McCarthy and the 20 MAGAts should be arrested on treason charges, since they work with our enemies. Arrest 20-30 of the worst MAGAts and the rest will crawl back into the dark places they crawled out of. And Biden should say Fuck The Debt Ceiling and cite his oath of office to see the laws are faithfully executed the the constitution protected, pointing to the 14th Amendment which directs that the national debt of the United States shall not be questioned.
The Republican Congress are traitors to the United States of America. Not one of them refuted Marge 3 names defense of the traitor who shared classified information on Social media because according to Marge he was white, male and Christian. Well you’re a mental giant Marge! None of the Magas in congress have any redeeming qualities. They are just following Bannon’s directive to deconstruct the institutions of democracy. And what better way than to default on our debt and put the country in financial collapse and chaos.
Bannon wants to destroy the institutions of democracy. His calls to destroy our institutions are equivalent to setting one's house on fire, then being upset at having no place to live. He is an anarchist, whose only goal is chaos.
Sorry, Bannon is not an anarchist, he is a fascist. We need to call out the GOP on this point - they’re not “conservatives,” “alt-right,” “MAGA Republicans” - they’re fascists.
Yes, AND they are top of the pile of international criminals and they are committing treason . Why is Bannon and his cartel not as dangerous as those who produce Fentanyl? His actions and his followers are as deadly as any chemical. Arrest the slime! Make it stick.
Agreed. And Bannon is not the only one, he just articulated the most succinctly the method and the goal. However, what I am focusing on now is that Bannon & ilk believe Chaos will bring about a return to white supremacist patriarchy. But it has also activated a LOT of ordinary Americas who say “NO Way!” We are (many for the first time) starting to pay attention and think about how to put the “Civil” back in “Civil Society”, HOW a government works and For Whom, WHY our institutions are important, AND that aspirationally, We Still Do Strive To Be “WE THE PEOPLE”. So maybe the chaotic times will yield a large step towards a better society, from being brought to the brink of maga’s “carnage vision”?
I am reading a bio of Catherine de Medici and I have just finished the section on the St. Bartholomew Day Massacre. Yes, it resulted in many Protestants being killed, but it was also anarchy once the mob got going. People settled old scores and some saw the opportunity to steal from others amidst the chaos. I was thinking that this is what we could have should the Rs prevail and see to it that their minions are well armed. At that time it was an effort by Catherine to save the Valois family and for others to get revenge. Now it is an effort by those at the top with the help of white Christian nationalists to sow discord and give us a Christian theocracy with a white patriarchal dictatorship. I do take heart from what I read here from most of the posters that we will fight this tooth and nail.
No. TN enhances the devotion of 99% of people who vote Republican because TN proudly exhibits GOP devotion to the only important “value” of 99% of people who vote Republican. That “value” is white supremacism. No significant fraction of Republican voters can be dissuaded from their core “value.” They will have to be outvoted by the rest of us. There are just barely enough of us to outvote them, so all of us will have to cast votes in every race in every election.
Bannon is a criminal, and he should be treated as such. That kid was arrested for releasing documents showing Ukraine is corrupt. Since the current President of Ukraine got elected on an anti-corruption platform, and was then not taken in by the Trump administration’s attempts to pressure Ukraine into doing political dirty work for the Trump campaign, it’s hardly a state secret. Why can’t Bannon be arrested on similar charges based on Cambridge Analytical dealings? And locked up? And his fortune and property by taken to pay for the harm he caused? There are notable differences between true political believers, and criminals running a long con. The world will be better off when we start treating criminals like criminals, you know what I mean?
Bannon''s not an anarchist. He's a nihilist. His goal is to destroy every trace of institutional governance, and "free" everybody from the constraints imposed by society itself. Nihilists aren't interested in anything other than their own ends.
Anarchism is different. The objective of anarchy is to keep a very close eye on the operating institutions, and at the point where those institutional powers stop performing for the benefit of the majority, tear them down to the point right before the performance failed, and then rebuild from that point. I admit that the distinction is sometimes lost in the chaos that erupts out of both factions, but it's an important one to remember.
Bannon is a nihilist, worthy of Ayn Rand's admiration.
Bannon has admitted he's a chaos agent and welcomes economic apocalypse. Both he and Trump made statements to that effect on Fox News. People on Twitter were posting the video clips. Yet media continue to treat him like he's just another "Republican strategist".
What I am about to say is below the belt but, perhaps Mr. Brannon would not be so unpleasant and repulsive and,disruptive if he had a good shower and decent haircut. And believe me I am no polished Beau Brummell. However after a shower and hair comb and tooth brushing, well I feel so much better and gosh darn people seem to like me.
No.. no.., TC. Biden and all of us should refrain from using the "F" word, "screw" and the enjoyable experience it may or may not imply, should also be avoided. Both words/expressions have no place in public speech, in a civil society. Nor should it be picked up on a 'hot mic'... show some class (restraint). Let's agree on that. Hohohhoo, I hear the laughter. Showing my age, or maybe I was naive, but as a kid in the 40's or 50's the "F-bomb" was not part of 'public speaking', I sure didn't hear girls in school or adult(girls) using it openly. Jussst sayin :))
I promised to stop using the F word if Trump lost to Biden. I'm doing about 95% good. Hope to eradicate the habit into my old age dementia, so I don't have to sit in at a separate table for dinner in the nursing home some day.
I raised two sons to manhood, all by myself. What they didn’t hear at home, they learned on the school bus.Too many swears, too deeply embedded to root them out. See you guys at lunch, if the table isn’t too crowded. 😉😂👍🏻
Mim, I learned to cuss in Georgia, before I left for Buffalo. Like most learning experiences, it’s most effective when done early. 😉
There’s this other thing, though. I also grew up being told that “young ladies don’t talk like that.” Of course, NO ONE ever said that to the boys. That right there is what set me on the path.
Going to have to join the table but not only use the “f” word but tend to say what I think. I may be the one sitting by myself with a basset hound in the corner. But at 75 not about to change
It's such a versatile word that suits any occasion or description. I would have trouble letting it go. I find it especially useful when screaming at the television when Republicans appear. Nevertheless, I admire your restraint!
I tend to conjugate it to fit the situation...it's much easier than trying to figure out how to use "bigly", although a friend of mine and I have a running joke and contest for that one...please count me in at the table!
I fully support using the Large set of words offered by the English language minus the F word.
I remember when us 7th grade boys started using that word a bit at school.
One of our female teachers heard one of us and stopped class.
“You boys sound like the trash you will become if you talk like that. You bunch of boys want to be real men? Learn to talk like real men.
Then. She said. “Plus, if you f*kers keep this talk up you are all headed to Tullis (our coach) for a lesson.” Tullis used a baseball bat on us if we got out of line.
The F word sounded so horrible to us when our teacher said it. So bad.
I pretty much have not used the word since.
Clearly. TC did not meet Tullis in the 7th Grade. Sorta too bad really.
Tullis was good at teaching manners to the juvenile mind.
I stopped most swearing when I was in the Army. I heard women around me using and it sounded so trashy - just like you said. I vowed not to sound like that. So it rarely escapes from my lips.
Thinking back to my own parents who raised 5 kids from the 50s through the 80s, I can’t remember either of them EVER using the F word. Never! I might have heard my mother say the S word a couple times - widely separated by years. And I only heard my father toot once (he didn’t know I was nearby). Times were different back then.
Strangely Sylvia, when a (adult) girl to whom I am physically attracted, uses that word, it tends to 'turn-me-on'..., yeah.., arousing a desire.., 'the desire' to "fuck" her. And oftentimes that opportunity later seems to present itself. As a 'psych E' I'm sure you understand this. Of course most "girls" are no doubt unaware of the UN-intended consequences their use of the "f" words might bring.., huh? That's okay. I'm just relating my experience over the past 79 years. I'm looking forward to the next 79.
It's not a strategy, just a tactic. Using the "F-bomb" is really very effective, but only if it's used seldomly, and is preferably perceived as being out of character. Then, it can add a punch, but that punch that gets robbed with everyday usage.
You are correct. The F-bomb, sparingly used by an otherwise well-spoken person, has effect. Used in every other sentence, it has little effect. Use it sparingly but pungently.
So true. In the near future, the autocomplete function will supply it (especially the participle form) whenever you type an f on your keyboard. You will have to proofread carefully to make sure you wrote “fuchsia” or “fugitive” or “funny” as you meant to.
I agree society is getting a little too 'trash mouth'. I've been saying the F word a lot lately myself. People today don't seem to understand 'nuanced' language so maybe they need to hear 'exactly' how I'm feeling. :)
It's tough not to sink to that level. Sometimes a cold stare and a moment of silence is stronger. And, "sometimes" those "moments" seem to last for a lot longer than a moment. I like your description, ie., nuanced language. Isn't 'that' the truth!
I am 77 and even I have used these words lately. I agree with you. Our sense of decency (not I’m better than you) is at stake. Powerful words are not dirty words. Powerful words are cohesive and accepting! They bring a sense of “better” to the conversations we so need to have.
I too have wondered at the use of “_uck”in our every minute conversations! Leave mr.” F” behind and all we have is “uck”!
Aren’t we all sick of living in “UCK” !
It is related to “standards”. We either have them or we agree to being without choice.
I will “clean up “ my choice of conversation. Thank you for making me think!🤗👏🏻🎶
Heck, it's just a word. And, frankly, a very impactful one in the right setting. It would be just like Democrats to make this word a cause, thereby ignoring all the issues that matter.
Yes sir! It becomes difficullt to claim civility, thoughtfulness, and steady navigation to a goal when immature trash talk flows out the brain and through the tunnel of the mourh.
Though agreeing with you totally, as one who used the f word and other expletives rarely before 2015, I find that the circumstances require using the vocabulary to let off steam.
Harriet, to accomplish that, we'd need to remove the Empty Greenes, Lauren Boeberts, Matt Gaetzes, TFGs, and the rest of the Rethuglicans from circulation, and that doesn't appear to be possible at this point. My goal is to refrain from cursing in public, while I continue to decompress in front of the television or reading the newspaper.
TC, As I posted in a different thread, because there is no precedent for invoking the 14th to raise the debt ceiling, litigation invariably would follow that likely would work its way to the Supreme Court. I imagine, in the interim, that the immediate global consequences of defaulting on our loan payments could be devastating.
Accordingly, because much of the electorate neither are aware of the economic calamity that would ensue nor that raising the debt ceiling merely gives the government permission to pay back the money we’ve already borrowed, I would advise we press our public officials and the media repeatedly to drive home these points.
There is also no precedent for Congress to default on its obligations. President Biden may have no choice but to take charge and point to the Constitution. And yes, it would probably be headed to the Extreme Court. But I believe there are five of the nine who would vote to prevent a collapse of the dollar - quickly.
Sure, the markets would be riled for a couple of days. But do you think Harlan Crow and his billionaire buddies won't pick up the phone and make a call to their puppet justices?
I would not ignore the power of the roughly 28 Oligarchs who have been buying elections and judgeships for decades.
Once it's clear that Biden will stand firm, there will be some instructions sent to McCarthy and his clueless comrades.
Thank you. Another comment today was that with just a few Republican votes, Jeffries could introduce a "a discharge position". He is letting McCarthy look worse and worse for now. But it could be that he is planning to do such - ultimately. He could look like the guy riding in on a white horse to save the day. Here's an article that details it - but it is from March. In the meantime, the kabuki dance continues at our peril.
I am not sure who in the electorate will benefit from more information. The ones that are lost in their hate war are unreachable. But there are a lot of affluent folks of all sorts of political persuasions that are getting very nervous. I hope we can count on the threat of severe financial loss as a motivator. A favorite quote from "moderate Republicans" as to why they don't desert their party that has gone mad is: "I like my money and I want to keep it". Maybe in this case, "Greed is good"?
Bill, Thanks for the link. I imagine it’s possible that Republicans from Biden-won districts could cross the aisle. Still, if I sound hesitant it’s because I was stunned this past January by so-called moderate Republicans who were silent as the MAGA Caucus extracted concession after concession from McCarthy as he desperately attempted to get enough votes to become Speaker.
As for my project to engender a more informed electorate, setting aside far right extremists, I’m not convinced that everyday indoctrinated people fed only on partisan information and opinion that confirm their own misguided bias are entirely unreachable.
I agree Barbara, you just have to offer them better sex, more money and a long vacay on a very geared out yacht with maybe some giraffes or zebras and plenty of the best champagne. At least they may at least listen to your side.
A crashed economy helps no one, of course. I see this as a game of political blame and blackmail. McCarthy thinks he can bluff Biden. Not going to happen. There will be solutions to this, but ultimately, McCarthy is a coward. He should live on an island where flip flops are de rigueur.
Biden has offered to negotiate on the budget. But not the debt ceiling. Good. It's as if you or I decided we didn't like our car or house - and just declared we would not honor the debts we incurred.
I suspect the markets will react up and down based on the latest rumors and silly statements. But ultimately, the big money guys will be making phone calls to the people they put in office. JMO, I could be wrong. It happens all the time. Just ask my wife :)
I worry that with the writhings of an inept Congress the Oligarchs and Biden won’t resolve the crisis and dilute our already challenged constitutional government.
With SCOTUS absconding over the horizon to far Federalist Lands and the Legislative branch dissolving itself we seem to be melting into an authoritarian government.
It does seem as though we are sliding into an authoritarian government that no one seems to really want. Wouldn't it be a hoot if poor Mr. Biden wound up as a dictator, despite his best efforts otherwise!
So long as he arrests the Taliban 20 and sends them to Guantanamo, or sticks them in an airplane and pushes them out mid-Atlantic, I'll give him six months to teach the rest of the GOP what "fuck around and find out" means.
Brilliant, Bill. Let's hope that arrow is in Biden's quiver. Despite the fact that he is constantly painted as senile and incompetent, I'd be willing to bet that he'll do exactly what you've suggested - he's no dope.
The threat of defaulting on the Debt seems to being doing a lot of work on it’s own. The rumblings of replacing the world currency with something OTHER than US Dollars is becoming louder. China is applauding MCCarthy’s rabble-rousing. They would LOVE the YUAN to become the dominate currency (or at least an equal player). Then get prepared for us to experience a financial reality we have never lived through.
Although it hasn't been assigned a number, it seems to me that the most effective way for the Democrats to proceed is to finalize the language of Mr. Foster's bill, publicize it and call on Mr. McCarthy to bring it to a floor vote as a clean (single issue) measure. I can't imagine that anyone outside of the beltway is enjoying the spectacle that the GOP Lunatic Caucus is creating but the Democrats haven't been exactly aggressive about countering it. My preference is to eliminate it altogether and have done with this whole silly discussion. The national debt and deficit aren't like credit cards, and the Congress isn't a game; it's time the members understood that and learned that we aren't going to put up with it.
Foster's bill is H.R. 415, it has 42 cosponsors per Congress.gov, all Democrats, and it's in the Ways and Means committee. No Tarheel sponsors unfortunately (sigh).
No need, she's already announced that she's not going to run in 2024. That's part of the reason why people want her to resign now, it would give her replacement the advantage of incumbency in the next election and possibly eliminate the need for a primary.
Dave, While your comment is entirely logical, in my view, the Foster bill hasn’t a shot at ever making it to the GOP-controlled House floor for a vote. Frankly, I fear that the debt ceiling dispute is a Republican Trojan horse aimed at unleashing global consequences for which Biden and Democrats will be blamed, thus positioning Republicans for wins in 24. Hence, my investment in pressing Democratic leadership to be far more aggressive both with their Republican counterparts and also with its messaging to the American people, many of whom neither appreciate that raising the debt ceiling does not entail more spending nor understand the economic calamity that would ensue were we to default on the nation’s debt.
I think your assessment is probably quite correct Barbara and I also would like to see Democrats be much more aggressive in pursuing this. Most Americans seem to think that the debt ceiling issue and the fallout from a default won't impact them and, by the time they find out otherwise, it will be too late. Biden needs at least one person on his team who's willing to play public hardball with the GOP and there doesn't seem to be anyone.
My bet is that the American people are not interested enough in the mechanics of econ markets to spend more than a few seconds before being bored by machinations they can’t comprehend
We, as a people, need a few white board lessons from Katie Porter, Sheldon Whitehouse and/or Robert Reich to educate the confused masses (myself included) about world financial markets and such manipulations. Some lessons, please!
Joyce Vance is doing it with the LAW. Jay Kuo is too. They upped my understanding. My mind hates anything financial. Hates it. But it used to hate anything LAW too.
Oh, I wholehearted agree that great communicators are needed; I’m just concerned that the “nerdiness of the economic ramifications of default cannot compete with the other forms of entertainment that masquerades as news these days
Money supply, interest rate fluctuation, credit ratings, bond futures et al; the American people in general don’t know what a traunced bond is. Credit default swap? Eyes glazed over. Perhaps Jon Stewart?
Dave, Stewart, I imagine, could get nearly anyone to turn away from what they were doing and pay attention to him. Regrettably, several degrees of separation exist between him and me.
In the game of chicken, he/she who blinks looses, or it used to be. Now, I fear, when June comes and Biden is forced to use the 14th Amendment, the lead up will have global markets in turmoil and our economy will be on the verge of tanking. Victory will be declared by the Drooling Caucus as Biden has ruined America and imminent economic collapse will validate the Republican party claims as the ones who will salvage the big old mess created by spendy Democrats. This whole scenario, perpetrated by McCarthy and his Drooling Caucus, isn't about the debt or debt ceiling. It's about setting up the 2024 elections for President and Congress, now that they have Judiciary secured. Perhaps today is the day for Mr Biden to call a prime time press conference to (a) declare that the US under no circumstances will cede its honoring of debts foreign and domestic and (b) tell McCarthy, the Drooling Caucus, and the rest of the fence-sitting members of Congress to get off or get Fu***d. Mr Biden, drop any pretense. Members of Congress, raise the debt ceiling and only then will we engage in any negotiations. Period.
Fred, I, too, believe that the debt ceiling controversy is a Republican Trojan horse aimed at unleashing global consequences for which Biden and Democrats will be blamed, thus positioning Republicans for wins in 24. Accordingly, while I agree with your call for a press conference precisely as you described it, I also would call for stronger messaging to everyday people, many of whom neither appreciate that raising the debt ceiling doesn’t entail more spending nor understand the economic calamity that would ensue were we to default on our nation’s debt.
I underscore this last point because I wholeheartedly subscribe to Abraham’s Lincoln’s beliefs about “public sentiment,” which he claimed “is everything.” He noted that “[w]ith it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed….”
I agree with you about the critical importance of "public sentiment." It is, ultimately what votes represent and the entrée in the American meal. It is more than "the kitchen table issues," though those are more easily picked up in polls. Mr Biden must reach such with truth and firm resolve, convincingly. Your comment jarred me. While we pay attention to polls, a metric, a measure, we miss the total picture that is public's opinion, that sentiment Mr Lincoln was honoring.
Fred, Regarding Biden, in my view, he was his most effective ever, when, as the party’s presumptive nominee, he spoke on the Monday night before Michigan, the last rally before the Corona Virus shut down everything, about being a bridge to a next generation, and stood on stage with Gretchen Whitmer, Kamala Harris, and Corey Booker. I’ve re-created this moment because I believe Biden would forever be beloved by a lot of Democrats and a lot of Americans were he now to initiate that kind of transition as textbook acknowledgement that a new generation was stepping up.
Barbara, I too had hoped Mr Biden would be a one-term president creating a transition period and grooming a younger generation of leaders. The significant lack of progress with the divided government and two DINOs in the Senate and Covide replaced by Russian war and inflation made me keep the hope but recognize that one-term isn't (probably) enough time. I do tap myself on the head every once in a while when I stay with that not now, later we can make a change attitude. Do you think Mr Biden has gone as far as he can, making the time right, regardless the immediate problem? Who do you see in the wings to become that Lincolnest Democrat leader we seek? Anyone you would suggest able to inspire the 20-50 voters? Who might you, me, and our cohorts able to take a chance on instead of Biden?
It will be devastating either way, but if it goes down with Biden supporting the 14th Amendment against the terrorist morons, at least it will be clear that the responsible people are trying to save the country.
If I was Biden, I would call Quiverin' Qevin in for a meeting and let him have a few Irish expletives regarding his moron incomptenence, then I would grab him by his tie, choke him with it a bit, lean in his face and say: "Fuck around and find out, you worthless piece of shit. If you let this happen, I am going to wrap it around your neck and the necks of every other Republican in Washington, and I am going to strangle each of you with it in 2024."
TC, If I were Biden, I’d pair the private exchange precisely as you portrayed it with several public sanitized press conferences for everyday people who neither grasp that raising the debt ceiling doesn’t entail more spending nor understand the economic calamity that would ensue were we to default on the nation’s debt. I suppose my reasoning stems from my commitment to Abraham Lincoln’s thoughts on “public sentiment,” which he claimed “is everything.” He noted, “With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed….”
That's not stircrly how it works. We haven't borrowed the money yet, we've only committed -- and have to an extent already spent -- it. We now have to sell bonds to borrow the money we are contracted to spend. If we can't borrow, we can't spend (modulo inflationary printing). Part of what we're committed to spend is *interest on our existing bonds*. That is the part of the default that crushes the whole world.
Andrew, While I greatly appreciate you clarifying my understanding, I likely will continue to stick with my phrasing aimed at pushing back against Republicans who would have the electorate believe that raising the debt limit would result in increased spending.
Barbara, I do apologize for my apparent condescension. I am no expert & indeed you may well be. For what it's worth, I do get the need to push back and simplify against the tides ignorant self-destruction. My thought was simply to suggest to the audience at large that a more detailed understanding -- which part about the interest payments also being at risk, and thus the larger keystone, I don't see mentioned generally -- better appreciates the horror and recklessness of the (nigh-traitorous) GOP extortion.
Andrew, To be clear, I was grateful for your more nuanced explanation. Still, my focus, whatever the issue, persistently rests with devising messaging aimed at both educating and increasingly winning over public sentiment.
For MAGAts like Mtg and Boburt and Cruz "default" is merely a word, part of some statement. Its effect will be lost on them.., totally lost..., on them. And "them" is all inclusive, meaning all the maggots and leeches of their intellect. The Bannonesques all have enough money and friends (with money) and private jets that they can go where they please.., but maybe not! Our passports might not amount to beans.
@MadRussian12A, As I’ve posted elsewhere in this thread, I am not convinced that everyday, admittedly, indoctrinated people fed only on partisan information and opinion that confirm their own bias are entirely unreachable.
Why comment after comment today does not even mention the Letter's top story: FENTANYL?
'DEA Laboratory Testing Reveals that 6 out of 10 Fentanyl-Laced Fake Prescription Pills Now Contain a Potentially Lethal Dose of Fentanyl'
ONE PILL CAN KILL
'The DEA Laboratory has found that, of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed in 2022, six out of ten now contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. This is an increase from DEA’s previous announcement in 2021 that four out of ten fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills were found to contain a potentially lethal dose.'
What Every Parent and Caregiver Needs to Know About Fake Pills
___'Criminal drug networks are mass-producing fake pills and falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills to deceive the American public.'
___'Fake pills are easy to purchase, widely available, often contain fentanyl or methamphetamine, and can be deadly.'
___'Fake prescription pills are easily accessible and often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, making them available to anyone with a smartphone, including minors.'
___'Many fake pills are made to look like prescription drugs such as oxycodone (Oxycontin®, Percocet®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), and alprazolam (Xanax®); or stimulants like amphetamines (Adderall®).'
'Authentic Oxycodone'
'Synthetic opioid drug prescribed for pain as OxyContin®, Tylox®, and Percodan®. These drugs are derived from one species of the poppy plant, and have a high potential for abuse.'
'Fake'
'Street Names: 30s; 40s; 512s; Beans; Blues; Buttons; Cotton; Greens; Hillbilly Heroin; Kickers; Killers; Muchachas; Mujeres; OC; Oxy; Oxy 80s; Roxy; Roxy Shorts; Whites' (United States Drug Enforcement Administration) See link below.'
I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say that because the top story today isn't only Fentanyl isn't as much about the dangers of the drug, which are very real, there are two explanations: One is the method for going after the producers and distributors and not the lower level dealers/users and the other is simply that many of us here are not directly impacted by Fentanyl use in our personal and every day lives. The Professor's final paragraph ties the MAGAt response to the debt celling to the sanctions, and that is most likely primary in many readers' minds.
'Opinion: Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the U.S. has ever seen, and kids are being targeted'
'Fentanyl is the leading cause of death among adults ages 18-45, claiming more young lives than COVID-19, car accidents or suicide.'
'Blain, M.D., is a family physician practicing telemedicine, and an assistant professor in UC San Diego Department of Family Medicine, as well as a medical officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He lives in Poway.'
'My son came home from high school this month and told me his 19-year-old friend just died of a fentanyl overdose. “Two weeks ago, we were just talking about all the cool cars he wanted to buy when he graduated and got a job,” he said.'
'This is not the first time one of his friends died of a drug overdose.'
'The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in 2021 more than 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses. The 75,673 of those deaths from opioids, primarily fentanyl, was more than the 58,220 Americans who died in the Vietnam War. Drug overdoses have killed approximately 1 million Americans since 1999, more deaths than the number of U.S. service members who have died in battle in all wars fought by the United States.'
'Fentanyl is the leading cause of death among adults ages 18-45, claiming more young lives than COVID-19, car accidents or suicide. California Department of Public Health data from 2021 showed 6,843 opioid-related deaths in California, 5,722 fentanyl deaths, and 224 fentanyl deaths among teens ages 15-19 years old.'
'According to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Anne Milgram, fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered. Last summer, the DEA warned of brightly colored fentanyl used to target young Americans. Dubbed “rainbow fentanyl” — fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes and sizes — it is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults, said Milgram. Rainbow fentanyl looks like candy to lure children, often at “skittle parties” where kids drop pills into a bowl and each child grabs a pill and ingests it. Fentanyl is also present in counterfeit forms of prescription drugs such as OxyContin, Percocet, Xanax and Adderall.'
'The Drug Enforcement Administration reported that most of the fentanyl seized by federal authorities from 2014 to 2019 was from China. In 2022, the DEA stated that most of the 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl seized was mass produced by the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartels, in secret factories in Mexico utilizing precursor chemicals from China.'
'Synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, kills more than 170 Americans every day or one death every 8.5 minutes. Fentanyl is 100 times more powerful than morphine and 50 times more powerful than heroin. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl, the amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, can kill you. Carfentanil, while less common than fentanyl, is even more dangerous but is also found in drug overdoses. It is 100 times more potent than fentanyl and is used by veterinarians to tranquilize elephants and other very large animals. It is not meant for human consumption, but is also being found in some communities in addition to illicit fentanyl.' (The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Fentanyl is the leading cause of death among adults ages 18-45, claiming more young lives than COVID-19, car accidents or suicide."
Thank you for the statistics on the distribution and determination of opioid deaths. I was aware of the huge incidence among the Native American and Native Alaskan demographic. Here in NE Ohio, the faces of fentanyl death (from billboards) are 18-25 white suburban kids. News stations interview distraught parents who swear their (deceased) kids were honor students who participated in sports, band, or Boy Scouts.
That must be our path. It’s no longer a minor news item but a full blown criminal based destruction of a generation of people who are hooked before they understand the threat.
Let’s ensure accountability is applied at ever juncture. This much evil cannot be allowed to exist.
Thank you SO MUCH for this exhaustive explanation of the statistics behind the scourge of this substance. I'm of an age and distance quite removed from seeing first-hand evidence of the effects of Fentanyl, so I truly appreciate your educating me. Thanks again.
Not a word, Ally, until you came along. NOT A WORD!
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
Book by Isabel Wilkerson
'Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people—including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others—she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their out-cast of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity.' (National Book Foundation)
'Overall, drug overdose deaths rose from 2019 to 2021 with more than 106,000 drug overdose deaths reported in 2021. Deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone (primarily fentanyl) continued to rise with 70,601 overdose deaths reported in 2021. Those involving stimulants, including cocaine or psychostimulants with abuse potential (primarily methamphetamine), also continued to increase with 32,537 overdose deaths in 2021 (Source: CDC WONDER).'
The piece that's missing for me is WHY so many Americans, youth in particular, are using drugs. It used to be explained by the hopelessness of intercity poverty. Now, upper class suburban kids make up a huge proportion of the dead.
What explains their disengagement? Their recklessness? Many never live to claim the scholarships they earned to tony universities. Are their lives that awful? I don't understand what ELSE is going on.
'The nation is grappling with a surge in deaths from opioids. And there’s no question fentanyl is a key factor driving up those fatalities. Fentanyl is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.We reached out to Van Duyne's office to ask for her source for the statement but didn’t hear back. Van Duyne’s office however did provide the Associated Press, undertaking a similar fact check, an analysis by Families Against Fentanyl, which specified an age range in its analysis.'
'The advocacy group Families Against Fentanyl examined CDC data and determined fentanyl has become the leading cause of death for people ages 18 to 45 in 2019 and 2020. The group compared synthetic-opioid related deaths with other major causes of death, which were listed in another CDC data set on leading causes of death.'
'Here’s what we know:
The CDC collects data revealing the leading causes of death in the U.S. In 2020, the leading causes of death among all American adults were heart disease, cancer, and COVID-19. Provisional data for 2021 indicates these same health issues have continued to be the leading causes of death.'
"Far more people die from cancer, heart disease and COVID-19, compared to fentanyl overdose,” said Scott Walters, a professor of behavioral health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. Walters has been instrumental in work designed to address the opioid crisis in hard-hit communities in several states.'
In 2020, more than 56,000 people ages 18 and older died in synthetic opioid-related incidents, according to data made available through the CDC’s online mortality database. In 2021, nearly 70,000 people 18 and older died in synthetic opioid-related incidents.'
'On whether fentanyl overdose is the leading cause of death for the 18-45 age range, a CDC spokesperson neither affirmed nor denied the statistic.'
'Fentanyl-related deaths are coded as synthetic opioid-related deaths. Fentanyl comprises approximately 90% of the synthetic opioids category, the CDC said.'
'The spokesperson said “accidents (unintentional injuries)” was the leading cause of death in the age 18-45 group in 2021.'
'If one were to break out the unintentional injury category to make the drug categories rankable, the leading cause for people ages 18-45 would be unintentional drug overdose due to synthetic opioids. That number would exceed the second highest leading cause of death (suicide in 2020 and COVID-19 in 2021.)'
'Public health advocates are sounding the alarm about opioids with good reason.'
'Michigan State University researcher Matthew Myers said synthetic opioids are the leading cause of death among adults ages 18-45. Data he pulled indicated there are a higher number of synthetic opioid deaths other than methadone compared to firearm deaths, cardiovascular disease, motor vehicle accidents, and cancer.' (Austin American-Statesmen)
Cheryl, I do not know whether there is a more up-to-date and reliable breakdown of the racial, ethnic and class for those who have died from the fentanyl opioid. The following is from, JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Sep; 5(9): e2232314
'Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Drug Overdose Deaths in the US During the COVID-19 Pandemic'
'Recent reports highlighted racial and ethnic differences in US drug overdose deaths from 1999 to 2020.1,2 Overdose deaths increased 37.2% from February 2020 to August 2021 and were predominantly associated with synthetic opioids other than methadone (primarily fentanyl or analogs) and methamphetamine.3,4. Yet data are lacking regarding racial and ethnic disparities in overdose death rates within specific sex-age combinations before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (since March 2020).'
'Among individuals in the US aged 15 to 34 years from March 2018 to August 2021, age-adjusted overdose death rates involving any drug, fentanyl, and methamphetamine with or without fentanyl increased overall (Figure; Table). During March to August 2021, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (hereafter American Indian or Alaska Native) men had the highest rates per 100 000 overall involving any drug (42.0; 95% CI, 35.5-48.4 per 100 000), fentanyl (30.2; 95% CI, 24.7-35.7), and methamphetamine without fentanyl (6.0; 95% CI, 3.6-8.5). American Indian or Alaska Native men (9.2; 95% CI, 6.1-12.2) and women (8.0; 95% CI, 5.1-10.9) and non-Hispanic White (hereafter White) men (6.7; 95% CI, 6.4-7.0) had the highest rates involving methamphetamine with fentanyl.'
' During March to August 2021, overall drug overdose rates were highest among non-Hispanic Black or African American (hereafter Black) men (61.2; 95% CI, 59.4-62.9) and American Indian or Alaska Native men (60.0; 95% CI, 52.8-67.2), and fentanyl-involved death rates were highest among Black men (43.3; 95% CI, 41.8-44.8). Rates involving methamphetamine with fentanyl were highest among American Indian or Alaska Native men (12.6; 95% CI, 9.2-16.0) and women (9.4; 95% CI, 6.5-12.3) and White men (9.5; 95% CI, 9.1-9.8). Rates involving methamphetamine without fentanyl were highest among American Indian or Alaska Native men (22.9; 95% CI, 18.4-27.4).'
'Within every age and racial and ethnic group, rates were higher in men; for women, and the highest drug overdose death rates were among American Indian or Alaska Native individuals. Limitations of this study are that overdose deaths may be underestimated because of the use of 2021 provisional data3 and that racial or ethnic identification may be misclassified, especially for American Indian or Alaska Native people.'
'Results underscore the urgency of expanding prevention, treatment, and harm reduction interventions tailored to specific populations, especially American Indian or Alaska Native and Black populations, given long-standing structural racism and inequities in accessing these services.4,6 Findings also suggest the urgent need for education on dangers of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Reducing overdose mortality disparities may include expanding access to naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and treatments for substance use disorders to disproportionately affected populations.'(NationalLibraryof Medicine)
TC , I agree with you completely (and that may be a first). If the danger to our financial system is potentially catastrophic, extreme measures like applying the 14th Amendment are called for and completely justified.
Thank you Jon. I think, from your comment elsewhere yesterday chiding me about my political optimism, or rather its lack, that you may misunderstand me. That's OK, you wouldn't be the first. :-)
But here's the thing. Allowing them to crawl back into the dark places is only a temporary fix. When the problem is systemic rot, sweeping measures are called for. Big talk, right? I'm a prime example of what's going on. Even those of us who give a rip seem to have neither an idea how to nor the power to remedy this. I do like your take on Biden re the Debt Ceiling. I didn't know about that amendment. And since the rancid right seems to be fond of taking the Constitution literally (when it benefits them to do so), surely they will fall into place, wag their tails, and heel. Or not.
TCinLA, I completely with your assessment: Biden says Fuck the debt Ceiling and do what needs to be done. As for the rest of this discussion on one word - FUCK - it’s a perfectly acceptable use of language in the US. Sometimes it’s the only word that works. I’m sick of these House Repug whiners! Do your job!
MTG, Jordan, Boubert and the other MAGAts act with malicious intent to undermine democracy. They support Putin and other autocrats, not because they like these despots but because they lust after power. It kills them to see successful programs and policies of the Biden administration. SO, yes, the President should call them out for what they are doing to our country. He must stop mollycoddling these crazies. End negotiations with McCarthy and the other jerks. End any attempt at compromise because it is futile to even try.
I agree, TC. Several methods have been proposed, from minting a $1B coin to issuing T bills with a guaranteed high interest rate, to just, as you suggest, using the constitutional requirement to pay the country's bills. The MAGAts can not be allowed to cause a default. It's about time for the Dems to start playing hard ball. Were roles reversed, I'm sure the orange menace wouldn't hesitate.
I wish my fellow citizens were more aware of the seriousness of this debt limit issue. It doesn’t seem to get much play in the press. If people really understood the risks they would be making noise about it, but the Republicans’ reckless behavior is not attracting much public attention.
Sara, that's brilliant. Given the implications, that seems quite plausible to navigate around the intransigent lawmakers. I've heard and thought this before, that they are domestic terrorists, but you state it so plainly, in a way that begs the question of how we defend against their assault on the U.S. I have full faith in President Biden and his team that he is already working on this worst case scenario.
Carol, Regrettably, much of the electorate are unaware that Republicans, who campaign, and falsely claim they will govern, on a promise of fiscal responsibility, by and large, conflate voting to raise the debt ceiling with spending money we don’t have. As you’ve indicated, we’ve done a lousy job of explaining 1) the immediate global consequences of the U.S. defaulting on its loan payments and 2) that raising the debt ceiling doesn’t give the government permission to borrow more money; it gives the government permission to pay back the money we’ve already borrowed.
As with other issues, I believe much of the responsibility rests with us to press our representatives and the media repeatedly to drive this message home.
What I don’t understand is why it seems to be such a difficult subject to either understand or message. Federal Budget = Money the federal government wants to spend; Debt Ceiling = Money the Federal Government has already spent. Arguing, negotiating, discussing how much and how to prioritize future federal budget spending is completely acceptable. Refusing to raise the debt ceiling is refusing to pay our bills, refusing to pay for things we already bought, which means we’re a deadbeat government no one can trust anymore. The concept is not that hard. I think most folks can easily understand. The confusion and lies are deliberate. I don’t get what the GOP’s motive is, what do they stand to gain from it? I arrive at - they just don’t care. They must believe we are stupid and can’t understand and therefore they are safe to play these dangerous games because if things go south they don’t think they’ll be blamed for it. And maybe they are right. I hope not though.
The MAGA are following TFGs lead in that he has a well known history of not paying his bills (even has bragged about it), and then negotiating on the amount he has already spent. This is exactly what the MAGA are doing in risking the financial future of the country now.
I know, right? I can just imagine parents extolling this kind of skullduggery to their kids and exclaim “look what you can aspire to!” w/ TFG as an idol and role model. Used to be parents would champion honesty and fairness like Honest Abe or Cannot Tell a Lie George.
I’ve thought about this a lot. I was (still am) one of those federal employees who was forced to go without a paycheck for 30+ days the last time the GOP decided they wanted to fight about the debt ceiling by shutting down the government. They didn’t care then because they never experienced the consequences of their actions. And sadly I don’t think they’ve learned anything since then.
Carey, To clarify, given the GOP bank on an uninformed electorate, I am seeking cogent explainers to educate everyday people, who, quoting award winning citizen-journalist Bill Moyers, have become “morbidly obese in mind and spirit by the junk food of propaganda.”
Barb, as always you have reduced the conversation to its root. Thanks for such a concentrated post. I love the Bill Moyers Quotation. Brilliant synopsis.
I was living in a small town with lots of forest service people hit hard by this . I think it was around the holidays. Seems too many have forgotten this R ploy.
Right now, they’re using the debt ceiling as leverage to influence the budget. If they don’t get their way, they threaten to sweep the game board off the stable and stomp off, leaving (as usual) a fiscal nightmare for the democrats to try to clean up. Never mind the global consequences of a US default. But since they haven’t submitted their own budget or started negotiations on Biden’s, the leverage isn’t really doing anything at all. It’s just sound and fury. I fervently hope that this is political brinksmanship (dangerous in itself) and that they wouldn’t really allow the US to default. They don’t get that even the threat of default affects the market and our trustworthiness. Want to give China a clear path to world power? Default on the debt.
I had one thought while reading your excellent comment--that being they must believe we are stupid. Yep, probably, but I would also point out how stupid many of the GOP are!!
It seems like they are neglecting to realize they and their constituents will be affected right along with everyone else. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot! Perhaps we can get some really creative ads that show a variety of folks experiencing “real life” impacts & then show who is responsible for the outcome…perhaps throw in the question “why would Republican reps choose to do this?”.
Exactly, that’s what I don’t get. What are they gaining by it? Defaulting and causing a global market meltdown will definitely hurt them. Maybe they are already wealthy enough that it won’t hurt them as bad as some, but still. To me that must mean they are more interested in keeping and maintaining the power than they are concerned about taking a hit in their pocket book. That kind of surprises me because I thought it was all about making and hoarding money. But I guess if you can keep and maintain power then you can always make the money back.
Barbara, the problem with driving that logical and accurate financial message home is that it’s irrelevant. The GOP doesn’t care that the budget and debt ceiling are not related. The debt ceiling is their trump card, their AR-15 in a stand-off. It’s a powerful weapon. They are building up so much hatred of Dems that the GOP is willingly walking into a murder-suicide against the Biden administration.
Yes, perhaps. But how can this be good for business? I mean the business sector that votes with them? A US default doesn’t help American business to my understanding. If it does, please someone explain it. I am missing the “HOW it helps gop” beyond obstructing a Dem-supported President? I also know that that may be their only short-sighted goal.
Shawn, My target audience is not the GOP. It’s the everyday, misinformed, indoctrinated people fed only on partisan information and opinion that, too often, confirm their own misguided bias.
I think part of this issue is the term "raising the debt ceiling". It sounds as though the machinations are allowing the USA/government to "borrow even more" when the wording should more clearly describe what it is - paying off our already incurred debt, as any moral person/entity would do. Let's term it as "reneging on our debts" so the folks out there can relate to what is really happening - AND foresee the consequences worldwide!
Julie, As someone who always takes great care to choose words that afford the best chance of being understood, I couldn’t agree with you more. I hadn’t thought about it before, but if one must keep explaining herself to everyday people, then she already is losing. In deference to Lincoln who said, “Public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed…,” I need to think more about it being prudent to expect to be misunderstood and then to take precautions against that happening.
If it goes to the extreme, the President has the power to override them on this, I think? Maybe he's taking them to the edge of the cliff, first, to show them what would happen.
Fay, I merely would note, because this Clause never has been enacted, were the President to invoke it, we should expect litigation that likely would work its way to the Supreme Court. I fear the economic calamity that would ensue in the interim could be devastating.
Barbara Jo, there are surely large numbers of people who share your fear and could convey it to, say, Tucker Carlson, who could explain it to the power couple Greene and Jordan, live to air. Maybe draw them a nice diagram. I suddenly have a frivolous mental picture of Politics Girl shoving them both into her fridge and slamming the door shut.
Anne-Louise, My appreciation for your humor notwithstanding, my work as of late has involved pressing public officials and the media to educate everyday, misinformed people about 1) the economic calamity that would ensue were the U.S. to default on its loan payments and 2) that raising the debt ceiling merely gives the government permission to pay back the money we’ve already borrowed.
A quote from Joni Mitchell - "And if you care, don't let 'em know, don't give yourself away." The older I get, the more I tend to use humour as protective clothing; if you did a digest of my past posts you'd see how earnestly I agree with you, and urge exactly what you're saying. Time is pressing.
Hopefully , fingers crossed, Thomas will decide to resign at some point especially if 2024 goes democratic, & we will get a vacant seat to better balance out the court.
Not to put words into BJ's comment, I read it as we can no longer trust the SCROTUS to be in any way impartial, rational, or ethical. They have become the tool of the Federalist Society and nothing more.
Excellent point Barbara. Look what the recent bank events did to markets recently. The cacophony of events should we even approach bankruptcy would set off the Richter scale. A wildfire of fear, the likes of which never seen before!
Jim, Thank you for your reply. I would note, while my comments indicate I’m clearly not complacent, nor am I expecting the U.S. to default on its loan payments.
Hi Barbara, I'm not a lawyer, we'd need an opinion from Daniel Solomon on this one. But the Constitution is the established law of the land. Amendment 14 Section 4. "The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law**, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for service in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void." ** remember the debt ceiling applies only to debts already incurred as acts of Congress, not future debts from pending legislation. To my reading of this section of Amendment 14 it is unambiguously clear. I believe anyone who reads at at least tenth grade level (snarky aside - probably excludes the trumpster) can fully comprehend the reasoning of the Amendment as written. Furthermore it definitely precludes any debt incurred by the framers, facilitators, attackers and abettors of the January 6th 2021, attack on our Nation's Capitol Building. This Amendment XIV was proposed June 18, 1866, ratified by at least 28 of the 37 States in existence in 1868 on July 9, 1868 and certified on July 28, 1868. That is 155 years ago. Over the years, the first reference I find was in 1876; the debt ceiling was sort of imposed in 1917 over issuance of war bonds, then again in 1939. The trumpster actually tried to enforce it in 2017 (and finally caved) I have no idea why something so obvious to me, was not invoked. I'm not that smart. Hopefully one of our real attorneys will explain the rationale.
Hi Fay, While I agree this section of the 14th, quoting you, is “unambiguously clear,” because it’s never been invoked, enlisting it so not to default on our loan payments invariably would be challenged and would have to work its way through the courts. Regardless of how the litigation fared in the lower courts, I no longer have confidence it would receive a fair hearing in the 6-3 Supreme Court.
I agree with your view of the Supreme Court, It's a damned shame that one man, Mitch McConnell, elected by the electors of a single small, sparsely populated State like Kentucky, should have the power (not granted to him by the Constitution) to so warp the Judiciary Branch so far that a majority of citizens have lost all faith in the Supreme Court (and courts in general) 'Mc I'm the chief of everything' is wholly responsible for Gorsuch and Barrett, shame on him, and shame on the gutless Senators who allowed it to happen.
Barbara Jo - When you say Clause 4 "never has been enacted", what do you mean? As I understand it, Clause 4, together with the other four Clauses, was passed by Congress June 13, 1866, and ratified July 9, 1868, so it is in effect, although I worry about the effect of Clause 5 in the current state of affairs.
And please (and thank you) keep up the attempts to get the media and all our rational members of Congress and the Senate, and those at State and local levels, too, btw, to listen and broadcast the thugs' seditious attempts at destroying the US's ability to pay for stuff we already have! And HOW CAN WE HELP?
Lynn, What I meant is no President has had to invoke Section 4 of the 14th Amendment so not to default on our loan payments. Accordingly, were that to happen, said executive action would be challenged and would have to work its way through the lower courts, invariably reaching the 6-3 Supreme Court, in which I question whether the action would get a fair hearing.
As for my own endeavors, I work partly through grassroots organizations like the Brennan Center for Justice, Common Cause, and Indivisible, writing letters upon request, and partly on my own appealing to pertinent public officials to engage everyday people in discussions about a host of issues, currently, of course, controversies related to raising the debt ceiling. To underscore the importance of regularly engaging the public, I often quote Abraham Lincoln, who had stated, “Public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed.”
Regarding the media, I have cut back, presuming if public officials are regularly discussing the debt ceiling, it will receive coverage.
This is not the first time we've been to this dance. In the end the Republicans will pull back when their mega rich donors, who will be impacted as bad or worse than the rest of us, tell McCarthy enough is enough, cut the crap and get back to work.
Even if they go through it anyway they will be seen as political terrorists and few voters will back them.
I hope you’re right about that. It’s certainly true that the ultra-rich will get hit the hardest, but they have been using the white supremacist beliefs of the white working class to win elections since 1968, so they have to perform a difficult balancing act to maintain their chances of winning future elections.
I wonder if the ultra-rich have become so wealthy that they no longer care if they are "hit hard." We've been telling them for years that it's nothing but a numbers game, so what if they take us seriously. It would certainly be believable that they've become so accustomed to their power that they'll happily ignore a few short-term shifts in a decimal place, since it's all really a game of world domination. Petty people worry about numbers, while real power players know that their lifestyles will never be diminished. As long as they can keep the peasants carrying pitchforks on the other side of the gate, who cares about a few million dollars here or there? That's why I worry about Thomas and other leaders being so cozy with them.
Carol, that s the beauty of HRC, she provides context to connect the boring financial “blah blah blah” to the riveting story of the Mexican drug cartel.
Heather, another wonderful Letter packed with information and your thoughts on the fentanyl scourge in the world. I was impressed to learn about the power of the Treasury Department to curb the “businessmen” who are foisting this on humanity. I recently watched a Netflix series based on the Medellin cartels in Colombia when “Cocaine was King” of drugs. Thank you for your thought-provoking analysis of the “debt ceiling” threats of the repugnants. I can barely let myself think about their “brinksmanship” politics. On another note, I hope you get some rest this weekend. You have written non-stop for many weeks, dearest Heather. Sorry to be your “mother”.....🦋
As if fentanyl wasn't enough. our charming friends across the aisle are determined to take our financial power out of commission and leave the rest of the world to figure out how to deal with both. This is where the term Patriots gets a shellacking. Yes kids, there are plenty of boogiemen to disturb our sleep, and the Chapitos are just the foot soldiers. The MAGAts are indeed traitors to our collective cause.
Not to sound snide to you, Heather (I wouldn't be), but... in a country where roughly 1/3 of people still believe our last election was "stolen," I think you have your answer. To be fair, I don't entirely understand all that will result from a default either, but I understand the basics. Most people, I can pretty much guarantee, have no idea. It will be interesting to see, as we lead up to the cliff, how the Republicans frame this. The President would do well to go on full-offensive now and do exactly as you proffered to us--express in clear, simple terms and with a relentless drumbeat, exactly what this is and will do. Force the GOP to respond like he did with the budget. This will help--because loyal idiots, Boebert and Green, who DON'T understand it, will then look like fools in defending it. The Administration should make this a "no one from the GOP can walk by the press without being questioned" kind of topic.
Sadly, the third of our citizens who believe that "The Steal" was real will never believe anything that our President says about this or any other subject. Brainwashing is alive and well in our "post Fairness Doctrine" and post "Citizens United" nation. It's increasingly difficult to be optimistic and aware at the same time. Sad. Very Sad.Teach your children well.
While I agree that this wave of propaganda is having really terrible effects, governments and politicians have always in been in the business of swaying people hither and yon and the US is no different. The present reality that so many continue to believe the "Big Lie" is one result of that. And, the same characteristics that make people susceptible to this type of "brainwashing" are those that draw them to religious fantasies, as well as believing that waging war in other countries is honorable and glorious. So, Biden and the Dems have their work cut out for them, trying to persuade people who are gullible, afraid and easily led.
I had the occasion recently to stop at a little Trump-themed protest, waving signs and burping bullhorns, by the side of the road outside an office park near Dalton, Georgia. It was only about 10-12 fools standing about in the grass by the road, me included, since I quickly learned that I was a fool for trying to engage them in conversation. All I could really learn for sure was that they were there because Ms. Kamala Harris was visiting the office park.
It's not that anyone was mean or anything. It's just that they literally made so little sense (I'll not try to record details of the nonsense) that I could never escape the suspicion that, "they're just pretending to be this stupid because I'm a liberal asking questions." Word salad, shrugs, and smiles. And absolute conviction in...something inarticulate. One of them identified another as the leader of the Whitfield County Republican Party, which was a lie and clearly intended just to get rid of me.
You know those funny interviews with Jordan Klepper of MAGA rally goers? This was even weirder -- everything those people said could have been used as a punchline on The Daily Show. It was so consistent that they seemed either very impaired or incredibly well trained in babble (which is harder to do than you think).
Yep. They're as dumb as a sack of hammers. But have you ever seen anyone who's been crushed under sack of hammers? Not pretty.
My guess is they were the christian nationalists. They can’t tell you what they’re doing without getting questioned about the discrepancy between the teachings of Jesus and their lust for power. They probably have a secret hand sign to recognize each other.
I've never found a good test that can tell whether somebody really is an ignorant idiot, or just pretending to be one. I'd bet that this bunch actually believes that we already are a "christian" nation and we always have been, just as I've heard them claim all my life. Some may even believe that it's in the Constitution. In their mind, us "woke" types are trying to overthrow America, which they always treated as a christian nation and anything written otherwise is treated with a "wink wink, nudge nudge." In fairness, they're right -- we are trying to overthrow many of their cherished notions and practices. (Hell's Bells, we've been trying for centuries to overthrow their bigotry, which should make you wonder what "traditional" really means.)
Good take. How about this: the un-woke are furious for not having been allowed free expression. They weren’t allowed to become their authentic selves. And they’ll be damned if they are going to let other people get away with being their authentic selves.
As I follow Klutz McCarthy and his Animal House bloviating about their demands for 1) no new taxes 2) massive, unspecified slashes in ‘social expenditures; and 3) the need to balance the budget, I think of Jimmy Breslin’s THE GANG THAT COULDN’T STRAIGHT.
The United States has just experienced a major banking crisis that required emergency intervention by the Fed, the Treasury, and several major banks. If the ‘full faith and credit’ of the United States’ is destroyed by failure to raise the national debt limit, the likely impact domestically and globally could be devastating.
So why are the McCarthy misfits playing Russian roulette with the financial integrity of the United States? Stupidity and irresponsibility are two prime reasons. ‘I earned the right to be Speaker’ McCarthy needed 15 House votes to obtain the House gavel. He made promises to 20 Republican renegades that renders him a ball-less ‘leader.’
I expect that President Biden will call his bluff and say ‘put up or shut up.’ If McCarthy wishes to identify which ‘social expenditures’ he demands be savaged in return for raising the national debt limit, then a political gauntlet is thrown. Ain’t going to happen. It would be political suicide for McCarthy.
President Biden should and, I believe, will insist that a handful of Republicans join Democrats in approving a national debt limit increase this summer. Regarding the nitty gritty of the budget, the House has received Biden’s draft. Let the prolonged budget game begin.
Meanwhile, at the NRA national meeting, Republican presidential candidates are outdoing themselves in professing the sanctity of owning guns without legal restrictions, while they are silent on the possibility of their country’s self-inflicted bankruptcy.
Keith: One of my all-time favorite books! Thank you for mentioning it. I wish I felt that the Republicans were so ineffective. I tend to think of them more like Jack Nicholson’s performance as The Joker in a Batman movie: laughing and dancing while leaving a trail of destruction in their wake!
Lee I prefer to think of Jack Nicholson (‘you can’t handle the truth’) in A FEW GOOD MEN. There justice eventually triumphed and Colonel Jessup was squashed. I recall ‘the truth will set you free,’ which makes me totally woke at age 89.
21 States passed impediments to voting in 2021-2022.
PLEASE CALL your US Senators + Representative (202-224-3121) and the President (833-345-2551) and leave this message: “Why should my Zip Code determine how I exercise my vote?
We need one federal law that governs voting for every American. Pass the Freedom to Vote: John R Lewis Voting Rights Act. It is ethically the right bill for you to pass right now.”
OR
REQUEST A MEETING: An in-person or Zoom meeting as soon as possible with your Senators and Representative and their Legislative Counsel. Invite local voting rights activists to join you (see GROUPS BY STATE in the map at www.nationalvotercorps.org) What to say when you meet: Pass the Freedom to Vote: John R Lewis Voting Rights Act. It is ethically the right bill for you to pass now.
In response to any reaction such as “Why would I ask a Republican Representative to protect Americans’ right to vote when voter suppression is working for them?”, words such as: "I believe ethical Republican Senators and Representatives will protect Americans’ vote fairly and safely. Examples of Republicans protecting Americans’ rights and the Constitution:
● Senator Lummis voted for the Respect of Marriage Act;
● Senator Murkowski supports the rights of indigenous Alaskans, with cross-party support, winning re-election against a conservative candidate in a closely watched race.
● Senator Romney voted for impeachment after January 6th and has supported voting rights, healthcare and other ethical measures.
"Already 21 States prevent millions of Americans from voting fairly, and safely. These Supreme Court decisions: 2010 Citizens United v FEC (unlimited corporate money in politics) and the 2013 Shelby County v Holder (ending preclearance of State or local laws relating to voting policies and procedural changes in previously segregated states) disenfranchised or resulted in expanding barriers to the ballot box for millions of voters - especially lower income voters, seniors, disabled voters, Americans without transportation, college students and people of color.
"Thus Congress must act under its powers in Article 1.4, the 14th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 23rd, 24th and 26th Amendments to protect our right to vote.
"You took an oath to protect the American Constitution. If Congress doesn’t act now to protect its powers under the Constitution, then hard-right activists will turn America into a libertarian theocracy or worse."
HCR: "As I read about the U.S. Treasury sanctions on fentanyl supply chains today and then thought about how Treasury sanctions against Russia have hamstrung that nation without a single shot from U.S. military personnel, I wondered if people really understand how much is at stake in the Republicans’ attack on our financial system."
From where I sit, it seems that people who swore an oath to honor and protect the U.S. Constitution are working to destroy democracy and create another system of government. The remedy is "equality before the law."
U.S. Constitution Article III, Section 3: Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
The MAGAts are adhering to our enemies and giving them aid and comfort.
Where are the FEMA camps these scum go on about, for us to stick them? Take them to Guantanamo and let them find out what "fuck around and find out" really means.
Shhhh...Not one word. Whoaaa! What?!! "A California police union executive director has been charged with running a drug ring from her San Jose home and work office where she allegedly accepted at least 61 illegal drug shipments from various countries, including Singapore, Hungary, Hong Kong, and India, then distributed to other states. Joanne Marian Segovia, 64", etc etc. And check out all her alias's. A "Lilley White Grandma"... emphasis on the "white" (my emphasis). And, where and to whom did she forward that 'stuff' too? Welp folks, you at least "read it here".
“I wondered if people really understand how much is at stake in the Republicans’ attack on our financial system.” And I’ll add to this from the last paragraph of HCR’s post. I don’t think that Republicans care about our financial system or democracy. They care about making money. Aren’t they, the Republicans still in the Republican Party, more than a little similar to leaders of drug cartels in Mexico, the U.S. and Chinese business interests? Consumed by greed, and poisoning this country and democracy?
“allegedly used cargo aircraft, private aircraft, submarines and other submersible and semi-submersible vessels, container ships, supply vessels, go-fast boats, fishing vessels, buses, rail cars, tractor trailers, automobiles, and private and commercial interstate and foreign carriers to transport their drugs and precursor chemicals…”
What?? I thought our drug problem was due to our ‘wide open border’.
The "open border" accusation is simplistic, requires nothing more than the mental image of an open door and resonates with so many people who are caught up in the lies of Republicans and Fox so-called News. And yet, it's complicated out there. We live in a technologically advanced and sophisticated intertwined society. Our solutions are as complicated as our problems.
Tell that to the R congress critters who keep pumping out the propaganda on their fb pages pandering to their base. Countering with facts results in CN name calling. Any sane R hopefully will see the lay of the land.
The Republicans aren't most concerned about drugs, they are most concerned about people crossing the border. Brown people. You don't hear the Republicans talking about closing the Canadian border although lots of immigrants who overstay their visas cross there. White people.
MTG is already on video criticizing Biden on grounds that the border patrol has seized so much more fentanyl on his watch. She counts on her voters taking that to mean that more fentanyl is entering the country. It’s like the southern backwoods Congressman who won reelection some fifty years ago by denouncing his opponent for being a “self-confessed heterosexual.”
And now we have a 21yr old with a TS Clearance.. who apparently acted "intentionally" to throw the USA under the bus... huh? Okay, you name "the bus". Welp, here is what I'd like to see inscribed on his tombstone: "Here lies a Dumb Kid who, since 16 has been told (lied to), that the USA was a failed democracy, where an election had been stolen, that a communist country was a 'friend." And, below that should be the words "Thoughts and prayers - Needed". My friends.., we are indeed to blame for this. Not because we afforded the "liars" 1st Amendment shelter.., but because we.. "we' basically stood by, allowing the "liars" to spew un-checked, corrupting school curriculums (kids) together with titillated (adults) distracted by a pair of inflated breasts and a crop of degenerate/illiterate politicians. However, i believe there is reason for hope. What appeared to me to be a "fart in a windstorm" down in Tennessee, seems to have turned into a reckoning. Let's speak out. WI did.
how to reach those who do not agree with me and you? I have disconnected with most Republicans because most of them are very radically against what i believe on so many levels. Your newsletter is so informative, but sending it to like minded people is like preaching to the choir. Any ideas?
Communication between people that disagree is an essential feature of an open, democratic society, though cults that are ideologically closed to input are a tough nut to crack. I think it is important to keep putting ideas "out there" to alt least influence those on the fence. I have seen more than one outsider idea go mainstream, though some struggles seem to be eternal. How many of our most difficult problems are all about the money?
Anyway, discussion in this somewhat gated community of HCR fans may be preaching to the choir, but knowledge is power, and I am finding a robust exchange of it happening here. I look for ways to pass that along. Social progress can occur when support begins to gather behind a vision.
“In this age, in this country, public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed. Whoever molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes, or pronounces judicial decisions.” - Lincoln
Well JL, one effective means of addressing the ignorance at the heart of so many of these issues might be infiltration behind the lines. Some independent, highly targeted research on our part to locate a link to very a simple explanation (I'm talking fourth grade level vocabulary and very short in length) of the difference between "paying off" an existing debt and incurring a new debt, for example. Then planting that link on a MAGA site without editorializing; just a teaser to get people to open the link, and hopefully a few eyes. This would not be "trolling", and I would recommend not sticking around to read any replies or engaging in any dialog. You could think of it as dropping leaflets behind the lines. At least it might make a small dent. And if enough of us left this cloistered community to do a solo commando raid occasionally, perhaps it would begin to have an impact. At least it would feel good to be doing something positive.
“They sentenced me to 20 years of boredom for trying to change the system from within…..” Leonard Cohen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTTC_fD598A While in my “bubble” (in my everyday life/extended family) I very rarely come across MAGAphiles, tho’ on occasion someone I run across at the store/gas station, etc. will make a MAGA-ish comment. While I would like to pull my hair out and shout “really?”….I rather say, very briefly, “oh I hold a different opinion” and, for example, if I respond at all I might say “oh, I don’t believe Biden is responsible for the increase in gas prices; if you look at the data you can see the oil/gas companies are making record profits during these fraught times”. That’s why I laud folks for doing what they can if they live in very red states….unless & until, of course, draconian state laws negatively affect their lives (as we are seeing medical folks & others decamping—if they are able—to more hospitable locations).
I'll take some finesse. No wading in and busting chops (though the temptation is great). Can't just walk onto their turf and start making statements of truth; they will skewer you. Better to find links to more moderate conservative sources that have at least tried to educate their people (the research part) and lure a few out of their echo chamber. No links to The Lincoln Project, though, which they have already identified as a RINO entity. The theory here is that these people talk to each other. If only a handful of them realize how far they've been spun by their party, it will have a magnifying effect. Hopefully.
I have had a few (only a few conversations with soft and hard MAGAs. The soft one's will entertain idea that there might be a valid alternative view, and that the Party's pronouncements are not holy writ. Others automatically attack any deviation as blaspheme. I don't doubt that some others are more skilled than I at penetrating this reflexive wall of denial. And it's by no means only low information voters who are the only MAGA extremists. Some persons who are highly educated and seemed in the past to be more or less fair and reasonable have fallen into the whirlpool.
I think one way that social perception changes is with persistence, discipline and numbers, as in the women's movement, Civil Rights movements, and workers rights demonstrations. Also, just by keeping the discussion alive, maintaining the focus. So many things have occurred which we lose our will to track and remedy when they become too commonplace. Slavery was one so commonplace that up to 12 US presidents held slaves at one time of another, and it wasn't a deal-breaker. We need to keep the spotlight on the elephant in the room until it is no longer ignored by enough people to enable a remedy, or at least partial remedy, to gain momentum. Finally articulating, as in the J6th committee and various criminal investigations that highlight provable abuses of power, is proving to be making better remedial progress than just trying to smooth transgressions over.
I wonder if the judge in the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit can order Fox News (a misnomer if there ever was one) to broadcast a court-approved retraction, for a specific period of time, of the Big Lie on Carlson, Hannity, Ingraham, etc. as part of the settlement; and enjoin FNS from ever again disseminating lies.
I recall that in the 1970s (?) American Express ran a series of ads in which a couple abroad is panicked because they have lost all their money and a kindly, calming person is explaining that they just have to go to the American Express office to refund their traveler's checks (a kind of pre-electronic transfer cashier's check designed for travelers). Until they say "But they weren't American Express", at which point their helper looks at them like he is smelling dog poo and says "Then I can't help you". The big lie was that only American Express replaced lost or stolen traveler's checks, which was actually a large part of why anyone would buy them.
They were forced by legal action to include at the end of their fear-inducing dramas to add the words "other companies give refunds", which was better than nothing. Better would have been a series of ads in which they publicly apologized. If we valued "Truth in Advertising" (it's absence being a species of fraud and/or libel ) Fox would have to relabel "Fox Lies" and apologize for telling them. It's one thing to brag about personally catching a fish that might not have been quite so big as represented, and another to have one's thumb on the butcher's scale, or to falsely shout "fire" in an occupied theater.
Murdock has been shrieking "fire" for decades, and it's paid off well for him. And I hope that he and Faux are now, finally, about to get their comeuppance. I have no confidence that it will take fewer than several decades to undo and repair the damage they have done. And all for money - not one principle, just filthy lucre.
In the end it all comes down to "the love of money". That seems to be the "one ring to rule them all" responsible for so much of the dysfunction and cruelty in our own society (the primacy of money and other corruptly interchangeable forms of power). (The "Conservative" Supreme Court reeks of it.)
I find it ironic that a large and wealthy corporation (Dominion) can finally get the goods on these open criminals, while so often it seems the "we the people" are powerless, or at least, are conned into thinking that we are.
They should have to have a “warning sticker” displayed 24/7 at the bottom of the screen like there is on packs of cigarettes….”what we present is not fact and may be false; consume at the risk of becoming a moron”….may not stop them from watching (smoking), but maybe seeing the warning each time might have a growing effect. Well, one can hope.
Someone recently said something on this blog about beauty and truth, and Keats aside, I think there is something to it. Add to that grace, which I think of as unified interaction of parts, like an Olympic athlete, a springing tiger, or a ballet dancer. I once saw a film in which Picasso painted a brief, single squiggle on a piece of glass, and portrayed with it an appealing, expressive face. In each of these there is a unifying simplicity. I see that, and love that, in the overall picture revealed by science. Whitman presaged modern cosmology when he wrote ": "I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars." Emerson nailed it with "Nature is an endless combination and repetition of a very few laws. She hums the old well-known air through innumerable variations. Nature is full of a sublime family likeness throughout her works...".
I think that there is always a certain element of poetry, more or less, in human communication, and that permeates Lincoln's recorded speaking and writing; and lends it clarity and power. Just because Lincoln said it does not make it true, and every historical figure has his or her limitations, but the clarity of Lincoln's ability to focus is at least in part transmissible, and seems to "nail" core dynamics of human nature and governance, in a way that can cut though a lot of distracting eddies and deliberate distractions that surround them.
Don't waste your time on GQP haters. It is hopeless. Fox viewers are dinosaurs and share the same destiny. AND we CAN outvote them. There are way more of us than them.
OUR numbers are growing. Gen Y and Z have grown up with diversity and expect equal treatment. They have grown up with "active shooter drills" and are furious about no progress on guns. And most of all, they are wicked angry about the Climate Crisis - that the GQP poo poos.
The answer, my friend, is getting more people - young people in particular to vote. Go to https://www.turnup.us/ and be inspired and perhaps help register millions of smart young people. It's all about who turns up to vote.
Identify an issue you consider critical and ask the LWV to hold a local forum with various viewpoints so that people can listen to more than one side of an issue you care deeply about?
Exactly. Tfg was just on Fucker Carlson the other night spouting his insane word vomit. Tucker himself should be forced to do the mea culpa, and not for just one night!
Another strong thought to introduce: Republicans are "Weak on Drugs". If they don't want to fund the myriad Federal agencies engaged in fighting the scourge of fentanyl, they are, prima facie, weak on drugs. And finally, if we don't pay for debt service on debts already incurred, 25% of which were incurred under Trump, how in heavens name can international investors trust us?
Heather, thank you for covering an issue that is not getting anywhere near the press that it needs.
Making it less profitable for the kingpins to operate is definitely the way to go. I wish that the Biden Administration would publish the numbers of pounds seized from cargo planes, etc. to break the narrative that the persons to fear are the “small fry” wading across the river or hiking across the desert.
It would also help to publish comparisons with the amounts of fentanyl seized with that seized by the prior administration.
As for the debt ceiling, maybe couching a default in terms of not paying our credit card debt would paint a picture that more people could understand.
My reaction to this piece was exactly this. Where is the press coverage of all of this? Usually HCR's newsletter is filled with links to the media and social media coverage of the topic and here it was all official press releases. So, I googled and sure enough, the coverage is scant and focuses mainly on the Chapo arrests. WaPo gave two lines to the China part of the story.
The war that is being fought by US agencies and across North America to stem the flow of this deadly killer is starting to show results. People need to know about this and I hope the administration keeps getting the word out. Anne Milgram who did a fantastic job as NJ AG and is now head of the DEA should be invited to every news program and podcast to talk about all of this.
Finally, why not tie this to the GOP effort to defund the government through their debt ceiling hostage attempt? How do citizens expect the US government to combat enemies like the cartels and fight these type of wars without funding? Many simply don't realize that taxpayer-funded efforts like this are even happening. Well past time to seize the narrative on this topic.
McCarthy and the 20 MAGAts should be arrested on treason charges, since they work with our enemies. Arrest 20-30 of the worst MAGAts and the rest will crawl back into the dark places they crawled out of. And Biden should say Fuck The Debt Ceiling and cite his oath of office to see the laws are faithfully executed the the constitution protected, pointing to the 14th Amendment which directs that the national debt of the United States shall not be questioned.
The Republican Congress are traitors to the United States of America. Not one of them refuted Marge 3 names defense of the traitor who shared classified information on Social media because according to Marge he was white, male and Christian. Well you’re a mental giant Marge! None of the Magas in congress have any redeeming qualities. They are just following Bannon’s directive to deconstruct the institutions of democracy. And what better way than to default on our debt and put the country in financial collapse and chaos.
Bannon wants to destroy the institutions of democracy. His calls to destroy our institutions are equivalent to setting one's house on fire, then being upset at having no place to live. He is an anarchist, whose only goal is chaos.
Sorry, Bannon is not an anarchist, he is a fascist. We need to call out the GOP on this point - they’re not “conservatives,” “alt-right,” “MAGA Republicans” - they’re fascists.
Yes, AND they are top of the pile of international criminals and they are committing treason . Why is Bannon and his cartel not as dangerous as those who produce Fentanyl? His actions and his followers are as deadly as any chemical. Arrest the slime! Make it stick.
Well said! They are indeed as fatal as fentanyl.
Now always the party of death in so many ways.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Jenn & Mitchell….maybe both…hmmm a “farchist”?
Barbara, more like fascists like Bannon saying “let’s create anarchy so we can take over under cover of chaos.”
Hard to believe that man is free to blather his hate.
Bannon actually described himself as a "leninist." https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bannon-leninist-destroy-state/
Snopes then disproved the comment however found other similar sentiments.
Agreed. And Bannon is not the only one, he just articulated the most succinctly the method and the goal. However, what I am focusing on now is that Bannon & ilk believe Chaos will bring about a return to white supremacist patriarchy. But it has also activated a LOT of ordinary Americas who say “NO Way!” We are (many for the first time) starting to pay attention and think about how to put the “Civil” back in “Civil Society”, HOW a government works and For Whom, WHY our institutions are important, AND that aspirationally, We Still Do Strive To Be “WE THE PEOPLE”. So maybe the chaotic times will yield a large step towards a better society, from being brought to the brink of maga’s “carnage vision”?
Have Bannon and Trump awakened the "sleeping giant" that is democracy in the US?
We can hope and be forces for organization!
🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
I am reading a bio of Catherine de Medici and I have just finished the section on the St. Bartholomew Day Massacre. Yes, it resulted in many Protestants being killed, but it was also anarchy once the mob got going. People settled old scores and some saw the opportunity to steal from others amidst the chaos. I was thinking that this is what we could have should the Rs prevail and see to it that their minions are well armed. At that time it was an effort by Catherine to save the Valois family and for others to get revenge. Now it is an effort by those at the top with the help of white Christian nationalists to sow discord and give us a Christian theocracy with a white patriarchal dictatorship. I do take heart from what I read here from most of the posters that we will fight this tooth and nail.
That “brink” will yield a large step towards a destroyed society. Chaotic times or a carnage vision may impress some, but only the MAGAts, I fear.
TN. Could that be the turning point?
No. TN enhances the devotion of 99% of people who vote Republican because TN proudly exhibits GOP devotion to the only important “value” of 99% of people who vote Republican. That “value” is white supremacism. No significant fraction of Republican voters can be dissuaded from their core “value.” They will have to be outvoted by the rest of us. There are just barely enough of us to outvote them, so all of us will have to cast votes in every race in every election.
You say the darndest things, Rex. All true and right on the money. I get such a kick out of your drops.
I thought it might be... but how do you say a 'turning point' in slow motion...?
Bannon is a criminal, and he should be treated as such. That kid was arrested for releasing documents showing Ukraine is corrupt. Since the current President of Ukraine got elected on an anti-corruption platform, and was then not taken in by the Trump administration’s attempts to pressure Ukraine into doing political dirty work for the Trump campaign, it’s hardly a state secret. Why can’t Bannon be arrested on similar charges based on Cambridge Analytical dealings? And locked up? And his fortune and property by taken to pay for the harm he caused? There are notable differences between true political believers, and criminals running a long con. The world will be better off when we start treating criminals like criminals, you know what I mean?
Bannon''s not an anarchist. He's a nihilist. His goal is to destroy every trace of institutional governance, and "free" everybody from the constraints imposed by society itself. Nihilists aren't interested in anything other than their own ends.
Anarchism is different. The objective of anarchy is to keep a very close eye on the operating institutions, and at the point where those institutional powers stop performing for the benefit of the majority, tear them down to the point right before the performance failed, and then rebuild from that point. I admit that the distinction is sometimes lost in the chaos that erupts out of both factions, but it's an important one to remember.
Bannon is a nihilist, worthy of Ayn Rand's admiration.
Bannon has admitted he's a chaos agent and welcomes economic apocalypse. Both he and Trump made statements to that effect on Fox News. People on Twitter were posting the video clips. Yet media continue to treat him like he's just another "Republican strategist".
I can't understand why SB isn't in jail yet?
Marge 3 names? Do you mean Empty Greene?
I do like that; I had a trainee who went by his middle name, but his initials were MT. We often called him "Empty O".
Well done Jon.
I'm sure "marge three names" refers to Mega Traitor Greene. The hits just keep on coming.
What I am about to say is below the belt but, perhaps Mr. Brannon would not be so unpleasant and repulsive and,disruptive if he had a good shower and decent haircut. And believe me I am no polished Beau Brummell. However after a shower and hair comb and tooth brushing, well I feel so much better and gosh darn people seem to like me.
🤣🤣🤣
"Well you’re a mental giant Marge!"
No.
Not because I disagree with you but because treason than becomes a charge regular Americans disregard. Like racist or homophobic.
Wait until the DOJ starts charging people at the Congressional level. Lord knows even Merrick Garland has to do something sooner or later.
Indictments are better than accusations.
No.. no.., TC. Biden and all of us should refrain from using the "F" word, "screw" and the enjoyable experience it may or may not imply, should also be avoided. Both words/expressions have no place in public speech, in a civil society. Nor should it be picked up on a 'hot mic'... show some class (restraint). Let's agree on that. Hohohhoo, I hear the laughter. Showing my age, or maybe I was naive, but as a kid in the 40's or 50's the "F-bomb" was not part of 'public speaking', I sure didn't hear girls in school or adult(girls) using it openly. Jussst sayin :))
I promised to stop using the F word if Trump lost to Biden. I'm doing about 95% good. Hope to eradicate the habit into my old age dementia, so I don't have to sit in at a separate table for dinner in the nursing home some day.
I’ll be at that table with you, lol. My Millennial daughters drop F- bombs left and right. I blame them for my bad habit. 🤣🤬😎.
I raised two sons to manhood, all by myself. What they didn’t hear at home, they learned on the school bus.Too many swears, too deeply embedded to root them out. See you guys at lunch, if the table isn’t too crowded. 😉😂👍🏻
Me too? (I never did leave my New York cuss mouth when I came to Georgia.)
Mim, I learned to cuss in Georgia, before I left for Buffalo. Like most learning experiences, it’s most effective when done early. 😉
There’s this other thing, though. I also grew up being told that “young ladies don’t talk like that.” Of course, NO ONE ever said that to the boys. That right there is what set me on the path.
Y’all have me laughing! Save me a space too!
Can I join the table too? 😵💫🤬
Hehehe, of course!!
Going to have to join the table but not only use the “f” word but tend to say what I think. I may be the one sitting by myself with a basset hound in the corner. But at 75 not about to change
Move over everybody causing I’m scootching myself at the table too!
SAME, Sheila. I knew I liked you!!
💙
We're gonna need a really BIG table.....
Yes, because a better substitute for that word has not yet been invented.
Nurse friend of mine during Covid--"I have used that word more in the last year than I have in my entire lifetime"
If you watched tv series The Good Place, recall the word Fork and Forked was used. Makes a good substitute.
It's such a versatile word that suits any occasion or description. I would have trouble letting it go. I find it especially useful when screaming at the television when Republicans appear. Nevertheless, I admire your restraint!
Agree! It gives me great pleasure to say “F#€k Off” to the repugs as they spout their lies each and every time their lips move.
I should have known my spouse and I weren’t alone! 😁🤬🤗
Karen Estby, I agree! Sometimes there just isn't a better word to use these days!
I’m trying to replace it with “fire truck.” Limited success so far.
Jodi Taylor reader, perchance?
Why yes, how did you know 😂
I believe there will be a lot of us at that table! And it will be a place of honor for all Democracy Defenders!
The F word was heard often in a memory care unit with which I was familiar.
I'm glad I didn't make that promise. I would have failed miserably.
I tend to conjugate it to fit the situation...it's much easier than trying to figure out how to use "bigly", although a friend of mine and I have a running joke and contest for that one...please count me in at the table!
By the time you're in a nursing home, you'll be surrounded by people who don't even know you're not supposed to use it.
Bless you! That’s the best. On the other hand, you may liven up some nursing homes if you slip.
✊😂
I fully support using the Large set of words offered by the English language minus the F word.
I remember when us 7th grade boys started using that word a bit at school.
One of our female teachers heard one of us and stopped class.
“You boys sound like the trash you will become if you talk like that. You bunch of boys want to be real men? Learn to talk like real men.
Then. She said. “Plus, if you f*kers keep this talk up you are all headed to Tullis (our coach) for a lesson.” Tullis used a baseball bat on us if we got out of line.
The F word sounded so horrible to us when our teacher said it. So bad.
I pretty much have not used the word since.
Clearly. TC did not meet Tullis in the 7th Grade. Sorta too bad really.
Tullis was good at teaching manners to the juvenile mind.
I stopped most swearing when I was in the Army. I heard women around me using and it sounded so trashy - just like you said. I vowed not to sound like that. So it rarely escapes from my lips.
Yeh.. 'The Board' of education had significance "back then".
Thinking back to my own parents who raised 5 kids from the 50s through the 80s, I can’t remember either of them EVER using the F word. Never! I might have heard my mother say the S word a couple times - widely separated by years. And I only heard my father toot once (he didn’t know I was nearby). Times were different back then.
The Tullis story is grand! Thank you, Mike.
Strangely Sylvia, when a (adult) girl to whom I am physically attracted, uses that word, it tends to 'turn-me-on'..., yeah.., arousing a desire.., 'the desire' to "fuck" her. And oftentimes that opportunity later seems to present itself. As a 'psych E' I'm sure you understand this. Of course most "girls" are no doubt unaware of the UN-intended consequences their use of the "f" words might bring.., huh? That's okay. I'm just relating my experience over the past 79 years. I'm looking forward to the next 79.
It's not a strategy, just a tactic. Using the "F-bomb" is really very effective, but only if it's used seldomly, and is preferably perceived as being out of character. Then, it can add a punch, but that punch that gets robbed with everyday usage.
You are correct. The F-bomb, sparingly used by an otherwise well-spoken person, has effect. Used in every other sentence, it has little effect. Use it sparingly but pungently.
Like civet, it's so pungent that a whiff is all that's needed in any setting.
So true. In the near future, the autocomplete function will supply it (especially the participle form) whenever you type an f on your keyboard. You will have to proofread carefully to make sure you wrote “fuchsia” or “fugitive” or “funny” as you meant to.
or "fascist".
Yes, much more effective if it comes as a shock.
I agree society is getting a little too 'trash mouth'. I've been saying the F word a lot lately myself. People today don't seem to understand 'nuanced' language so maybe they need to hear 'exactly' how I'm feeling. :)
It's tough not to sink to that level. Sometimes a cold stare and a moment of silence is stronger. And, "sometimes" those "moments" seem to last for a lot longer than a moment. I like your description, ie., nuanced language. Isn't 'that' the truth!
Dear MadRussian12A,
I am 77 and even I have used these words lately. I agree with you. Our sense of decency (not I’m better than you) is at stake. Powerful words are not dirty words. Powerful words are cohesive and accepting! They bring a sense of “better” to the conversations we so need to have.
I too have wondered at the use of “_uck”in our every minute conversations! Leave mr.” F” behind and all we have is “uck”!
Aren’t we all sick of living in “UCK” !
It is related to “standards”. We either have them or we agree to being without choice.
I will “clean up “ my choice of conversation. Thank you for making me think!🤗👏🏻🎶
I'm 73 yo, and the "F" word is my very favorite expletive! It's just so versatile! :D
Heck, it's just a word. And, frankly, a very impactful one in the right setting. It would be just like Democrats to make this word a cause, thereby ignoring all the issues that matter.
Excellent point sir. Imagine we switch out F --- you for 'Coitus you man!' . Or, 'Go make love to yourself'., How 'bout 'Oh, intercourse it anyway'!
"I would like you to consider an anatomically impossible act of self-impregnation and departure from the earthly premises."
Good one. :)
Nice ring to that one, Ally.
Especially the "departure" part. Actually, skip the self-impregnation, and go directly to the departure. I'll hold the door.
Do not pass Go.
Do not collect $200.
lol
:)
Yes sir! It becomes difficullt to claim civility, thoughtfulness, and steady navigation to a goal when immature trash talk flows out the brain and through the tunnel of the mourh.
Though agreeing with you totally, as one who used the f word and other expletives rarely before 2015, I find that the circumstances require using the vocabulary to let off steam.
Civil discourse is a dead art right now and we need to work hard to transform the negative, disparaging, yelling that is normal now.
Harriet, to accomplish that, we'd need to remove the Empty Greenes, Lauren Boeberts, Matt Gaetzes, TFGs, and the rest of the Rethuglicans from circulation, and that doesn't appear to be possible at this point. My goal is to refrain from cursing in public, while I continue to decompress in front of the television or reading the newspaper.
As a boomer, I agree. While really "felt," the F-Word pejorative detracts. I vote for eloquence and powerful use of the language.
TC, As I posted in a different thread, because there is no precedent for invoking the 14th to raise the debt ceiling, litigation invariably would follow that likely would work its way to the Supreme Court. I imagine, in the interim, that the immediate global consequences of defaulting on our loan payments could be devastating.
Accordingly, because much of the electorate neither are aware of the economic calamity that would ensue nor that raising the debt ceiling merely gives the government permission to pay back the money we’ve already borrowed, I would advise we press our public officials and the media repeatedly to drive home these points.
Barbara,
There is also no precedent for Congress to default on its obligations. President Biden may have no choice but to take charge and point to the Constitution. And yes, it would probably be headed to the Extreme Court. But I believe there are five of the nine who would vote to prevent a collapse of the dollar - quickly.
Sure, the markets would be riled for a couple of days. But do you think Harlan Crow and his billionaire buddies won't pick up the phone and make a call to their puppet justices?
I would not ignore the power of the roughly 28 Oligarchs who have been buying elections and judgeships for decades.
Once it's clear that Biden will stand firm, there will be some instructions sent to McCarthy and his clueless comrades.
It's theater. Very dangerous and stupid theater.
Bill, Your argument is cogent and convincing. My one wish is that, however this plays out, more of the electorate will become more informed.
Thank you. Another comment today was that with just a few Republican votes, Jeffries could introduce a "a discharge position". He is letting McCarthy look worse and worse for now. But it could be that he is planning to do such - ultimately. He could look like the guy riding in on a white horse to save the day. Here's an article that details it - but it is from March. In the meantime, the kabuki dance continues at our peril.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3914495-jeffries-waves-aside-plan-to-raise-debt-limit-with-house-discharge-petition/
I am not sure who in the electorate will benefit from more information. The ones that are lost in their hate war are unreachable. But there are a lot of affluent folks of all sorts of political persuasions that are getting very nervous. I hope we can count on the threat of severe financial loss as a motivator. A favorite quote from "moderate Republicans" as to why they don't desert their party that has gone mad is: "I like my money and I want to keep it". Maybe in this case, "Greed is good"?
Bill, Thanks for the link. I imagine it’s possible that Republicans from Biden-won districts could cross the aisle. Still, if I sound hesitant it’s because I was stunned this past January by so-called moderate Republicans who were silent as the MAGA Caucus extracted concession after concession from McCarthy as he desperately attempted to get enough votes to become Speaker.
As for my project to engender a more informed electorate, setting aside far right extremists, I’m not convinced that everyday indoctrinated people fed only on partisan information and opinion that confirm their own misguided bias are entirely unreachable.
Repubs of today love only money, and power. Period. No integrity, no common sense, not even an iota of a backbone…. Not one
I agree Barbara, you just have to offer them better sex, more money and a long vacay on a very geared out yacht with maybe some giraffes or zebras and plenty of the best champagne. At least they may at least listen to your side.
I don’t understand. How would crashing the economy be better for the market than raising the debt ceiling?
A crashed economy helps no one, of course. I see this as a game of political blame and blackmail. McCarthy thinks he can bluff Biden. Not going to happen. There will be solutions to this, but ultimately, McCarthy is a coward. He should live on an island where flip flops are de rigueur.
Biden has offered to negotiate on the budget. But not the debt ceiling. Good. It's as if you or I decided we didn't like our car or house - and just declared we would not honor the debts we incurred.
I suspect the markets will react up and down based on the latest rumors and silly statements. But ultimately, the big money guys will be making phone calls to the people they put in office. JMO, I could be wrong. It happens all the time. Just ask my wife :)
Frightening and very realistic synopsis.
I worry that with the writhings of an inept Congress the Oligarchs and Biden won’t resolve the crisis and dilute our already challenged constitutional government.
With SCOTUS absconding over the horizon to far Federalist Lands and the Legislative branch dissolving itself we seem to be melting into an authoritarian government.
It does seem as though we are sliding into an authoritarian government that no one seems to really want. Wouldn't it be a hoot if poor Mr. Biden wound up as a dictator, despite his best efforts otherwise!
So long as he arrests the Taliban 20 and sends them to Guantanamo, or sticks them in an airplane and pushes them out mid-Atlantic, I'll give him six months to teach the rest of the GOP what "fuck around and find out" means.
DONT SAY “WOULDN’T IT BE A HOOT” ANYMORE ADDERTONGUE. IT’S OLD. IT’S TIRED. AND ESPECIALLY WHEN SPEAKING OF OUR FINE AND GOOD PRESIDENT, JOE BIDEN.
This morning on my walk, I listened to a dueling duet between a loon on the lake and an owl in the woods. Now THAT was A Hoot!!
Ok, Addertongue, I apologize. You can say anything you want. None of my business.
Brilliant, Bill. Let's hope that arrow is in Biden's quiver. Despite the fact that he is constantly painted as senile and incompetent, I'd be willing to bet that he'll do exactly what you've suggested - he's no dope.
Who are the 28 oligarchs?
I ask the same ... ?
The threat of defaulting on the Debt seems to being doing a lot of work on it’s own. The rumblings of replacing the world currency with something OTHER than US Dollars is becoming louder. China is applauding MCCarthy’s rabble-rousing. They would LOVE the YUAN to become the dominate currency (or at least an equal player). Then get prepared for us to experience a financial reality we have never lived through.
ML,
Perhaps a change to a non dollar based work currency would be good for America?
And for the world at large?
Losing the privilege of forcing all transactions through a US Dollar based system would remove lots of power from US Banks and US politicians.
In many, perhaps most, situations that is probably, on balance, good for the rest of the world.
Mike, which currency?
Please explain. The Yuan? Ruble? Euro? Peso? Shekel? Rial?
Do you own any property? Do you own any stocks or other investments? Can you afford 15% inflation?
Which country's policies would you like to see prevail?
How do you see this unfolding?
Mike S, in re “ Perhaps a change to a non dollar based work currency,” does not sound like a good idea.
MLRGRMI, While every point you make is valid, my immediate focus is not exacerbating the situation by defaulting on our loan payments.
It appears that a bill was introduced in January to raise or eliminate the debt ceiling. https://foster.house.gov/media/press-releases/foster-introduces-legislation-repeal-debt-ceiling
Although it hasn't been assigned a number, it seems to me that the most effective way for the Democrats to proceed is to finalize the language of Mr. Foster's bill, publicize it and call on Mr. McCarthy to bring it to a floor vote as a clean (single issue) measure. I can't imagine that anyone outside of the beltway is enjoying the spectacle that the GOP Lunatic Caucus is creating but the Democrats haven't been exactly aggressive about countering it. My preference is to eliminate it altogether and have done with this whole silly discussion. The national debt and deficit aren't like credit cards, and the Congress isn't a game; it's time the members understood that and learned that we aren't going to put up with it.
Foster's bill is H.R. 415, it has 42 cosponsors per Congress.gov, all Democrats, and it's in the Ways and Means committee. No Tarheel sponsors unfortunately (sigh).
Thanks for the update Chris. I can write my Congressperson with the full details; not that it will help much as she's a watercarrier for McCarthy.
Vote her out of office
No need, she's already announced that she's not going to run in 2024. That's part of the reason why people want her to resign now, it would give her replacement the advantage of incumbency in the next election and possibly eliminate the need for a primary.
Dave, While your comment is entirely logical, in my view, the Foster bill hasn’t a shot at ever making it to the GOP-controlled House floor for a vote. Frankly, I fear that the debt ceiling dispute is a Republican Trojan horse aimed at unleashing global consequences for which Biden and Democrats will be blamed, thus positioning Republicans for wins in 24. Hence, my investment in pressing Democratic leadership to be far more aggressive both with their Republican counterparts and also with its messaging to the American people, many of whom neither appreciate that raising the debt ceiling does not entail more spending nor understand the economic calamity that would ensue were we to default on the nation’s debt.
I think your assessment is probably quite correct Barbara and I also would like to see Democrats be much more aggressive in pursuing this. Most Americans seem to think that the debt ceiling issue and the fallout from a default won't impact them and, by the time they find out otherwise, it will be too late. Biden needs at least one person on his team who's willing to play public hardball with the GOP and there doesn't seem to be anyone.
Dave, In my view, you nailed the remedy with one gorgeous phrase—“public hardball.”
My bet is that the American people are not interested enough in the mechanics of econ markets to spend more than a few seconds before being bored by machinations they can’t comprehend
We, as a people, need a few white board lessons from Katie Porter, Sheldon Whitehouse and/or Robert Reich to educate the confused masses (myself included) about world financial markets and such manipulations. Some lessons, please!
Joyce Vance is doing it with the LAW. Jay Kuo is too. They upped my understanding. My mind hates anything financial. Hates it. But it used to hate anything LAW too.
The documentary “Inside Job”, the book “The Big Short”
Dave, Since I plan to get started initiating some contacts, my plan is to seek out great communicators with broad appeal.
Oh, I wholehearted agree that great communicators are needed; I’m just concerned that the “nerdiness of the economic ramifications of default cannot compete with the other forms of entertainment that masquerades as news these days
Money supply, interest rate fluctuation, credit ratings, bond futures et al; the American people in general don’t know what a traunced bond is. Credit default swap? Eyes glazed over. Perhaps Jon Stewart?
Dave, Stewart, I imagine, could get nearly anyone to turn away from what they were doing and pay attention to him. Regrettably, several degrees of separation exist between him and me.
They'll understand it fast enough if markets crash.
Yes of course, but what they fail to understand is that market crashes take years to recover, if at all
Dave, a failure of our educational system. I have seen some good explanations on here but I doubt its reaching the general population.
Sadly am starting to think that!😵💫
In the game of chicken, he/she who blinks looses, or it used to be. Now, I fear, when June comes and Biden is forced to use the 14th Amendment, the lead up will have global markets in turmoil and our economy will be on the verge of tanking. Victory will be declared by the Drooling Caucus as Biden has ruined America and imminent economic collapse will validate the Republican party claims as the ones who will salvage the big old mess created by spendy Democrats. This whole scenario, perpetrated by McCarthy and his Drooling Caucus, isn't about the debt or debt ceiling. It's about setting up the 2024 elections for President and Congress, now that they have Judiciary secured. Perhaps today is the day for Mr Biden to call a prime time press conference to (a) declare that the US under no circumstances will cede its honoring of debts foreign and domestic and (b) tell McCarthy, the Drooling Caucus, and the rest of the fence-sitting members of Congress to get off or get Fu***d. Mr Biden, drop any pretense. Members of Congress, raise the debt ceiling and only then will we engage in any negotiations. Period.
Fred, I, too, believe that the debt ceiling controversy is a Republican Trojan horse aimed at unleashing global consequences for which Biden and Democrats will be blamed, thus positioning Republicans for wins in 24. Accordingly, while I agree with your call for a press conference precisely as you described it, I also would call for stronger messaging to everyday people, many of whom neither appreciate that raising the debt ceiling doesn’t entail more spending nor understand the economic calamity that would ensue were we to default on our nation’s debt.
I underscore this last point because I wholeheartedly subscribe to Abraham’s Lincoln’s beliefs about “public sentiment,” which he claimed “is everything.” He noted that “[w]ith it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed….”
I agree with you about the critical importance of "public sentiment." It is, ultimately what votes represent and the entrée in the American meal. It is more than "the kitchen table issues," though those are more easily picked up in polls. Mr Biden must reach such with truth and firm resolve, convincingly. Your comment jarred me. While we pay attention to polls, a metric, a measure, we miss the total picture that is public's opinion, that sentiment Mr Lincoln was honoring.
Fred, Regarding Biden, in my view, he was his most effective ever, when, as the party’s presumptive nominee, he spoke on the Monday night before Michigan, the last rally before the Corona Virus shut down everything, about being a bridge to a next generation, and stood on stage with Gretchen Whitmer, Kamala Harris, and Corey Booker. I’ve re-created this moment because I believe Biden would forever be beloved by a lot of Democrats and a lot of Americans were he now to initiate that kind of transition as textbook acknowledgement that a new generation was stepping up.
Barbara, I too had hoped Mr Biden would be a one-term president creating a transition period and grooming a younger generation of leaders. The significant lack of progress with the divided government and two DINOs in the Senate and Covide replaced by Russian war and inflation made me keep the hope but recognize that one-term isn't (probably) enough time. I do tap myself on the head every once in a while when I stay with that not now, later we can make a change attitude. Do you think Mr Biden has gone as far as he can, making the time right, regardless the immediate problem? Who do you see in the wings to become that Lincolnest Democrat leader we seek? Anyone you would suggest able to inspire the 20-50 voters? Who might you, me, and our cohorts able to take a chance on instead of Biden?
It will be devastating either way, but if it goes down with Biden supporting the 14th Amendment against the terrorist morons, at least it will be clear that the responsible people are trying to save the country.
If I was Biden, I would call Quiverin' Qevin in for a meeting and let him have a few Irish expletives regarding his moron incomptenence, then I would grab him by his tie, choke him with it a bit, lean in his face and say: "Fuck around and find out, you worthless piece of shit. If you let this happen, I am going to wrap it around your neck and the necks of every other Republican in Washington, and I am going to strangle each of you with it in 2024."
TC, If I were Biden, I’d pair the private exchange precisely as you portrayed it with several public sanitized press conferences for everyday people who neither grasp that raising the debt ceiling doesn’t entail more spending nor understand the economic calamity that would ensue were we to default on the nation’s debt. I suppose my reasoning stems from my commitment to Abraham Lincoln’s thoughts on “public sentiment,” which he claimed “is everything.” He noted, “With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed….”
Yes, you have an excellent plan here.
But bejasus two men with Irish names and opposite views are the last thing we can have in the ring.
I really did Laugh Out Loud.
That's not stircrly how it works. We haven't borrowed the money yet, we've only committed -- and have to an extent already spent -- it. We now have to sell bonds to borrow the money we are contracted to spend. If we can't borrow, we can't spend (modulo inflationary printing). Part of what we're committed to spend is *interest on our existing bonds*. That is the part of the default that crushes the whole world.
Andrew, While I greatly appreciate you clarifying my understanding, I likely will continue to stick with my phrasing aimed at pushing back against Republicans who would have the electorate believe that raising the debt limit would result in increased spending.
Barbara, I do apologize for my apparent condescension. I am no expert & indeed you may well be. For what it's worth, I do get the need to push back and simplify against the tides ignorant self-destruction. My thought was simply to suggest to the audience at large that a more detailed understanding -- which part about the interest payments also being at risk, and thus the larger keystone, I don't see mentioned generally -- better appreciates the horror and recklessness of the (nigh-traitorous) GOP extortion.
Andrew, To be clear, I was grateful for your more nuanced explanation. Still, my focus, whatever the issue, persistently rests with devising messaging aimed at both educating and increasingly winning over public sentiment.
For MAGAts like Mtg and Boburt and Cruz "default" is merely a word, part of some statement. Its effect will be lost on them.., totally lost..., on them. And "them" is all inclusive, meaning all the maggots and leeches of their intellect. The Bannonesques all have enough money and friends (with money) and private jets that they can go where they please.., but maybe not! Our passports might not amount to beans.
@MadRussian12A, As I’ve posted elsewhere in this thread, I am not convinced that everyday, admittedly, indoctrinated people fed only on partisan information and opinion that confirm their own bias are entirely unreachable.
Agree Barbara Jo, "lost" for the time being at least. But, they too can 'wisen up'..., and I for one sure hope so. For our Country.
I wasn’t aware that the 14th Amendment addressed the National debt but it does. Thank you.
Why comment after comment today does not even mention the Letter's top story: FENTANYL?
'DEA Laboratory Testing Reveals that 6 out of 10 Fentanyl-Laced Fake Prescription Pills Now Contain a Potentially Lethal Dose of Fentanyl'
ONE PILL CAN KILL
'The DEA Laboratory has found that, of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed in 2022, six out of ten now contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. This is an increase from DEA’s previous announcement in 2021 that four out of ten fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills were found to contain a potentially lethal dose.'
What Every Parent and Caregiver Needs to Know About Fake Pills
___'Criminal drug networks are mass-producing fake pills and falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills to deceive the American public.'
___'Fake pills are easy to purchase, widely available, often contain fentanyl or methamphetamine, and can be deadly.'
___'Fake prescription pills are easily accessible and often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, making them available to anyone with a smartphone, including minors.'
___'Many fake pills are made to look like prescription drugs such as oxycodone (Oxycontin®, Percocet®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), and alprazolam (Xanax®); or stimulants like amphetamines (Adderall®).'
'Authentic Oxycodone'
'Synthetic opioid drug prescribed for pain as OxyContin®, Tylox®, and Percodan®. These drugs are derived from one species of the poppy plant, and have a high potential for abuse.'
'Fake'
'Street Names: 30s; 40s; 512s; Beans; Blues; Buttons; Cotton; Greens; Hillbilly Heroin; Kickers; Killers; Muchachas; Mujeres; OC; Oxy; Oxy 80s; Roxy; Roxy Shorts; Whites' (United States Drug Enforcement Administration) See link below.'
https://www.dea.gov/onepill
I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say that because the top story today isn't only Fentanyl isn't as much about the dangers of the drug, which are very real, there are two explanations: One is the method for going after the producers and distributors and not the lower level dealers/users and the other is simply that many of us here are not directly impacted by Fentanyl use in our personal and every day lives. The Professor's final paragraph ties the MAGAt response to the debt celling to the sanctions, and that is most likely primary in many readers' minds.
'Opinion: Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the U.S. has ever seen, and kids are being targeted'
'Fentanyl is the leading cause of death among adults ages 18-45, claiming more young lives than COVID-19, car accidents or suicide.'
'Blain, M.D., is a family physician practicing telemedicine, and an assistant professor in UC San Diego Department of Family Medicine, as well as a medical officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He lives in Poway.'
'My son came home from high school this month and told me his 19-year-old friend just died of a fentanyl overdose. “Two weeks ago, we were just talking about all the cool cars he wanted to buy when he graduated and got a job,” he said.'
'This is not the first time one of his friends died of a drug overdose.'
'The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in 2021 more than 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses. The 75,673 of those deaths from opioids, primarily fentanyl, was more than the 58,220 Americans who died in the Vietnam War. Drug overdoses have killed approximately 1 million Americans since 1999, more deaths than the number of U.S. service members who have died in battle in all wars fought by the United States.'
'Fentanyl is the leading cause of death among adults ages 18-45, claiming more young lives than COVID-19, car accidents or suicide. California Department of Public Health data from 2021 showed 6,843 opioid-related deaths in California, 5,722 fentanyl deaths, and 224 fentanyl deaths among teens ages 15-19 years old.'
'According to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Anne Milgram, fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered. Last summer, the DEA warned of brightly colored fentanyl used to target young Americans. Dubbed “rainbow fentanyl” — fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes and sizes — it is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults, said Milgram. Rainbow fentanyl looks like candy to lure children, often at “skittle parties” where kids drop pills into a bowl and each child grabs a pill and ingests it. Fentanyl is also present in counterfeit forms of prescription drugs such as OxyContin, Percocet, Xanax and Adderall.'
'The Drug Enforcement Administration reported that most of the fentanyl seized by federal authorities from 2014 to 2019 was from China. In 2022, the DEA stated that most of the 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl seized was mass produced by the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartels, in secret factories in Mexico utilizing precursor chemicals from China.'
'Synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, kills more than 170 Americans every day or one death every 8.5 minutes. Fentanyl is 100 times more powerful than morphine and 50 times more powerful than heroin. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl, the amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, can kill you. Carfentanil, while less common than fentanyl, is even more dangerous but is also found in drug overdoses. It is 100 times more potent than fentanyl and is used by veterinarians to tranquilize elephants and other very large animals. It is not meant for human consumption, but is also being found in some communities in addition to illicit fentanyl.' (The San Diego Union-Tribune)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/commentary/story/2023-01-13/fentanyl-death-children
Fern
Fentanyl is the leading cause of death among adults ages 18-45, claiming more young lives than COVID-19, car accidents or suicide."
Thank you for the statistics on the distribution and determination of opioid deaths. I was aware of the huge incidence among the Native American and Native Alaskan demographic. Here in NE Ohio, the faces of fentanyl death (from billboards) are 18-25 white suburban kids. News stations interview distraught parents who swear their (deceased) kids were honor students who participated in sports, band, or Boy Scouts.
I genuinely don't understand .
I hope that we learn more, Cheryl. We will stay alert as those feeding this tragedy need to be held accountable.
That must be our path. It’s no longer a minor news item but a full blown criminal based destruction of a generation of people who are hooked before they understand the threat.
Let’s ensure accountability is applied at ever juncture. This much evil cannot be allowed to exist.
Thank you SO MUCH for this exhaustive explanation of the statistics behind the scourge of this substance. I'm of an age and distance quite removed from seeing first-hand evidence of the effects of Fentanyl, so I truly appreciate your educating me. Thanks again.
Thank you, Julia Marie Sheehan.
Not a word, Ally, until you came along. NOT A WORD!
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
Book by Isabel Wilkerson
'Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people—including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others—she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their out-cast of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity.' (National Book Foundation)
'Overall, drug overdose deaths rose from 2019 to 2021 with more than 106,000 drug overdose deaths reported in 2021. Deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone (primarily fentanyl) continued to rise with 70,601 overdose deaths reported in 2021. Those involving stimulants, including cocaine or psychostimulants with abuse potential (primarily methamphetamine), also continued to increase with 32,537 overdose deaths in 2021 (Source: CDC WONDER).'
Ally and Fern
The piece that's missing for me is WHY so many Americans, youth in particular, are using drugs. It used to be explained by the hopelessness of intercity poverty. Now, upper class suburban kids make up a huge proportion of the dead.
What explains their disengagement? Their recklessness? Many never live to claim the scholarships they earned to tony universities. Are their lives that awful? I don't understand what ELSE is going on.
'The nation is grappling with a surge in deaths from opioids. And there’s no question fentanyl is a key factor driving up those fatalities. Fentanyl is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.We reached out to Van Duyne's office to ask for her source for the statement but didn’t hear back. Van Duyne’s office however did provide the Associated Press, undertaking a similar fact check, an analysis by Families Against Fentanyl, which specified an age range in its analysis.'
'The advocacy group Families Against Fentanyl examined CDC data and determined fentanyl has become the leading cause of death for people ages 18 to 45 in 2019 and 2020. The group compared synthetic-opioid related deaths with other major causes of death, which were listed in another CDC data set on leading causes of death.'
'Here’s what we know:
The CDC collects data revealing the leading causes of death in the U.S. In 2020, the leading causes of death among all American adults were heart disease, cancer, and COVID-19. Provisional data for 2021 indicates these same health issues have continued to be the leading causes of death.'
"Far more people die from cancer, heart disease and COVID-19, compared to fentanyl overdose,” said Scott Walters, a professor of behavioral health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. Walters has been instrumental in work designed to address the opioid crisis in hard-hit communities in several states.'
In 2020, more than 56,000 people ages 18 and older died in synthetic opioid-related incidents, according to data made available through the CDC’s online mortality database. In 2021, nearly 70,000 people 18 and older died in synthetic opioid-related incidents.'
'On whether fentanyl overdose is the leading cause of death for the 18-45 age range, a CDC spokesperson neither affirmed nor denied the statistic.'
'Fentanyl-related deaths are coded as synthetic opioid-related deaths. Fentanyl comprises approximately 90% of the synthetic opioids category, the CDC said.'
'The spokesperson said “accidents (unintentional injuries)” was the leading cause of death in the age 18-45 group in 2021.'
'If one were to break out the unintentional injury category to make the drug categories rankable, the leading cause for people ages 18-45 would be unintentional drug overdose due to synthetic opioids. That number would exceed the second highest leading cause of death (suicide in 2020 and COVID-19 in 2021.)'
'Public health advocates are sounding the alarm about opioids with good reason.'
'Michigan State University researcher Matthew Myers said synthetic opioids are the leading cause of death among adults ages 18-45. Data he pulled indicated there are a higher number of synthetic opioid deaths other than methadone compared to firearm deaths, cardiovascular disease, motor vehicle accidents, and cancer.' (Austin American-Statesmen)
https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/politifact/2022/10/02/fact-check-fentanyl-leading-cause-of-death-among-adults/65417990007/
Cheryl, I do not know whether there is a more up-to-date and reliable breakdown of the racial, ethnic and class for those who have died from the fentanyl opioid. The following is from, JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Sep; 5(9): e2232314
'Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Drug Overdose Deaths in the US During the COVID-19 Pandemic'
'Recent reports highlighted racial and ethnic differences in US drug overdose deaths from 1999 to 2020.1,2 Overdose deaths increased 37.2% from February 2020 to August 2021 and were predominantly associated with synthetic opioids other than methadone (primarily fentanyl or analogs) and methamphetamine.3,4. Yet data are lacking regarding racial and ethnic disparities in overdose death rates within specific sex-age combinations before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (since March 2020).'
'Among individuals in the US aged 15 to 34 years from March 2018 to August 2021, age-adjusted overdose death rates involving any drug, fentanyl, and methamphetamine with or without fentanyl increased overall (Figure; Table). During March to August 2021, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (hereafter American Indian or Alaska Native) men had the highest rates per 100 000 overall involving any drug (42.0; 95% CI, 35.5-48.4 per 100 000), fentanyl (30.2; 95% CI, 24.7-35.7), and methamphetamine without fentanyl (6.0; 95% CI, 3.6-8.5). American Indian or Alaska Native men (9.2; 95% CI, 6.1-12.2) and women (8.0; 95% CI, 5.1-10.9) and non-Hispanic White (hereafter White) men (6.7; 95% CI, 6.4-7.0) had the highest rates involving methamphetamine with fentanyl.'
' During March to August 2021, overall drug overdose rates were highest among non-Hispanic Black or African American (hereafter Black) men (61.2; 95% CI, 59.4-62.9) and American Indian or Alaska Native men (60.0; 95% CI, 52.8-67.2), and fentanyl-involved death rates were highest among Black men (43.3; 95% CI, 41.8-44.8). Rates involving methamphetamine with fentanyl were highest among American Indian or Alaska Native men (12.6; 95% CI, 9.2-16.0) and women (9.4; 95% CI, 6.5-12.3) and White men (9.5; 95% CI, 9.1-9.8). Rates involving methamphetamine without fentanyl were highest among American Indian or Alaska Native men (22.9; 95% CI, 18.4-27.4).'
'Within every age and racial and ethnic group, rates were higher in men; for women, and the highest drug overdose death rates were among American Indian or Alaska Native individuals. Limitations of this study are that overdose deaths may be underestimated because of the use of 2021 provisional data3 and that racial or ethnic identification may be misclassified, especially for American Indian or Alaska Native people.'
'Results underscore the urgency of expanding prevention, treatment, and harm reduction interventions tailored to specific populations, especially American Indian or Alaska Native and Black populations, given long-standing structural racism and inequities in accessing these services.4,6 Findings also suggest the urgent need for education on dangers of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Reducing overdose mortality disparities may include expanding access to naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and treatments for substance use disorders to disproportionately affected populations.'(NationalLibraryof Medicine)
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2796547
TC, I like the word Fuck; it is quite expressive. I hope you will keep using it ;>)
Your wish is my command. :-)
🙏🏽🌷
TC , I agree with you completely (and that may be a first). If the danger to our financial system is potentially catastrophic, extreme measures like applying the 14th Amendment are called for and completely justified.
Thank you Jon. I think, from your comment elsewhere yesterday chiding me about my political optimism, or rather its lack, that you may misunderstand me. That's OK, you wouldn't be the first. :-)
But here's the thing. Allowing them to crawl back into the dark places is only a temporary fix. When the problem is systemic rot, sweeping measures are called for. Big talk, right? I'm a prime example of what's going on. Even those of us who give a rip seem to have neither an idea how to nor the power to remedy this. I do like your take on Biden re the Debt Ceiling. I didn't know about that amendment. And since the rancid right seems to be fond of taking the Constitution literally (when it benefits them to do so), surely they will fall into place, wag their tails, and heel. Or not.
TCinLA, I completely with your assessment: Biden says Fuck the debt Ceiling and do what needs to be done. As for the rest of this discussion on one word - FUCK - it’s a perfectly acceptable use of language in the US. Sometimes it’s the only word that works. I’m sick of these House Repug whiners! Do your job!
SPOT ON AND AMEN!
MTG, Jordan, Boubert and the other MAGAts act with malicious intent to undermine democracy. They support Putin and other autocrats, not because they like these despots but because they lust after power. It kills them to see successful programs and policies of the Biden administration. SO, yes, the President should call them out for what they are doing to our country. He must stop mollycoddling these crazies. End negotiations with McCarthy and the other jerks. End any attempt at compromise because it is futile to even try.
TIME FOR HARDBALL, MR. PRESIDENT. LONG PAST TIME.
👋 👋 👋 👋 👋 👋 👋
Wow !
I agree, TC. Several methods have been proposed, from minting a $1B coin to issuing T bills with a guaranteed high interest rate, to just, as you suggest, using the constitutional requirement to pay the country's bills. The MAGAts can not be allowed to cause a default. It's about time for the Dems to start playing hard ball. Were roles reversed, I'm sure the orange menace wouldn't hesitate.
Perfect solutions, Tom. Wouldn't it be nice if they happened?
Yea! F.T.D.C! I'd buy a t-shirt...
I totally agree, TC!
I wish my fellow citizens were more aware of the seriousness of this debt limit issue. It doesn’t seem to get much play in the press. If people really understood the risks they would be making noise about it, but the Republicans’ reckless behavior is not attracting much public attention.
It truly is a form of domestic terrorism and ought to be viewed as an unacceptable act against our country’s interests and democracy.
Sara, that's brilliant. Given the implications, that seems quite plausible to navigate around the intransigent lawmakers. I've heard and thought this before, that they are domestic terrorists, but you state it so plainly, in a way that begs the question of how we defend against their assault on the U.S. I have full faith in President Biden and his team that he is already working on this worst case scenario.
Absolutely!!!!
Carol, Regrettably, much of the electorate are unaware that Republicans, who campaign, and falsely claim they will govern, on a promise of fiscal responsibility, by and large, conflate voting to raise the debt ceiling with spending money we don’t have. As you’ve indicated, we’ve done a lousy job of explaining 1) the immediate global consequences of the U.S. defaulting on its loan payments and 2) that raising the debt ceiling doesn’t give the government permission to borrow more money; it gives the government permission to pay back the money we’ve already borrowed.
As with other issues, I believe much of the responsibility rests with us to press our representatives and the media repeatedly to drive this message home.
What I don’t understand is why it seems to be such a difficult subject to either understand or message. Federal Budget = Money the federal government wants to spend; Debt Ceiling = Money the Federal Government has already spent. Arguing, negotiating, discussing how much and how to prioritize future federal budget spending is completely acceptable. Refusing to raise the debt ceiling is refusing to pay our bills, refusing to pay for things we already bought, which means we’re a deadbeat government no one can trust anymore. The concept is not that hard. I think most folks can easily understand. The confusion and lies are deliberate. I don’t get what the GOP’s motive is, what do they stand to gain from it? I arrive at - they just don’t care. They must believe we are stupid and can’t understand and therefore they are safe to play these dangerous games because if things go south they don’t think they’ll be blamed for it. And maybe they are right. I hope not though.
The MAGA are following TFGs lead in that he has a well known history of not paying his bills (even has bragged about it), and then negotiating on the amount he has already spent. This is exactly what the MAGA are doing in risking the financial future of the country now.
Yep. Apparently according to TFG and his MAGA menagerie paying bills is for suckers.
I know, right? I can just imagine parents extolling this kind of skullduggery to their kids and exclaim “look what you can aspire to!” w/ TFG as an idol and role model. Used to be parents would champion honesty and fairness like Honest Abe or Cannot Tell a Lie George.
Carey, You’ve answered virtually every question you’ve raised, and in the process made the case for demanding extraordinarily talented explainers.
I’ve thought about this a lot. I was (still am) one of those federal employees who was forced to go without a paycheck for 30+ days the last time the GOP decided they wanted to fight about the debt ceiling by shutting down the government. They didn’t care then because they never experienced the consequences of their actions. And sadly I don’t think they’ve learned anything since then.
Carey, To clarify, given the GOP bank on an uninformed electorate, I am seeking cogent explainers to educate everyday people, who, quoting award winning citizen-journalist Bill Moyers, have become “morbidly obese in mind and spirit by the junk food of propaganda.”
Barb, as always you have reduced the conversation to its root. Thanks for such a concentrated post. I love the Bill Moyers Quotation. Brilliant synopsis.
Thanks.
I was living in a small town with lots of forest service people hit hard by this . I think it was around the holidays. Seems too many have forgotten this R ploy.
It's all part of the message, "Government doesn't work," Why doesn't work? Because they'll make sure it won't.
Right now, they’re using the debt ceiling as leverage to influence the budget. If they don’t get their way, they threaten to sweep the game board off the stable and stomp off, leaving (as usual) a fiscal nightmare for the democrats to try to clean up. Never mind the global consequences of a US default. But since they haven’t submitted their own budget or started negotiations on Biden’s, the leverage isn’t really doing anything at all. It’s just sound and fury. I fervently hope that this is political brinksmanship (dangerous in itself) and that they wouldn’t really allow the US to default. They don’t get that even the threat of default affects the market and our trustworthiness. Want to give China a clear path to world power? Default on the debt.
I had one thought while reading your excellent comment--that being they must believe we are stupid. Yep, probably, but I would also point out how stupid many of the GOP are!!
It seems like they are neglecting to realize they and their constituents will be affected right along with everyone else. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot! Perhaps we can get some really creative ads that show a variety of folks experiencing “real life” impacts & then show who is responsible for the outcome…perhaps throw in the question “why would Republican reps choose to do this?”.
Exactly, that’s what I don’t get. What are they gaining by it? Defaulting and causing a global market meltdown will definitely hurt them. Maybe they are already wealthy enough that it won’t hurt them as bad as some, but still. To me that must mean they are more interested in keeping and maintaining the power than they are concerned about taking a hit in their pocket book. That kind of surprises me because I thought it was all about making and hoarding money. But I guess if you can keep and maintain power then you can always make the money back.
Barbara, the problem with driving that logical and accurate financial message home is that it’s irrelevant. The GOP doesn’t care that the budget and debt ceiling are not related. The debt ceiling is their trump card, their AR-15 in a stand-off. It’s a powerful weapon. They are building up so much hatred of Dems that the GOP is willingly walking into a murder-suicide against the Biden administration.
Yes, perhaps. But how can this be good for business? I mean the business sector that votes with them? A US default doesn’t help American business to my understanding. If it does, please someone explain it. I am missing the “HOW it helps gop” beyond obstructing a Dem-supported President? I also know that that may be their only short-sighted goal.
Shawn, My target audience is not the GOP. It’s the everyday, misinformed, indoctrinated people fed only on partisan information and opinion that, too often, confirm their own misguided bias.
Hear! Hear!
I think part of this issue is the term "raising the debt ceiling". It sounds as though the machinations are allowing the USA/government to "borrow even more" when the wording should more clearly describe what it is - paying off our already incurred debt, as any moral person/entity would do. Let's term it as "reneging on our debts" so the folks out there can relate to what is really happening - AND foresee the consequences worldwide!
Julie, As someone who always takes great care to choose words that afford the best chance of being understood, I couldn’t agree with you more. I hadn’t thought about it before, but if one must keep explaining herself to everyday people, then she already is losing. In deference to Lincoln who said, “Public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed…,” I need to think more about it being prudent to expect to be misunderstood and then to take precautions against that happening.
If it goes to the extreme, the President has the power to override them on this, I think? Maybe he's taking them to the edge of the cliff, first, to show them what would happen.
Yes he does, Amendment 14, Section 4.
Fay, I merely would note, because this Clause never has been enacted, were the President to invoke it, we should expect litigation that likely would work its way to the Supreme Court. I fear the economic calamity that would ensue in the interim could be devastating.
Barbara Jo, there are surely large numbers of people who share your fear and could convey it to, say, Tucker Carlson, who could explain it to the power couple Greene and Jordan, live to air. Maybe draw them a nice diagram. I suddenly have a frivolous mental picture of Politics Girl shoving them both into her fridge and slamming the door shut.
Anne-Louise, My appreciation for your humor notwithstanding, my work as of late has involved pressing public officials and the media to educate everyday, misinformed people about 1) the economic calamity that would ensue were the U.S. to default on its loan payments and 2) that raising the debt ceiling merely gives the government permission to pay back the money we’ve already borrowed.
A quote from Joni Mitchell - "And if you care, don't let 'em know, don't give yourself away." The older I get, the more I tend to use humour as protective clothing; if you did a digest of my past posts you'd see how earnestly I agree with you, and urge exactly what you're saying. Time is pressing.
Or, Anne-Louise, send in Rep. Katie Porter with her white board!
Great image! And if you bring in Robert Reich to draw some of the diagrams... Perfect°
🤣🤣🤣 Leigh might enjoy doing that and I certainly would enjoy watching it!
It's a measure of the rock/hard place status of "Greatest Nation on Earth" that we literally dread decisions of our Supreme Court.
Hopefully , fingers crossed, Thomas will decide to resign at some point especially if 2024 goes democratic, & we will get a vacant seat to better balance out the court.
BJ, I would love to reply, but I’m unable to grasp your point.
Not to put words into BJ's comment, I read it as we can no longer trust the SCROTUS to be in any way impartial, rational, or ethical. They have become the tool of the Federalist Society and nothing more.
Excellent point Barbara. Look what the recent bank events did to markets recently. The cacophony of events should we even approach bankruptcy would set off the Richter scale. A wildfire of fear, the likes of which never seen before!
Jim, Thank you for your reply. I would note, while my comments indicate I’m clearly not complacent, nor am I expecting the U.S. to default on its loan payments.
Hi Barbara, I'm not a lawyer, we'd need an opinion from Daniel Solomon on this one. But the Constitution is the established law of the land. Amendment 14 Section 4. "The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law**, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for service in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void." ** remember the debt ceiling applies only to debts already incurred as acts of Congress, not future debts from pending legislation. To my reading of this section of Amendment 14 it is unambiguously clear. I believe anyone who reads at at least tenth grade level (snarky aside - probably excludes the trumpster) can fully comprehend the reasoning of the Amendment as written. Furthermore it definitely precludes any debt incurred by the framers, facilitators, attackers and abettors of the January 6th 2021, attack on our Nation's Capitol Building. This Amendment XIV was proposed June 18, 1866, ratified by at least 28 of the 37 States in existence in 1868 on July 9, 1868 and certified on July 28, 1868. That is 155 years ago. Over the years, the first reference I find was in 1876; the debt ceiling was sort of imposed in 1917 over issuance of war bonds, then again in 1939. The trumpster actually tried to enforce it in 2017 (and finally caved) I have no idea why something so obvious to me, was not invoked. I'm not that smart. Hopefully one of our real attorneys will explain the rationale.
Hi Fay, While I agree this section of the 14th, quoting you, is “unambiguously clear,” because it’s never been invoked, enlisting it so not to default on our loan payments invariably would be challenged and would have to work its way through the courts. Regardless of how the litigation fared in the lower courts, I no longer have confidence it would receive a fair hearing in the 6-3 Supreme Court.
I agree with your view of the Supreme Court, It's a damned shame that one man, Mitch McConnell, elected by the electors of a single small, sparsely populated State like Kentucky, should have the power (not granted to him by the Constitution) to so warp the Judiciary Branch so far that a majority of citizens have lost all faith in the Supreme Court (and courts in general) 'Mc I'm the chief of everything' is wholly responsible for Gorsuch and Barrett, shame on him, and shame on the gutless Senators who allowed it to happen.
Barbara Jo - When you say Clause 4 "never has been enacted", what do you mean? As I understand it, Clause 4, together with the other four Clauses, was passed by Congress June 13, 1866, and ratified July 9, 1868, so it is in effect, although I worry about the effect of Clause 5 in the current state of affairs.
And please (and thank you) keep up the attempts to get the media and all our rational members of Congress and the Senate, and those at State and local levels, too, btw, to listen and broadcast the thugs' seditious attempts at destroying the US's ability to pay for stuff we already have! And HOW CAN WE HELP?
Lynn, What I meant is no President has had to invoke Section 4 of the 14th Amendment so not to default on our loan payments. Accordingly, were that to happen, said executive action would be challenged and would have to work its way through the lower courts, invariably reaching the 6-3 Supreme Court, in which I question whether the action would get a fair hearing.
As for my own endeavors, I work partly through grassroots organizations like the Brennan Center for Justice, Common Cause, and Indivisible, writing letters upon request, and partly on my own appealing to pertinent public officials to engage everyday people in discussions about a host of issues, currently, of course, controversies related to raising the debt ceiling. To underscore the importance of regularly engaging the public, I often quote Abraham Lincoln, who had stated, “Public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed.”
Regarding the media, I have cut back, presuming if public officials are regularly discussing the debt ceiling, it will receive coverage.
Hope you’re right, Anne-Louise!
And to show the irresponsibility of their “leadership”
This is not the first time we've been to this dance. In the end the Republicans will pull back when their mega rich donors, who will be impacted as bad or worse than the rest of us, tell McCarthy enough is enough, cut the crap and get back to work.
Even if they go through it anyway they will be seen as political terrorists and few voters will back them.
I hope you’re right about that. It’s certainly true that the ultra-rich will get hit the hardest, but they have been using the white supremacist beliefs of the white working class to win elections since 1968, so they have to perform a difficult balancing act to maintain their chances of winning future elections.
I wonder if the ultra-rich have become so wealthy that they no longer care if they are "hit hard." We've been telling them for years that it's nothing but a numbers game, so what if they take us seriously. It would certainly be believable that they've become so accustomed to their power that they'll happily ignore a few short-term shifts in a decimal place, since it's all really a game of world domination. Petty people worry about numbers, while real power players know that their lifestyles will never be diminished. As long as they can keep the peasants carrying pitchforks on the other side of the gate, who cares about a few million dollars here or there? That's why I worry about Thomas and other leaders being so cozy with them.
Carol, that s the beauty of HRC, she provides context to connect the boring financial “blah blah blah” to the riveting story of the Mexican drug cartel.
You mean HCR?
Yes! HCR.
Well said Shawn.
We are distracted by grocery bills and possible (or existing) pregnancies. The Nazis have restored the Weimar Republic with chicanery and lies.
Heather, another wonderful Letter packed with information and your thoughts on the fentanyl scourge in the world. I was impressed to learn about the power of the Treasury Department to curb the “businessmen” who are foisting this on humanity. I recently watched a Netflix series based on the Medellin cartels in Colombia when “Cocaine was King” of drugs. Thank you for your thought-provoking analysis of the “debt ceiling” threats of the repugnants. I can barely let myself think about their “brinksmanship” politics. On another note, I hope you get some rest this weekend. You have written non-stop for many weeks, dearest Heather. Sorry to be your “mother”.....🦋
As if fentanyl wasn't enough. our charming friends across the aisle are determined to take our financial power out of commission and leave the rest of the world to figure out how to deal with both. This is where the term Patriots gets a shellacking. Yes kids, there are plenty of boogiemen to disturb our sleep, and the Chapitos are just the foot soldiers. The MAGAts are indeed traitors to our collective cause.
Not to sound snide to you, Heather (I wouldn't be), but... in a country where roughly 1/3 of people still believe our last election was "stolen," I think you have your answer. To be fair, I don't entirely understand all that will result from a default either, but I understand the basics. Most people, I can pretty much guarantee, have no idea. It will be interesting to see, as we lead up to the cliff, how the Republicans frame this. The President would do well to go on full-offensive now and do exactly as you proffered to us--express in clear, simple terms and with a relentless drumbeat, exactly what this is and will do. Force the GOP to respond like he did with the budget. This will help--because loyal idiots, Boebert and Green, who DON'T understand it, will then look like fools in defending it. The Administration should make this a "no one from the GOP can walk by the press without being questioned" kind of topic.
Sadly, the third of our citizens who believe that "The Steal" was real will never believe anything that our President says about this or any other subject. Brainwashing is alive and well in our "post Fairness Doctrine" and post "Citizens United" nation. It's increasingly difficult to be optimistic and aware at the same time. Sad. Very Sad.Teach your children well.
While I agree that this wave of propaganda is having really terrible effects, governments and politicians have always in been in the business of swaying people hither and yon and the US is no different. The present reality that so many continue to believe the "Big Lie" is one result of that. And, the same characteristics that make people susceptible to this type of "brainwashing" are those that draw them to religious fantasies, as well as believing that waging war in other countries is honorable and glorious. So, Biden and the Dems have their work cut out for them, trying to persuade people who are gullible, afraid and easily led.
I had the occasion recently to stop at a little Trump-themed protest, waving signs and burping bullhorns, by the side of the road outside an office park near Dalton, Georgia. It was only about 10-12 fools standing about in the grass by the road, me included, since I quickly learned that I was a fool for trying to engage them in conversation. All I could really learn for sure was that they were there because Ms. Kamala Harris was visiting the office park.
It's not that anyone was mean or anything. It's just that they literally made so little sense (I'll not try to record details of the nonsense) that I could never escape the suspicion that, "they're just pretending to be this stupid because I'm a liberal asking questions." Word salad, shrugs, and smiles. And absolute conviction in...something inarticulate. One of them identified another as the leader of the Whitfield County Republican Party, which was a lie and clearly intended just to get rid of me.
You know those funny interviews with Jordan Klepper of MAGA rally goers? This was even weirder -- everything those people said could have been used as a punchline on The Daily Show. It was so consistent that they seemed either very impaired or incredibly well trained in babble (which is harder to do than you think).
Yep. They're as dumb as a sack of hammers. But have you ever seen anyone who's been crushed under sack of hammers? Not pretty.
My guess is they were the christian nationalists. They can’t tell you what they’re doing without getting questioned about the discrepancy between the teachings of Jesus and their lust for power. They probably have a secret hand sign to recognize each other.
I've never found a good test that can tell whether somebody really is an ignorant idiot, or just pretending to be one. I'd bet that this bunch actually believes that we already are a "christian" nation and we always have been, just as I've heard them claim all my life. Some may even believe that it's in the Constitution. In their mind, us "woke" types are trying to overthrow America, which they always treated as a christian nation and anything written otherwise is treated with a "wink wink, nudge nudge." In fairness, they're right -- we are trying to overthrow many of their cherished notions and practices. (Hell's Bells, we've been trying for centuries to overthrow their bigotry, which should make you wonder what "traditional" really means.)
Good take. How about this: the un-woke are furious for not having been allowed free expression. They weren’t allowed to become their authentic selves. And they’ll be damned if they are going to let other people get away with being their authentic selves.
WOW, Dick. I can only (barely) imagine this crowd and their degree of intelligence.
Ed, soon after TFG lost in 2020, I’ve been calling it the “Big Squeal” because of his nonstop whining about it.
As I follow Klutz McCarthy and his Animal House bloviating about their demands for 1) no new taxes 2) massive, unspecified slashes in ‘social expenditures; and 3) the need to balance the budget, I think of Jimmy Breslin’s THE GANG THAT COULDN’T STRAIGHT.
The United States has just experienced a major banking crisis that required emergency intervention by the Fed, the Treasury, and several major banks. If the ‘full faith and credit’ of the United States’ is destroyed by failure to raise the national debt limit, the likely impact domestically and globally could be devastating.
So why are the McCarthy misfits playing Russian roulette with the financial integrity of the United States? Stupidity and irresponsibility are two prime reasons. ‘I earned the right to be Speaker’ McCarthy needed 15 House votes to obtain the House gavel. He made promises to 20 Republican renegades that renders him a ball-less ‘leader.’
I expect that President Biden will call his bluff and say ‘put up or shut up.’ If McCarthy wishes to identify which ‘social expenditures’ he demands be savaged in return for raising the national debt limit, then a political gauntlet is thrown. Ain’t going to happen. It would be political suicide for McCarthy.
President Biden should and, I believe, will insist that a handful of Republicans join Democrats in approving a national debt limit increase this summer. Regarding the nitty gritty of the budget, the House has received Biden’s draft. Let the prolonged budget game begin.
Meanwhile, at the NRA national meeting, Republican presidential candidates are outdoing themselves in professing the sanctity of owning guns without legal restrictions, while they are silent on the possibility of their country’s self-inflicted bankruptcy.
Keith: One of my all-time favorite books! Thank you for mentioning it. I wish I felt that the Republicans were so ineffective. I tend to think of them more like Jack Nicholson’s performance as The Joker in a Batman movie: laughing and dancing while leaving a trail of destruction in their wake!
Lee I prefer to think of Jack Nicholson (‘you can’t handle the truth’) in A FEW GOOD MEN. There justice eventually triumphed and Colonel Jessup was squashed. I recall ‘the truth will set you free,’ which makes me totally woke at age 89.
21 States passed impediments to voting in 2021-2022.
PLEASE CALL your US Senators + Representative (202-224-3121) and the President (833-345-2551) and leave this message: “Why should my Zip Code determine how I exercise my vote?
We need one federal law that governs voting for every American. Pass the Freedom to Vote: John R Lewis Voting Rights Act. It is ethically the right bill for you to pass right now.”
OR
REQUEST A MEETING: An in-person or Zoom meeting as soon as possible with your Senators and Representative and their Legislative Counsel. Invite local voting rights activists to join you (see GROUPS BY STATE in the map at www.nationalvotercorps.org) What to say when you meet: Pass the Freedom to Vote: John R Lewis Voting Rights Act. It is ethically the right bill for you to pass now.
In response to any reaction such as “Why would I ask a Republican Representative to protect Americans’ right to vote when voter suppression is working for them?”, words such as: "I believe ethical Republican Senators and Representatives will protect Americans’ vote fairly and safely. Examples of Republicans protecting Americans’ rights and the Constitution:
● Senator Lummis voted for the Respect of Marriage Act;
● Senator Murkowski supports the rights of indigenous Alaskans, with cross-party support, winning re-election against a conservative candidate in a closely watched race.
● Senator Romney voted for impeachment after January 6th and has supported voting rights, healthcare and other ethical measures.
"Already 21 States prevent millions of Americans from voting fairly, and safely. These Supreme Court decisions: 2010 Citizens United v FEC (unlimited corporate money in politics) and the 2013 Shelby County v Holder (ending preclearance of State or local laws relating to voting policies and procedural changes in previously segregated states) disenfranchised or resulted in expanding barriers to the ballot box for millions of voters - especially lower income voters, seniors, disabled voters, Americans without transportation, college students and people of color.
"Thus Congress must act under its powers in Article 1.4, the 14th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 23rd, 24th and 26th Amendments to protect our right to vote.
"You took an oath to protect the American Constitution. If Congress doesn’t act now to protect its powers under the Constitution, then hard-right activists will turn America into a libertarian theocracy or worse."
A March to day. Please Join #MAGAWarOnWomensRights
HCR: "As I read about the U.S. Treasury sanctions on fentanyl supply chains today and then thought about how Treasury sanctions against Russia have hamstrung that nation without a single shot from U.S. military personnel, I wondered if people really understand how much is at stake in the Republicans’ attack on our financial system."
From where I sit, it seems that people who swore an oath to honor and protect the U.S. Constitution are working to destroy democracy and create another system of government. The remedy is "equality before the law."
U.S. Constitution Article III, Section 3: Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
The MAGAts are adhering to our enemies and giving them aid and comfort.
Where are the FEMA camps these scum go on about, for us to stick them? Take them to Guantanamo and let them find out what "fuck around and find out" really means.
Agreed Bill.
It truly is a form of domestic terrorism and ought to be viewed as an unacceptable act against our country’s interests and democracy.
Shhhh...Not one word. Whoaaa! What?!! "A California police union executive director has been charged with running a drug ring from her San Jose home and work office where she allegedly accepted at least 61 illegal drug shipments from various countries, including Singapore, Hungary, Hong Kong, and India, then distributed to other states. Joanne Marian Segovia, 64", etc etc. And check out all her alias's. A "Lilley White Grandma"... emphasis on the "white" (my emphasis). And, where and to whom did she forward that 'stuff' too? Welp folks, you at least "read it here".
Can you give us a link to the source of your quotation?
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjlmvXE1Kv-AhVOPUQIHVVnCoIQFnoECAgQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fsan-jose-police-union-executive-director-fired-after-opioid-smuggling-arrest-joanne-marian-segovia%2F&usg=AOvVaw191xkN_qBtNYJgEcWZ3pAu
YIKES!!
Whooooaaaa! (Of course, blame it on the housekeeper.)
“I wondered if people really understand how much is at stake in the Republicans’ attack on our financial system.” And I’ll add to this from the last paragraph of HCR’s post. I don’t think that Republicans care about our financial system or democracy. They care about making money. Aren’t they, the Republicans still in the Republican Party, more than a little similar to leaders of drug cartels in Mexico, the U.S. and Chinese business interests? Consumed by greed, and poisoning this country and democracy?
WOW!! What a great comparison!!
“allegedly used cargo aircraft, private aircraft, submarines and other submersible and semi-submersible vessels, container ships, supply vessels, go-fast boats, fishing vessels, buses, rail cars, tractor trailers, automobiles, and private and commercial interstate and foreign carriers to transport their drugs and precursor chemicals…”
What?? I thought our drug problem was due to our ‘wide open border’.
The "open border" accusation is simplistic, requires nothing more than the mental image of an open door and resonates with so many people who are caught up in the lies of Republicans and Fox so-called News. And yet, it's complicated out there. We live in a technologically advanced and sophisticated intertwined society. Our solutions are as complicated as our problems.
Tell that to the R congress critters who keep pumping out the propaganda on their fb pages pandering to their base. Countering with facts results in CN name calling. Any sane R hopefully will see the lay of the land.
The Republicans aren't most concerned about drugs, they are most concerned about people crossing the border. Brown people. You don't hear the Republicans talking about closing the Canadian border although lots of immigrants who overstay their visas cross there. White people.
Inconsistency seems not to matter.
I imagine Biden's actions will force MTG to come out in favor of fentanyl.
MTG is already on video criticizing Biden on grounds that the border patrol has seized so much more fentanyl on his watch. She counts on her voters taking that to mean that more fentanyl is entering the country. It’s like the southern backwoods Congressman who won reelection some fifty years ago by denouncing his opponent for being a “self-confessed heterosexual.”
Ha! Surely you are right! Love your comment!! 😁🤩 how will they spin this??
Not just that, but fentanyl trafficking.
And now we have a 21yr old with a TS Clearance.. who apparently acted "intentionally" to throw the USA under the bus... huh? Okay, you name "the bus". Welp, here is what I'd like to see inscribed on his tombstone: "Here lies a Dumb Kid who, since 16 has been told (lied to), that the USA was a failed democracy, where an election had been stolen, that a communist country was a 'friend." And, below that should be the words "Thoughts and prayers - Needed". My friends.., we are indeed to blame for this. Not because we afforded the "liars" 1st Amendment shelter.., but because we.. "we' basically stood by, allowing the "liars" to spew un-checked, corrupting school curriculums (kids) together with titillated (adults) distracted by a pair of inflated breasts and a crop of degenerate/illiterate politicians. However, i believe there is reason for hope. What appeared to me to be a "fart in a windstorm" down in Tennessee, seems to have turned into a reckoning. Let's speak out. WI did.
how to reach those who do not agree with me and you? I have disconnected with most Republicans because most of them are very radically against what i believe on so many levels. Your newsletter is so informative, but sending it to like minded people is like preaching to the choir. Any ideas?
Communication between people that disagree is an essential feature of an open, democratic society, though cults that are ideologically closed to input are a tough nut to crack. I think it is important to keep putting ideas "out there" to alt least influence those on the fence. I have seen more than one outsider idea go mainstream, though some struggles seem to be eternal. How many of our most difficult problems are all about the money?
Anyway, discussion in this somewhat gated community of HCR fans may be preaching to the choir, but knowledge is power, and I am finding a robust exchange of it happening here. I look for ways to pass that along. Social progress can occur when support begins to gather behind a vision.
“In this age, in this country, public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed. Whoever molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes, or pronounces judicial decisions.” - Lincoln
Well JL, one effective means of addressing the ignorance at the heart of so many of these issues might be infiltration behind the lines. Some independent, highly targeted research on our part to locate a link to very a simple explanation (I'm talking fourth grade level vocabulary and very short in length) of the difference between "paying off" an existing debt and incurring a new debt, for example. Then planting that link on a MAGA site without editorializing; just a teaser to get people to open the link, and hopefully a few eyes. This would not be "trolling", and I would recommend not sticking around to read any replies or engaging in any dialog. You could think of it as dropping leaflets behind the lines. At least it might make a small dent. And if enough of us left this cloistered community to do a solo commando raid occasionally, perhaps it would begin to have an impact. At least it would feel good to be doing something positive.
LeMoine, Perfect observation, well written and simply phrased. Good job!!
“They sentenced me to 20 years of boredom for trying to change the system from within…..” Leonard Cohen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTTC_fD598A While in my “bubble” (in my everyday life/extended family) I very rarely come across MAGAphiles, tho’ on occasion someone I run across at the store/gas station, etc. will make a MAGA-ish comment. While I would like to pull my hair out and shout “really?”….I rather say, very briefly, “oh I hold a different opinion” and, for example, if I respond at all I might say “oh, I don’t believe Biden is responsible for the increase in gas prices; if you look at the data you can see the oil/gas companies are making record profits during these fraught times”. That’s why I laud folks for doing what they can if they live in very red states….unless & until, of course, draconian state laws negatively affect their lives (as we are seeing medical folks & others decamping—if they are able—to more hospitable locations).
Fine. How? That's what I can't figure.
Lynn,
I'll take some finesse. No wading in and busting chops (though the temptation is great). Can't just walk onto their turf and start making statements of truth; they will skewer you. Better to find links to more moderate conservative sources that have at least tried to educate their people (the research part) and lure a few out of their echo chamber. No links to The Lincoln Project, though, which they have already identified as a RINO entity. The theory here is that these people talk to each other. If only a handful of them realize how far they've been spun by their party, it will have a magnifying effect. Hopefully.
I have had a few (only a few conversations with soft and hard MAGAs. The soft one's will entertain idea that there might be a valid alternative view, and that the Party's pronouncements are not holy writ. Others automatically attack any deviation as blaspheme. I don't doubt that some others are more skilled than I at penetrating this reflexive wall of denial. And it's by no means only low information voters who are the only MAGA extremists. Some persons who are highly educated and seemed in the past to be more or less fair and reasonable have fallen into the whirlpool.
I think one way that social perception changes is with persistence, discipline and numbers, as in the women's movement, Civil Rights movements, and workers rights demonstrations. Also, just by keeping the discussion alive, maintaining the focus. So many things have occurred which we lose our will to track and remedy when they become too commonplace. Slavery was one so commonplace that up to 12 US presidents held slaves at one time of another, and it wasn't a deal-breaker. We need to keep the spotlight on the elephant in the room until it is no longer ignored by enough people to enable a remedy, or at least partial remedy, to gain momentum. Finally articulating, as in the J6th committee and various criminal investigations that highlight provable abuses of power, is proving to be making better remedial progress than just trying to smooth transgressions over.
I wonder if the judge in the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit can order Fox News (a misnomer if there ever was one) to broadcast a court-approved retraction, for a specific period of time, of the Big Lie on Carlson, Hannity, Ingraham, etc. as part of the settlement; and enjoin FNS from ever again disseminating lies.
That would seem to be appropriate injunctive relief.
I recall that in the 1970s (?) American Express ran a series of ads in which a couple abroad is panicked because they have lost all their money and a kindly, calming person is explaining that they just have to go to the American Express office to refund their traveler's checks (a kind of pre-electronic transfer cashier's check designed for travelers). Until they say "But they weren't American Express", at which point their helper looks at them like he is smelling dog poo and says "Then I can't help you". The big lie was that only American Express replaced lost or stolen traveler's checks, which was actually a large part of why anyone would buy them.
They were forced by legal action to include at the end of their fear-inducing dramas to add the words "other companies give refunds", which was better than nothing. Better would have been a series of ads in which they publicly apologized. If we valued "Truth in Advertising" (it's absence being a species of fraud and/or libel ) Fox would have to relabel "Fox Lies" and apologize for telling them. It's one thing to brag about personally catching a fish that might not have been quite so big as represented, and another to have one's thumb on the butcher's scale, or to falsely shout "fire" in an occupied theater.
Murdock has been shrieking "fire" for decades, and it's paid off well for him. And I hope that he and Faux are now, finally, about to get their comeuppance. I have no confidence that it will take fewer than several decades to undo and repair the damage they have done. And all for money - not one principle, just filthy lucre.
In the end it all comes down to "the love of money". That seems to be the "one ring to rule them all" responsible for so much of the dysfunction and cruelty in our own society (the primacy of money and other corruptly interchangeable forms of power). (The "Conservative" Supreme Court reeks of it.)
I find it ironic that a large and wealthy corporation (Dominion) can finally get the goods on these open criminals, while so often it seems the "we the people" are powerless, or at least, are conned into thinking that we are.
They should have to have a “warning sticker” displayed 24/7 at the bottom of the screen like there is on packs of cigarettes….”what we present is not fact and may be false; consume at the risk of becoming a moron”….may not stop them from watching (smoking), but maybe seeing the warning each time might have a growing effect. Well, one can hope.
Thanks JL for your remarkable post today. Succinct brief and timely. I love the Lincoln quotation: so much said with so few words.
Someone recently said something on this blog about beauty and truth, and Keats aside, I think there is something to it. Add to that grace, which I think of as unified interaction of parts, like an Olympic athlete, a springing tiger, or a ballet dancer. I once saw a film in which Picasso painted a brief, single squiggle on a piece of glass, and portrayed with it an appealing, expressive face. In each of these there is a unifying simplicity. I see that, and love that, in the overall picture revealed by science. Whitman presaged modern cosmology when he wrote ": "I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars." Emerson nailed it with "Nature is an endless combination and repetition of a very few laws. She hums the old well-known air through innumerable variations. Nature is full of a sublime family likeness throughout her works...".
I think that there is always a certain element of poetry, more or less, in human communication, and that permeates Lincoln's recorded speaking and writing; and lends it clarity and power. Just because Lincoln said it does not make it true, and every historical figure has his or her limitations, but the clarity of Lincoln's ability to focus is at least in part transmissible, and seems to "nail" core dynamics of human nature and governance, in a way that can cut though a lot of distracting eddies and deliberate distractions that surround them.
Everyday some of the MAGA excess wins over some voters. 2024 elections cannot come soon enough.
Don't waste your time on GQP haters. It is hopeless. Fox viewers are dinosaurs and share the same destiny. AND we CAN outvote them. There are way more of us than them.
OUR numbers are growing. Gen Y and Z have grown up with diversity and expect equal treatment. They have grown up with "active shooter drills" and are furious about no progress on guns. And most of all, they are wicked angry about the Climate Crisis - that the GQP poo poos.
The answer, my friend, is getting more people - young people in particular to vote. Go to https://www.turnup.us/ and be inspired and perhaps help register millions of smart young people. It's all about who turns up to vote.
Identify an issue you consider critical and ask the LWV to hold a local forum with various viewpoints so that people can listen to more than one side of an issue you care deeply about?
sorry, but what is LMV?
LWV = League of Women Voters
https://www.lwv.org/local-leagues/find-local-league?field_zip_code_value=
Love this!!!
This is a good practical idea. Thank you Alice.
My town has a pretty active Democratic Town Committee I wonder if we could do this?
A lovely thought, but does the League have credibility with deluded people who choose to believe lies?
As long as there is still Faux Noise spilling lies and hatred, it will be difficult to deprogram them; and that is what it needs to be: Deprogramming.
Exactly. Tfg was just on Fucker Carlson the other night spouting his insane word vomit. Tucker himself should be forced to do the mea culpa, and not for just one night!
Another strong thought to introduce: Republicans are "Weak on Drugs". If they don't want to fund the myriad Federal agencies engaged in fighting the scourge of fentanyl, they are, prima facie, weak on drugs. And finally, if we don't pay for debt service on debts already incurred, 25% of which were incurred under Trump, how in heavens name can international investors trust us?
➡️ Republicans are "Weak on Drugs" ⬅️
Heather, thank you for covering an issue that is not getting anywhere near the press that it needs.
Making it less profitable for the kingpins to operate is definitely the way to go. I wish that the Biden Administration would publish the numbers of pounds seized from cargo planes, etc. to break the narrative that the persons to fear are the “small fry” wading across the river or hiking across the desert.
It would also help to publish comparisons with the amounts of fentanyl seized with that seized by the prior administration.
As for the debt ceiling, maybe couching a default in terms of not paying our credit card debt would paint a picture that more people could understand.
My reaction to this piece was exactly this. Where is the press coverage of all of this? Usually HCR's newsletter is filled with links to the media and social media coverage of the topic and here it was all official press releases. So, I googled and sure enough, the coverage is scant and focuses mainly on the Chapo arrests. WaPo gave two lines to the China part of the story.
The war that is being fought by US agencies and across North America to stem the flow of this deadly killer is starting to show results. People need to know about this and I hope the administration keeps getting the word out. Anne Milgram who did a fantastic job as NJ AG and is now head of the DEA should be invited to every news program and podcast to talk about all of this.
Finally, why not tie this to the GOP effort to defund the government through their debt ceiling hostage attempt? How do citizens expect the US government to combat enemies like the cartels and fight these type of wars without funding? Many simply don't realize that taxpayer-funded efforts like this are even happening. Well past time to seize the narrative on this topic.