose of the test is not to classify them by party or determine their position on issues. It's to determine if they are qualified to serve in government as an elected official. I fear too many presently are distinctly unqualified. After all, many professions require those serving in them to be qualified, tested, and licensed. Why not politicians? Please spare me the response that this is the purpose and role of elections. If you respond this way you will force me to take the position that voters, with only appropriate accommodations should have to pass a civics test as well. Remember we already place that requirement on immigrants to become citizens in order to vote. If it is required of immigrants to earn citizenship, can we not at least require it of aspiring politicians?
Delta and Coca-Cola have come out and said the right words. But what are they going to DO?