And yet, with all the things trump blatantly did to undermine and destroy this country for 4 heinous years (including an attempted coup and ignoring a deadly virus) he continues to be a free man along with the criminal minions that he pardoned. IMO, that is beyond infuriating.
Yesterday, I read an email and article so extreme in their support for Trump and accusations of Biden that I’m still shocked twenty-four hours later. This was a friend of a friend who, among other ideas, believes the anti-gun-violence movement is anti-Semitic, without further explanation of her reasoning.
This is happening because of fear, hate, gaslighting, an inability or refusal to research or fact check, and a propensity to aggression. These people use their gut reactions to dictate their words and actions.
No. It is happening because the top priority of 60% of white Americans is to preserve the advantages they have always held over people with non-European ancestors. They know their prorities and pursue them deliberately and relentlessly, regardless of other consequences, many of which are disadvantageous to most if them.
Rex and Ben, there is no contradiction in your explanations. Whether or not it is a fully independent force, evil is real and white supremacy is one of its means. As a monotheist, I choose to regard the existence of evil as an unexplained paradox. Theologies vary. If there is one thing that’s become clear to me since 2016, it’s that evil exists.
Cultural depictions aside, the force of Evil is real. I can't explain its existence. Yet, like countless others, I've encountered it, felt its presence, and seen it in action. The force itself is invisible, but the tools, fools and results it manipulates is often hideously apparent. You know it when you've met it and seen how it operates. Trump is a historic tool of Evil. He was raised and mentored to fulfill that role. Trump is like a hammer, and his fools are like nails in their own coffins and ours.
In my experience, Evil is a force with or without light, love, or peace. Evil is attracted to existences of Good, seeks to destroy it. Darkness, hatred, and conflict are created by Evil as it manipulates people.
“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”
― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
And those who haven't been bamboozled must watch the destruction of the charlatan, and feel the pain and know the truth, but be unable to repair that damage.
He’s less free than he was before his 2016 presidency. Too many eyes are on him and his cohorts now so he can’t party with people like Epstein, make sneaky/shady real estate deals, or finagle Deutsche Bank of huge loans, without drawing a lot of attention.
Oh, the wheels of justice turn slowly but turning they are!! Despite the snow here on April 16, I needed to have a morning feeling something just and good is happening to identify and prove the 2016 election was manipulated and STOLEN. The projection of Big Lie, the Big Steal mirrored back to the true criminals who have began thwarted and dismantled our democracy. My plea that, should we find that T***p & Comrades did not win the election fair and square, that his presidency should be annulled and rethugs dismantled and charged completely for crimes against America and humanity. That T***p & Comrades' brainwashing, lies, trolls and Fox manipulated and controlled vulnerable people, and still do today. That this coup on our country would be undone. That illegitimately appointed judges and Supreme Court appointees and everything that the rethugs have committed across our land could be undone. That we allow this new administration, that is actually FOR THE PEOPLE, to work for righting this Titanic and steering her clear of the dangerous Republican authoritarian coup on all our branches of government. That their blows that almost dissolved our voting system and USPS during a pandemic be reversed. That reversing all pardons of every single one of the rethugs be done forthwith. That would include all the anti-democracy actions, or non-actions taken which bring me to McComrade and his egregious lies and leadership to stop our government from being functional. Corporate oligarchs, both domestic and foreign, have committed crimes against us and placed us in this Constitutional crisis. That would subject every rethug in our government who signed the document to overthrow our fair election to sedition along with their beloved insurrection. They owe us so much, and we need to squeeze every dime they have made off our country and good people. They need to pay for their incarcerations and court costs that The People are funding.
Okay, perhaps I am lucid dreaming this morning, but before I wake up, I would like to add to the reparations and indictments above, that Derek Chauvin will be charged as guilty for the murder of George Floyd. And this will begin to change the course of how our police systems operate and how we need to dismantle infrastructure of our American Caste system for all our people. .
Not sure I want my country to go through that much disruption (again), but you've got some good points there. Don't think we can annul the presidency, but this would be grounds for a successful post-presidential impeachment that would remove ALL of his benefits AND possibly (joyfully) ALL his assetts in repayment for his scams and the costs to the US. Yep, I think this has some real promise. But first I want to give Biden and the citizens of this country a chance to rebuild the foundations of a healthy democracy and economy. And healthy citizens.
But, he can still "inspire" chaos and demand his minions in Congress and state governments "kiss the ring". Even with all the historical context Heather has tied together, it still is very difficult to get one's head around the fact so many people in this country actually "worship" this narcissistic, dictator-wanna-be.
While I share your fury, I have full confidence that the wheels of this justice must turn slowly, methodically and thoroughly to assure not only that trump's guilty charges stick, but the rest of his criminal associates (and family?) go down with him. Like Al Capone.
I agree! I thought the SDNY was poised and ready to pounce the moment he was no longer President of the United States. It will be a true travesty of justice if he and his family get away with his crimes.
On April 15th two years ago, fire ravaged the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, collapsing Viollet-Le-Duc's tower into the nave of the church........the near destruction of a symbol for the whole world.
On April 15th, 2021 the retired General running the reconstruction project announced that all was now in place and secure for rebuilding to begin.....to replicate exactly the original. Oaks are being sourced in French forests for the roof structure and specialized "companions" hired to do the work from wherever they be found......just like the original Cathedral construction teams in the 12thC
Happily there are still some amongst us who recognize the power of symbols linked to significant acts to change the world, the way we look at it and how we live it.
Desperately hoping that Mr Biden and his cohort will continue to emulate the French architects and engineers in debriding, undergirding and strengthening the framework of our democracy..
TPJ. Thanks for highlighting these uncommon words and our need to actually know their meaning; so we can speak and write “mo better”. (A little “Africanized” English grammatical structure.)
Thanks Bill, or rather "sho nuff"! Keep the comments coming.
All credit to others; I just appreciate the new words shared by our friends here. My UMB history courses always feature language, often with a section on Black English. After spending a couple of years in Zambia, no accents sound better than Africans speaking English. It has the same vigor as did Elizabethan English.
I am French and it was excruciatingly painful to watch Notre-Dame engulfed in flames. Reconstruction is going on, slowly, and carefully, but it is moving along. A friend of mine lives fairly close to Notre-Dame and posts regular photos. I was in Paris in the late spring/early summer of 2019, and it was a rough sight to see. It was kind of miraculous tgat I had been in the Cathedral the previous summer! I may never be able to go inside if it again in my lifetime.
Not quite as they have only now got to the point of being able to start. It has taken 2 years to make sure what wasn't destroyed is sufficiently secure to support the future work.
Sounds like the kind of work being done in this country as Biden makes sure we are strong enough to move forward with his plans for rebuilding a nation!
In observing Biden's performance, I've come to believe that just because there is little public discussion of issues like DeJoy's directive to "get over it - I'm not going anywhere," it's a work in progress, and DeJoy will be ousted, the legislators who supported and enabled the Capitol insurrection, and many other travesties of the last five years, will be punished. We'll know the results when they hit the news networks.
I watched a good segment on PBS last night about the restoration of Notre Dame. I love how they are mixing the traditional materials and modern technology to bring back the iconic religious and architectural treasure, now that they have stabilised the structure. Fascinating. The French are very good at this kind of painstaking work, having seen Ankor Wat and the restoration of other temples in Cambodia.
I believe that Biden is working with the best of the traditional in addition to modern techniques towards the future of our democracy.
Let's pray that the reconstruction goes well and is realized, unlike the fulfillment of Lincoln's Southern Reconstruction and plan for social integration of the freed slaves. We're still witnessing the destruction caused by those betrayals.
That fire was devastating to witness. Even here in USA. Watched a TV program last year on how the French 3-D mapped Notre Dame recently which enables an accurate reconstruction. Hooray for computers. 🇫🇷❤️🤍💙🍾
Thank you Stuart. I had a great deal going on yesterday, and missed that wonderful news. Let us all hope that mighty Notre Dame's reconstruction might be symbolic of our country coming back from the brink of destruction as well.
For the day that anyone can return to the refurbished Notre Dame of Paris, I highly recommend reading (or recalling ) Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Hugo's vivid descriptions take you into the nooks and crannies of the cathedral. And while those are not accessible to a tourist, even walking up the worn steps of the bell towers, looking at the structure supporting the bells, peering out the little windows, sharing the perspective of the gruesome gargoyles looking out upon the plaza below and the cityscape beyond--puts you in the shoes of Quasimodo.
If that's not enough, Hugo's riffs on architecture and its role in messaging for the illiterate masses of the time are illuminating--messaging for the purposes of social control and funds for the church. Gazing at all the sculptures, art work, and stained glass windows has you looking through the eyes of the peasants wondering what inspirations and terrors they were experiencing as they, too, gazed, and maybe quivered in fear with the pillory in view behind them and the sermons of eternal damnation in hell echoing in their heads.
Beautifully said. Watching Notre Dame burn was one of the saddest things I have ever watched. The beauty, the craftsmanship and history destroyed in such a short time. I'm so happy they are doing what they can to replicate and rebuild. I just hope my children will be able to see it finished, as I was so devastated they had not had a chance to visit this magnificent Cathedral.
The worst loss was what they call the "forest" ...the 12thC oak structure under the roof. Fortunately the other sacred works and artifacts were saved by the firemen and priests.
I'm still pinching myself we're so fortunate to have the Biden Administration, and now I'm pinching myself we're so fortunate to have your daily letters. Context matters.
I feel the same. It is like we finally are seeing the emperor had no clothes on. What a nightmare the last 5 years have been. Thank you for the context Heather. Thank you President Biden in appointing a competent team that may pull us out of the quagmire we have been drowning in. Finally we are ending fighting the last 20 years of wars and intervening in a much more effective way. Russian influence and Trump’s collusion is chilling.
My sense about Georgia is that a massive turnout of Dems AND Independents won the day, and the future, without the support of a measurable number of Republicans. That vote was too evenly split to have seen many conservatives come to their senses.
I totally agree. And the massive turnout has frightened the Republicans so much that they went from defending the validity of the election to trying to suppress the next one. I'm guessing that the Democrats and Independents, now awakened, will respond to the attempts at voter suppression in even larger numbers. Shotgun can't be allowed to win, and Stacey Abrams needs to claim the office that she was cheated out of in 2018.
Clyburn, who spearheaded Biden winning the election and Stacy Abrams who got the votes out in Georgia deserve our gratitude for saving us from the brink of having our Democracy destroyed. They may have totally changed the course of history. Think of the possibilities if we could work together and honor we are all created equal.
As a former Republican and early member of the Lincoln Project I don't know any Republican here in Georgia that voted for the insipid clown that we had for a president or either of his senate supporters.
Yes, she did. I watched a lot of coverage on these revelations last night but no one explained it better than Heather did in her column this morning. And, this is what needs to get out to the majority of the people! It is BIG news and needs to be plastered on every media website and TV show. However, there is so much going on with mass shootings every day (another one in Indianapolis) and police brutality and murder of black people that I fear this will be overlooked for the bombshell it is.
And as HCR has explained, Ike's original warning was "Beware the Congressional Military Industrial Complex." We have a voice via our elected officials to stop this madness.
Beth--I totally agree. And the destruction of generations in order to assuage the egos of the old white men who are more concerned about their manhood than about their country.
I am an old white man that fought for my country and I couldn’t disagree more with your statement about being more concerned with my manhood than my country. I knowingly walked into hell for my brother’s in arms and in so doing saved the lives of some that surely would have died. I have no regrets for my actions and knowing all of the pain that I have lived with for the last 50 years would willingly do it again in a heartbeat. You only have to look 👀 at what Europe looked like at the end of WWII, to realize that for the last 70 years, the strength and dedication to service of our armed forces, which included an oath to the constitution, has given us the prosperity we have enjoyed. We are a work in progress, and I believe are moving in the right direction but I also believe that the strength of our armed forces has given us that opportunity. The fact that we have not had WWIII in spite of the many bad actors is due to those who have selflessly served. I was a part of that and a witness to it.
I was a 40+ year Republican in the John McCain mold and couldn’t be more proud of our current president and all of his efforts to help us build a better nation, he has my full and unwavering support. I like his idea of a pivot with a view to the threats of the next 20 years and it’s play to our strength, thank god we have a leader again.
When I read Linda’s comment, I immediately thought of old white men politicians, not the soldiers who served. There were early warning signs about Hitler which were ignored, Viet Nam hawks who later said it was a mistake, George Bush who was awol through most of his reserve duty. They have sent soldiers off to the most trying conditions without enough support while fighting and after returning. Denial of Agent Orange and PTSD medical care is just one example. Both my parents were veterans. I am sick over the current misuse of the word Patriots by brainwashed politicians and rioters. I have great respect for you as a veteran and supporter of Joe Biden.
Well put, Gigi and I fully agree about the word the current degradation of the word "Patriot." Actually, that downward spiral began with the the W's "Patriot Act" for me.
Thank you for your service and dedication to decency. It isn't only old white men, but all angry and frightened white men. The ones that believe in the "Replacement Theory" and need women to be subordinate. The ones that use gut reactions instead of their heads to reason and problem solve. The ones who think aggression is the answer to getting what they want.
Dick, I am sorry that you are offended but I was not talking about you--or about Word War II, for that matter. My father, uncles, and great-uncles all served, and one died, in the war. I am talking about the men AFTER WW2 who used wars--especially Reagan and Bush I and II--to present themselves as powerful and as shields to disguise the corruptions they were provoking in the US.
You are certainly entitled to your position and opinion and I understand that you and I do not share a political perspective about most stuff if you're a McCain-style Republican, but I respect your service and your position. But mine also is one informed by experience and history.
Dick wrote the following in his comment,' ... couldn’t be more proud of our current president and all of his efforts to help us build a better nation, he has my full and unwavering support.'
A McCain-style Republican is what the Republican party needs more of. I suspect that many of the Republicans who are now supporting the Biden administration are probably McCain-style Republicans. That is a good thing.
I didn’t take it personally. You just gave me a reason to join the conversation. My father and uncles all fought in WWII as well and were no doubt some of the inspiration for my service. All of them were in combat for the duration of the war. My grandfather told me that the happiest day of his life was the day that his 3 sons returned alive. I have grandchildren now, too young to serve yet, and while I would never encourage it, I would be immensely proud if any of them chose to do so.
The war against men is another sickness of division. The discrimination against women, subjugation, exploitation, closed doors, humiliation and limited opportunities dealt to women is being thrown in the faces on all men by some women. There are more beneficial ways to move ahead.
There is hardly a war against men, unless you consider Valerie Solanas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCUM_Manifesto) to have found an active following that has escaped notice. At worst, there are rhetorical excesses against men in general, as against whites in general, that are based in the realities of systemic discrimination. Our working coalitions (see Biden-Harris election) include everyone willing to join in making the country better for "we the people, all of us this time."
I think you should read a lot of comments from yesterday where readers were making wonderful statement and breaking new ground because one man said he did not know what to do if all other lives matter. What is a white man supposed to do? It was so sweet and profound. And this is really "all about the Dudes" and the incredible moment they have to lift us all up to the same platform with them. I had some wonderful awakenings of how they can use their masculine energy and not feel pushed back or left behind (a realistic fear). We have really good men here grappling with these issues alongside us non-white men.
A point to remember is that all white men old or otherwise have been the ones who have held the power in this country since the founding of Jamestown in 1607. Members of that cadre could have stood up to those who were misusing thei power, but almost universally did not. I am an old, white, privileged man. I am sorry that you seem to have missed the point.
Do you not think "The discrimination against women, subjugation, exploitation, closed doors, humiliation and limited opportunities dealt to women" needs to be called out, named, recognized? Not sure about the notion that any of it is "being thrown in the faces on all men."
And "war against men"? Sorry, I haven't seen that at all.
Coming to transparency in all our "isms" seems to be a basic when moving toward greater equity and freedom for ALL the people.
"The war against men is another sickness of division."
Well said, Fern.
The attack on "old white men" is an unjust, ineffective, and counterproductive action which can only serve to alienate and inflame another large part of the population. It's an approach which serves no one except for the "power elite" who thrill to find different races, genders, cultures, religions, et al, fighting amongst themselves because it takes the attention off of them. It keeps the "1%" in power and with ever increasing assets, ever growing financial disparity.
All sane people want the same thing: Justice. Bonding on that principle, we can start there and work out the other injustices, those which are used to divide people. Another common denominator--I believe--is the wish for honest politicians. How do we reach this standard of having our politicians tell us the truth? How do we get politicians to tell us the true story of why the U.S. is willing to destroy most of the Middle East? We have to find a way to get honest politicians who will fully agree to have their financial disclosures made public and further to suffer the consequences for any lies they make.
To Dick Montagne: Thank you for serving during what looks to have been an incredibly traumatic war for everyone who had direct experience of it, in addition to the nation at home. I hope the 93% of your unit who were wounded or killed are well remembered. One of the shames of that era (and I attended the 1970 antiwar Moratorium demonstration on Boston Common with my mother) was the contemptible way some antiwar protesters treated returning soldiers.
That is so painful to read. I can't imagine what it must feel like to experience. I volunteered with VN Vets Against the War, helping returnees learn how to fit back into a world that no longer felt real to them. It gave me a feeling for what unrecognized greatness looks like.
I was in my early 20's and consider myself lucky to have gotten out alive, I have only to look at the wall to realize what a crap shoot it was. When I think about how much the loss of close to 60,000 affected this nation and how it has reverberated throughout our culture to this day, I think about the loss of 560,000+ due to the virus and wonder how it will reverberate into the future.
Hello Dick, and thanks for chiming in. I don't see Linda as referring to you at all; instead, she scourges chickenhawks and hypocrites. Neither applies to you.
I agree with your statement. Its time to look at how we fight cyber wars and defend our country from cyber attacks. And that is done on a computer not the battle field.
Exactly and the meaning of his words, "if we fight the battles of the next 20 years," will probably go unnoticed by many, but conventional warfare is going to be a thing of the past. Cyber warfare will be the new threat.
and find a better way to deal with the Bin Ladens of this world .......just as permanent but less costly in innocent human life..... if we can't stop them being created in the first place.
Thank you, HCR, for pointing out the significance of April 15. I would be interested in the back-story of how the IRS, or whoever it was, arrived on that particular date as a national tax deadline.
So there really was a rigged election; two of them in fact. The first one, (2016) worked, the second (2020) failed. No wonder the former president is so upset at the 2020 election. He had reason to expect other results. Alas.....
I'll be expecting all those judges nominated by an illegitimate president to submit their resignations forthwith.
Shall I dare say it barely failed? I’m thinking of Jan. 6th and many GOP with no sense of loyalty to the Constitution and our laws? And the very limited handful of Georgia’s Republicans who did stand up for the law. I’m of the impression we have yet to know all the shenanigans that took place in 2016, when a majority of people voted a different outcome.
Now there's an anniversary to commemorate. On May 17, 2004, MA was the world's pioneer in legalizing gay marriage. At 1230am I was watching outside Cambridge City Hall when the first person came out (!) and waved the license to thunderous acclaim. Sometimes it's obvious when history is made. A great day for civil and human rights!
Now if only more people would take the vaccine. I was very disturbed to read GA is one of the states with the lowest number of people vaccinated. In rural areas, they are not getting east access, most must drive a minimum of 2 hours to get the vaccine. But in the more populated areas like Atlanta, people are just not getting the vaccine. It has only been a few weeks that the mass vaccine sites have opened and after the immediate rush- now no appointments needed. When I went for my second shot, there were very few cars. This is a tremendous concern.
When I couple your written analysis with your recorded lesson today, I am truly grateful, Professor Richardson, for today's presentation and elucidation. President Biden is moving ahead with a team that is ready to do as they need to do. As you write today: "It sure looks like the Biden administration is doing what the president said he would yesterday: fighting the wars of the next twenty years rather than the last twenty years. Today’s steps make Russia face substantial costs for the cyberattacks that are so badly weakening our democracy and seem to put international financial pressure on those who bankroll terrorists."
If he then forced the American banks etc to dump their existing holdings and stopped all institutions dealing in the Russian government debt from using the dollar financial exchange system he would really hit them hard and where it hurts as no one but the Chinese would fund Putins deficit and this at a very heavy political cost too. He would be obliged to call in the funds of the oligarchs and this would not please them at all.
Given just the tip of iceberg on what we know went of with the last administration and Russia. I wish other nations would come together with the U.S. against Russia as surely they can see how much damage was done, not just to the U.S. and our global reputation but all our allies.
apart from the "one-eyed leading the blind here, they are liable to think Trump was the American's problem. They also look no further than the end of their nose, blaming America for making their life uncertain for the last 3 Presidents. They haven't been able, as usual, to ignore the fact that they couldn't defend themselves if threatened and would probably decide that Chamberlain/Daladier knew what they were doing in Munch in 1938.
Thank you, Heather! As I finished reading today's letter, I was reminded of the Cold War years, when Russian disinformation was a focal point then, too. How much simpler it is for them to embed it into our society now than it was then! Back then they had to rely on real spies in the streets, arranging the players on the board, leaking false stories to various news outlets, etc.
With the Internet and bots, they have almost a direct link into our brains, and the kicker is, we enable them! Our own people are thrilled to pick up the ball and run with it! NewsMax, 8Chan, you name it - not to mention the fiendish system by which social media makes its money - the clicks, the eyeballs that are worth so much to advertisers. And nothing generates more clicks than chaos and controversy.
We say we want peace and love, but we are so easily triggered into anger and aggression. It's like the whole nation is in a constant state of road rage.
And I awoke today to see another 8 people murdered in a mass shooting.
WE need to teach non-violent communication to our people and start in preschool and with politicians. Diplomacy needs to return. I think we have it in this administration!!!
Being an educator for 35 years, I can attest to the constant educating of problem solving, communicate using words, identifying emotions, and thinking of yourself and your fellow friends and family that was taught to our students. There is a lack of family education component and mental health concerns to many of the shooters
"Yet we seemingly tolerate a rising level of violence that ignores our common humanity and our claims to civilization alike. We calmly accept newspaper reports of civilian slaughter in far off lands. We glorify killing on movie and television screens and call it entertainment. We make it easy for men of all shades of sanity to acquire weapons and ammunition they desire."- RFK, April 5th,1968
I agree. Education, mental health and Healthcare is going to be a big part of curbing gun violence. This country is suffering from a mental health crisis. There are a lot fo people who do not feel taken care of in a positive way. As we all know AR15’s make the news but most gun violence is done using handguns.
So Biden/Harris are on the right path. Can we some how get them 8 years and a functional Congress? While being politically active and voicing ideas locally?
Not to get too 'woo-woo' on y'all, but the first thing I thought was, "Well, maybe they're just going to keep happening - in our face, where they can't be ignored - until we, as a society, decide 'no more', and do something to curb it. I doubt we can stop it altogether because of the sheer number of guns out there now, but if we can change the mindset of the bulk of the public whom (I believe) don't want to live in the wild, wild West, that would be a good beginning. And may be our only way to combat this insanity.
The mindset of the People has changed already. Almost 90% of the country is in favor of gun control laws. It is a bunch of GOP in the government who can stay in power only with the help of NRA money in their political pockets AND some Viagra in their little heads that's stopping us from passing comprehensible gun legislation.
Without significant campaign finance reform, I fear there is no chance that effective gun control will pass. Too many GQPers are bought and sold by the gun industry and its enablers. After Sandy Hook, people asked, "If 20 dead children won't do it, what will -- 20 dead Congressmen?" Does anyone doubt that some favor donors over the lives of their own colleagues? Yet another reason to pass For the People.
No, I don't think they can be related solely to Covid Fatigue. that is too much an over simplification, a false salve to real pain. There are no simple answers to such a huge problem. Robert Kennedy has this to say, and we should listen.
Please remember that many shootings happened in the previous administration and were basically played down. In the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting with a semiautomatic weapon, the former president said they should have had a guard. Racist, sexist, anti Semitic hate from the previous administration was pretty much ignored. His militia killed police in California to make it look like BLM protesters were responsible. Media was busy following the daily red herrings. Result: second impeachment trial, the idjt got his mulligan.
It seems to me that prior to the NRA going from a gun safety organization to a promoter of gun use - we had few mass shootings. I remember how shocked everyone was when the Texas bell tower shooting happened in the '60s. Then, in the 80s (everything bad seems to have germinated in the 80s), the NRA began using the Second Amendment as a cudgel and a fund raising device. Over the past almost 40 years of propaganda and extreme lobbyiing, they have turned parts of the country into a war zone.
There's not an afternoon where I live that I don't hear target shooting, often 360 degrees around me. And I'm not talking a .22 pistol and a few tin cans. I'm talking AR15, apparently some with bump stocks, because they will shift to rapid-fire mode then back to 'pop-pop-pop'. Needless to say, many of the accompanying yards are flying the Confederate battle flag.......................
There was a "training camp" in VT, near the NY border that was like that. Guy bought 30 acres right by a small village and a neighborhood of small farms, made their lives miserable by bringing people in and giving them paramilitary training. Piece of work, chip on shoulder. Residents lived in fear because of odd "incidents" and out and out threats.
I've written about how the town went to extreme lengths to get it shut down, even suing the owner. State police were reluctant to take it on. Guy who owned it filed to run against the chair of select board. He lost. Not long before inauguration, state announced that the place was under FBI surveillance. Not long after that the Nat Guard moved in and took over.
Place is empty now. Everyone in Vermont is relieved. We still had individuals doing target shooting- some right in town. We are working on a noise ordinance- there is already an ordinance that prohibits target shooting near residences. That suddenly stopped. I hope it stays stopped. And I hope your community figures out that, as individuals, they still have obligations to others in their community.
Annie, OMG. That's worse than anything I'm facing. Although I'd bet money many, if not most, of the ones around here either are, or lean toward white supremacy. I know there is an active 3 Percenter group in the county. Hell, probably an active Klan group, too.
Yes, Jan this year. Though that was not the end of it. This place had been in operation for a couple of years, and affecting the physical and mental health of everyone in the area. I actually live 30 or 40 miles from the town it was in, but the fact that it existed in our state and nobody with authority seemed willing or able to do anything about it unnerved the whole state.
It was finally the town's legal suit that did it, backed by the environmental board. The State Superior Court supported the suit. Owner got a huge fine, charged with court costs, unpaid back taxes and other fees, required to remove all buildings that had not been on the property and remove the debris. That part is apparently still in progress. I'll add a link to a story from a reliable local media source (the national stories on this are not exactly precise). The owner is resisting, claiming free speech (???). But recently decision has been supported in yet another court.
As for my town, there literally has not been ANY target shooting, loud music, or loud cars that I can hear from my house since all this went down. We have an ordinance that strictly forbids shooting near residences, even rural, but our cops tended to ignore it. The planning commission decided to draft a noise ordinance, but the select board decided that ordinances is in their perview (which is true). And they actually held public hearings to listen to what people say. It was near unanimous that for both safety and quality of life, an ordinance is essential. I hope they proceed with a comprehensive ordinance. There is a decibel limit, but that is really untenable to enforce.
Thank you for your response Annie. What a relief that they are gone. Yikes that these terrorist types are buying up rural land for training camps for hate and violence. what a nightmare! I'm very interested in studying how to build resistance to this in communities so I really appreciate the info you have shared.
Pam, I used to have 'liberal' bumper stickers on my car. Friends were astounded my car didn't get keyed at the mall! That was during the Bush years. During and after Trump, I've gone to ground. No bumper stickers on my plain, grey Camry! I shop in a different county from the one I live in. Still, I know the crazies are out there, so I'm not as prone to talking to strangers as I once was. LOL
Not sure where you live, but it's not a place I want to visit soon. Having to alter your life to stay free of the crazies is not my idea of a good time. I am fortunate to live in a community that is pretty much aligned with my own political views. I don't have to hide.
Our state police firing range has a huge berm that is supposed to absorb all the ammunition after firing. The poor house on the other side of the berm has been hit quite a bit over the years. The state ended up buying it. I can't image where all that spent ammo went. Scary.
Sometimes the dangerous activity existed first. I've lived in communities where a development went in next to a farm & those new residents complained about the spraying of the fields....or the smell. My favorite is someone buying a house near an airport & then complaining about the noise.
On the other hand technology based information transmission leaves an incredible trail of evidence. Watch the Woody Allen v Mia Farrow documentary. Woody Allen may never be convicted but he has been exposed. I expect more Russia exposure will happen too
Meh. I'm no defender of Woody Allen, but the documentary was extraordinarily biased and proved nothing. The problem, of course, is that what is being asserted is essentially impossible to prove or disprove. So how you approach the question will always bias the conclusions that can be reached.
President Biden and his administration are proving excellent at using symbols and dates to bolster the effect of announcements and actions. This skill is not nothing! Thank you Dr R, for helping us take this wild ride eyes wide open.
HCR touched a lot of bases today (last night actually) but I was most impressed by her pointing out that Russia's cyberattacks "are so badly weakening our democracy." That weakness is manifested by the support Trumpism still has from the 40% of our population who still support him, ignoring the facts, and the continuing fear of being "primaried from the right" by most Republicans in both Houses of Congress. It will take years, if not generations, to undo this damage which prevents gun violence from being controlled and the equality envisioned by the Declaration of Independence from being accomplished.
Totally agree. Trumpism allowed Russian interference to take hold and skew many American minds to false information during the 2016 election. And, Trumpism silence to ongoing and escalating Russian interference for 4 years after the election aided Russia.
“sensitive information on polling and campaign strategy.” It’s not difficult to understand what happened. It’s not difficult to know what Manafort gave to C. Klimlick. “Sensitive” means the information identified personnel American’s FB identities by location in swing counties in swing states, connecting who they are by donation records, where they live, and what their Facebook profiles were/are, and who they are friends with and their friends friends. Armed with this personal info knowledge, Russians began a micro targeting campaign by geography for DT’s campaign and against HC’s campaign. We know this, because this is what we in business do now everyday. We pay Facebook to do this for us now and the Russians are still doing it. Micro target consumers with Ads relevant to who they are, where they live, what “likes” they have clicked, and if they have purchased from us before. Yes, geo targeting ads works the same with political ads. Knowing who, where, and how to target swing voters gave DT the edge in 2016. It also indoctrinated and radicalized this demographic.
If we really want to send a financial message to Putin, let’s close the dark money/shell Corp real estate loopholes laws too! Our current loopholes allow for creation of dark shell corps to buy American real estate without identifying the true buyers identity. This tactic is used among the real estate industry, banking, and Russian oligarchs to launder the cash embezzled from the Russian people through shady banks. It just happens to over utilized in London, New York, and Florida, with banks from Malta and Cypress ( banks owned and managed by the likes of former Commerce secretary Wilbur Ross), and legal counsel Bill Barr/ Kirkland Ellis’s biggest client Alpha bank of Russia, just one example)
Greg Olear has a recent article and podcast about the best kept secret... Jersey. Known in inner circles as one of the best places to launder money, yet who has ever heard of this small island?
Nice! Interesting and worthy read. Thank you. Interesting that a certain FBI agent was the first to successfully prosecute Russian Mobsters in New Jersey, Special Agent Andrew McCabe.
Red Notice, Bill Browder ( how Putin and Oligarchs embezzle from the companies they operate inside Russia and how they launder it outside Russia, and how buy/bribe influence at every level of foreign governments)
I think these "opaque" companies used by the Russians...and many Americans...was attavcked in the last "Defense Bill" and imposed the revelation of all beneficial owners.
It sure looks like the Biden administration is doing what the president said he would yesterday: fighting the wars of the next twenty years rather than the last twenty years.
When I awoke to yesterday’s news i witnessed another age ood battle America’s war machine has been waging for the last 400 years ... racism.
Republican state legislators enacting laws on children in Florida nothing short of human rights violations. And of course another day of Republican state run legislators elimination voter protection rights. I could go on and on.
The war within our democracy to weaken it is rising to all new levels through racist rule. When will we fight this war as if it were our last?
This bill is just like the bill South Dakota tried to pass. It failed because our govenor Noep tried to rewrite the bill to remove college athletes (NCAA put the pressure on as did the city of Sioux Falls and the cost estimate of losing those tournaments) but left in high school. That went against the legislators intent and thus it failed.
I read an article a while back, how the former administration would very slowly suck people into a situation where they were then with their back against the wall. It would start very simple and they would receive some some incentive. Then something else and it would all of a sudden grow so they were totally indebted. I want to say it was The Atlantic or Politico. But if true, it was pretty disturbing as I remember.
While April 15 is slightly past the ides, for literal expression perhaps we should change the Shakespearean quote from beware the ides of March to beware the ides of April for the US.
Finally perhaps the focus will shift away from bombing the world into oblivion and killing women, children and our young women and men in the military and focus on doing what hurts any enemy the most... cutting financial feeding lines. If they don't have money to support their military efforts they will be too busy scrambling to keep their power together on other fronts.
Ready to get out the cheering squad with the pom-poms for a rousing round of "Go Biden ! Go Harris ! Win! Win! Win!".
That trump and his minions remain free and still have the ability to influence pedal around the GQP would be comical if it wasn't so infuriating and dangerous with the support of the likes of Taylor-Greene, Boebert, Jordan etc.
Perhaps we all ought gaze to the mirror as we read your line, "If they don't have money to support their military efforts they will be too busy scrambling to keep their power together on other fronts.”
Might we begin w the largest financier of weapons in the world, and that is OUR government. We are the big boys in the world’s sandbox, and therefore any attempts toward world peace are within ... our own hands, and voices.
The goods news is that the largest financier of weapons is ... us. Therefore I suggest we have a role to play. There is a link between April 15, and our weapons being used on our streets, by our policemen, in the hands of terrorists as well as foreign governments.
April 15. The day we pay our dues to our Democracy - and our government decides to spend more of its discretionary spending on weapons than on true human needs. btw, discretionary spending is what Congress decides to spend with each budget (appx 33% of fed budget). The majority of our federal spending is considered ‘mandatory” or based on law (not thru appropriations). The vast majority of this is Social Security, Medicare, and required interest spending on our federal debt.
Make that call today to your Congressperson and Senators, to reduce the spending of our tax monies on the bloated military industrial complex. Peace begins with dialogue, not with weapons on our streets, or on others’ streets.
Thank you Frederick for tying banking and maybe the Pakistani and Russian issues with Afghanistan. I was puzzled by the connection Heather seemed to be drawing here - still am, but I'm liking your theory. I'll be thrilled if we can move to something softer and less lethal than "bombs to make peace" I continue to be surprised by how the senile ;) Joe Biden thinks and by the people he chooses to work with. Hope reigns for today.
I agree with everything here, but I have a nagging little thought in my head: what if our actions against these governments lead to the dollar no longer being the world's reserve currency? The reason we have some of this financial leverage is because these governments use the U.S. banking system. Could China, for instance, step in and propose to them that they use their banking system instead? I know, there are even more trust issues with China, so the likes of Pakistan are likely to be reluctant to do this, and China also manipulates the value of the yuan. But Russia has already cozied up to China in many different ways, so I could see this happening. I dunno, just noodling. I do worry that this particular lever is slowly being taken from us.
And yet, with all the things trump blatantly did to undermine and destroy this country for 4 heinous years (including an attempted coup and ignoring a deadly virus) he continues to be a free man along with the criminal minions that he pardoned. IMO, that is beyond infuriating.
Also, the fact that ~40% of Americans still support the epically evil psychopathic criminal is beyond frightening.
Yesterday, I read an email and article so extreme in their support for Trump and accusations of Biden that I’m still shocked twenty-four hours later. This was a friend of a friend who, among other ideas, believes the anti-gun-violence movement is anti-Semitic, without further explanation of her reasoning.
This is happening because of fear, hate, gaslighting, an inability or refusal to research or fact check, and a propensity to aggression. These people use their gut reactions to dictate their words and actions.
No. It is happening because the top priority of 60% of white Americans is to preserve the advantages they have always held over people with non-European ancestors. They know their prorities and pursue them deliberately and relentlessly, regardless of other consequences, many of which are disadvantageous to most if them.
Rex and Ben, there is no contradiction in your explanations. Whether or not it is a fully independent force, evil is real and white supremacy is one of its means. As a monotheist, I choose to regard the existence of evil as an unexplained paradox. Theologies vary. If there is one thing that’s become clear to me since 2016, it’s that evil exists.
From your experience, does Good also exist?
Yes
It's happening because Evil is real. See my comment above.
BenMjust now
Cultural depictions aside, the force of Evil is real. I can't explain its existence. Yet, like countless others, I've encountered it, felt its presence, and seen it in action. The force itself is invisible, but the tools, fools and results it manipulates is often hideously apparent. You know it when you've met it and seen how it operates. Trump is a historic tool of Evil. He was raised and mentored to fulfill that role. Trump is like a hammer, and his fools are like nails in their own coffins and ours.
Love is at the root of everything . . . love or the lack of it.
--Fred Rogers
Yep, I think Evil is the absence of Light...or Love. And Fred Rogers is a great philosopher!
In my experience, Evil is a force with or without light, love, or peace. Evil is attracted to existences of Good, seeks to destroy it. Darkness, hatred, and conflict are created by Evil as it manipulates people.
“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”
― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
And those who haven't been bamboozled must watch the destruction of the charlatan, and feel the pain and know the truth, but be unable to repair that damage.
Thanks for the wise quote.
That certainly fills the description of the past 4 years and NOW! And the former bamboozler in chief is standing in line with the rest of the crooks.
Yes, he couldn't have "accomplished" this destruction without his acolytes and litter-bearers.
Does my having a cat make me a litter-bearer?
No. Your cat, and my two cats, bear no blame in all of this. In fact, they have no doubt been instrumental in keeping us sane.
He’s less free than he was before his 2016 presidency. Too many eyes are on him and his cohorts now so he can’t party with people like Epstein, make sneaky/shady real estate deals, or finagle Deutsche Bank of huge loans, without drawing a lot of attention.
Oh, the wheels of justice turn slowly but turning they are!! Despite the snow here on April 16, I needed to have a morning feeling something just and good is happening to identify and prove the 2016 election was manipulated and STOLEN. The projection of Big Lie, the Big Steal mirrored back to the true criminals who have began thwarted and dismantled our democracy. My plea that, should we find that T***p & Comrades did not win the election fair and square, that his presidency should be annulled and rethugs dismantled and charged completely for crimes against America and humanity. That T***p & Comrades' brainwashing, lies, trolls and Fox manipulated and controlled vulnerable people, and still do today. That this coup on our country would be undone. That illegitimately appointed judges and Supreme Court appointees and everything that the rethugs have committed across our land could be undone. That we allow this new administration, that is actually FOR THE PEOPLE, to work for righting this Titanic and steering her clear of the dangerous Republican authoritarian coup on all our branches of government. That their blows that almost dissolved our voting system and USPS during a pandemic be reversed. That reversing all pardons of every single one of the rethugs be done forthwith. That would include all the anti-democracy actions, or non-actions taken which bring me to McComrade and his egregious lies and leadership to stop our government from being functional. Corporate oligarchs, both domestic and foreign, have committed crimes against us and placed us in this Constitutional crisis. That would subject every rethug in our government who signed the document to overthrow our fair election to sedition along with their beloved insurrection. They owe us so much, and we need to squeeze every dime they have made off our country and good people. They need to pay for their incarcerations and court costs that The People are funding.
Okay, perhaps I am lucid dreaming this morning, but before I wake up, I would like to add to the reparations and indictments above, that Derek Chauvin will be charged as guilty for the murder of George Floyd. And this will begin to change the course of how our police systems operate and how we need to dismantle infrastructure of our American Caste system for all our people. .
I got lost in your lucid dream, and felt momentary hope and joy. But, alas, time to wake ip and get some coffee.
Your beautifully articulated response delighted me. I'm having my coffee right now.
*up
Oh, I don't want to wake up...or ip! ;-)
I LIKE your lucid dream!
I want to live in the world that Penelope envisions.
Me too. I think I've had that same dream. More than once!
I dreamed I was eating a giant marshmallow, and when I woke up, my pillow was gone!
The My Pillow guy steals them from Non Believers.
Oh, you tickled my funnybone again this morning, TPJ! What it must be like wandering around in your cerebellum? Thanks for these little tours!
Not sure I want my country to go through that much disruption (again), but you've got some good points there. Don't think we can annul the presidency, but this would be grounds for a successful post-presidential impeachment that would remove ALL of his benefits AND possibly (joyfully) ALL his assetts in repayment for his scams and the costs to the US. Yep, I think this has some real promise. But first I want to give Biden and the citizens of this country a chance to rebuild the foundations of a healthy democracy and economy. And healthy citizens.
From your lucid dream to God's ear...please!
YES!
Lock him up !!!
But, he can still "inspire" chaos and demand his minions in Congress and state governments "kiss the ring". Even with all the historical context Heather has tied together, it still is very difficult to get one's head around the fact so many people in this country actually "worship" this narcissistic, dictator-wanna-be.
While I share your fury, I have full confidence that the wheels of this justice must turn slowly, methodically and thoroughly to assure not only that trump's guilty charges stick, but the rest of his criminal associates (and family?) go down with him. Like Al Capone.
Yummy thought, MaryPat, I will wake up now!
I agree! I thought the SDNY was poised and ready to pounce the moment he was no longer President of the United States. It will be a true travesty of justice if he and his family get away with his crimes.
Leopards crouch before springing on their prey. Rattlesnakes coil before they strike.
!!!
On April 15th two years ago, fire ravaged the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, collapsing Viollet-Le-Duc's tower into the nave of the church........the near destruction of a symbol for the whole world.
On April 15th, 2021 the retired General running the reconstruction project announced that all was now in place and secure for rebuilding to begin.....to replicate exactly the original. Oaks are being sourced in French forests for the roof structure and specialized "companions" hired to do the work from wherever they be found......just like the original Cathedral construction teams in the 12thC
Happily there are still some amongst us who recognize the power of symbols linked to significant acts to change the world, the way we look at it and how we live it.
Desperately hoping that Mr Biden and his cohort will continue to emulate the French architects and engineers in debriding, undergirding and strengthening the framework of our democracy..
We get to look up debriding. Yay!
From a family with 3.5 generations of doctors, "debriding" is part of the vocabulary one grows up with
Half a generation? Is someone in medical school?
"When you grow up with frogs, you learn how to jump." Said by a doc from a doc family.
Yes. Deductive powers abound.... I like that (don't know what to call it, but it's apt)
TPJ. Thanks for highlighting these uncommon words and our need to actually know their meaning; so we can speak and write “mo better”. (A little “Africanized” English grammatical structure.)
Thanks Bill, or rather "sho nuff"! Keep the comments coming.
All credit to others; I just appreciate the new words shared by our friends here. My UMB history courses always feature language, often with a section on Black English. After spending a couple of years in Zambia, no accents sound better than Africans speaking English. It has the same vigor as did Elizabethan English.
Thankfully, the architects were not listened to as they were largely suggesting a "moderist" conversion to show how intelligent they think they are.
Oh-- yes, I remember hearing that
Trump understood the power of symbols linked to significant nonexistent acts.
And thus eventually he too will be "nonexistent" as without the significant act nothing changes.
I am French and it was excruciatingly painful to watch Notre-Dame engulfed in flames. Reconstruction is going on, slowly, and carefully, but it is moving along. A friend of mine lives fairly close to Notre-Dame and posts regular photos. I was in Paris in the late spring/early summer of 2019, and it was a rough sight to see. It was kind of miraculous tgat I had been in the Cathedral the previous summer! I may never be able to go inside if it again in my lifetime.
Thanks for this comment, Stuart.
Yes, reconstructions can happen! 🇫🇷❤️🇺🇸
I wept watching the beautiful Notre Dame go up in flames. Two years and the rebuild is well underway. A symbol that reconstruction can happen.
Not quite as they have only now got to the point of being able to start. It has taken 2 years to make sure what wasn't destroyed is sufficiently secure to support the future work.
Sounds like the kind of work being done in this country as Biden makes sure we are strong enough to move forward with his plans for rebuilding a nation!
Exactly my thought. Shore up our foundations, after ensuring all the rot is out.
Waiting for that crook of a postmaster to get cut out.
In observing Biden's performance, I've come to believe that just because there is little public discussion of issues like DeJoy's directive to "get over it - I'm not going anywhere," it's a work in progress, and DeJoy will be ousted, the legislators who supported and enabled the Capitol insurrection, and many other travesties of the last five years, will be punished. We'll know the results when they hit the news networks.
I watched a good segment on PBS last night about the restoration of Notre Dame. I love how they are mixing the traditional materials and modern technology to bring back the iconic religious and architectural treasure, now that they have stabilised the structure. Fascinating. The French are very good at this kind of painstaking work, having seen Ankor Wat and the restoration of other temples in Cambodia.
I believe that Biden is working with the best of the traditional in addition to modern techniques towards the future of our democracy.
Thank you, I will look for this!
Let's pray that the reconstruction goes well and is realized, unlike the fulfillment of Lincoln's Southern Reconstruction and plan for social integration of the freed slaves. We're still witnessing the destruction caused by those betrayals.
That fire was devastating to witness. Even here in USA. Watched a TV program last year on how the French 3-D mapped Notre Dame recently which enables an accurate reconstruction. Hooray for computers. 🇫🇷❤️🤍💙🍾
And for respect for such symbols and traditions and for the traditional human expertise necessary to recreate them.
Thank you Stuart. I had a great deal going on yesterday, and missed that wonderful news. Let us all hope that mighty Notre Dame's reconstruction might be symbolic of our country coming back from the brink of destruction as well.
I’m very glad to hear this news about Norte Dame.
For the day that anyone can return to the refurbished Notre Dame of Paris, I highly recommend reading (or recalling ) Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Hugo's vivid descriptions take you into the nooks and crannies of the cathedral. And while those are not accessible to a tourist, even walking up the worn steps of the bell towers, looking at the structure supporting the bells, peering out the little windows, sharing the perspective of the gruesome gargoyles looking out upon the plaza below and the cityscape beyond--puts you in the shoes of Quasimodo.
If that's not enough, Hugo's riffs on architecture and its role in messaging for the illiterate masses of the time are illuminating--messaging for the purposes of social control and funds for the church. Gazing at all the sculptures, art work, and stained glass windows has you looking through the eyes of the peasants wondering what inspirations and terrors they were experiencing as they, too, gazed, and maybe quivered in fear with the pillory in view behind them and the sermons of eternal damnation in hell echoing in their heads.
Good catch, mon vieux, and another reason to pay attention to this date. Below is a short book review written on the evening of April 15, 2015.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3S2MPAZ3I6RYE/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0670517488
The rosas windows were saved without damage, thats the most important.
Alors, formidable!
Bien Sur!
Beautifully said. Watching Notre Dame burn was one of the saddest things I have ever watched. The beauty, the craftsmanship and history destroyed in such a short time. I'm so happy they are doing what they can to replicate and rebuild. I just hope my children will be able to see it finished, as I was so devastated they had not had a chance to visit this magnificent Cathedral.
The worst loss was what they call the "forest" ...the 12thC oak structure under the roof. Fortunately the other sacred works and artifacts were saved by the firemen and priests.
Good news, Stuart. Thanks!
I'm still pinching myself we're so fortunate to have the Biden Administration, and now I'm pinching myself we're so fortunate to have your daily letters. Context matters.
I feel the same. It is like we finally are seeing the emperor had no clothes on. What a nightmare the last 5 years have been. Thank you for the context Heather. Thank you President Biden in appointing a competent team that may pull us out of the quagmire we have been drowning in. Finally we are ending fighting the last 20 years of wars and intervening in a much more effective way. Russian influence and Trump’s collusion is chilling.
Thank you Congressman Clyburn and the people of South Carolina.
And those stalwarts - some Republican, who made it happen in Georgia
My sense about Georgia is that a massive turnout of Dems AND Independents won the day, and the future, without the support of a measurable number of Republicans. That vote was too evenly split to have seen many conservatives come to their senses.
I totally agree. And the massive turnout has frightened the Republicans so much that they went from defending the validity of the election to trying to suppress the next one. I'm guessing that the Democrats and Independents, now awakened, will respond to the attempts at voter suppression in even larger numbers. Shotgun can't be allowed to win, and Stacey Abrams needs to claim the office that she was cheated out of in 2018.
Clyburn, who spearheaded Biden winning the election and Stacy Abrams who got the votes out in Georgia deserve our gratitude for saving us from the brink of having our Democracy destroyed. They may have totally changed the course of history. Think of the possibilities if we could work together and honor we are all created equal.
As a former Republican and early member of the Lincoln Project I don't know any Republican here in Georgia that voted for the insipid clown that we had for a president or either of his senate supporters.
Do you know how the early tide is running there for Reverend Senator Warnock, who runs again in 2022?
Neither do I, although I avoid political conversations with known Republicans. You're too kind calling him an "insipid clown."
That is surprising to hear.
Lol!
You just took several topics that otherwise would have made no sense to me and laid them out like a map. Again, I thank you!
Yes, she did. I watched a lot of coverage on these revelations last night but no one explained it better than Heather did in her column this morning. And, this is what needs to get out to the majority of the people! It is BIG news and needs to be plastered on every media website and TV show. However, there is so much going on with mass shootings every day (another one in Indianapolis) and police brutality and murder of black people that I fear this will be overlooked for the bombshell it is.
Well said.
Exactly!
It would be terrific if we would stop wasting our greatest natural resource (our young people) on unwinnable wars that have unclear objectives.
And instead invest in the Peace Corps, National Health Service Corps, Americorps...
Civilian Climate Corps
https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_606f6a7ec5b62ff28f406914?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004&fbclid=IwAR37__0urYddZc6hgNpJyLY7P3eI_FXwW5rB9AGX-0KalJZQYQbF8aP__8Y
Refurbishing the Civilian Conservation Corps acronym to meet today's challenges.
What a fabulous notion! Thank you for sharing this
and health care and education and climate, yes
‘Beware of the military industrial complex’ warned former President Eisenhower.
He understood that by permanently linking industrial strength to building and maintaining a military arsenal, ongoing warfare would be inevitable.
And as HCR has explained, Ike's original warning was "Beware the Congressional Military Industrial Complex." We have a voice via our elected officials to stop this madness.
We SHOULD have a voice via our elected officials... mine is playing the Republican manipulation game and has been for the last 8 years.
Beth--I totally agree. And the destruction of generations in order to assuage the egos of the old white men who are more concerned about their manhood than about their country.
I am an old white man that fought for my country and I couldn’t disagree more with your statement about being more concerned with my manhood than my country. I knowingly walked into hell for my brother’s in arms and in so doing saved the lives of some that surely would have died. I have no regrets for my actions and knowing all of the pain that I have lived with for the last 50 years would willingly do it again in a heartbeat. You only have to look 👀 at what Europe looked like at the end of WWII, to realize that for the last 70 years, the strength and dedication to service of our armed forces, which included an oath to the constitution, has given us the prosperity we have enjoyed. We are a work in progress, and I believe are moving in the right direction but I also believe that the strength of our armed forces has given us that opportunity. The fact that we have not had WWIII in spite of the many bad actors is due to those who have selflessly served. I was a part of that and a witness to it.
I was a 40+ year Republican in the John McCain mold and couldn’t be more proud of our current president and all of his efforts to help us build a better nation, he has my full and unwavering support. I like his idea of a pivot with a view to the threats of the next 20 years and it’s play to our strength, thank god we have a leader again.
To Dick Montagne:
When I read Linda’s comment, I immediately thought of old white men politicians, not the soldiers who served. There were early warning signs about Hitler which were ignored, Viet Nam hawks who later said it was a mistake, George Bush who was awol through most of his reserve duty. They have sent soldiers off to the most trying conditions without enough support while fighting and after returning. Denial of Agent Orange and PTSD medical care is just one example. Both my parents were veterans. I am sick over the current misuse of the word Patriots by brainwashed politicians and rioters. I have great respect for you as a veteran and supporter of Joe Biden.
Well put, Gigi and I fully agree about the word the current degradation of the word "Patriot." Actually, that downward spiral began with the the W's "Patriot Act" for me.
Thank you for your service and dedication to decency. It isn't only old white men, but all angry and frightened white men. The ones that believe in the "Replacement Theory" and need women to be subordinate. The ones that use gut reactions instead of their heads to reason and problem solve. The ones who think aggression is the answer to getting what they want.
Dick, I am sorry that you are offended but I was not talking about you--or about Word War II, for that matter. My father, uncles, and great-uncles all served, and one died, in the war. I am talking about the men AFTER WW2 who used wars--especially Reagan and Bush I and II--to present themselves as powerful and as shields to disguise the corruptions they were provoking in the US.
You are certainly entitled to your position and opinion and I understand that you and I do not share a political perspective about most stuff if you're a McCain-style Republican, but I respect your service and your position. But mine also is one informed by experience and history.
Dick wrote the following in his comment,' ... couldn’t be more proud of our current president and all of his efforts to help us build a better nation, he has my full and unwavering support.'
A McCain-style Republican is what the Republican party needs more of. I suspect that many of the Republicans who are now supporting the Biden administration are probably McCain-style Republicans. That is a good thing.
I didn’t take it personally. You just gave me a reason to join the conversation. My father and uncles all fought in WWII as well and were no doubt some of the inspiration for my service. All of them were in combat for the duration of the war. My grandfather told me that the happiest day of his life was the day that his 3 sons returned alive. I have grandchildren now, too young to serve yet, and while I would never encourage it, I would be immensely proud if any of them chose to do so.
The war against men is another sickness of division. The discrimination against women, subjugation, exploitation, closed doors, humiliation and limited opportunities dealt to women is being thrown in the faces on all men by some women. There are more beneficial ways to move ahead.
There is hardly a war against men, unless you consider Valerie Solanas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCUM_Manifesto) to have found an active following that has escaped notice. At worst, there are rhetorical excesses against men in general, as against whites in general, that are based in the realities of systemic discrimination. Our working coalitions (see Biden-Harris election) include everyone willing to join in making the country better for "we the people, all of us this time."
I think you should read a lot of comments from yesterday where readers were making wonderful statement and breaking new ground because one man said he did not know what to do if all other lives matter. What is a white man supposed to do? It was so sweet and profound. And this is really "all about the Dudes" and the incredible moment they have to lift us all up to the same platform with them. I had some wonderful awakenings of how they can use their masculine energy and not feel pushed back or left behind (a realistic fear). We have really good men here grappling with these issues alongside us non-white men.
A point to remember is that all white men old or otherwise have been the ones who have held the power in this country since the founding of Jamestown in 1607. Members of that cadre could have stood up to those who were misusing thei power, but almost universally did not. I am an old, white, privileged man. I am sorry that you seem to have missed the point.
Thank you for speaking out, Chuck.
Good morning, Fern,
Do you not think "The discrimination against women, subjugation, exploitation, closed doors, humiliation and limited opportunities dealt to women" needs to be called out, named, recognized? Not sure about the notion that any of it is "being thrown in the faces on all men."
And "war against men"? Sorry, I haven't seen that at all.
Coming to transparency in all our "isms" seems to be a basic when moving toward greater equity and freedom for ALL the people.
"The war against men is another sickness of division."
Well said, Fern.
The attack on "old white men" is an unjust, ineffective, and counterproductive action which can only serve to alienate and inflame another large part of the population. It's an approach which serves no one except for the "power elite" who thrill to find different races, genders, cultures, religions, et al, fighting amongst themselves because it takes the attention off of them. It keeps the "1%" in power and with ever increasing assets, ever growing financial disparity.
All sane people want the same thing: Justice. Bonding on that principle, we can start there and work out the other injustices, those which are used to divide people. Another common denominator--I believe--is the wish for honest politicians. How do we reach this standard of having our politicians tell us the truth? How do we get politicians to tell us the true story of why the U.S. is willing to destroy most of the Middle East? We have to find a way to get honest politicians who will fully agree to have their financial disclosures made public and further to suffer the consequences for any lies they make.
Thank you for serving our country, Dick! I
Thank you for your service, Dick. Did you fight in WWII?
I fought with the 75th Rangers in Viet Nam, we were definitely in it, my unit took 93% causalities over the course of a year, so I was told.
To Dick Montagne: Thank you for serving during what looks to have been an incredibly traumatic war for everyone who had direct experience of it, in addition to the nation at home. I hope the 93% of your unit who were wounded or killed are well remembered. One of the shames of that era (and I attended the 1970 antiwar Moratorium demonstration on Boston Common with my mother) was the contemptible way some antiwar protesters treated returning soldiers.
That is so painful to read. I can't imagine what it must feel like to experience. I volunteered with VN Vets Against the War, helping returnees learn how to fit back into a world that no longer felt real to them. It gave me a feeling for what unrecognized greatness looks like.
How old were you then? Thank you for your service.
I was in my early 20's and consider myself lucky to have gotten out alive, I have only to look at the wall to realize what a crap shoot it was. When I think about how much the loss of close to 60,000 affected this nation and how it has reverberated throughout our culture to this day, I think about the loss of 560,000+ due to the virus and wonder how it will reverberate into the future.
We need to introduce you to Charlie G, also a VN vet, not sure he is on here today.
Welcome home, Mr Montagne. We're glad to have you among us.
Welcome home.
Hello Dick, and thanks for chiming in. I don't see Linda as referring to you at all; instead, she scourges chickenhawks and hypocrites. Neither applies to you.
Thank you for your service!
Linda’s statement dissed specifically, and only, that subset of “old white men who ...”. Clearly you are not a member of that subset.
I agree with your statement. Its time to look at how we fight cyber wars and defend our country from cyber attacks. And that is done on a computer not the battle field.
I wonder if this new emphasis will free up some cash from the military budget.
I would like to emphasize Beth’s statement by rewriting it a bit. Our young people ARE our greatest natural resource.
Exactly and the meaning of his words, "if we fight the battles of the next 20 years," will probably go unnoticed by many, but conventional warfare is going to be a thing of the past. Cyber warfare will be the new threat.
and find a better way to deal with the Bin Ladens of this world .......just as permanent but less costly in innocent human life..... if we can't stop them being created in the first place.
Thank you, HCR, for pointing out the significance of April 15. I would be interested in the back-story of how the IRS, or whoever it was, arrived on that particular date as a national tax deadline.
So there really was a rigged election; two of them in fact. The first one, (2016) worked, the second (2020) failed. No wonder the former president is so upset at the 2020 election. He had reason to expect other results. Alas.....
I'll be expecting all those judges nominated by an illegitimate president to submit their resignations forthwith.
Actually, they are pushing hard to re-interpret the first amendment as establishing religion, indefiance of its plain and established meaning prohibiting the establishment of religion. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/15/opinion/supreme-court-religion-orders.html
OMG. The Trumpist Republicans really are dedicated to Newspeak.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/13/books/review/which-dystopian-novel-got-it-right-orwells-1984-or-huxleys-brave-new-world.html
Shall I dare say it barely failed? I’m thinking of Jan. 6th and many GOP with no sense of loyalty to the Constitution and our laws? And the very limited handful of Georgia’s Republicans who did stand up for the law. I’m of the impression we have yet to know all the shenanigans that took place in 2016, when a majority of people voted a different outcome.
BTW The tax deadline is extended this year until May 17, 2021 for most filings. https://www.irs.gov/filing
Now there's an anniversary to commemorate. On May 17, 2004, MA was the world's pioneer in legalizing gay marriage. At 1230am I was watching outside Cambridge City Hall when the first person came out (!) and waved the license to thunderous acclaim. Sometimes it's obvious when history is made. A great day for civil and human rights!
All this plus the vaccine distribution and the American Recovery Act within 100 days of taking office. Breath in, breath out.
Now if only more people would take the vaccine. I was very disturbed to read GA is one of the states with the lowest number of people vaccinated. In rural areas, they are not getting east access, most must drive a minimum of 2 hours to get the vaccine. But in the more populated areas like Atlanta, people are just not getting the vaccine. It has only been a few weeks that the mass vaccine sites have opened and after the immediate rush- now no appointments needed. When I went for my second shot, there were very few cars. This is a tremendous concern.
When I couple your written analysis with your recorded lesson today, I am truly grateful, Professor Richardson, for today's presentation and elucidation. President Biden is moving ahead with a team that is ready to do as they need to do. As you write today: "It sure looks like the Biden administration is doing what the president said he would yesterday: fighting the wars of the next twenty years rather than the last twenty years. Today’s steps make Russia face substantial costs for the cyberattacks that are so badly weakening our democracy and seem to put international financial pressure on those who bankroll terrorists."
If he then forced the American banks etc to dump their existing holdings and stopped all institutions dealing in the Russian government debt from using the dollar financial exchange system he would really hit them hard and where it hurts as no one but the Chinese would fund Putins deficit and this at a very heavy political cost too. He would be obliged to call in the funds of the oligarchs and this would not please them at all.
That would be amazing!
Given just the tip of iceberg on what we know went of with the last administration and Russia. I wish other nations would come together with the U.S. against Russia as surely they can see how much damage was done, not just to the U.S. and our global reputation but all our allies.
Good idea, Margaret. I think many already are. European democracies don't like Russia meddling in their elections.
But they don't do anything about it to "avoid making waves" .
apart from the "one-eyed leading the blind here, they are liable to think Trump was the American's problem. They also look no further than the end of their nose, blaming America for making their life uncertain for the last 3 Presidents. They haven't been able, as usual, to ignore the fact that they couldn't defend themselves if threatened and would probably decide that Chamberlain/Daladier knew what they were doing in Munch in 1938.
Thank you, Heather! As I finished reading today's letter, I was reminded of the Cold War years, when Russian disinformation was a focal point then, too. How much simpler it is for them to embed it into our society now than it was then! Back then they had to rely on real spies in the streets, arranging the players on the board, leaking false stories to various news outlets, etc.
With the Internet and bots, they have almost a direct link into our brains, and the kicker is, we enable them! Our own people are thrilled to pick up the ball and run with it! NewsMax, 8Chan, you name it - not to mention the fiendish system by which social media makes its money - the clicks, the eyeballs that are worth so much to advertisers. And nothing generates more clicks than chaos and controversy.
We say we want peace and love, but we are so easily triggered into anger and aggression. It's like the whole nation is in a constant state of road rage.
And I awoke today to see another 8 people murdered in a mass shooting.
WE need to teach non-violent communication to our people and start in preschool and with politicians. Diplomacy needs to return. I think we have it in this administration!!!
Being an educator for 35 years, I can attest to the constant educating of problem solving, communicate using words, identifying emotions, and thinking of yourself and your fellow friends and family that was taught to our students. There is a lack of family education component and mental health concerns to many of the shooters
"Yet we seemingly tolerate a rising level of violence that ignores our common humanity and our claims to civilization alike. We calmly accept newspaper reports of civilian slaughter in far off lands. We glorify killing on movie and television screens and call it entertainment. We make it easy for men of all shades of sanity to acquire weapons and ammunition they desire."- RFK, April 5th,1968
RFK would have beaten Nixon and been a great president.
Would have needed Vietnam and saved 30,000 American lives.
*ended
Bulls-eye, Ted!!
I’ve been reading that speech since Columbine everyone there is another shooting. I can almost recite it word for word now.
I agree. Education, mental health and Healthcare is going to be a big part of curbing gun violence. This country is suffering from a mental health crisis. There are a lot fo people who do not feel taken care of in a positive way. As we all know AR15’s make the news but most gun violence is done using handguns.
So Biden/Harris are on the right path. Can we some how get them 8 years and a functional Congress? While being politically active and voicing ideas locally?
Shaking my head at yet another mass shooting. WTF is going on in this country? Are these shootings related to "Covid fatigue"?
Not to get too 'woo-woo' on y'all, but the first thing I thought was, "Well, maybe they're just going to keep happening - in our face, where they can't be ignored - until we, as a society, decide 'no more', and do something to curb it. I doubt we can stop it altogether because of the sheer number of guns out there now, but if we can change the mindset of the bulk of the public whom (I believe) don't want to live in the wild, wild West, that would be a good beginning. And may be our only way to combat this insanity.
The mindset of the People has changed already. Almost 90% of the country is in favor of gun control laws. It is a bunch of GOP in the government who can stay in power only with the help of NRA money in their political pockets AND some Viagra in their little heads that's stopping us from passing comprehensible gun legislation.
Without significant campaign finance reform, I fear there is no chance that effective gun control will pass. Too many GQPers are bought and sold by the gun industry and its enablers. After Sandy Hook, people asked, "If 20 dead children won't do it, what will -- 20 dead Congressmen?" Does anyone doubt that some favor donors over the lives of their own colleagues? Yet another reason to pass For the People.
I think your woo-woo is right on.
Not if they happened routinely before COVID. Angry white men who don't know how to handle their emotions and want infamy.
No, I don't think they can be related solely to Covid Fatigue. that is too much an over simplification, a false salve to real pain. There are no simple answers to such a huge problem. Robert Kennedy has this to say, and we should listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncUYKk_CuTM
Thank you for the link.
Please remember that many shootings happened in the previous administration and were basically played down. In the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting with a semiautomatic weapon, the former president said they should have had a guard. Racist, sexist, anti Semitic hate from the previous administration was pretty much ignored. His militia killed police in California to make it look like BLM protesters were responsible. Media was busy following the daily red herrings. Result: second impeachment trial, the idjt got his mulligan.
Agree. Wanting to arm teachers is a slight attempt to blame schools for not protecting kids. It takes the focus off the shooters and their motives.
And the failure of decision-makers to make responsible decisions about gun control.
It seems to me that prior to the NRA going from a gun safety organization to a promoter of gun use - we had few mass shootings. I remember how shocked everyone was when the Texas bell tower shooting happened in the '60s. Then, in the 80s (everything bad seems to have germinated in the 80s), the NRA began using the Second Amendment as a cudgel and a fund raising device. Over the past almost 40 years of propaganda and extreme lobbyiing, they have turned parts of the country into a war zone.
There's not an afternoon where I live that I don't hear target shooting, often 360 degrees around me. And I'm not talking a .22 pistol and a few tin cans. I'm talking AR15, apparently some with bump stocks, because they will shift to rapid-fire mode then back to 'pop-pop-pop'. Needless to say, many of the accompanying yards are flying the Confederate battle flag.......................
There was a "training camp" in VT, near the NY border that was like that. Guy bought 30 acres right by a small village and a neighborhood of small farms, made their lives miserable by bringing people in and giving them paramilitary training. Piece of work, chip on shoulder. Residents lived in fear because of odd "incidents" and out and out threats.
I've written about how the town went to extreme lengths to get it shut down, even suing the owner. State police were reluctant to take it on. Guy who owned it filed to run against the chair of select board. He lost. Not long before inauguration, state announced that the place was under FBI surveillance. Not long after that the Nat Guard moved in and took over.
Place is empty now. Everyone in Vermont is relieved. We still had individuals doing target shooting- some right in town. We are working on a noise ordinance- there is already an ordinance that prohibits target shooting near residences. That suddenly stopped. I hope it stays stopped. And I hope your community figures out that, as individuals, they still have obligations to others in their community.
Annie, OMG. That's worse than anything I'm facing. Although I'd bet money many, if not most, of the ones around here either are, or lean toward white supremacy. I know there is an active 3 Percenter group in the county. Hell, probably an active Klan group, too.
Wow that’s great news that they are now gone! When you say inauguration are you speaking of Biden’s? So very recent?
Yes, Jan this year. Though that was not the end of it. This place had been in operation for a couple of years, and affecting the physical and mental health of everyone in the area. I actually live 30 or 40 miles from the town it was in, but the fact that it existed in our state and nobody with authority seemed willing or able to do anything about it unnerved the whole state.
It was finally the town's legal suit that did it, backed by the environmental board. The State Superior Court supported the suit. Owner got a huge fine, charged with court costs, unpaid back taxes and other fees, required to remove all buildings that had not been on the property and remove the debris. That part is apparently still in progress. I'll add a link to a story from a reliable local media source (the national stories on this are not exactly precise). The owner is resisting, claiming free speech (???). But recently decision has been supported in yet another court.
https://vtdigger.org/2021/03/05/slate-ridge-ordered-to-permanently-close-pay-46603-to-pawlet/
As for my town, there literally has not been ANY target shooting, loud music, or loud cars that I can hear from my house since all this went down. We have an ordinance that strictly forbids shooting near residences, even rural, but our cops tended to ignore it. The planning commission decided to draft a noise ordinance, but the select board decided that ordinances is in their perview (which is true). And they actually held public hearings to listen to what people say. It was near unanimous that for both safety and quality of life, an ordinance is essential. I hope they proceed with a comprehensive ordinance. There is a decibel limit, but that is really untenable to enforce.
Thank you for your response Annie. What a relief that they are gone. Yikes that these terrorist types are buying up rural land for training camps for hate and violence. what a nightmare! I'm very interested in studying how to build resistance to this in communities so I really appreciate the info you have shared.
Confederate flags are for burning. They look best at surrender ceremonies.
Is it any wonder why the Police are even more on edge?
There's little I can say in response.....they're out there, everywhere, and I'm sorry you have to live with that ongoing threat everyday.
Pam, I used to have 'liberal' bumper stickers on my car. Friends were astounded my car didn't get keyed at the mall! That was during the Bush years. During and after Trump, I've gone to ground. No bumper stickers on my plain, grey Camry! I shop in a different county from the one I live in. Still, I know the crazies are out there, so I'm not as prone to talking to strangers as I once was. LOL
Not sure where you live, but it's not a place I want to visit soon. Having to alter your life to stay free of the crazies is not my idea of a good time. I am fortunate to live in a community that is pretty much aligned with my own political views. I don't have to hide.
That sounds like hell on earth Sandra, especially knowing how far those bullets can travel.
Our state police firing range has a huge berm that is supposed to absorb all the ammunition after firing. The poor house on the other side of the berm has been hit quite a bit over the years. The state ended up buying it. I can't image where all that spent ammo went. Scary.
So typical to locate a dangerous activity near those who have little power. Consider all the toxic dumps and businesses in Black communities.
Sometimes the dangerous activity existed first. I've lived in communities where a development went in next to a farm & those new residents complained about the spraying of the fields....or the smell. My favorite is someone buying a house near an airport & then complaining about the noise.
On the other hand technology based information transmission leaves an incredible trail of evidence. Watch the Woody Allen v Mia Farrow documentary. Woody Allen may never be convicted but he has been exposed. I expect more Russia exposure will happen too
Meh. I'm no defender of Woody Allen, but the documentary was extraordinarily biased and proved nothing. The problem, of course, is that what is being asserted is essentially impossible to prove or disprove. So how you approach the question will always bias the conclusions that can be reached.
Frightening!
President Biden and his administration are proving excellent at using symbols and dates to bolster the effect of announcements and actions. This skill is not nothing! Thank you Dr R, for helping us take this wild ride eyes wide open.
HCR touched a lot of bases today (last night actually) but I was most impressed by her pointing out that Russia's cyberattacks "are so badly weakening our democracy." That weakness is manifested by the support Trumpism still has from the 40% of our population who still support him, ignoring the facts, and the continuing fear of being "primaried from the right" by most Republicans in both Houses of Congress. It will take years, if not generations, to undo this damage which prevents gun violence from being controlled and the equality envisioned by the Declaration of Independence from being accomplished.
Totally agree. Trumpism allowed Russian interference to take hold and skew many American minds to false information during the 2016 election. And, Trumpism silence to ongoing and escalating Russian interference for 4 years after the election aided Russia.
“sensitive information on polling and campaign strategy.” It’s not difficult to understand what happened. It’s not difficult to know what Manafort gave to C. Klimlick. “Sensitive” means the information identified personnel American’s FB identities by location in swing counties in swing states, connecting who they are by donation records, where they live, and what their Facebook profiles were/are, and who they are friends with and their friends friends. Armed with this personal info knowledge, Russians began a micro targeting campaign by geography for DT’s campaign and against HC’s campaign. We know this, because this is what we in business do now everyday. We pay Facebook to do this for us now and the Russians are still doing it. Micro target consumers with Ads relevant to who they are, where they live, what “likes” they have clicked, and if they have purchased from us before. Yes, geo targeting ads works the same with political ads. Knowing who, where, and how to target swing voters gave DT the edge in 2016. It also indoctrinated and radicalized this demographic.
If we really want to send a financial message to Putin, let’s close the dark money/shell Corp real estate loopholes laws too! Our current loopholes allow for creation of dark shell corps to buy American real estate without identifying the true buyers identity. This tactic is used among the real estate industry, banking, and Russian oligarchs to launder the cash embezzled from the Russian people through shady banks. It just happens to over utilized in London, New York, and Florida, with banks from Malta and Cypress ( banks owned and managed by the likes of former Commerce secretary Wilbur Ross), and legal counsel Bill Barr/ Kirkland Ellis’s biggest client Alpha bank of Russia, just one example)
Greg Olear has a recent article and podcast about the best kept secret... Jersey. Known in inner circles as one of the best places to launder money, yet who has ever heard of this small island?
https://gregolear.substack.com/p/jersey-off-shore
Nice! Interesting and worthy read. Thank you. Interesting that a certain FBI agent was the first to successfully prosecute Russian Mobsters in New Jersey, Special Agent Andrew McCabe.
Thank you for spelling how that voter info would have been - and probably is still being used.
"Russian interference should concern every American. And they are still doing it"-Robert Mueller
and it just so happens that a certain donald j trump was rescued from another bankruptcy by Russian money pouring through real estate deals.
Well, we don’t rely on American banks. We have all the funding we need out of Russia.'-Eric Trump
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/332270-eric-trump-in-2014-we-dont-rely-on-american-banks-we-have-all-the-funding-we
Red Notice, Bill Browder ( how Putin and Oligarchs embezzle from the companies they operate inside Russia and how they launder it outside Russia, and how buy/bribe influence at every level of foreign governments)
Thieves of State, Sarah Chayse
I think these "opaque" companies used by the Russians...and many Americans...was attavcked in the last "Defense Bill" and imposed the revelation of all beneficial owners.
It sure looks like the Biden administration is doing what the president said he would yesterday: fighting the wars of the next twenty years rather than the last twenty years.
When I awoke to yesterday’s news i witnessed another age ood battle America’s war machine has been waging for the last 400 years ... racism.
Republican state legislators enacting laws on children in Florida nothing short of human rights violations. And of course another day of Republican state run legislators elimination voter protection rights. I could go on and on.
The war within our democracy to weaken it is rising to all new levels through racist rule. When will we fight this war as if it were our last?
https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2021/04/14/florida-house-passes-contentious-transgender-sports-ban-1374605
This bill is just like the bill South Dakota tried to pass. It failed because our govenor Noep tried to rewrite the bill to remove college athletes (NCAA put the pressure on as did the city of Sioux Falls and the cost estimate of losing those tournaments) but left in high school. That went against the legislators intent and thus it failed.
Hit 'em in the profit margin, it's the only place they feel anything!
Another piece of the Russia-Trump puzzle falls into place, though the picture is far from complete.
It's known that Trump had business relationships with Russians before entering politics.
What I've not understood, however, is how others--like Jeff Sessions--got caught up with the Russians and then failed to disclose it, as required.
It demonstrates very clearly their habitual relationship with the truth and any laws when it isn't convenient.
I read an article a while back, how the former administration would very slowly suck people into a situation where they were then with their back against the wall. It would start very simple and they would receive some some incentive. Then something else and it would all of a sudden grow so they were totally indebted. I want to say it was The Atlantic or Politico. But if true, it was pretty disturbing as I remember.
Thank you, Professor Richardson.
The Treasury Department’s announcements mentioned in today’s Letter would, in a normal world, be front page, bold type headlines.
To quote the Orange Beast, “Russher, Russher, Russher…what a hoax!”
Indeed it was, and huge swaths of the American electorate fell for it.
You would think so, wouldn't you? There would be a couple of good words to use in their headlines, too. Treason. Collusion.
While April 15 is slightly past the ides, for literal expression perhaps we should change the Shakespearean quote from beware the ides of March to beware the ides of April for the US.
Finally perhaps the focus will shift away from bombing the world into oblivion and killing women, children and our young women and men in the military and focus on doing what hurts any enemy the most... cutting financial feeding lines. If they don't have money to support their military efforts they will be too busy scrambling to keep their power together on other fronts.
Ready to get out the cheering squad with the pom-poms for a rousing round of "Go Biden ! Go Harris ! Win! Win! Win!".
That trump and his minions remain free and still have the ability to influence pedal around the GQP would be comical if it wasn't so infuriating and dangerous with the support of the likes of Taylor-Greene, Boebert, Jordan etc.
April 15
Perhaps we all ought gaze to the mirror as we read your line, "If they don't have money to support their military efforts they will be too busy scrambling to keep their power together on other fronts.”
Might we begin w the largest financier of weapons in the world, and that is OUR government. We are the big boys in the world’s sandbox, and therefore any attempts toward world peace are within ... our own hands, and voices.
The goods news is that the largest financier of weapons is ... us. Therefore I suggest we have a role to play. There is a link between April 15, and our weapons being used on our streets, by our policemen, in the hands of terrorists as well as foreign governments.
April 15. The day we pay our dues to our Democracy - and our government decides to spend more of its discretionary spending on weapons than on true human needs. btw, discretionary spending is what Congress decides to spend with each budget (appx 33% of fed budget). The majority of our federal spending is considered ‘mandatory” or based on law (not thru appropriations). The vast majority of this is Social Security, Medicare, and required interest spending on our federal debt.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandatory_spending
Make that call today to your Congressperson and Senators, to reduce the spending of our tax monies on the bloated military industrial complex. Peace begins with dialogue, not with weapons on our streets, or on others’ streets.
Thank you Frederick for tying banking and maybe the Pakistani and Russian issues with Afghanistan. I was puzzled by the connection Heather seemed to be drawing here - still am, but I'm liking your theory. I'll be thrilled if we can move to something softer and less lethal than "bombs to make peace" I continue to be surprised by how the senile ;) Joe Biden thinks and by the people he chooses to work with. Hope reigns for today.
You are absolutely right Frederick. We need to do our "home" work.
I agree with everything here, but I have a nagging little thought in my head: what if our actions against these governments lead to the dollar no longer being the world's reserve currency? The reason we have some of this financial leverage is because these governments use the U.S. banking system. Could China, for instance, step in and propose to them that they use their banking system instead? I know, there are even more trust issues with China, so the likes of Pakistan are likely to be reluctant to do this, and China also manipulates the value of the yuan. But Russia has already cozied up to China in many different ways, so I could see this happening. I dunno, just noodling. I do worry that this particular lever is slowly being taken from us.
Hmmm. Have just always taken The Dollar for granted. Hmmm.