This morning, President Joe Biden signed into law the $95 billion national security supplemental bill providing military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific, as well as humanitarian aid to Gaza and other peoples suffering humanitarian crises.
Herb, honestly -- who cares? Don't believe them no matter if they show either candidate besting the other. The poll that counts is in November. Assume and act as though it will be close, and hope that it's a blue tide that sweeps over the country, up and down the ballots.
Doug, yes hope for a blue tide - but work for it too if you are able. All hands on deck on this election with postcards, texts and calls to voters, help get young people registered, donate to good candidates, etc.
Democracy is not a spectator sport. The blue tide is us. Let’s all do what we can. (If you need a place to start, www.fieldteam6.com or subscribe to Jessica Craven’s newsletter, Chop Wood, Carry Water here on Substack. )
Hi Sheila -- yes, I think I'll try Field Team 6. What I won't do is make phone calls -- I absolutely hate it when I get such calls, be they from telemarketers or political candidates. I'm willing to send post cards -- and did so 8 years ago.
As to Chop Wood, I subscribed for a while last year, but honestly, I find it exhausting and demoralizing to be constantly reminded of where we stand. I'm well aware of the present situation, and have been following politics closely since Gore v Bush. LFFA provides me with what I need, in a very balanced way, as her readers know. And of course, Joyce Vance for legal insight.
Doug, whatever activities suit you, do that. I made calls to help register voters last year and it was fine. But, like you, it isn’t my first choice. Postcarding in a group of friends has become a way to bring people into being more active without making them uncomfortable. It all helps. And yes to the sanity provided by LFAA, Joyce Vance and others here on Substack.
Doug, if you haven't been reading Chop Wood for a while, know that Jessica often posts long lists of the accomplishments we readers have had a hand in, or just lists of good news items. It's encouraging to read them.
I also connect to Sunrise Movement, and made phone calls with them for Summer Lee last week. It's fun to work with other people. My sister writes postcards. Usually people who are involved in climate issues are also for the working people, Medicare for All, and the betterment of all people, except the billionaires, who don't need our help!
Yes! And as a youth voter org, they may help save Biden from his own "ironclad" unconditional support of Bibi Netanyahu's vicious killing and starvation and slaughter (with US bombs) of thousands and thousands of innocent children in Gaza. Believe me, Biden seems to be out of touch in his White House Tower, but the young people today, and not just those brave students risking arrest on campuses, are Appalled by what they have seen of the blanket bombing of a people Israel is charged with providing for, that is 70% women and children. Sunrise Movement seems to avoided the fray for now.
So yes, there is SO much common ground that you find, even when calling grumpy fair weather registered voters. But we need Youth organizations to help us overcome the huge shadow of Israel's cruel bombardment, and Biden's mixed record on climate.
Not to mention the loss of abortion rights, which many young women think of as happening "on Biden's watch." Our worlds are so different now, not just because of generations, but because of our media silos.
Yes. I'm concerned about what the young people are thinking of this all happening on us oldsters' watch. I hid in a practice room during the Vietnam era, and only woke up when a colleague had to go on a starvation diet (bananas and water, only) for a month in order to avoid being sent over. And then, what happened? The banks, the oil producers, the MIC took over. You were either part of the overlord class or the servant class.
I'm sorry for the mess we are now in. But I'm also supremely grateful (and donate) to the youth organizatons helping to correct the situation.
Check your voter registration now and be sure it's up to date. Make a plan for how you are going to vote. And make up your mind that no one will stop you from voting.
Ever since our Dem Central Committee worked w the Repub Central committee last month on a State ethics bill, I've been getting emails from State Repubs. This am our wealthy State Delegate sent an email invitation to his May 5 fundraiser barbeque. It included these words for Dems: stupid, wrecking havoc, causing energy inflation, lawlessness, (and the Repubs as: fellow Patriots, like minded adults, real solutions. " I like it better if we use words that are based on facts and not name-calling. Not that I don't slip into that behavior more times than I'd like!
Dems send inane emails and mountains of them. Repubs are just lying bastards, period. I think I will donate to maddogpac.com if I can get some response from them re sharing my info. They put billboards in critical places.
Polls have never won an election people do! Vote blue. Where their party is not listed example judges check to see who nominated them. GOP or Dem. Governor or president
Don´t just hope. Organize. Create groups of like minded people and get together to vote.. to learn the issues and vote on them. The media is shaped by ´profit´... Hearst was the first big news publisher in the US. His slogan... if it ´bleeds´, it leads was what he told his reporters.. We saw history made the other day when Johnson and McConnell backed the Ukraine.. Of course, they may have recd. money from the fossil fuel companies and the arms industry.
No. They are not offering polls that have him falling "further and further behind." Perhaps on Earth II, but not here. As a matter of fact, what has happened with the most recent polls is they show Biden has raised his percentages to the point that any "lead" by Trump is well within the margin of error. What that means is kwitchurbitchin and go to work on the many projects that are working to build voter participation. As my old boss Willie Brown said, run like you're 10 points down till election day and don't worry about the polls and you can pop champagne after the polls close.
A reminder that Democrats have the power to sweep by registering people currently not on the voting rolls and not polled. 60% of unregistered voters have never been asked to register. To win in 2024, FT6 will reach out to "millions of unregistered likely Democrats using our one-of-a-kind database and every outreach method possible (phone and text, postcard, email and targeted ad, and in-person too), where new Democratic voters will make the most impact – in the most flippable states and districts." https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Also, Focus for Democracy's informational meeting for the 2024 election cycle is tonight,
Good points Daniel. (Taylor Swift, please continue your efforts to register voters.)
We also need to overcome all of the gaslighting by Trump, the maganazis and the white faux-Christian nationalists.
They are still hammering on the border, when Trump's wall is like a sieve and inflation which has come down to around 3% and gasoline prices which we have kept arbitrarily low for over 75 years with subsidies to the oil/gas/coal industries.
When he was about 8, my son swam the backstroke on the local swim team. At an early Saturday morning meet, he was in the last heat of his age group, 25 yards. He won the race with several lengths to spare and earned an “A” time. When his coach asked him about the race, he said he thought he was in last place because when he looked to either side he didn’t see another swimmer. Very proudly, his coach said, “I want you to swim like you’re in last place from now on.” He didn’t swim much longer after that, but I think he took the coach’s advice when he became a very skilled lacrosse player and play for nearly the next 20 years.
I think she's pretty good. I was a supporter when she announced she was running for president. I think four years as VP has allowed her to learn what she didn't know before. If anything ever happened to Biden I think she could take over and the Republicans would find out all their BS about her was just that.
Thanks. My impression, which goes back quite a ways, was that she was a machine politician, more or less in the neo-lib category. Your comments are reassuring, in that I generally respect your judgment.
Yup, again. You never told me about W.B. He is the master, and I loved his hats. He's looking good as ever, for 90 years. I wish he would get in it again.
Trump's reelection is in deep trouble due to these issues. Biden's smart foreign policy makes America look better globally, undercutting Trump's image as a strong leader. Plus, the indictment of Trump allies in Arizona damages his reputation, highlighting concerns about his honesty and commitment to democracy. Biden's steady leadership contrasts sharply with Trump's chaotic style, hurting Trump's chances with voters. Oh, and I forgot to mention ROE V WADE.... Trump is finished.
Share this letter every day. I post it in comments on Fox, et al and tag every MAGAt I can think of. I also share it on comments of far Freedom Caucus members.
Might be a losing battle but if the media won't report it I will.
Be a "troll for the good of the nation" lol. Even Trump watches (or did) MSNBC / CNN for his own perverse intel. And maybe get a more realistic picture these days of the "writing on the wall". Trump is a master of Agitprop (1984 wasn't so far-fetched at all, Orwell had only to check out Goebbels' masterful use of hateful propaganda and aggrievement for raw material - not to mention the Soviets) Big lies often repeated with opposition voices stymied and silenced work wonders on large populations. Check out Russia China North Korea today.
I do much the same with several authors. What’s interesting to me is the level of, dare I say, intelligent responses from readers who follow HRC and others of her ilk and those who have drunk the koolaid. I learn so much from this camp, and from the koolaid group? Not so much. It’s really a great example of how deeply repeated lies have sunk in with a part of our country.
That's an interesting comment, Lynn. It mirrors my own experience; when I share writers like Jim Wright or Professor RIchardson, the "rebuttal" comments are either really intellectual "nu-huh" or "I don't believe that" or some of the deepest candy-coated mansplaining I have ever read.
Ally, however, it’s been proven that, if a group hears the same information over and over again, some will believe it (regardless of its truthfulness). Perhaps some tiny nugget of what we share will strike home and cause them to think “I know that “nugget” is true. What if the other stuff is true as well?”
Mary, in the small cohort (mostly retired local cops from multiple agencies; we all worked together on calls at various times) that this represents, most of the folks leaning my way (almost all of us women) have stopped engaging. I can only take so much candycoated mansplaining from these guys, and several others have stopped engaging with them all together.
Ah, Ally, I bet you get some really deep mansplaining. Our neighbor falls into that now and then although he has been better lately. But his going to instruct the little woman turns into a change in voice tone and facial expression. He had a really hard time around his back surgery (on his 80th birthday no less) and has become a little nicer.....maybe thought he was having a brush with death. Funny, how that can change peoples' perspective.
That is so true, Lynn. I get such valuable intelligent information from HCR's commenters versus the ignorant nasty name-calling lie based bull I get from the other side.
Christopher, just ran into someone who didn’t know that corporations with profits of over a billion dollars per year now have to pay 15% taxes (instead of zero) on those profits.
Forget about the "candidates." The election is not Biden vs Trump. The election is democracy vs fascism.
Also:
People don't want to vote for democracy (Biden) because they think Biden is not trying to help the Palestinians? Do they already forget Trump's Middle East policy, bought and paid for by Sheldon Adelson? If fascism wins in November, Bibi NaziYahoo will feel perfectly free to commence the Palestinian Final Solution. There is no "I'm not voting for the lesser of two evils." You're either voting for less evil or more evil. Not voting for less evil IS voting for more evil. And in a 2nd and last term, democracy can treat Bibi NaziYahoo as he deserves to be treated. If one does not get this, one is not nearly as "woke" as Little Ronnie InSanitis accuses one of being.
Bibi Hibi Jibi won't go on his own. We have to make him go.
Biden can't/won't make Bibi go in this term.
But Biden can/will make Bibi go in Biden's 2nd term.
Why not now? Research who contributes disproportionately to BOTH Democratic and Republican campaigns. Money talks.
I'm not saying, Give more to Joe's campaign.
I'm saying, let Joe know that he wins your vote, and let Democratic Senators and candidates and ESPECIALLY Democratic Congresspeople and candidates (And Republicans too, don't forget.) that they will get your vote ONLY if Bibi goes.
Now, don't forget: Bibi will likely be replaced by someone worse. But that Joe makes Bibi go will transmit a powerful message to any of Bibi's likely successors: Don't count on the US President to back you up, to write you a blank check, as the US Congress has done for Israel for the past 76 years. Oh, the check may be blank. But there will be nowhere on that check where you can just fill in the amount you like. In fact, it won't be a check. It will be checkmate.
I’ve tried arguing that to the people who post that they won’t vote for Biden due to Gaza. I will do that over and over again. Counter the Big Lie with the Big Truth!
Keep trying that argument. What matters is not how many people agree with you. What matters is that you keep trying, and that some people may agree with you. For all the difference in the "popular" vote in the 2016 and 2020 elections, the truth is, Hillary Clinton lost in the Electoral College (Hint, Hillary: The Presidential Election is NOT decided by a 3 million vote margin in California. Ask Bill: He knows this. He told you this.) on the basis of well less than 100,000 popular votes, which were enough to tip enough states in Trump's favor. In turn, Trump lost to Biden by well less than 100,000 votes in pretty much the same states that elected Trump in 2016. Biden's 7 million popular vote "advantage" meant DOODLEY SQUAT. And there is NO reason to believe the 2024 Presidential Election will be any different than the 2016 and 2020 Presidential Elections. In fact, any Presidential Election can be decided by as few as a couple of hundred votes. Ask George W. Bush and Al Gore about this. So Marge, you know what to do. Keep doing it. And tell others to keep doing it, too. Thank you. Robert
Herb, may be the better question should be who are they NOT polling - and why aren’t they polling those people?
But I refer you to Simon Rosenberg’s “Hopium Chronicles” …. this is the professor’s (HCR) principal source regarding polling. Ooohhh and see David Lehnherr’s comment and link above.
How many people answer their phone when it rings? How many look to see who is calling? How many don't pick it up if they don't recognize the caller? What benefit do I get when someone causes my phone to ring?
We both have mobile phones. We also have retained a VOIP line, the number for which was my phone when I moved here in '95. We have it set so that it only rings when my phone or her phone originates the call. The rest go to voicemail. We listen to the voicemails in email. The percentage of legit calls is very small.
Lately the PACs have been calling. I asked the firefighter's PAC if any of my donation would go to Republicans. He immediately answered, "I'll put you on the do not call list." Another PAC, supposedly to help disabled children lobby politicians, replied that they were non-partisan. This means, yeah we give money to Republicans to help get them elected and re-elected.
I hate PACs. They spend 25-30% of their money paying callers to bilk us out of money to re-elect Republicans. If you're going to give to a charity, give to the charity, not to a frickin' PAC.
Yep, direct to the charity. Politics aside, charities often if not mostly used third-party solicitation agencies, who take 1/3 or so of the take, and that turns out to be a significant chunk of charity income.
Polls have a history of interesting misses, it is difficult to get a statistically valid random sample esp in small populations and not just them, due to various accessibility challenges.
Kinda reminds me of the advertising industry at large. How much of that tv 4 minute plus advert space on eg MSNBC do you want? Me - about zero. Oh if i can only fast forward quickly enough to get past before that godawful "Liberty liberty" dingaline song starts. Yes, I pre record almost all programming I'm interested in. OR, pick up ad free summaries on Youtube. And turn on ad blocking much as possible.
Frank, you can laugh at this; I do. I like commercials because every time they come on I get up, leave the room and do dishes, Landry, etc. I’m pretty immobile due to arthritis and chronic pain but because of those commercials I am able to get in 5000 steps per day! LOL. Don’t tell the advertisers that I never watch any of their ads!
No, that's not really true. The opposite is true. Biden has moved up in the polls and cut any "leads" - all the of the polls to date have been put out for clickbait by a MSM desperate to attract eyeballs so the intergalactic widgetmakers who own them can sell them. They have ALL been within the margin of error. Stop worrying about the nonexistent horse race. Get involved and work to get people out to vote.
Annie, I'm sitting on my back porch in North Carolina, watching the sun rise, listening to the birds converse with one another, enjoying the sun- kissed and dew-dropped flowers in my yard.
For the first time in eight years, I can sit here with hope that Donald Trump will one day see the sun rise through a prison window.
Thanks to all those who are making an effort to encourage people to vote- not for a criminal, but for a man who has tried to save the workings of our government from MAGA crazies who only want to save themselves.
I was going to ask you where in NC you lived. I'm in southeastern NC about an hour from the beach.
If I don't take time to sit in the swing on the porch and relax my mind, I would stay angry and disillusioned all the time because of all the times and ways that Trump has slipped through the cracks of accountability.
Marj, I thought that for a long time, but I see enough people coming forward to help ensure that he will pay for his crimes. Ironically, he won't be able to "pay" his way out of these charges.
Marj, at the risk of making the problem even more difficult, having that creature in a cage is only part of an optimal solution. Its confinement should also have the restriction of being held effectively incommunicado. And the thing's friends (if any) and lawyers (if any) should also be in jeopardy if they pass any kind of communication from the incarcerated criminal. Its conviction and incarceration should not be viewed as punishment, but as rendering the thing harmless to society, for the sake of society.
Let them blather on. Let’s vote. The media and the pollsters don’t dictate reality. Make our voices count at the polling booth. Let’s show the bought for profit naysayers how strong we are.
I stopped believing the polls. I am focused on voting for President Joe Biden, for the people of the USA (whether they like Joe or not) , for our future, for peace and unity and productivity throughout the world. Joe and his amazing team are doing this....even in the midst of "hell" all around us!!! President Biden is focused on "Building Back Better", "Team Biden" is working on bringing people together while working against various systems meant to destroy....be it human or human creations meant to kill, cause conflict or destroy mind or body.
Perfect...NO....but better.
And...on the side....Israel needs a decent leader. The answer to this problem must come from the people of Israel. The college campus chaos is a response to Netanyahu's desire to destroy the Palestinians and take Gaza for himself.
Through the years some Israeli citizens have chosen to build homes on land that legally, in modern society, belongs to Palestine. These Israelis have chosen to look to ancient law, not modern law and decisions made regarding land set aside for Israel and for Palestine. In my opinion this has created problems over many years and has created groups that have chosen violence to address this issue. Gaza remains an open wound for Israel and for Palestine. Meanwhile, there are human beings starving and dying due to their existence in Palestine....their home. This is a great wrong and many will suffer if it is not addressed. "World Kitchen" tried to help and look what happened to them. Food and care remain a need for the Palestinian people.
President Biden is in a difficult position politically. We must trust him and his advisers.
I understand college students speaking out and they should have that right BUT peacefully.
I also support the students right to protest, but I don't understand the response of the university administration to call in the riot squad. They should recognize the students right to protest, but set up some rules going forward. There should be a peaceful way
to respect everyone's beliefs. Perhaps choosing a representative for each side to discuss concerns, respectfully. This would be respectful of the students feelings of helplessness and the administrations frustration at the disruption and unsightly tent city set up on their beautiful lawn. In rereading this, I guess the key word here is respect on both sides and ignore the outside noise. You are a school, dammit, teach these young kids how to protest!
Sadly, I think kids have to rebel against what they have been taught at a certain stage in developing their independence and sense of self. Ruthlessly suppressing that only feeds the rebellion.
I've noticed that over the past several years, polls have been used to shape public opinion rather than gauge it. Every major nationwide poll I am aware of since 2016 has been wrong; predicting a Clinton win in 2016, missing the size of the 2018 blue wave, a Trump win in 2020, a 'red wave' in 2022, and now a neck-and-neck race in 2024.
I do not know what has happened to polling science, but it clearly is not able to accurately predict much of anything. It also seems to have, at least in part, become a partisan tool for certain interests. This also seems to be eroding its accuracy and credibility. The best indicator for how the general election will go in November are the special elections and referenda in various states, in which actual voters voted for actual candidates/issues. Almost all of these broke heavily for the Democrats.
Interesting thought, Steve. I don't know much about the history of polls, but I know that the technology (most people I know won't answer a phone unless they know the number, and will let unfamiliar numbers leave a voicemail) coupled with your observation of eroding accuracy and credibility means that a very, very small percentage of people are responding to these calls.
Think about all of the last elections. When Obama first ran, they were expecting McCain to win. I hate these blow by blow election game night coverage. Noone expected results until morning. So I went to bed. And was very surprised to be awakened by many in DC shouting, "Yes, We did." Turned on the TV to see the celebration in Chicago's Grant Park. Four years later, media wrongly predicted Romney would win. Didn't happen. Then there was the debacle of Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote by literally millions but losing via electoral college. Then another close election in which Biden won and Trump Still purports the election was stolen. Not sure in our cell phone era who pollsters even find to survey.
The Electoral College seems the huge bug in the room, my old party put huge effort into finding recruits for any and every local state, and national office the could pick up. It seemed they liked finding cheaper senators in some small states as a key to national power, as well as a major effort to install governors and judges.
Though both parties do some Gerrymandering, my old party seems to have become particularly venal in Gerrymandering and voter suppression through corrupt voter verification and false challenges. I dug a bit deeper in North Carolina's amazing popular vote totals for House members being within about half a percent in favor of Gerrymandered and voter suppressed districts in the overall totals but my old party claimed 10 of the then 13 seats.
I suspect the half percent advantaged would have been overcome easily with fairer district boundaries and all legitimate voters being able to vote so that a fair distribution of seats would be 7 to 6, and probably in favor of Democrats.
Re: your last sentence: My cell phone often tells me "scam likely". I always let those ring, and maybe one in 20 leaves a message. Once, about 6 months ago, there was a message left from a pollster. 95% of those calls there is no message.
I’m all in on continued assistance to Ukraine. Russia will bomb them into dust if we don’t force a negotiated settlement. But there was a time when we here held sway on whether to encourage a Russian invasion. We refused to agree to not accept the chance of a new NATO member. This precipitated an invasion. Now the only importance is to make Putin pay for his folly.
Yes we included arms to Israel and I was dead set against my tax dollars going to slaughter woman and children. I understand the history and politics of the Middle East. Both our political parties have taken Jewish lobby money and we have given a green light to everything the Israelis have wanted including ethnic cleansing. The truth is hard to accept but it doesn’t make it less true, in my opinion. Man loves warfare because it validates his aggressive selfish nature.
As to the polls falling short, democracy is a messy business. We may not survive because everyone can vote regardless of intelligence. You can put a Rodes (misspelled) scholar next to a blooming idiot yet both have the same ability to vote.
To reiterate an old catch phrase, “It’s the border, stupid.” When homeland secretary Mayorkas was asked why Biden hasn’t invoked an executive order, his response was that it wouldn’t hold up in court. My God, how dense can anyone be. I don’t care about anything but winning and this arrogant response was plum foolish. My opinion.
........... "We refused to agree to not accept the chance of a new NATO member. This precipitated an invasion" You say Bill.
That is exactly Putin's reason for invading a neighbouring sovereign European nation, in a particularly brutal manner. A nation who unilaterally handed over all nuclear weapons (the only nation ever to do so) and who we swore to protect.
They didn't just want to join NATO, they wanted to join the EU and embrace the pillats of western values.
I put it to you that you are spouting Russian propaganda
I put it to you that I have an independent mind and I don’t tow anyone’s talking points. We encouraged the Ukrainian revolution against Russia. We pushed NATO east when a defacto un written agreement existed not to do so. And too, western Ukraine is or was nearly Russian in culture. I don’t care if these are anyone’s talking points. They are mine. Go find yours.
It's amazing how pure pro-Russian arguments seep into the global discourse.
That last one! Good grief, "nearly Russian in culture"!!!
Ireland is nearly English in culture, in fact only became independent from Britain in 1949. The British have far more justification for invading Ireland and bombing Dublin than Putin has to invade the Ukraine.
"Push NATO east!!! " Clearly Sweden and Finland have been conned into joining that global peacekeeping organization (which Putin says is planning to invade Moscow.
Your "talking points" echo the Kremlin.
View points that are seeping in to mainstream thought.... now, how DO they do that?
And you conveniently set aside my opening point that there is no choice but to insure a victory for Ukraine. So no, I AM NOT RUSSIAN TALKING POINTS. Sorry to disappoint you. And I almost forgot, the north americas should be British. We would be better off. (wink)
Russians forced themselves on Ukraine, overtaking the Ukrainians, who were eternally kept to the grainfields. You take some pride in the wholesale starvation of Ukrainians during the 30s I see? How many million do you think? Try Timothy Snyder's Bloodlands for a taste. You realize of course that the president of Ukraine happens to be native Russian speaking, right?
“Nearly Russian in culture?” Would that justify Mexico cleansing the inhabitants of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, California? After all, there are many Spanish-speaking inhabitants in those states, which used to be part of Mexico. Maybe Mexico would have a valid reason to want the land back?
The fact that Ukraine has sacrificed tens of thousands to remain independent tells you all you want to know about that argument. And some Ukrainian refugee families, like the one living in my home, left their culture, language, jobs, lands, families to avoid becoming part of the reconstituted Russian Empire.
Pardon me. A fund drive to give Texas back to Mexico. It belongs to them. All right Marge, so I over played it with “nearly Russian in culture.” Me bad. But my overall reaction is that every decade or so, we find another justification for war. America is the most war-like nation on earth if you haven’t noticed. I wonder where and what the next invasion will be. Maybe we can take Canada.
That idiots can vote is a real downside to democracy. As we are experiencing daily, at least in Texas. But we must try for as many sane (not cult nuts) as possible. Would hate for the Jim Jones cult nuts to have survived and gained political power. Oh, wait…
And I wonder how much FDR purposely forced the Japanese hand to attack after we placed a quarantine around Japan attempting to deprive them of oil assets. We don’t read this in our text books. After the attack, FDR got his war.
They were supposedly going to claim to be looking for survivors from a plane from what I seem to remember, and expected to be fired upon as a trigger for us to become much more actively defensive and/or offensive.
The Japanese had occupied French Indochina (July 15, 1940), when their ally, Germany, nominally got control of all of France's colonies, trust territories, etc. That seems the trigger for the oil and steel embargo responses. They had been acquiring territories like Korea as early as 1910, and intruding into China as early as 1931. Joe said they were feeling their oats after defeating what they considered a major European power , Russia, in 1905. After he was released from a Japanese labor camp, Joe would have recognized the map of all their conquests at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_territories_acquired_by_the_Empire_of_Japan
That link doesn't show Tahiti, where some local German Nazis organized a little parade assuming they would soon be in charge of the local Vichy French government. A GS13 Training specialist at the Space Systems Command and Control School where I was an Instructor Supervisor was a 15 year old at the time, who grew up in Tahiti. He said they rather quickly rained on their parade before the population formally voted to side with the Free French, though it seems there were many individuals who ended up joining allied units vs no organized Tahitian units I know of.
The contrast between the Biden administration's expansive activities, both at home and internationally, and the shrinking influence of the Republican'ts is striking and encouraging.
It was nice to see AZ indict Trump, Guiliani, Meadows and Eastman along with the rest of the Republican election interferers.
AZ redacted their names in the indictment until they could be served. I hope they serve Trump on his way in to court this morning and announce what they did to the myriad press covering the trial.
One thing coming out of Arizona that I haven't seen anybody but Rachel Maddow cover is that there were two sets of fraudulent electors sent to congress. One is the one that is center stage right now, the other was from the "Osieski Group" which was a bunch of Constitutionalists.
“Biden’s focus on the slow, steady work of governance is a change from the actions of Republican leaders since 1981 whose goal was not to build up successful programs that helped Americans in general, but rather to slash the government”. There we have a succinct summary of why we need to re-elect Biden -Harris !
Except possible funding genocide and the proxy war with Ukraine. The young people protesting the Genocide in Gaza are not falling for the Biden PR train. They know that their futures are being squandered over war and genocide funding.
Please talk about Hamas’s goal to “Kill all Jews”, and Netanyahu’s goal of staying out of jail by creating a security crisis as the basis for the horrible destruction and killing in Gaza. Hamas attacked first, but now the world sees Netanyahu’s scorched earth policy for what it is. The US supports its allies, and continues to pressure Netanyahu to get a grip. What about Iran’s role?
Please discuss Putin’s crazed aggression against Ukraine, and the Ukrainian refusal to allow an occupation, as the basis for the very real struggle there-there is no proxy about it. Putin’s probably regrets not acting while Trump was still in office, because Trump would have let him get away with it, but that is the wonderful thing about American politics, policies change with administrations.
You seem to blame Biden for the actions of criminal aggressors around the world. Why?
How do you come up with a term genocide? This is not Rwanda or any other active measure to eliminate a population. This is a war started by Hamas. Behind Hamas was iran and Russia. It’s amazing how people forget about October 7. Hamas launched a full scale war against Israel with a division of invaders. How can you forget about the rape and pillaging? How can you forget about kidnapping children elders. Any rational country in the world would retaliate. I think we would all like to see a more surgical targeted Israeli response. It’s fine for us to be armchair critics sitting comfortably in our safe American homes. The situation in the Middle East is a human tragedy. We all wish to see the end of suffering and destruction. Name-calling and labeling solves nothing – it only inflames the polarization. Why can’t Americans understand the complexity of the history of the Middle East. We are intellectually lazy And ill informed. I’m willing to bet that most people are just seeing images on their phones and jumping to all sorts of conclusions. Just look at American history how many people died in the Civil War? Was the bombing of Japan and Germany genocide? Our parents and grandparents would tell us that we were in an existential struggle
talk to elderly British people. They experienced an existential struggle against the Germans. Was it genocide that the Germans fire bombed London ?Was it genocide that the British fire bombed Dresden? These are complex questions and we cannot reduce them to a soundbite or images on TikTok. Israel is at war against an enemy that has pledged to wipe out the Jewish people. Wake up folks.
So did the United States commit genocide in Japan? This is probably more a case of siege in the ancient tradition. You need to look at the context. Hamas burrowed into the underground infrastructure hiding behind civilians who are captive of their ruler. Pre-October 7 people in Gaza good work in Israel and bring money back. There was a kind of deal going on that’s all destroyed now. It’s possible to be highly critical of the Netanyahu government, and what is an overreaction, and also to condemn the Hamas invasion in the indescribable acts of terror. They’re both wrong. But here we are. We need to move towards the cease fire and de militarization.
I agree with your assessment of where we are, and certainly the demilitarization of our society and the specific Israel War in Gaza. Interesting point you bring forth about our bombing Japan, and the Ana;ysis to be had whether it was genocide. I nuclear bomb on civilians? I feel the case can be made that is genocide ...
There are levels of genocide perhaps. Outright ethnic cleansing like Armenia in 1915 or the Holocaust. And mass casualties of war like we are seeing now. Stalin’s genocide of Ukrainians was an intent to eliminate a population. Only the extreme right wing radicals in Netanyahu’s government talk about that level of elimination. I think Gaza is revenge and siege. The boundary between war and outright elimination of a people needs clarification.
I fully share your concern over the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Nora. I do not think that defending the Ukrainian Republic is a proxy war, however, and I remain firmly in support of our continuing defense of Ukraine.
Nonetheless, I am concerned about the previously undisclosed shipment of tactical missiles (ATACMS) to Ukraine. I am not sure whether these are necessary or not to deter the Russian invasion, but they clearly represent an escalation of the war that is greatly concerning.
Atacms with a 100 mile range have previously been used in Ukraine. The Biden Administration resisted them as escalating but eventually sent them. Russia began using North Korean ballistic missiles to reach any city in Ukraine and target civilian infrastructure. Russia was warned not to do this. Biden approved the longer range Atacms and kept it a. secret at Ukraines request. Neither the 100 mile range missile or the 186 mile range missile have been used inside Russia. Ukraine does not recognize Crimea as belonging to Russia or any other Ukraine territory claimed by Russia as being inside Russia. Biden is only giving Ukraine what it needs to defend its self. Weapon upgrades may be escalating but not in my mind.
Uh, not really. That's the philosophy espoused by Nixon and Kissinger to justify the Cambodian invasion. I'm not saying they shouldn't defend themselves, or that they shouldn't fire on Russian military installations that serve as the base of operations in Ukraine. Only that this is one of those wars that could easily metastasize, and both combatants should avoid that. To the extent that we have some control over the Ukrainians, we should and most likely are making that clear.
Your clarity about Crimea is appreciated, Wayne. I hadn't thought specifically about the distance between the mass of Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula portion thereof.
From where I sit, as a strong Dem supporter, donor, and former volunteer worker, I have long felt that these two issues President Biden's only significant failures. I strongly feel that he has been too timid on providing stronger weapons to Ukraine soon enough to keep them from always being behind, and that he has been both too late and mostly ineffective in reining in Netanyahoo. We're giving them a hellova lot of money, weapons, and active military support -- we ought to be using it as a hammer, and cut them off if they fail to follow international laws of warfare.
JIm, the help we give Israel is essential to its survival. I don't agree with how the war on Hamas has been conducted. I don't agree that Gazans should be starved.
But believe it or not, there are larger considerations. Without our support, Israel would be weaker and vulnerable to the efforts of Iran to erase it - via Hamas and Hezbollah and its other proxies. Millions of people in the neighborhood are still committed to eliminating Israel as a nation.
As to Gaza, there is no denying the horror. But may I ask how you would deal with Hamas who has only one position - to kill all Jews? You can't negotiate with mad men who don't even want a two state solution. They want a "final solution" and they are obviously quite capable and readily willing to sacrifice their own women and children for the cause. What kind of soldiers hide in tunnels under camps, hospitals and shopping centers? Soldiers that let their own be killed for international sympathy.
When America was faced with enemies in WWII, many civilians suffered. It's no different now. Ugly, awful and despicable. If Hamas wanted the war to end they would turn over the hostages and surrender now. They know they will lose eventually. What kind of soldiers continue to fight and watch their own people suffer and die needlessly?
BTW, where are the demonstrations and protests over the deeds of October 7th? Where is the collective shame for that? Why aren't sympathisers for Palestine embarrassed and outraged at that attack? An act that literally invited the devastating attacks that followed. Invited. Hamas got what they wanted. What Iran wanted. What Putin wanted.
I think Netanyahu is a monster just like Trump. But blaming Joe Biden for a conflagration that has been going on for thousands of years is a mistake.
And what may I ask is the purpose and result of not supporting Joe Biden? Does anyone think Trump would try to restrain his FRIEND Bibi? Is Trump a friend of Muslims? Seriously?
Withholding support for the ONLY democracy (as flawed as it is) in the region is a gift to Iran and Putin who will applaud you.
Withholding a vote for Biden/Harris is a vote for Trump and Project 2025. Get out the plywood for your windows. They'll be coming for us.
Agreed. Part of the problem is that there is a generational divide. My generation had two fears and horrors. The pictures and stories of the concentration camps and the real possibility of nuclear incineration.
I don't think we have taught either one thoroughly enough.
I think we can disagree with Netanyahu on Gaza vehemently. But we shouldn't ever forget that Hamas has the same goal as the Nazis. Extermination.
I strongly agree with the second point (Netanyahu); the first (Ukraine), I believe is contingent on Congress' consent, exercised with funding — as we've seen for the last six months; unless I'm mistaken, and the President can act unilaterally as he pleases. Additionally, along with gaining broad NATO-country support for Ukraine, how can we weigh the strategic concerns known by the Joint Chiefs when they advise the White House?
His failures with Ukraine were from the beginning of the war, when he was always refusing to send the more powerful weapons that they needed. His concern was Putin's escalation of the conflict, unwilling to call his bluff.
Maybe if Putin stops “escalating” and pulls back to his legal territory the rest of the free world could direct resources elsewhere? You leave out the part of the equation that blames the bad actor for this problem. Why is that?
I didn't "leave it out" as I was speaking of our (US) contribution to possible escalation of an already horrific war. The bad actor is not within our control, whereas our allies to whom we are sending deadly weapons is, to a certain degree.
There is neither logic nor morality in ratcheting up a ceaseless, retributive back and forth escalation of war, as history has quite clearly shown.
Again, as I previously stated, we don't fully know whether these newly revealed missiles are necessary to the Ukrainian defense. The more they are, the more they could be justified.
Nora, if it was genocide in Gaza, how did half the population get to move away from the fighting in the north, as Hamas was using tunnels built under Gaza homes, hospitals and mosques to continue launching rocket attacks against Israel after Oct 7? That is a war, urban warfare, with Hamas soldiers shooting back and going back into tunnels. (That sounds brave, but they have been using Gaza residents as human shields.)
Recall how the number of dead reached 30,000 early this year? The numbers haven't been rising as fast lately, which indicates a measured strategy. If it were a true genocide instead of a horrible war, the tolls would be far higher. We wouldn't be worrying about 1,000,000 refugees near Rafah.
I, too, want to see israel take even more measures to limit collateral casualties. But they need to finish the task of destroying the Hamas tunnels and reducing Hamas ammunition stores to insignificance. I, too, wish that support for anti-missile defense systems wasn't necessary. But please recall that tens of thousands of rockets launched at civilian areas by Hamas since 2006. Please recall the sporadic rocket attacks by Hezbolla from Lebanon, and their huge stockpile of over 100,000 more rockets intended for future attacks. Recall the recent attack of Israel by Iran.
If one were to imagine what it has been like to raise a family in Israel - racing to the "safe room" regularly as rockets slam into your neighborhood for MANY years, one might understand the Israeli perspective. Too many kids have only known a life of being randomly attacked from birth through now.
I agree with you but also see the other side. How many of the thousands of women and children had to be killed to find (?) Hamas? Can’t the Hamas cross the border and become (temporarily?) untouchable? Can’t they blend in with the Palestinians, therefore “justifying” more civilian casualties? How can Israel realistically expect to eliminate Hamas?
It certainly looks like pushing them south into a “safe zone” and now attacking the “safe zone” can be seen as an effort to cleanse Gaza (perhaps Jarred knows something about prospective beachfront properties that will open up for development?).
I have been a fervid supporter of Israel since I was 12 and learned about the Holocaust. But Netanyahu is not Israel or the Israelis. He is trying to stay out of jail just like Trump.
I don’t think there is a win here - for either side. It’s likely to get worse in the long term as a result of the deaths in Gaza.
I know Biden is trying and Netanyahu is blowing him off. So what do we do? Temporarily reduce funding? Or?
It takes the US forever to intercede in mass killings. Think Bosnia. I’ve read all of Samantha Powers’ books and can only conclude that we can’t or won’t resolve this horror.
Marge, if you have read Samantha Power's portrayals of our past conflicts, you know more than most. When one group acts with hateful, insanely cruel violence, there is never a good solution. But try, we must.
I have many frustrations over this conflict. One of the big ones occurs when armchair observers think that if we would "just do this" or "just stop doing that" somehow the larger problem will be resolved. The other is when an observer completely ignores the point of view held by one side in favor of the other.
Israel has a right to exist. Palestinians have a right to a home and self rule. Israelis have been persecuted forever. Palestinians were displaced and shoved into a tiny space. Israelis near Gaza had developed relationships with Gazans - trading peacefully. Hamas raped and murdered many of them. Gazans had been short of food and water long before October 7th. Israelis lived in fear of Hamas rockets for longer than that.
What I don't hear from any direction is that Jews and Muslims have more in common than many other people on the planet. Their religious origins are not that different. Both are persecuted and discriminated against. And I bet if you go back far enough, some of them share DNA.
When I look around for examples of a people who pulled themselves out of years of mortal combat, I think of the Irish. I think of Rwanda. I think of the Balkans. I think of the Japanese and the Koreans. I'd like to hear more conversations about the possibilities for peace. I think it was the women of Ireland that moved the men to stop.
My wife's cousin is a teacher in Israel. She received multiple awards for her projects that bring Jewish and Muslim kids together to learn about each other's cultures. There are many more like her who live and work together. Peace is possible. But I have noticed that most of the war mongering and violence is perpetrated by men.
And I don't hear enough about all the persistent efforts Biden and Blinken have made to develop better relationships between Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other Muslim neighbors. In fact, they were close to an arrangement that would support Israel's right to exist and enhance trading. But Iran, allied with Putin saw those Sunnis as a threat to their regional influence - hence the encouragement of Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis and various other proxy groups in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon to attack Israel. The Shiite religious fanatics leading Iran were encouraged by Putin to distract us from his invasion and his savaging of Ukraine. It's all connected.
But if we "just do this" thinking prevails among the media and those who don't read things like the books of Samantha Powers or look for the back stories.
Sorry for the rant. You caught me in a state of frustration.
Your rants are ok. This post is excellent. I sometimes sob when I see what violence is being perpetrated (mostly by men, you are correct). And 20-some years ago I invited refugees from the Balkan war to live with me until they felt safe and financially stable. I still get tears in my throat remembering what happened to them. The way religions give people the right to kill “unbelievers” is beyond me. The scariest thing about Christian Nationalists is that they want to tear down the wall that has protected Americans from each other (well, mostly).
Nora, why do they think Trump would be pro-Palestinian in any way? He has demonstrated that he is 100% on the side of Netanyahu (and the other dictators: Putin, Orban, etc). And staying home, or voting for a third party could very well result in a Trump presidency. Self righteousness may feel good, but take a broader view (ie weighing the unintended consequences of voting against Biden). Trump would be much worse for the Palestinians.
They also slashed taxes for the wealthy and gave them more loop holes. Dropping the corporate tax rate
In 2005, our income was ($-9000.00) and because of the AMT we owed the Feds $1300. Bring back the AMT. (Don't feel bad for us, we did it by choice and didn't go on the dole).
OK -- positives Heather cites again today. Till the last sentence.
There, she notes in the Arizona indictments that Trump is an unindicted co-conspirator. Which may remind us what this week is, what it features.
This week, April 25: perhaps the most disgraceful day in U.S. history.
This signals the day the Clarence court pushed its lengthy delay of justice for its, their favorite corrupt politician.
Worse, it did so, they did so, for the first time in U.S. history to venture some indeed as above the law. They – the bribed, perjured, corrupted Clarence court – thus set themselves also above the law. They may take bribes. They may use congressional confirmation hearings to perjure themselves. They may finally, too, place themselves beyond accountability to how their conceits for medieval theocracy also allows state control of women.
In ceding long delay of justice for their favorite fat, orange grifter and rapist, these deeply corrupt now poise also to end the Chevron Precedent and so end accountability by all billionaires to the federal government for workplace safety, health care, and environmental protection.
It was already accomplished Phil. I am a victim from tfg defunding OSHA under his tortuous tenure, and now now 7 years disabled. Media would lead most folks to believe that the whole 'defunding' idea was born with left wingers. I am testament that defunding was invented and the policy of the extreme right.
Sorry to hear of your own personal connection to all this, D4N.
May you focus all the better for it. May you extend your range of sympathy, concern, apt rage.
So much going on. An earlier (2010) version of the current corrupt court ruled Citizens United -- greatest gift to the billionaire classes ever (till now).
Now, we not only have the Clarence Court, but all those far right foundations in wake of the long-ago Powell memo. The Heritage Foundation. ALEC. Hoover Institution. Federalist Society. Claremont. Project 2025. All mega-funded, inter-connected, coordinating, with tens of thousands of lobbyists paying off the many, many elite bribed, and plenty of white trash in Congress, too.
Yes, Phil and just mention Leonard Leo’s name too. He is the leader of the pack. Obsessive-compulsive creator of 40 shell companies, one of which has Ginni Thomas at the helm. All are under 501 3(c), charitable status, in the name of “christianity”.
It’s shockingly obvious why the oligarchs prefer Trump. Joe is pro-union, anti-monopoly, in favor of fair taxation, pro-choice (in policy if not in his Catholic heart, for which I admire him even more), pro-environment and government regulation. He’s going beyond incrementalism. He’s so anti-everything that financially benefits the oligarchs that I sometimes worry they might have him assassinated!
RR, you just might not believe the breadth of my misfortunes, and education earned as a result of personal experience. *Even here, or especially here I must add how repulsive and personally repugnant i find it to my core, how very much I dislike referring to myself as any "victim." We've all heard enough of "I'm a victim" from tfg ! I have a brother in fact that is one of 'those' for every misfortune in his life - even hangnails ! I have lived among many of the type like tfg, which easily made his game more obvious to me. There are however times that the word does apply and there's no other right word for the misfortune. Of course to some others, that's all purely 'academic' - experience teaches things that academics can't. But try to convince an academic of that one. ( - ;
Plainly said but money is the root or route of all evil and belief in a higher functionary (the Lord) has nothing to do with the matter. Morals and ethics are of no influence. It’s money and the naked desire to accumulate more and more over the health and security of We, the People be damned.
I'd argue one point Bill; not money itself, but 'this' as you state, "naked desire to accumulate more..." I have to admit that 'more' and security is a basic human instinct, or the race might not have survived. The particular ill of 'more' are those basic instincts gone to madness; "More for 'me' and the hell with thee" as I would coin it. It's an illness, but also as 'they' would say, "It's all just good bidniss." Even when groups of those conspire to monopolize, it is maintained that it's all just "Good bidniss." *Hell, they will even sue your azz in court if you challenge their 'opportunity' to turn a profit that they speculate or estimate,,,, How nuts is that Bill ? Lawsuits have gone on around the country to that effect.
From you Mary... I take that as very high praise and blush; honestly I do. I'm humbled each time I read here over the thoughtful and learned who commune hear - I learn and grow every single time.
Phil, as to unindicted co-conspirator 1 (we know who that is,) Atty Cheseboro (another unindicted co-conspirator) is cooperating with prosecutors in this matter in AZ, and charges can still be brought if and when a fulsome case is made. Defendant Donny's legal problems aren't going away quite yet.
Good, Doug, as to his legal problems which "aren't going away quite yet."
Clarence court has given him a lifeline. Aileen Cannon is Florida is in the bag for him.
But a larger landscape shows public-spirited intelligence apparently up and fighting for us, the little people, fighting for the republic whose ditty we used to recite with hands on our hearts.
I think we're all avid for these public servants -- I think most of us check in on the news with personal, vested interest, passionate interest, all the time.
My only Q: can these trials, good attorneys, and decent legal scholars combine to keep at bay the much-more-organized, much-more-seriously-heavily-funded billionaire classes?
It is time for we voting citizens to recognize the importance of people running for office who refuse corporate money, like Katie Porter and others, for instance to urge citizen groups to study the situations together beginning with local elections, which are eventually and fairly quickly a more sound basis for larger elections. The Republicans have been doing this for decades.
I don't know, Phil. Speaking of good attorneys and money, did you read where George Conway gave $1MM to the Biden reelection campaign?
It'll be curious to see how quickly the SCOTUS decides on the pres immunity issue being heard today. Probably too late for Jack Smith to continue before November -- there's a nod to your Billionaire classes.
The recent Pecker testimony reminds us of the extensive right-wing propaganda media that misinforms less-educated Americans. Add in Fox, extreme radio, Fox clones, evangelical preachers, internet unregulated posts, etc. Finally, add in the politicians who are obviously being paid to act and to refuse to act. Republicans call all thi$ “Free Speech.”
It seemed yesterday Phil, during the Idaho abortion case, that it was the Alito Theocratic Court. He called unborn fetuses "CHILDREN" in his unsolicited oral opinion.
He is a Catholic first and foremost and believes that women and children are the property of men as well as believing that fetuses are children with all of the rights of the quick.
I don't know why Phil Balla is calling April 25 '...perhaps the most disgraceful day in U.S. history.'
and calls out 'the Clarence court' for a role in the indictments achieved by the Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D).
'The indictments cap a year-long investigation by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) into how the elector strategy played out in Arizona, which Biden won by 10,457 votes. Arizona is the fourth state after Michigan, Georgia and Nevada to seek charges against those who formed an alternate slate of presidential electors. As those cases slowly make their way through the legal system, Trump is again running for president, and officials in Arizona and other battleground states are preparing for another likely contentious election.' (WAPO)
'In releasing the indictment, Mayes’s office redacted the names of all the individuals outside of Arizona who were charged until they have been served their indictments. The Washington Post was able to identify all of them through the accounts of their alleged actions described in the indictment.'
“In Arizona, and the United States, the people elected Joseph Biden as President on November 3, 2020,” the indictment reads. “Unwilling to accept this fact, Defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency” to keep Trump in office “against the will of Arizona’s voters.”
“This scheme would have deprived Arizona voters of their right to vote and have their votes counted.”
'Attorneys for several of those charged cast the indictment as politically motivated. George Terwilliger, a lawyer representing Meadows, said that if his client “is named in this indictment, it is a blatantly political and politicized accusation and will be contested and defeated.” Charles Burnham, an attorney for Eastman, said the lawyer “is innocent of criminal conduct in Arizona or any other place and will fight these charges as he has all the other unjust accusations leveled against him.” And Ted Goodman, a spokesman for Giuliani, called the indictment a “continued weaponization of our justice system should concern every American, as it does permanent, irrevocable harm to the country.” (WAPO) See the gifted link below. Big thank you to Ally! She generously provided this gifted one.
True enough what you say about the Arizona indictments, Fern.
But mine earlier dealt with a different matter entirely -- the Clarence court's eagerness to take seriously Trump's claims to be above the law.
You got correct my date citing April 25 as the day the Clarence court set for its honoring its boy, Trump. The Arizona indictments were a day earlier, April 24.
Phil, you also pointed to HRC last line in the letter, which dealt with Trump being an unindicted conspirator in the Arizona District Attorney's case, so the faults rest with thee.
Thank you, Dr Richardson for this really uplifting post. People need to know how hard Biden is working every day to improve the safety and earning ability of the vast majority of us. Instead of riding around his "personal golf courses" he is either in his office or on the road getting important thing done. Now what was that about age?
"Bobb is now senior counsel for “election integrity” for the Republican National Committee." Was it 'Sesame Street' characters who taught, "These two things do not go together." I'd lol, but that hurts too badly even for my sense of humor.
"One of these things is not like the other". Something we would sing when investigating people who had done things that came to our attention and were lying about it.
This encapsulates why Biden should get another term as President! He knows how to govern 😍
“Over the years, it seems we have become accustomed to the idea that flame-throwing defines politics, but in fact, Biden’s reliance on slow, careful negotiation harks back to the eras when leaders sought to build coalitions and find common ground in order to pass legislation.”
Thank you, Dr. Bob, for highlighting that! It's much more than "a leadership style". Hammering out our differences, no matter how slowly or painfully the process may be, is a hallmark of our system. It's what creates the difference between a "ruling" government and a participatory one. Disrupting that expectation in the public mind to the point where we take it as normal for "The Powers That Be" to steamroll any dissent undermines that system at its roots.
Did we get to flame-throwing by accident? I doubt it. Consensus is hard to reach and takes time, and very few people in leadership jobs these days were trained or selected to be thoughtful, patient, and methodical enough to operate that way. Rather, the system has been rewarding "sociopathic leaders" in both business and government for quite some time.
That Joe Biden has brought this back speaks volumes about his beliefs for America.
Today's AP article about Biden signing the bill for US aid to Ukraine indicates that Russia's military forces have severely damaged the country during the 6 + month delay in US funding. Precarious is the the word I use for Ukraine. It needs a lot more than it is getting from US, including much stronger air defense, and who knows when there will be more.
“We rose to the moment, we came together, and we got it done,” Biden said a White House event to announce the bill signing. “Now we need to move fast, and we are.” (AP)
'But significant damage has been done to the Biden administration’s effort to help Ukraine repel Russia’s invasion during the funding impasse that dates back to August, when the Democratic president made his first emergency spending request for Ukraine. Even with a burst of new weapons and ammunition, it’s unlikely Ukraine will immediately recover after months of setbacks.'
'Biden immediately approved sending Ukraine $1 billion in military assistance, the first installment from about $61 billion allocated for Ukraine. The package includes air defense capabilities, artillery rounds, armored vehicles and other weapons to shore up Ukrainian forces who have seen morale sink as Russian President Vladimir Putin has racked up win after win.'
'Meanwhile, Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials confirmed Wednesday. The U.S. is providing more of the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, in the new military package, according to one official who was not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity.'
'Still, longer term, it remains uncertain if Ukraine, after months of losses and massive damage to its infrastructure, can make enough progress to sustain American political support before burning through the latest influx of money.'
'White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan cautioned that even as new U.S. aid flows into Ukraine, it’s possible that Russia will continue to make tactical gains in the weeks ahead.'
“The fact is that it’s going to take some time for us to dig out of the hole that was created by six months of delay,” 'he said.'
'Far-right Republicans have adamantly opposed sending more money for Ukraine, with the war appearing to have no end in sight. Biden in August requested more than $20 billion to keep aid flowing into Ukraine, but the money was stripped out of a must-pass spending bill.'
'By late October, Republicans finally settled on Johnson, a low-profile Louisiana Republican whose thinking on Ukraine was opaque, to serve as the next speaker. Biden during his congratulatory call with Johnson urged him to quickly pass Ukraine aid and began a monthslong, largely behind-the-scenes effort to bring the matter to a vote.'
'In private conversations with Johnson, Biden and White House officials leaned into the stakes for Europe if Ukraine were to fall to Russia. On explicit orders from Biden, White House officials also avoided directly attacking Johnson over the stalled aid.'
'Biden praised Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., saying in the end they' “stepped up and did the right thing.”
“History will remember this moment,” 'he said.'
'At frustrating moments during the negotiations, Biden urged his aides to' “just keep talking, keep working,” 'according to a senior administration official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal discussions.'
'So they did. In a daily meeting convened by White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, the president’s top aides would brainstorm possible ways to better make the case about Ukraine’s dire situation in the absence of aid.'
'The White House also sought to accommodate Johnson and his various asks. For instance, administration officials at the speaker’s request briefed Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., two conservatives who were persistent antagonists of Johnson.'
'In public, the administration deployed a strategy of downgrading intelligence that demonstrated Russia’s efforts to tighten its ties with U.S. adversaries China, North Korea and Iran to fortify Moscow’s defense industrial complex and get around U.S. and European sanctions.'
'The $61 billion can help triage Ukrainian forces, but Kyiv will need much more for a fight that could last years, military experts say.'
'Realistic goals for the months ahead for Ukraine — and its allies — include avoiding the loss of major cities, slowing Russia’s momentum and getting to Kyiv additional weaponry that could help them go on the offensive in 2025, said Bradley Bowman, a defense strategy and policy analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington.'
“I think Ukrainian success is not guaranteed,” Bowman said, “but Russian success is if we stop supporting Ukraine.” (AP) See link below.
Thank you, Jean-Pierre, for your attention to Ukraine's fierce and deadly struggle for survival. PRECARIOUS and UNCERTAIN are CALL words that Americans need to hear concerning our rights, the rule of law, free and fair elections, the functions of government and public service... spelling out DEMOCRACY.
Thanks, as always, Fern. I was especially struck by news that Biden kept pressing his staff to " just keep talking, keep working" with Speaker Johnson et al. Biden, the master of negotiations, clearly LEADING this country and the world.
Ah, MaryPat, the time has come. I have canceled my subscription to LFAA. Being a subscriber has been an excellent learning from you and other subscribers as well at from HCR. My mind is ready to explore new territory. I am carrying some portion of your precious spirit with me; that's my instinct to survive. To our work for democracy, each other and to your good health and heart!
Yes, MaryPat, that was mentioned in the article as was a sense of what has been lost to Ukraine because of the delay. The article also indicated what beyond this particular funding may be necessary, if not now, very soon. The following was reported today by Institute for the Study of War.
'US President Joe Biden announced on April 24 that the US will begin sending military equipment to Ukraine “a few hours” after signing a bill that will provide roughly $60 billion of assistance to Ukraine. The United States reportedly provided an unspecified number of long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine in March 2024, some of which Ukraine has already used to strike Russian targets in deep rear areas. The arrival of long-range ATACMS missiles in sufficient quantities will allow Ukrainian forces to degrade Russian logistics and threaten Russian airfields in deep rear areas, although months of delay may have provided the Russian military time to offset the potential operational impacts that ATACMS will afford Ukraine. Ukrainian strikes against Russian logistics or Russian aviation assets in deep rear areas will likely be operationally significant, however, only if Ukrainian forces successfully coordinate them with ground operations to exploit the degraded Russian capabilities resulting from the strikes.'
Folks, we have to remember that Biden is walking - or trying to - a very fine tightrope on the Israeli-Gaza fiasco. America cannot let Israeli down and we can’t dictate to them whom they should elect as their leader - although I do believe that we can signal who shouldn’t be (or have been) their leader … Netanyahu is on the opposite end of the political spectrum - ideological - than Biden/Harris [and Obama/Biden]. We all know - or should - that Netanyahu is trying to remain in power and control of the Israeli government to keep himself out of the court system and certainly in power until our next election hoping that his good buddy trump gets re-elected. What Netanyahu, his government cronies on the right and the IDF are doing to the innocent Palestinian people and Gaza is worse than deplorable. Biden and our choices or options with this situation are very few - but we must be careful and much more forceful with Netanyahu … desperate people do desperate things!
As I trip my fingers over the light fantastic of the keyboard, we are just under three months out from the former Party of Lincoln (now Lincoln Rockwell) convening in Milwaukee.
By the time the boatloads of foam rubber fingers, cardboard signs and sub-standard booze are offloaded from the barges in Lake Michigan to fete the conventioneers, their putative Presidential nominee will most likely be a felon.
This poses a most pressing dilemma. Will the GOP go forward with nominating Don Snoreleone in spite of his imminent ride up the Hudson to the Ossining State Correctional Facility, or will they FINALLY decide to cut their losses, and stage the first true nominating convention in over fifty years?!
If the latter, who would they nominate? Former Palmetto State Governor Nikki "Slavery, what slavery?!" would be the leading contender, of course, but they could stay MAGA and go Trump lite with Repugnant Ron. Or would they have the cojones to go totally off script with a candidate hitherto unexperienced on the national campaign trail but beloved by the Kool Aid drinking Fox News audience, such as Odious Elise Stefanik or Pretty-in-Pierre-but-low-in-IQ Kristi Noem?!?
Amtrak can drop him right off in Ossining. The line goes right past what is colloquially referred to as Sing Sing. If Trump thinks that Manhattan courtroom is cold, he needs to spend the night in sing sing.
Me get I remind folks. The war between Russia and Ukraine, and the war between Israel and Iran, with the Hamas attacking and senselessness killing of innocent people in Israel on October 7th, all was the work, and cause, of one person. This person sat at his residence in Florida and shared all the Classified, Top Secret, documents with his Russian oligarch friends who took this back to Putin. This information was then passed on to Iran and the Hamas. This the invasions.
Donald J. Trump shared this information with everyone he could show it to at Mar-a-Lago. This is a known, proven, fact. Sworn to by people who were there seeing this either their own eyes. Personal knowledge of what was shared with visitors to Mar-a-Lago. Now, I’m not a genius in National Security, but I do know that there’s no Schiff at Mar-a-Lago, and these documents were all illegally obtained by Trump. All this has been revealed through the extensive investigation. And, all the documents have yet to be returned to the National Archives l, even after the FBI served the search warrant and conducted the search. That, too, has been proven.
The point I’m making by all this is simple. All these conflicts lead back to the illegal actions of one person. Donald J. Trump! Every single death caused in these conflicts/wars are on him. And he should be the one to suffer the most from it. This is no different than the assault on our Nation’s Capital on January 6th. That too was the sole work of one person. He sat back for hours and did nothing relishing in watching his handy work unfold on television from the sanctuary of the White House.
There were 5 people who died as a result of that ‘invasion’ on the Capitol. Yet, not one indictment against Trump further any of those murders. Not one! Not one mention of the thousands of deaths he’s caused by sharing all this information with Putin, and the rest of his communist friends. This man is evil, vile, and needs to be locked up in a dark dungeon with the jet thrown away. He needs to be incarcerated in a hole and forgotten, never to have access to the outside world ever again.
I want to touch on something else while I’m on my horse.
I don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but Trump has yet to go out in the ‘campaign trail’ and do any campaigning. He has yet to hold a “rally” anywhere and actually give a campaign speech. All he’s doing is flying his “Trump One” (classic ‘presidential name for his plane) around and giving hate speeches collecting his millions from his sheep 🐑! All he’s done calling is ‘crooked Joe Biden’ does this, that, or the other. He has yet to discuss any issues, other than the sane exact lies he spewed in 2016. And now, thanks to the testimony of the old head of THE ENQUIRER magazine, that’s been revealed as all false fabricated information to get him elected.
Anyone sending him one red cent is a fool. Anyone sending the RNC one red cent, is a fool. There used to be NO REPUBLICAN PARTY anymore. It used to be gone. Dead, deceased. It just hasn’t been buried, yet. Hopefully, with the euro of a kit if us, the funeral will be this coming November first the Republican Party. We MUST VOTE BLUE 💙💙💙💙!!! We MUST VOTE BLUE UP AND DOWN THE BALLOT. Local, state, and Federal must all go BLUE in November!!!
There’s no way in Hell that Donald J. Trump should come anywhere near the Oval Office, or the Nuclear Codes!!!
Oh my, Daniel! You have said everything I have been thinking for quite a long time. I consider the documents case to be the most important of them all. Putting our national security in dire jeopardy deserves to be classified as treasonous. We actually have no idea what happened to many of these documents or if we even have retrieved them all! Remember the testimony of document boxes being flown to New Jersey trump property? Was there any FBI search of that property? There are so many questions…. This to me is the most important case against trump….
Susan, I agree. Answering your question about the search of the NJ golf course property. I don’t think there ever was a search.
A search warrant, which isn’t easy to get to begin with on a common citizen, is even more difficult when you are talking about getting one issued for a former president, or public official.
The search warrant that was served was only for certain areas of Mar-a-Lago. These areas were areas that the prosecutor knew there were documents stored. He already had “first-hand” information they were there, and that person had to give a sworn statement to present to the judge to even get the search warrant issued.
I never heard of any search warrant being issued for any of Trump’s other properties across the United States. I did hear that he had his workers move a lot of boxes, using several vehicles on making the move, to other properties. This was done prior to the search of Mar-a-Lago. It’s my understanding, from the testimony of one of the workers who moved these boxes, they didn’t have any clue what was in them, just that Trump wanted them out of there immediately and taken to a storage unit in West Palm Beach. From there, after the search some were returned to Mar-a-Lago while others were taken to NJ. The ones which were returned to Mar-a-Lago contained the Classified, Top Secret, documents which were shared in whole with the Russian oligarch who then took the information to Putin. These do have mental were shown to anyone who wanted to look at them when they were in the dining room at Mar-a-Lago.
To get this bipartisan bill passed threw the house and the senate, goes to show you how shrewd Biden is with his negotiating working behind the scenes with Johnson, McConnell and Jeffries. He is a pro with 40 years of experience. Trump on the other hand keeps getting bad news. Especially what happened today in Arizona with the 11 fake electors who were indicated. All the hell Trump has caused this country and the American people doesn't mean a damn thing unless the Supreme Court will make right decision and not grant Trump immunity for the crimes that he has committed and betrayal of our Democracy. It's time for the Supreme Court to step up to the plate. The American people are completely fed up with their BS excuses and their BS theories.
And yet the media keeps offering up polls showing Biden falling further and further behind TFG.
Who the hell are they polling?
Herb, honestly -- who cares? Don't believe them no matter if they show either candidate besting the other. The poll that counts is in November. Assume and act as though it will be close, and hope that it's a blue tide that sweeps over the country, up and down the ballots.
Doug, yes hope for a blue tide - but work for it too if you are able. All hands on deck on this election with postcards, texts and calls to voters, help get young people registered, donate to good candidates, etc.
Democracy is not a spectator sport. The blue tide is us. Let’s all do what we can. (If you need a place to start, www.fieldteam6.com or subscribe to Jessica Craven’s newsletter, Chop Wood, Carry Water here on Substack. )
Hi Sheila -- yes, I think I'll try Field Team 6. What I won't do is make phone calls -- I absolutely hate it when I get such calls, be they from telemarketers or political candidates. I'm willing to send post cards -- and did so 8 years ago.
As to Chop Wood, I subscribed for a while last year, but honestly, I find it exhausting and demoralizing to be constantly reminded of where we stand. I'm well aware of the present situation, and have been following politics closely since Gore v Bush. LFFA provides me with what I need, in a very balanced way, as her readers know. And of course, Joyce Vance for legal insight.
I'm with you. HCR and Joyce Vance are my daily "keep me sane" reads. I also love watching Deadline Whitehouse with Nicolle Wallace.
Doug, whatever activities suit you, do that. I made calls to help register voters last year and it was fine. But, like you, it isn’t my first choice. Postcarding in a group of friends has become a way to bring people into being more active without making them uncomfortable. It all helps. And yes to the sanity provided by LFAA, Joyce Vance and others here on Substack.
Doug, if you haven't been reading Chop Wood for a while, know that Jessica often posts long lists of the accomplishments we readers have had a hand in, or just lists of good news items. It's encouraging to read them.
Thanks Mim, maybe I will.
A blue tsunami!
I also connect to Sunrise Movement, and made phone calls with them for Summer Lee last week. It's fun to work with other people. My sister writes postcards. Usually people who are involved in climate issues are also for the working people, Medicare for All, and the betterment of all people, except the billionaires, who don't need our help!
Yes! And as a youth voter org, they may help save Biden from his own "ironclad" unconditional support of Bibi Netanyahu's vicious killing and starvation and slaughter (with US bombs) of thousands and thousands of innocent children in Gaza. Believe me, Biden seems to be out of touch in his White House Tower, but the young people today, and not just those brave students risking arrest on campuses, are Appalled by what they have seen of the blanket bombing of a people Israel is charged with providing for, that is 70% women and children. Sunrise Movement seems to avoided the fray for now.
So yes, there is SO much common ground that you find, even when calling grumpy fair weather registered voters. But we need Youth organizations to help us overcome the huge shadow of Israel's cruel bombardment, and Biden's mixed record on climate.
Not to mention the loss of abortion rights, which many young women think of as happening "on Biden's watch." Our worlds are so different now, not just because of generations, but because of our media silos.
Yes. I'm concerned about what the young people are thinking of this all happening on us oldsters' watch. I hid in a practice room during the Vietnam era, and only woke up when a colleague had to go on a starvation diet (bananas and water, only) for a month in order to avoid being sent over. And then, what happened? The banks, the oil producers, the MIC took over. You were either part of the overlord class or the servant class.
I'm sorry for the mess we are now in. But I'm also supremely grateful (and donate) to the youth organizatons helping to correct the situation.
hallelujah and Amen to all the gods and the gd ether.
Only 6 months til D-day. And you know what I hope that D means!
Yes Doug I agree!!!vote vote vote 💙💙💙💙!!!!!!!!
Yes, I definitely agree.
Check your voter registration now and be sure it's up to date. Make a plan for how you are going to vote. And make up your mind that no one will stop you from voting.
Yes! Republican "voter purge" cases have even been successful here in California. Don't assume you've been spared.
Don’t ignore, call them stupid.
Ever since our Dem Central Committee worked w the Repub Central committee last month on a State ethics bill, I've been getting emails from State Repubs. This am our wealthy State Delegate sent an email invitation to his May 5 fundraiser barbeque. It included these words for Dems: stupid, wrecking havoc, causing energy inflation, lawlessness, (and the Repubs as: fellow Patriots, like minded adults, real solutions. " I like it better if we use words that are based on facts and not name-calling. Not that I don't slip into that behavior more times than I'd like!
Dems send inane emails and mountains of them. Repubs are just lying bastards, period. I think I will donate to maddogpac.com if I can get some response from them re sharing my info. They put billboards in critical places.
Polls have never won an election people do! Vote blue. Where their party is not listed example judges check to see who nominated them. GOP or Dem. Governor or president
Don´t just hope. Organize. Create groups of like minded people and get together to vote.. to learn the issues and vote on them. The media is shaped by ´profit´... Hearst was the first big news publisher in the US. His slogan... if it ´bleeds´, it leads was what he told his reporters.. We saw history made the other day when Johnson and McConnell backed the Ukraine.. Of course, they may have recd. money from the fossil fuel companies and the arms industry.
I'd say the Oiligarchs and MIC are on the side of Putin more than Ukraine. Their goal is to dismantle government so they can continue to pillage.
I think public perception based on polling does matter and impacts voting behavior.
Hillary was the 75% favorite.
No. They are not offering polls that have him falling "further and further behind." Perhaps on Earth II, but not here. As a matter of fact, what has happened with the most recent polls is they show Biden has raised his percentages to the point that any "lead" by Trump is well within the margin of error. What that means is kwitchurbitchin and go to work on the many projects that are working to build voter participation. As my old boss Willie Brown said, run like you're 10 points down till election day and don't worry about the polls and you can pop champagne after the polls close.
A reminder that Democrats have the power to sweep by registering people currently not on the voting rolls and not polled. 60% of unregistered voters have never been asked to register. To win in 2024, FT6 will reach out to "millions of unregistered likely Democrats using our one-of-a-kind database and every outreach method possible (phone and text, postcard, email and targeted ad, and in-person too), where new Democratic voters will make the most impact – in the most flippable states and districts." https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Also, Focus for Democracy's informational meeting for the 2024 election cycle is tonight,
Thursday, April 25th at 8PM Eastern/5PM Pacific.
Please click here to register:
http://tinyurl.com/F4D25Apr
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UtpJ-xyoR4SOBM_8IdUwlQ?_x_zm_rtaid=S3K6ygDfTu2DU-HFUDhIGw.1714035204062.e239549e9872e2e88636fc040b62b627&_x_zm_rhtaid=92#/registration
Good points Daniel. (Taylor Swift, please continue your efforts to register voters.)
We also need to overcome all of the gaslighting by Trump, the maganazis and the white faux-Christian nationalists.
They are still hammering on the border, when Trump's wall is like a sieve and inflation which has come down to around 3% and gasoline prices which we have kept arbitrarily low for over 75 years with subsidies to the oil/gas/coal industries.
Swifties can comment on Instagram and X and attach https://www.fieldteam6.org/voterizer
Daniel, thanks so much for the links! I’ve registered.
Kudos on this, Daniel. Team 6 sounds like an energized nuts and bolts organization, and not alone in their efforts.
I like the word “SWEEP”! That is what we must aim for! Think of all the wrongs we can fix with a SWEEP! Vote Blue!
Registered, Daniel. Thank you.
When he was about 8, my son swam the backstroke on the local swim team. At an early Saturday morning meet, he was in the last heat of his age group, 25 yards. He won the race with several lengths to spare and earned an “A” time. When his coach asked him about the race, he said he thought he was in last place because when he looked to either side he didn’t see another swimmer. Very proudly, his coach said, “I want you to swim like you’re in last place from now on.” He didn’t swim much longer after that, but I think he took the coach’s advice when he became a very skilled lacrosse player and play for nearly the next 20 years.
Good old Willie sounds like my high school cross country coach: Run until you're ten yards past the finish.
Given your experience with Willie Brown, I’d be interested in your impressions of Kamala Harris.
I think she's pretty good. I was a supporter when she announced she was running for president. I think four years as VP has allowed her to learn what she didn't know before. If anything ever happened to Biden I think she could take over and the Republicans would find out all their BS about her was just that.
Hopefully Kamala will have 4 more years to mature & formulate policy for another presidential run.
Thanks. My impression, which goes back quite a ways, was that she was a machine politician, more or less in the neo-lib category. Your comments are reassuring, in that I generally respect your judgment.
She may have started that way (being in SF), but I don't think she is now.
Yup, again. You never told me about W.B. He is the master, and I loved his hats. He's looking good as ever, for 90 years. I wish he would get in it again.
Ah, you must watch Nicolle Wallace with the "Earth II" reference.
I do indeed.
Best advice ever! Thank you!
Trump's reelection is in deep trouble due to these issues. Biden's smart foreign policy makes America look better globally, undercutting Trump's image as a strong leader. Plus, the indictment of Trump allies in Arizona damages his reputation, highlighting concerns about his honesty and commitment to democracy. Biden's steady leadership contrasts sharply with Trump's chaotic style, hurting Trump's chances with voters. Oh, and I forgot to mention ROE V WADE.... Trump is finished.
Michael Corthell - "Trump's reelection is in deep trouble due to these issues. "
“𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑚𝑝 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑑𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟.” --Nicolle Wallace
Wallace, then, asked former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele if voters will start to realize Trump is debasing them.
“𝑊𝑒𝑙𝑙, 𝐼 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑙𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒. 𝐿𝑜𝑜𝑘, 𝑛𝑜 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑑 𝑎 𝑠𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑟. 𝑁𝑜 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦, 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝑛𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑠, 𝑐𝑜𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢, ‘𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑟𝑒 𝑔𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡?’
𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑚𝑝’𝑠 𝑀.𝑂. 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑘𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑐𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑠 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒, 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑖𝑠𝑒, 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑛𝑥𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠, 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡, ‘𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑚 𝐼 𝑠𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡?’” --Michael Steele
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0vDorbk_f0
You're right, Biden and Dems, rate much higher trust scores internationally these days, allowing for places like Iran, China ...
They are polling the people who don't know what you have just read.
Could be most people?
Share this letter every day. I post it in comments on Fox, et al and tag every MAGAt I can think of. I also share it on comments of far Freedom Caucus members.
Might be a losing battle but if the media won't report it I will.
Be a "troll for the good of the nation" lol. Even Trump watches (or did) MSNBC / CNN for his own perverse intel. And maybe get a more realistic picture these days of the "writing on the wall". Trump is a master of Agitprop (1984 wasn't so far-fetched at all, Orwell had only to check out Goebbels' masterful use of hateful propaganda and aggrievement for raw material - not to mention the Soviets) Big lies often repeated with opposition voices stymied and silenced work wonders on large populations. Check out Russia China North Korea today.
I do much the same with several authors. What’s interesting to me is the level of, dare I say, intelligent responses from readers who follow HRC and others of her ilk and those who have drunk the koolaid. I learn so much from this camp, and from the koolaid group? Not so much. It’s really a great example of how deeply repeated lies have sunk in with a part of our country.
That's an interesting comment, Lynn. It mirrors my own experience; when I share writers like Jim Wright or Professor RIchardson, the "rebuttal" comments are either really intellectual "nu-huh" or "I don't believe that" or some of the deepest candy-coated mansplaining I have ever read.
Ally, however, it’s been proven that, if a group hears the same information over and over again, some will believe it (regardless of its truthfulness). Perhaps some tiny nugget of what we share will strike home and cause them to think “I know that “nugget” is true. What if the other stuff is true as well?”
Mary, in the small cohort (mostly retired local cops from multiple agencies; we all worked together on calls at various times) that this represents, most of the folks leaning my way (almost all of us women) have stopped engaging. I can only take so much candycoated mansplaining from these guys, and several others have stopped engaging with them all together.
Ah, Ally, I bet you get some really deep mansplaining. Our neighbor falls into that now and then although he has been better lately. But his going to instruct the little woman turns into a change in voice tone and facial expression. He had a really hard time around his back surgery (on his 80th birthday no less) and has become a little nicer.....maybe thought he was having a brush with death. Funny, how that can change peoples' perspective.
You've seen some of it.
That is so true, Lynn. I get such valuable intelligent information from HCR's commenters versus the ignorant nasty name-calling lie based bull I get from the other side.
Christopher, just ran into someone who didn’t know that corporations with profits of over a billion dollars per year now have to pay 15% taxes (instead of zero) on those profits.
https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/hopium-in-the-nytimes-16-polls-show?r=etfs&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Yup.
ditto! I'm with Simon!
Forget about the "candidates." The election is not Biden vs Trump. The election is democracy vs fascism.
Also:
People don't want to vote for democracy (Biden) because they think Biden is not trying to help the Palestinians? Do they already forget Trump's Middle East policy, bought and paid for by Sheldon Adelson? If fascism wins in November, Bibi NaziYahoo will feel perfectly free to commence the Palestinian Final Solution. There is no "I'm not voting for the lesser of two evils." You're either voting for less evil or more evil. Not voting for less evil IS voting for more evil. And in a 2nd and last term, democracy can treat Bibi NaziYahoo as he deserves to be treated. If one does not get this, one is not nearly as "woke" as Little Ronnie InSanitis accuses one of being.
Bibi Netanyahu is a thug. That is not an anti-Semitic statement. He is our Trump and he needs to go, as does Trump.
Bibi Hibi Jibi won't go on his own. We have to make him go.
Biden can't/won't make Bibi go in this term.
But Biden can/will make Bibi go in Biden's 2nd term.
Why not now? Research who contributes disproportionately to BOTH Democratic and Republican campaigns. Money talks.
I'm not saying, Give more to Joe's campaign.
I'm saying, let Joe know that he wins your vote, and let Democratic Senators and candidates and ESPECIALLY Democratic Congresspeople and candidates (And Republicans too, don't forget.) that they will get your vote ONLY if Bibi goes.
Now, don't forget: Bibi will likely be replaced by someone worse. But that Joe makes Bibi go will transmit a powerful message to any of Bibi's likely successors: Don't count on the US President to back you up, to write you a blank check, as the US Congress has done for Israel for the past 76 years. Oh, the check may be blank. But there will be nowhere on that check where you can just fill in the amount you like. In fact, it won't be a check. It will be checkmate.
So true
I’ve tried arguing that to the people who post that they won’t vote for Biden due to Gaza. I will do that over and over again. Counter the Big Lie with the Big Truth!
Keep trying that argument. What matters is not how many people agree with you. What matters is that you keep trying, and that some people may agree with you. For all the difference in the "popular" vote in the 2016 and 2020 elections, the truth is, Hillary Clinton lost in the Electoral College (Hint, Hillary: The Presidential Election is NOT decided by a 3 million vote margin in California. Ask Bill: He knows this. He told you this.) on the basis of well less than 100,000 popular votes, which were enough to tip enough states in Trump's favor. In turn, Trump lost to Biden by well less than 100,000 votes in pretty much the same states that elected Trump in 2016. Biden's 7 million popular vote "advantage" meant DOODLEY SQUAT. And there is NO reason to believe the 2024 Presidential Election will be any different than the 2016 and 2020 Presidential Elections. In fact, any Presidential Election can be decided by as few as a couple of hundred votes. Ask George W. Bush and Al Gore about this. So Marge, you know what to do. Keep doing it. And tell others to keep doing it, too. Thank you. Robert
Herb, may be the better question should be who are they NOT polling - and why aren’t they polling those people?
But I refer you to Simon Rosenberg’s “Hopium Chronicles” …. this is the professor’s (HCR) principal source regarding polling. Ooohhh and see David Lehnherr’s comment and link above.
How many people answer their phone when it rings? How many look to see who is calling? How many don't pick it up if they don't recognize the caller? What benefit do I get when someone causes my phone to ring?
We both have mobile phones. We also have retained a VOIP line, the number for which was my phone when I moved here in '95. We have it set so that it only rings when my phone or her phone originates the call. The rest go to voicemail. We listen to the voicemails in email. The percentage of legit calls is very small.
We don't give much credence to polling data.
Lately the PACs have been calling. I asked the firefighter's PAC if any of my donation would go to Republicans. He immediately answered, "I'll put you on the do not call list." Another PAC, supposedly to help disabled children lobby politicians, replied that they were non-partisan. This means, yeah we give money to Republicans to help get them elected and re-elected.
I hate PACs. They spend 25-30% of their money paying callers to bilk us out of money to re-elect Republicans. If you're going to give to a charity, give to the charity, not to a frickin' PAC.
Yep, direct to the charity. Politics aside, charities often if not mostly used third-party solicitation agencies, who take 1/3 or so of the take, and that turns out to be a significant chunk of charity income.
Spot on David. Polls to me are the 'fourth' type of lies; "Lies, damn lies, statistics, and polls."
Polls have a history of interesting misses, it is difficult to get a statistically valid random sample esp in small populations and not just them, due to various accessibility challenges.
Me too. Cynicism breeds apathy which is exactly what dictators want.
Kinda reminds me of the advertising industry at large. How much of that tv 4 minute plus advert space on eg MSNBC do you want? Me - about zero. Oh if i can only fast forward quickly enough to get past before that godawful "Liberty liberty" dingaline song starts. Yes, I pre record almost all programming I'm interested in. OR, pick up ad free summaries on Youtube. And turn on ad blocking much as possible.
Frank, you can laugh at this; I do. I like commercials because every time they come on I get up, leave the room and do dishes, Landry, etc. I’m pretty immobile due to arthritis and chronic pain but because of those commercials I am able to get in 5000 steps per day! LOL. Don’t tell the advertisers that I never watch any of their ads!
Marge, that is exactly how I did things, "back when", sometimes even now. Good way to get steps in for sure! I won't spill the beans!
I can definitely relate to that!
And Simon does his research.
Is that really true? I can’t believe it. It seems to me Trump has lost a great deal of his power and allure lately.
No, that's not really true. The opposite is true. Biden has moved up in the polls and cut any "leads" - all the of the polls to date have been put out for clickbait by a MSM desperate to attract eyeballs so the intergalactic widgetmakers who own them can sell them. They have ALL been within the margin of error. Stop worrying about the nonexistent horse race. Get involved and work to get people out to vote.
colorful rhetoric TC, all in agreement here.
Annie, I'm sitting on my back porch in North Carolina, watching the sun rise, listening to the birds converse with one another, enjoying the sun- kissed and dew-dropped flowers in my yard.
For the first time in eight years, I can sit here with hope that Donald Trump will one day see the sun rise through a prison window.
Thanks to all those who are making an effort to encourage people to vote- not for a criminal, but for a man who has tried to save the workings of our government from MAGA crazies who only want to save themselves.
As an ex-Tar Heelie I have hope. But the Dems need to pound the truth about Repubs rejecting immigration reform. Unreal.
Ain't it the truth?
So sad, so true. My ex-home was in the Piedmont. Had a back porch too. Enjoy
I was going to ask you where in NC you lived. I'm in southeastern NC about an hour from the beach.
If I don't take time to sit in the swing on the porch and relax my mind, I would stay angry and disillusioned all the time because of all the times and ways that Trump has slipped through the cracks of accountability.
Being angry is not good for one's health.🙂
I do not believe he will see the inside of a cell.
Marj, I thought that for a long time, but I see enough people coming forward to help ensure that he will pay for his crimes. Ironically, he won't be able to "pay" his way out of these charges.
I am not so sure. Harvey Weinstein just bought himself an appeal.
I'm sorry to hear that.
If I don't have SOME hope that he will be found guilty, my well-being will not be so well.
Only in NY...
Marj, at the risk of making the problem even more difficult, having that creature in a cage is only part of an optimal solution. Its confinement should also have the restriction of being held effectively incommunicado. And the thing's friends (if any) and lawyers (if any) should also be in jeopardy if they pass any kind of communication from the incarcerated criminal. Its conviction and incarceration should not be viewed as punishment, but as rendering the thing harmless to society, for the sake of society.
Love your use of “the thing.” Thanks for that! Reminds me of all those old horror movies: The Thing that devoured Cleveland, etc.
I certainly hope so. What an ugly little guy he is.
Let them blather on. Let’s vote. The media and the pollsters don’t dictate reality. Make our voices count at the polling booth. Let’s show the bought for profit naysayers how strong we are.
Herb,
I stopped believing the polls. I am focused on voting for President Joe Biden, for the people of the USA (whether they like Joe or not) , for our future, for peace and unity and productivity throughout the world. Joe and his amazing team are doing this....even in the midst of "hell" all around us!!! President Biden is focused on "Building Back Better", "Team Biden" is working on bringing people together while working against various systems meant to destroy....be it human or human creations meant to kill, cause conflict or destroy mind or body.
Perfect...NO....but better.
And...on the side....Israel needs a decent leader. The answer to this problem must come from the people of Israel. The college campus chaos is a response to Netanyahu's desire to destroy the Palestinians and take Gaza for himself.
Through the years some Israeli citizens have chosen to build homes on land that legally, in modern society, belongs to Palestine. These Israelis have chosen to look to ancient law, not modern law and decisions made regarding land set aside for Israel and for Palestine. In my opinion this has created problems over many years and has created groups that have chosen violence to address this issue. Gaza remains an open wound for Israel and for Palestine. Meanwhile, there are human beings starving and dying due to their existence in Palestine....their home. This is a great wrong and many will suffer if it is not addressed. "World Kitchen" tried to help and look what happened to them. Food and care remain a need for the Palestinian people.
President Biden is in a difficult position politically. We must trust him and his advisers.
I understand college students speaking out and they should have that right BUT peacefully.
Emily,
I also support the students right to protest, but I don't understand the response of the university administration to call in the riot squad. They should recognize the students right to protest, but set up some rules going forward. There should be a peaceful way
to respect everyone's beliefs. Perhaps choosing a representative for each side to discuss concerns, respectfully. This would be respectful of the students feelings of helplessness and the administrations frustration at the disruption and unsightly tent city set up on their beautiful lawn. In rereading this, I guess the key word here is respect on both sides and ignore the outside noise. You are a school, dammit, teach these young kids how to protest!
Sadly, I think kids have to rebel against what they have been taught at a certain stage in developing their independence and sense of self. Ruthlessly suppressing that only feeds the rebellion.
I've noticed that over the past several years, polls have been used to shape public opinion rather than gauge it. Every major nationwide poll I am aware of since 2016 has been wrong; predicting a Clinton win in 2016, missing the size of the 2018 blue wave, a Trump win in 2020, a 'red wave' in 2022, and now a neck-and-neck race in 2024.
I do not know what has happened to polling science, but it clearly is not able to accurately predict much of anything. It also seems to have, at least in part, become a partisan tool for certain interests. This also seems to be eroding its accuracy and credibility. The best indicator for how the general election will go in November are the special elections and referenda in various states, in which actual voters voted for actual candidates/issues. Almost all of these broke heavily for the Democrats.
Interesting thought, Steve. I don't know much about the history of polls, but I know that the technology (most people I know won't answer a phone unless they know the number, and will let unfamiliar numbers leave a voicemail) coupled with your observation of eroding accuracy and credibility means that a very, very small percentage of people are responding to these calls.
Think about all of the last elections. When Obama first ran, they were expecting McCain to win. I hate these blow by blow election game night coverage. Noone expected results until morning. So I went to bed. And was very surprised to be awakened by many in DC shouting, "Yes, We did." Turned on the TV to see the celebration in Chicago's Grant Park. Four years later, media wrongly predicted Romney would win. Didn't happen. Then there was the debacle of Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote by literally millions but losing via electoral college. Then another close election in which Biden won and Trump Still purports the election was stolen. Not sure in our cell phone era who pollsters even find to survey.
The Electoral College seems the huge bug in the room, my old party put huge effort into finding recruits for any and every local state, and national office the could pick up. It seemed they liked finding cheaper senators in some small states as a key to national power, as well as a major effort to install governors and judges.
Though both parties do some Gerrymandering, my old party seems to have become particularly venal in Gerrymandering and voter suppression through corrupt voter verification and false challenges. I dug a bit deeper in North Carolina's amazing popular vote totals for House members being within about half a percent in favor of Gerrymandered and voter suppressed districts in the overall totals but my old party claimed 10 of the then 13 seats.
I suspect the half percent advantaged would have been overcome easily with fairer district boundaries and all legitimate voters being able to vote so that a fair distribution of seats would be 7 to 6, and probably in favor of Democrats.
Re: your last sentence: My cell phone often tells me "scam likely". I always let those ring, and maybe one in 20 leaves a message. Once, about 6 months ago, there was a message left from a pollster. 95% of those calls there is no message.
Maybe they are polling the young people who do not accept Biden funding genocide.
I’m all in on continued assistance to Ukraine. Russia will bomb them into dust if we don’t force a negotiated settlement. But there was a time when we here held sway on whether to encourage a Russian invasion. We refused to agree to not accept the chance of a new NATO member. This precipitated an invasion. Now the only importance is to make Putin pay for his folly.
Yes we included arms to Israel and I was dead set against my tax dollars going to slaughter woman and children. I understand the history and politics of the Middle East. Both our political parties have taken Jewish lobby money and we have given a green light to everything the Israelis have wanted including ethnic cleansing. The truth is hard to accept but it doesn’t make it less true, in my opinion. Man loves warfare because it validates his aggressive selfish nature.
As to the polls falling short, democracy is a messy business. We may not survive because everyone can vote regardless of intelligence. You can put a Rodes (misspelled) scholar next to a blooming idiot yet both have the same ability to vote.
To reiterate an old catch phrase, “It’s the border, stupid.” When homeland secretary Mayorkas was asked why Biden hasn’t invoked an executive order, his response was that it wouldn’t hold up in court. My God, how dense can anyone be. I don’t care about anything but winning and this arrogant response was plum foolish. My opinion.
Now, let me return to some shut eye.
........... "We refused to agree to not accept the chance of a new NATO member. This precipitated an invasion" You say Bill.
That is exactly Putin's reason for invading a neighbouring sovereign European nation, in a particularly brutal manner. A nation who unilaterally handed over all nuclear weapons (the only nation ever to do so) and who we swore to protect.
They didn't just want to join NATO, they wanted to join the EU and embrace the pillats of western values.
I put it to you that you are spouting Russian propaganda
I put it to you that I have an independent mind and I don’t tow anyone’s talking points. We encouraged the Ukrainian revolution against Russia. We pushed NATO east when a defacto un written agreement existed not to do so. And too, western Ukraine is or was nearly Russian in culture. I don’t care if these are anyone’s talking points. They are mine. Go find yours.
It's amazing how pure pro-Russian arguments seep into the global discourse.
That last one! Good grief, "nearly Russian in culture"!!!
Ireland is nearly English in culture, in fact only became independent from Britain in 1949. The British have far more justification for invading Ireland and bombing Dublin than Putin has to invade the Ukraine.
"Push NATO east!!! " Clearly Sweden and Finland have been conned into joining that global peacekeeping organization (which Putin says is planning to invade Moscow.
Your "talking points" echo the Kremlin.
View points that are seeping in to mainstream thought.... now, how DO they do that?
And you conveniently set aside my opening point that there is no choice but to insure a victory for Ukraine. So no, I AM NOT RUSSIAN TALKING POINTS. Sorry to disappoint you. And I almost forgot, the north americas should be British. We would be better off. (wink)
Russians forced themselves on Ukraine, overtaking the Ukrainians, who were eternally kept to the grainfields. You take some pride in the wholesale starvation of Ukrainians during the 30s I see? How many million do you think? Try Timothy Snyder's Bloodlands for a taste. You realize of course that the president of Ukraine happens to be native Russian speaking, right?
Did we push NATO east or did those former Soviet satellites see a better life? Perhaps you might read Red Famine.
“Nearly Russian in culture?” Would that justify Mexico cleansing the inhabitants of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, California? After all, there are many Spanish-speaking inhabitants in those states, which used to be part of Mexico. Maybe Mexico would have a valid reason to want the land back?
The fact that Ukraine has sacrificed tens of thousands to remain independent tells you all you want to know about that argument. And some Ukrainian refugee families, like the one living in my home, left their culture, language, jobs, lands, families to avoid becoming part of the reconstituted Russian Empire.
Pardon me. A fund drive to give Texas back to Mexico. It belongs to them. All right Marge, so I over played it with “nearly Russian in culture.” Me bad. But my overall reaction is that every decade or so, we find another justification for war. America is the most war-like nation on earth if you haven’t noticed. I wonder where and what the next invasion will be. Maybe we can take Canada.
I sadly must agree about our warlike history. But let’s not take Canada. Canada is my safe house if we end up having a civil war here!
That idiots can vote is a real downside to democracy. As we are experiencing daily, at least in Texas. But we must try for as many sane (not cult nuts) as possible. Would hate for the Jim Jones cult nuts to have survived and gained political power. Oh, wait…
Interesting comments, Bill, not that I agree everywhere, and entertaining as well.
It is complicated and it seems many Ukrainians shifted attitudes when attacked, to me much like our America First types until Pearl Harbor.
And I wonder how much FDR purposely forced the Japanese hand to attack after we placed a quarantine around Japan attempting to deprive them of oil assets. We don’t read this in our text books. After the attack, FDR got his war.
He was trying to force the inevitable even earlier according to my mentor Cpl Joe Bak who was surrendered at Corregidor. He pointed me to the story of the Lanikai as described at https://wavetrain.net/2010/12/04/cruise-of-the-lanikai-fdrs-sacrificial-lamb/
They were supposedly going to claim to be looking for survivors from a plane from what I seem to remember, and expected to be fired upon as a trigger for us to become much more actively defensive and/or offensive.
The Japanese had occupied French Indochina (July 15, 1940), when their ally, Germany, nominally got control of all of France's colonies, trust territories, etc. That seems the trigger for the oil and steel embargo responses. They had been acquiring territories like Korea as early as 1910, and intruding into China as early as 1931. Joe said they were feeling their oats after defeating what they considered a major European power , Russia, in 1905. After he was released from a Japanese labor camp, Joe would have recognized the map of all their conquests at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_territories_acquired_by_the_Empire_of_Japan
That link doesn't show Tahiti, where some local German Nazis organized a little parade assuming they would soon be in charge of the local Vichy French government. A GS13 Training specialist at the Space Systems Command and Control School where I was an Instructor Supervisor was a 15 year old at the time, who grew up in Tahiti. He said they rather quickly rained on their parade before the population formally voted to side with the Free French, though it seems there were many individuals who ended up joining allied units vs no organized Tahitian units I know of.
I wouldn't put to much judgment in the media. Polls change constantly.
Selective Herb.
Simon Rosenberg is does a good job, well tesearched.
Maybe but it’s healthy to consider all sides.
So good to see the legal "noose" slowly tightening on all these anti-democracy conspirators...
The contrast between the Biden administration's expansive activities, both at home and internationally, and the shrinking influence of the Republican'ts is striking and encouraging.
Actions always speak louder than words.
YES 👍
It was nice to see AZ indict Trump, Guiliani, Meadows and Eastman along with the rest of the Republican election interferers.
AZ redacted their names in the indictment until they could be served. I hope they serve Trump on his way in to court this morning and announce what they did to the myriad press covering the trial.
One thing coming out of Arizona that I haven't seen anybody but Rachel Maddow cover is that there were two sets of fraudulent electors sent to congress. One is the one that is center stage right now, the other was from the "Osieski Group" which was a bunch of Constitutionalists.
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/04/24/arizonas-second-slate-of-2020-fake-electors-were-not-indicted/73419634007/
In my time as a deputy, I dealt with these folks a lot. Pretty far out there as far as a belief structure is concerned.
TFG was listed as a co conspirator but not indicted. Will he get a notice?
Ditto
Chickens always come home to roost.
“Biden’s focus on the slow, steady work of governance is a change from the actions of Republican leaders since 1981 whose goal was not to build up successful programs that helped Americans in general, but rather to slash the government”. There we have a succinct summary of why we need to re-elect Biden -Harris !
Except possible funding genocide and the proxy war with Ukraine. The young people protesting the Genocide in Gaza are not falling for the Biden PR train. They know that their futures are being squandered over war and genocide funding.
Please talk about Hamas’s goal to “Kill all Jews”, and Netanyahu’s goal of staying out of jail by creating a security crisis as the basis for the horrible destruction and killing in Gaza. Hamas attacked first, but now the world sees Netanyahu’s scorched earth policy for what it is. The US supports its allies, and continues to pressure Netanyahu to get a grip. What about Iran’s role?
Please discuss Putin’s crazed aggression against Ukraine, and the Ukrainian refusal to allow an occupation, as the basis for the very real struggle there-there is no proxy about it. Putin’s probably regrets not acting while Trump was still in office, because Trump would have let him get away with it, but that is the wonderful thing about American politics, policies change with administrations.
You seem to blame Biden for the actions of criminal aggressors around the world. Why?
How do you come up with a term genocide? This is not Rwanda or any other active measure to eliminate a population. This is a war started by Hamas. Behind Hamas was iran and Russia. It’s amazing how people forget about October 7. Hamas launched a full scale war against Israel with a division of invaders. How can you forget about the rape and pillaging? How can you forget about kidnapping children elders. Any rational country in the world would retaliate. I think we would all like to see a more surgical targeted Israeli response. It’s fine for us to be armchair critics sitting comfortably in our safe American homes. The situation in the Middle East is a human tragedy. We all wish to see the end of suffering and destruction. Name-calling and labeling solves nothing – it only inflames the polarization. Why can’t Americans understand the complexity of the history of the Middle East. We are intellectually lazy And ill informed. I’m willing to bet that most people are just seeing images on their phones and jumping to all sorts of conclusions. Just look at American history how many people died in the Civil War? Was the bombing of Japan and Germany genocide? Our parents and grandparents would tell us that we were in an existential struggle
talk to elderly British people. They experienced an existential struggle against the Germans. Was it genocide that the Germans fire bombed London ?Was it genocide that the British fire bombed Dresden? These are complex questions and we cannot reduce them to a soundbite or images on TikTok. Israel is at war against an enemy that has pledged to wipe out the Jewish people. Wake up folks.
Genocide would include, among other means of torture, the starvation of an entire population
So did the United States commit genocide in Japan? This is probably more a case of siege in the ancient tradition. You need to look at the context. Hamas burrowed into the underground infrastructure hiding behind civilians who are captive of their ruler. Pre-October 7 people in Gaza good work in Israel and bring money back. There was a kind of deal going on that’s all destroyed now. It’s possible to be highly critical of the Netanyahu government, and what is an overreaction, and also to condemn the Hamas invasion in the indescribable acts of terror. They’re both wrong. But here we are. We need to move towards the cease fire and de militarization.
I agree with your assessment of where we are, and certainly the demilitarization of our society and the specific Israel War in Gaza. Interesting point you bring forth about our bombing Japan, and the Ana;ysis to be had whether it was genocide. I nuclear bomb on civilians? I feel the case can be made that is genocide ...
There are levels of genocide perhaps. Outright ethnic cleansing like Armenia in 1915 or the Holocaust. And mass casualties of war like we are seeing now. Stalin’s genocide of Ukrainians was an intent to eliminate a population. Only the extreme right wing radicals in Netanyahu’s government talk about that level of elimination. I think Gaza is revenge and siege. The boundary between war and outright elimination of a people needs clarification.
They have no effing clue how fast chump would endorse Bibi and screw every Palestinian. Short sighted like many who should know better.
I fully share your concern over the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Nora. I do not think that defending the Ukrainian Republic is a proxy war, however, and I remain firmly in support of our continuing defense of Ukraine.
Nonetheless, I am concerned about the previously undisclosed shipment of tactical missiles (ATACMS) to Ukraine. I am not sure whether these are necessary or not to deter the Russian invasion, but they clearly represent an escalation of the war that is greatly concerning.
Atacms with a 100 mile range have previously been used in Ukraine. The Biden Administration resisted them as escalating but eventually sent them. Russia began using North Korean ballistic missiles to reach any city in Ukraine and target civilian infrastructure. Russia was warned not to do this. Biden approved the longer range Atacms and kept it a. secret at Ukraines request. Neither the 100 mile range missile or the 186 mile range missile have been used inside Russia. Ukraine does not recognize Crimea as belonging to Russia or any other Ukraine territory claimed by Russia as being inside Russia. Biden is only giving Ukraine what it needs to defend its self. Weapon upgrades may be escalating but not in my mind.
Ukraine should be able to send a missile to any site that is firing missiles at them.
Uh, not really. That's the philosophy espoused by Nixon and Kissinger to justify the Cambodian invasion. I'm not saying they shouldn't defend themselves, or that they shouldn't fire on Russian military installations that serve as the base of operations in Ukraine. Only that this is one of those wars that could easily metastasize, and both combatants should avoid that. To the extent that we have some control over the Ukrainians, we should and most likely are making that clear.
Russia has nuclear weapons. Ukraine gave theirs to Russia.
Your clarity about Crimea is appreciated, Wayne. I hadn't thought specifically about the distance between the mass of Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula portion thereof.
From where I sit, as a strong Dem supporter, donor, and former volunteer worker, I have long felt that these two issues President Biden's only significant failures. I strongly feel that he has been too timid on providing stronger weapons to Ukraine soon enough to keep them from always being behind, and that he has been both too late and mostly ineffective in reining in Netanyahoo. We're giving them a hellova lot of money, weapons, and active military support -- we ought to be using it as a hammer, and cut them off if they fail to follow international laws of warfare.
JIm, the help we give Israel is essential to its survival. I don't agree with how the war on Hamas has been conducted. I don't agree that Gazans should be starved.
But believe it or not, there are larger considerations. Without our support, Israel would be weaker and vulnerable to the efforts of Iran to erase it - via Hamas and Hezbollah and its other proxies. Millions of people in the neighborhood are still committed to eliminating Israel as a nation.
As to Gaza, there is no denying the horror. But may I ask how you would deal with Hamas who has only one position - to kill all Jews? You can't negotiate with mad men who don't even want a two state solution. They want a "final solution" and they are obviously quite capable and readily willing to sacrifice their own women and children for the cause. What kind of soldiers hide in tunnels under camps, hospitals and shopping centers? Soldiers that let their own be killed for international sympathy.
When America was faced with enemies in WWII, many civilians suffered. It's no different now. Ugly, awful and despicable. If Hamas wanted the war to end they would turn over the hostages and surrender now. They know they will lose eventually. What kind of soldiers continue to fight and watch their own people suffer and die needlessly?
BTW, where are the demonstrations and protests over the deeds of October 7th? Where is the collective shame for that? Why aren't sympathisers for Palestine embarrassed and outraged at that attack? An act that literally invited the devastating attacks that followed. Invited. Hamas got what they wanted. What Iran wanted. What Putin wanted.
I think Netanyahu is a monster just like Trump. But blaming Joe Biden for a conflagration that has been going on for thousands of years is a mistake.
And what may I ask is the purpose and result of not supporting Joe Biden? Does anyone think Trump would try to restrain his FRIEND Bibi? Is Trump a friend of Muslims? Seriously?
Withholding support for the ONLY democracy (as flawed as it is) in the region is a gift to Iran and Putin who will applaud you.
Withholding a vote for Biden/Harris is a vote for Trump and Project 2025. Get out the plywood for your windows. They'll be coming for us.
So tired of all the killing.
I went to the traveling Aucshwitz exhibit in Boston Sunday. We have learned nothing it would seem.
Agreed. Part of the problem is that there is a generational divide. My generation had two fears and horrors. The pictures and stories of the concentration camps and the real possibility of nuclear incineration.
I don't think we have taught either one thoroughly enough.
I think we can disagree with Netanyahu on Gaza vehemently. But we shouldn't ever forget that Hamas has the same goal as the Nazis. Extermination.
1000% agree with both your premises.
I agree, Jim
I strongly agree with the second point (Netanyahu); the first (Ukraine), I believe is contingent on Congress' consent, exercised with funding — as we've seen for the last six months; unless I'm mistaken, and the President can act unilaterally as he pleases. Additionally, along with gaining broad NATO-country support for Ukraine, how can we weigh the strategic concerns known by the Joint Chiefs when they advise the White House?
His failures with Ukraine were from the beginning of the war, when he was always refusing to send the more powerful weapons that they needed. His concern was Putin's escalation of the conflict, unwilling to call his bluff.
Maybe if Putin stops “escalating” and pulls back to his legal territory the rest of the free world could direct resources elsewhere? You leave out the part of the equation that blames the bad actor for this problem. Why is that?
I didn't "leave it out" as I was speaking of our (US) contribution to possible escalation of an already horrific war. The bad actor is not within our control, whereas our allies to whom we are sending deadly weapons is, to a certain degree.
There is neither logic nor morality in ratcheting up a ceaseless, retributive back and forth escalation of war, as history has quite clearly shown.
Again, as I previously stated, we don't fully know whether these newly revealed missiles are necessary to the Ukrainian defense. The more they are, the more they could be justified.
Help me out: are ATACMS smart bombs, or dumb bombs?
Nora, if it was genocide in Gaza, how did half the population get to move away from the fighting in the north, as Hamas was using tunnels built under Gaza homes, hospitals and mosques to continue launching rocket attacks against Israel after Oct 7? That is a war, urban warfare, with Hamas soldiers shooting back and going back into tunnels. (That sounds brave, but they have been using Gaza residents as human shields.)
Recall how the number of dead reached 30,000 early this year? The numbers haven't been rising as fast lately, which indicates a measured strategy. If it were a true genocide instead of a horrible war, the tolls would be far higher. We wouldn't be worrying about 1,000,000 refugees near Rafah.
I, too, want to see israel take even more measures to limit collateral casualties. But they need to finish the task of destroying the Hamas tunnels and reducing Hamas ammunition stores to insignificance. I, too, wish that support for anti-missile defense systems wasn't necessary. But please recall that tens of thousands of rockets launched at civilian areas by Hamas since 2006. Please recall the sporadic rocket attacks by Hezbolla from Lebanon, and their huge stockpile of over 100,000 more rockets intended for future attacks. Recall the recent attack of Israel by Iran.
If one were to imagine what it has been like to raise a family in Israel - racing to the "safe room" regularly as rockets slam into your neighborhood for MANY years, one might understand the Israeli perspective. Too many kids have only known a life of being randomly attacked from birth through now.
I agree with you but also see the other side. How many of the thousands of women and children had to be killed to find (?) Hamas? Can’t the Hamas cross the border and become (temporarily?) untouchable? Can’t they blend in with the Palestinians, therefore “justifying” more civilian casualties? How can Israel realistically expect to eliminate Hamas?
It certainly looks like pushing them south into a “safe zone” and now attacking the “safe zone” can be seen as an effort to cleanse Gaza (perhaps Jarred knows something about prospective beachfront properties that will open up for development?).
I have been a fervid supporter of Israel since I was 12 and learned about the Holocaust. But Netanyahu is not Israel or the Israelis. He is trying to stay out of jail just like Trump.
I don’t think there is a win here - for either side. It’s likely to get worse in the long term as a result of the deaths in Gaza.
I know Biden is trying and Netanyahu is blowing him off. So what do we do? Temporarily reduce funding? Or?
It takes the US forever to intercede in mass killings. Think Bosnia. I’ve read all of Samantha Powers’ books and can only conclude that we can’t or won’t resolve this horror.
Marge, if you have read Samantha Power's portrayals of our past conflicts, you know more than most. When one group acts with hateful, insanely cruel violence, there is never a good solution. But try, we must.
I have many frustrations over this conflict. One of the big ones occurs when armchair observers think that if we would "just do this" or "just stop doing that" somehow the larger problem will be resolved. The other is when an observer completely ignores the point of view held by one side in favor of the other.
Israel has a right to exist. Palestinians have a right to a home and self rule. Israelis have been persecuted forever. Palestinians were displaced and shoved into a tiny space. Israelis near Gaza had developed relationships with Gazans - trading peacefully. Hamas raped and murdered many of them. Gazans had been short of food and water long before October 7th. Israelis lived in fear of Hamas rockets for longer than that.
What I don't hear from any direction is that Jews and Muslims have more in common than many other people on the planet. Their religious origins are not that different. Both are persecuted and discriminated against. And I bet if you go back far enough, some of them share DNA.
When I look around for examples of a people who pulled themselves out of years of mortal combat, I think of the Irish. I think of Rwanda. I think of the Balkans. I think of the Japanese and the Koreans. I'd like to hear more conversations about the possibilities for peace. I think it was the women of Ireland that moved the men to stop.
My wife's cousin is a teacher in Israel. She received multiple awards for her projects that bring Jewish and Muslim kids together to learn about each other's cultures. There are many more like her who live and work together. Peace is possible. But I have noticed that most of the war mongering and violence is perpetrated by men.
And I don't hear enough about all the persistent efforts Biden and Blinken have made to develop better relationships between Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other Muslim neighbors. In fact, they were close to an arrangement that would support Israel's right to exist and enhance trading. But Iran, allied with Putin saw those Sunnis as a threat to their regional influence - hence the encouragement of Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis and various other proxy groups in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon to attack Israel. The Shiite religious fanatics leading Iran were encouraged by Putin to distract us from his invasion and his savaging of Ukraine. It's all connected.
But if we "just do this" thinking prevails among the media and those who don't read things like the books of Samantha Powers or look for the back stories.
Sorry for the rant. You caught me in a state of frustration.
Your rants are ok. This post is excellent. I sometimes sob when I see what violence is being perpetrated (mostly by men, you are correct). And 20-some years ago I invited refugees from the Balkan war to live with me until they felt safe and financially stable. I still get tears in my throat remembering what happened to them. The way religions give people the right to kill “unbelievers” is beyond me. The scariest thing about Christian Nationalists is that they want to tear down the wall that has protected Americans from each other (well, mostly).
Nora, why do they think Trump would be pro-Palestinian in any way? He has demonstrated that he is 100% on the side of Netanyahu (and the other dictators: Putin, Orban, etc). And staying home, or voting for a third party could very well result in a Trump presidency. Self righteousness may feel good, but take a broader view (ie weighing the unintended consequences of voting against Biden). Trump would be much worse for the Palestinians.
They also slashed taxes for the wealthy and gave them more loop holes. Dropping the corporate tax rate
In 2005, our income was ($-9000.00) and because of the AMT we owed the Feds $1300. Bring back the AMT. (Don't feel bad for us, we did it by choice and didn't go on the dole).
On the dole? What does that mean I today’s terms. You didn’t apply to get food stamps?
OK -- positives Heather cites again today. Till the last sentence.
There, she notes in the Arizona indictments that Trump is an unindicted co-conspirator. Which may remind us what this week is, what it features.
This week, April 25: perhaps the most disgraceful day in U.S. history.
This signals the day the Clarence court pushed its lengthy delay of justice for its, their favorite corrupt politician.
Worse, it did so, they did so, for the first time in U.S. history to venture some indeed as above the law. They – the bribed, perjured, corrupted Clarence court – thus set themselves also above the law. They may take bribes. They may use congressional confirmation hearings to perjure themselves. They may finally, too, place themselves beyond accountability to how their conceits for medieval theocracy also allows state control of women.
In ceding long delay of justice for their favorite fat, orange grifter and rapist, these deeply corrupt now poise also to end the Chevron Precedent and so end accountability by all billionaires to the federal government for workplace safety, health care, and environmental protection.
It was already accomplished Phil. I am a victim from tfg defunding OSHA under his tortuous tenure, and now now 7 years disabled. Media would lead most folks to believe that the whole 'defunding' idea was born with left wingers. I am testament that defunding was invented and the policy of the extreme right.
Sorry to hear of your own personal connection to all this, D4N.
May you focus all the better for it. May you extend your range of sympathy, concern, apt rage.
So much going on. An earlier (2010) version of the current corrupt court ruled Citizens United -- greatest gift to the billionaire classes ever (till now).
Now, we not only have the Clarence Court, but all those far right foundations in wake of the long-ago Powell memo. The Heritage Foundation. ALEC. Hoover Institution. Federalist Society. Claremont. Project 2025. All mega-funded, inter-connected, coordinating, with tens of thousands of lobbyists paying off the many, many elite bribed, and plenty of white trash in Congress, too.
Yes, Phil and just mention Leonard Leo’s name too. He is the leader of the pack. Obsessive-compulsive creator of 40 shell companies, one of which has Ginni Thomas at the helm. All are under 501 3(c), charitable status, in the name of “christianity”.
" . . . in the name of [C]hristianity."
What a sense of humor, Marlene.
Check, check; you seem to know and check the same boxes I do Phil. Unknown to many close to me, I've always been a history and politics nerd.
It’s shockingly obvious why the oligarchs prefer Trump. Joe is pro-union, anti-monopoly, in favor of fair taxation, pro-choice (in policy if not in his Catholic heart, for which I admire him even more), pro-environment and government regulation. He’s going beyond incrementalism. He’s so anti-everything that financially benefits the oligarchs that I sometimes worry they might have him assassinated!
Good grief. You sure stand up straight by the clarity of your comments, D4N. And as you say, I have to agree. I check most of those boxes too.
RR, you just might not believe the breadth of my misfortunes, and education earned as a result of personal experience. *Even here, or especially here I must add how repulsive and personally repugnant i find it to my core, how very much I dislike referring to myself as any "victim." We've all heard enough of "I'm a victim" from tfg ! I have a brother in fact that is one of 'those' for every misfortune in his life - even hangnails ! I have lived among many of the type like tfg, which easily made his game more obvious to me. There are however times that the word does apply and there's no other right word for the misfortune. Of course to some others, that's all purely 'academic' - experience teaches things that academics can't. But try to convince an academic of that one. ( - ;
Plainly said but money is the root or route of all evil and belief in a higher functionary (the Lord) has nothing to do with the matter. Morals and ethics are of no influence. It’s money and the naked desire to accumulate more and more over the health and security of We, the People be damned.
I'd argue one point Bill; not money itself, but 'this' as you state, "naked desire to accumulate more..." I have to admit that 'more' and security is a basic human instinct, or the race might not have survived. The particular ill of 'more' are those basic instincts gone to madness; "More for 'me' and the hell with thee" as I would coin it. It's an illness, but also as 'they' would say, "It's all just good bidniss." Even when groups of those conspire to monopolize, it is maintained that it's all just "Good bidniss." *Hell, they will even sue your azz in court if you challenge their 'opportunity' to turn a profit that they speculate or estimate,,,, How nuts is that Bill ? Lawsuits have gone on around the country to that effect.
So sorry to hear that D4N. Glad you can "work" so well here on these pages.
From you Mary... I take that as very high praise and blush; honestly I do. I'm humbled each time I read here over the thoughtful and learned who commune hear - I learn and grow every single time.
Right back at you! Every single time!!
Phil, as to unindicted co-conspirator 1 (we know who that is,) Atty Cheseboro (another unindicted co-conspirator) is cooperating with prosecutors in this matter in AZ, and charges can still be brought if and when a fulsome case is made. Defendant Donny's legal problems aren't going away quite yet.
Good, Doug, as to his legal problems which "aren't going away quite yet."
Clarence court has given him a lifeline. Aileen Cannon is Florida is in the bag for him.
But a larger landscape shows public-spirited intelligence apparently up and fighting for us, the little people, fighting for the republic whose ditty we used to recite with hands on our hearts.
I think we're all avid for these public servants -- I think most of us check in on the news with personal, vested interest, passionate interest, all the time.
My only Q: can these trials, good attorneys, and decent legal scholars combine to keep at bay the much-more-organized, much-more-seriously-heavily-funded billionaire classes?
It is time for we voting citizens to recognize the importance of people running for office who refuse corporate money, like Katie Porter and others, for instance to urge citizen groups to study the situations together beginning with local elections, which are eventually and fairly quickly a more sound basis for larger elections. The Republicans have been doing this for decades.
I don't know, Phil. Speaking of good attorneys and money, did you read where George Conway gave $1MM to the Biden reelection campaign?
It'll be curious to see how quickly the SCOTUS decides on the pres immunity issue being heard today. Probably too late for Jack Smith to continue before November -- there's a nod to your Billionaire classes.
Yes, Doug, saw him quizzed on that nearly one-million-dollar contribution.
It was droll-funny, as it involved his eldest girl particularly, who saw that money as no longer anywhere near her potential inheritance orbit.
The recent Pecker testimony reminds us of the extensive right-wing propaganda media that misinforms less-educated Americans. Add in Fox, extreme radio, Fox clones, evangelical preachers, internet unregulated posts, etc. Finally, add in the politicians who are obviously being paid to act and to refuse to act. Republicans call all thi$ “Free Speech.”
Add to that the Russian and Chinese trolls.
Atty Cheseboro is a snake. Don’t trust the guy.
My dyslexic brain, coupled with my junior high mentality cannot help but refer to him as "Cheesebro".
It seemed yesterday Phil, during the Idaho abortion case, that it was the Alito Theocratic Court. He called unborn fetuses "CHILDREN" in his unsolicited oral opinion.
He is a Catholic first and foremost and believes that women and children are the property of men as well as believing that fetuses are children with all of the rights of the quick.
I don't know why Phil Balla is calling April 25 '...perhaps the most disgraceful day in U.S. history.'
and calls out 'the Clarence court' for a role in the indictments achieved by the Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D).
'The indictments cap a year-long investigation by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D) into how the elector strategy played out in Arizona, which Biden won by 10,457 votes. Arizona is the fourth state after Michigan, Georgia and Nevada to seek charges against those who formed an alternate slate of presidential electors. As those cases slowly make their way through the legal system, Trump is again running for president, and officials in Arizona and other battleground states are preparing for another likely contentious election.' (WAPO)
'In releasing the indictment, Mayes’s office redacted the names of all the individuals outside of Arizona who were charged until they have been served their indictments. The Washington Post was able to identify all of them through the accounts of their alleged actions described in the indictment.'
“In Arizona, and the United States, the people elected Joseph Biden as President on November 3, 2020,” the indictment reads. “Unwilling to accept this fact, Defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency” to keep Trump in office “against the will of Arizona’s voters.”
“This scheme would have deprived Arizona voters of their right to vote and have their votes counted.”
'Attorneys for several of those charged cast the indictment as politically motivated. George Terwilliger, a lawyer representing Meadows, said that if his client “is named in this indictment, it is a blatantly political and politicized accusation and will be contested and defeated.” Charles Burnham, an attorney for Eastman, said the lawyer “is innocent of criminal conduct in Arizona or any other place and will fight these charges as he has all the other unjust accusations leveled against him.” And Ted Goodman, a spokesman for Giuliani, called the indictment a “continued weaponization of our justice system should concern every American, as it does permanent, irrevocable harm to the country.” (WAPO) See the gifted link below. Big thank you to Ally! She generously provided this gifted one.
https://wapo.st/4aOOO1s
True enough what you say about the Arizona indictments, Fern.
But mine earlier dealt with a different matter entirely -- the Clarence court's eagerness to take seriously Trump's claims to be above the law.
You got correct my date citing April 25 as the day the Clarence court set for its honoring its boy, Trump. The Arizona indictments were a day earlier, April 24.
Phil, you also pointed to HRC last line in the letter, which dealt with Trump being an unindicted conspirator in the Arizona District Attorney's case, so the faults rest with thee.
That was a transition line, Fern, from hers of April 24 to the disgrace too-long-set for next day.
Excuses, excuses!
Thanks, Fern, even when you post something that makes me throw up in my mouth!
Marge, your condition is very common among many of us in these times. Salud!
https://wapo.st/4aOOO1s
Shorter link, not sure it'll show up as a gift...
THANK YOU, ALLY! I copied your gifted link and pasted it at the end my comment, with BIG THANKS to you.
As always. <curtsies>
I missed it; what did SCROTUS do?
Thank you, Dr Richardson for this really uplifting post. People need to know how hard Biden is working every day to improve the safety and earning ability of the vast majority of us. Instead of riding around his "personal golf courses" he is either in his office or on the road getting important thing done. Now what was that about age?
Yeah. Fay! Biden blew the door right off! No age problems for him.
Agreed!!
Where is the 'double like' button ?
Thanks. That would be a good idea! I am often so impressed by some of the posts I'd like to give standing ovations.
Fay, this is one reason I upgraded to paid, because I have learned so much from the comments on HCR’s letters.
Agreed! It is worth every penny, her knowledge of history is legendary
"Bobb is now senior counsel for “election integrity” for the Republican National Committee." Was it 'Sesame Street' characters who taught, "These two things do not go together." I'd lol, but that hurts too badly even for my sense of humor.
"One of these things is not like the other". Something we would sing when investigating people who had done things that came to our attention and were lying about it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRi5MinJBOA
Thank you for mentioning that Sesame Street song. Some really took it to an extreme that Jim Hensen never imagined…
My motto, and this should be his campaign slogan is We Do Better Under Biden!
Suggesting slight amendment: We do better with Biden.
Accepted. Better with Biden!
Hahaha. Very good semantic change!
Big smile to Linda and Kay. We Do Better With Biden!
This encapsulates why Biden should get another term as President! He knows how to govern 😍
“Over the years, it seems we have become accustomed to the idea that flame-throwing defines politics, but in fact, Biden’s reliance on slow, careful negotiation harks back to the eras when leaders sought to build coalitions and find common ground in order to pass legislation.”
Thank you HCR 🙏
Thank you, Dr. Bob, for highlighting that! It's much more than "a leadership style". Hammering out our differences, no matter how slowly or painfully the process may be, is a hallmark of our system. It's what creates the difference between a "ruling" government and a participatory one. Disrupting that expectation in the public mind to the point where we take it as normal for "The Powers That Be" to steamroll any dissent undermines that system at its roots.
Did we get to flame-throwing by accident? I doubt it. Consensus is hard to reach and takes time, and very few people in leadership jobs these days were trained or selected to be thoughtful, patient, and methodical enough to operate that way. Rather, the system has been rewarding "sociopathic leaders" in both business and government for quite some time.
That Joe Biden has brought this back speaks volumes about his beliefs for America.
Ukraine is still hanging by a thread!
Today's AP article about Biden signing the bill for US aid to Ukraine indicates that Russia's military forces have severely damaged the country during the 6 + month delay in US funding. Precarious is the the word I use for Ukraine. It needs a lot more than it is getting from US, including much stronger air defense, and who knows when there will be more.
“We rose to the moment, we came together, and we got it done,” Biden said a White House event to announce the bill signing. “Now we need to move fast, and we are.” (AP)
'But significant damage has been done to the Biden administration’s effort to help Ukraine repel Russia’s invasion during the funding impasse that dates back to August, when the Democratic president made his first emergency spending request for Ukraine. Even with a burst of new weapons and ammunition, it’s unlikely Ukraine will immediately recover after months of setbacks.'
'Biden immediately approved sending Ukraine $1 billion in military assistance, the first installment from about $61 billion allocated for Ukraine. The package includes air defense capabilities, artillery rounds, armored vehicles and other weapons to shore up Ukrainian forces who have seen morale sink as Russian President Vladimir Putin has racked up win after win.'
'Meanwhile, Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials confirmed Wednesday. The U.S. is providing more of the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, in the new military package, according to one official who was not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity.'
'Still, longer term, it remains uncertain if Ukraine, after months of losses and massive damage to its infrastructure, can make enough progress to sustain American political support before burning through the latest influx of money.'
'White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan cautioned that even as new U.S. aid flows into Ukraine, it’s possible that Russia will continue to make tactical gains in the weeks ahead.'
“The fact is that it’s going to take some time for us to dig out of the hole that was created by six months of delay,” 'he said.'
'Far-right Republicans have adamantly opposed sending more money for Ukraine, with the war appearing to have no end in sight. Biden in August requested more than $20 billion to keep aid flowing into Ukraine, but the money was stripped out of a must-pass spending bill.'
'By late October, Republicans finally settled on Johnson, a low-profile Louisiana Republican whose thinking on Ukraine was opaque, to serve as the next speaker. Biden during his congratulatory call with Johnson urged him to quickly pass Ukraine aid and began a monthslong, largely behind-the-scenes effort to bring the matter to a vote.'
'In private conversations with Johnson, Biden and White House officials leaned into the stakes for Europe if Ukraine were to fall to Russia. On explicit orders from Biden, White House officials also avoided directly attacking Johnson over the stalled aid.'
'Biden praised Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., saying in the end they' “stepped up and did the right thing.”
“History will remember this moment,” 'he said.'
'At frustrating moments during the negotiations, Biden urged his aides to' “just keep talking, keep working,” 'according to a senior administration official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal discussions.'
'So they did. In a daily meeting convened by White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, the president’s top aides would brainstorm possible ways to better make the case about Ukraine’s dire situation in the absence of aid.'
'The White House also sought to accommodate Johnson and his various asks. For instance, administration officials at the speaker’s request briefed Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., two conservatives who were persistent antagonists of Johnson.'
'In public, the administration deployed a strategy of downgrading intelligence that demonstrated Russia’s efforts to tighten its ties with U.S. adversaries China, North Korea and Iran to fortify Moscow’s defense industrial complex and get around U.S. and European sanctions.'
'The $61 billion can help triage Ukrainian forces, but Kyiv will need much more for a fight that could last years, military experts say.'
'Realistic goals for the months ahead for Ukraine — and its allies — include avoiding the loss of major cities, slowing Russia’s momentum and getting to Kyiv additional weaponry that could help them go on the offensive in 2025, said Bradley Bowman, a defense strategy and policy analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington.'
“I think Ukrainian success is not guaranteed,” Bowman said, “but Russian success is if we stop supporting Ukraine.” (AP) See link below.
https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-mike-johnson-ukraine-israel-b72aed9b195818735d24363f2bc34ea4
Thank you for the information Fern!!!👍!!
Thank you, Lynette, for your attention. We all need to pay attention to what is happening to democracies, including our own!
Thanks, as always, for the article.
Thanks Fern.
Thank you, Jean-Pierre, for your attention to Ukraine's fierce and deadly struggle for survival. PRECARIOUS and UNCERTAIN are CALL words that Americans need to hear concerning our rights, the rule of law, free and fair elections, the functions of government and public service... spelling out DEMOCRACY.
Thanks, as always, Fern. I was especially struck by news that Biden kept pressing his staff to " just keep talking, keep working" with Speaker Johnson et al. Biden, the master of negotiations, clearly LEADING this country and the world.
Ah, MaryPat, the time has come. I have canceled my subscription to LFAA. Being a subscriber has been an excellent learning from you and other subscribers as well at from HCR. My mind is ready to explore new territory. I am carrying some portion of your precious spirit with me; that's my instinct to survive. To our work for democracy, each other and to your good health and heart!
Big HUG, SISTER!
P.S. Fern: you can still read HCR on facebook, but I am afraid I could not find you there amonst her multitudes of fans. Be Well!
Oh, Fern, BIG HuG TO YOU, TOO, SISTER!! Thank you for all the truth and wisdom and heart you have brought us, and me. All the BEST to you, SISTER!!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🎼
Yes, MaryPat, that was mentioned in the article as was a sense of what has been lost to Ukraine because of the delay. The article also indicated what beyond this particular funding may be necessary, if not now, very soon. The following was reported today by Institute for the Study of War.
'US President Joe Biden announced on April 24 that the US will begin sending military equipment to Ukraine “a few hours” after signing a bill that will provide roughly $60 billion of assistance to Ukraine. The United States reportedly provided an unspecified number of long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine in March 2024, some of which Ukraine has already used to strike Russian targets in deep rear areas. The arrival of long-range ATACMS missiles in sufficient quantities will allow Ukrainian forces to degrade Russian logistics and threaten Russian airfields in deep rear areas, although months of delay may have provided the Russian military time to offset the potential operational impacts that ATACMS will afford Ukraine. Ukrainian strikes against Russian logistics or Russian aviation assets in deep rear areas will likely be operationally significant, however, only if Ukrainian forces successfully coordinate them with ground operations to exploit the degraded Russian capabilities resulting from the strikes.'
Folks, we have to remember that Biden is walking - or trying to - a very fine tightrope on the Israeli-Gaza fiasco. America cannot let Israeli down and we can’t dictate to them whom they should elect as their leader - although I do believe that we can signal who shouldn’t be (or have been) their leader … Netanyahu is on the opposite end of the political spectrum - ideological - than Biden/Harris [and Obama/Biden]. We all know - or should - that Netanyahu is trying to remain in power and control of the Israeli government to keep himself out of the court system and certainly in power until our next election hoping that his good buddy trump gets re-elected. What Netanyahu, his government cronies on the right and the IDF are doing to the innocent Palestinian people and Gaza is worse than deplorable. Biden and our choices or options with this situation are very few - but we must be careful and much more forceful with Netanyahu … desperate people do desperate things!
Thank you for the good news about the president’s work and his supporters. Trump is closer to getting what he deserves.
Evening to All you Lovers of the Letter!
As I trip my fingers over the light fantastic of the keyboard, we are just under three months out from the former Party of Lincoln (now Lincoln Rockwell) convening in Milwaukee.
By the time the boatloads of foam rubber fingers, cardboard signs and sub-standard booze are offloaded from the barges in Lake Michigan to fete the conventioneers, their putative Presidential nominee will most likely be a felon.
This poses a most pressing dilemma. Will the GOP go forward with nominating Don Snoreleone in spite of his imminent ride up the Hudson to the Ossining State Correctional Facility, or will they FINALLY decide to cut their losses, and stage the first true nominating convention in over fifty years?!
If the latter, who would they nominate? Former Palmetto State Governor Nikki "Slavery, what slavery?!" would be the leading contender, of course, but they could stay MAGA and go Trump lite with Repugnant Ron. Or would they have the cojones to go totally off script with a candidate hitherto unexperienced on the national campaign trail but beloved by the Kool Aid drinking Fox News audience, such as Odious Elise Stefanik or Pretty-in-Pierre-but-low-in-IQ Kristi Noem?!?
Inquiring minds want to know!!
Amtrak can drop him right off in Ossining. The line goes right past what is colloquially referred to as Sing Sing. If Trump thinks that Manhattan courtroom is cold, he needs to spend the night in sing sing.
🙏
Liked for the Lincoln Rockwell reference. We also date ourselves accordingly.
Me get I remind folks. The war between Russia and Ukraine, and the war between Israel and Iran, with the Hamas attacking and senselessness killing of innocent people in Israel on October 7th, all was the work, and cause, of one person. This person sat at his residence in Florida and shared all the Classified, Top Secret, documents with his Russian oligarch friends who took this back to Putin. This information was then passed on to Iran and the Hamas. This the invasions.
Donald J. Trump shared this information with everyone he could show it to at Mar-a-Lago. This is a known, proven, fact. Sworn to by people who were there seeing this either their own eyes. Personal knowledge of what was shared with visitors to Mar-a-Lago. Now, I’m not a genius in National Security, but I do know that there’s no Schiff at Mar-a-Lago, and these documents were all illegally obtained by Trump. All this has been revealed through the extensive investigation. And, all the documents have yet to be returned to the National Archives l, even after the FBI served the search warrant and conducted the search. That, too, has been proven.
The point I’m making by all this is simple. All these conflicts lead back to the illegal actions of one person. Donald J. Trump! Every single death caused in these conflicts/wars are on him. And he should be the one to suffer the most from it. This is no different than the assault on our Nation’s Capital on January 6th. That too was the sole work of one person. He sat back for hours and did nothing relishing in watching his handy work unfold on television from the sanctuary of the White House.
There were 5 people who died as a result of that ‘invasion’ on the Capitol. Yet, not one indictment against Trump further any of those murders. Not one! Not one mention of the thousands of deaths he’s caused by sharing all this information with Putin, and the rest of his communist friends. This man is evil, vile, and needs to be locked up in a dark dungeon with the jet thrown away. He needs to be incarcerated in a hole and forgotten, never to have access to the outside world ever again.
I want to touch on something else while I’m on my horse.
I don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but Trump has yet to go out in the ‘campaign trail’ and do any campaigning. He has yet to hold a “rally” anywhere and actually give a campaign speech. All he’s doing is flying his “Trump One” (classic ‘presidential name for his plane) around and giving hate speeches collecting his millions from his sheep 🐑! All he’s done calling is ‘crooked Joe Biden’ does this, that, or the other. He has yet to discuss any issues, other than the sane exact lies he spewed in 2016. And now, thanks to the testimony of the old head of THE ENQUIRER magazine, that’s been revealed as all false fabricated information to get him elected.
Anyone sending him one red cent is a fool. Anyone sending the RNC one red cent, is a fool. There used to be NO REPUBLICAN PARTY anymore. It used to be gone. Dead, deceased. It just hasn’t been buried, yet. Hopefully, with the euro of a kit if us, the funeral will be this coming November first the Republican Party. We MUST VOTE BLUE 💙💙💙💙!!! We MUST VOTE BLUE UP AND DOWN THE BALLOT. Local, state, and Federal must all go BLUE in November!!!
There’s no way in Hell that Donald J. Trump should come anywhere near the Oval Office, or the Nuclear Codes!!!
Oh my, Daniel! You have said everything I have been thinking for quite a long time. I consider the documents case to be the most important of them all. Putting our national security in dire jeopardy deserves to be classified as treasonous. We actually have no idea what happened to many of these documents or if we even have retrieved them all! Remember the testimony of document boxes being flown to New Jersey trump property? Was there any FBI search of that property? There are so many questions…. This to me is the most important case against trump….
Susan, I agree. Answering your question about the search of the NJ golf course property. I don’t think there ever was a search.
A search warrant, which isn’t easy to get to begin with on a common citizen, is even more difficult when you are talking about getting one issued for a former president, or public official.
The search warrant that was served was only for certain areas of Mar-a-Lago. These areas were areas that the prosecutor knew there were documents stored. He already had “first-hand” information they were there, and that person had to give a sworn statement to present to the judge to even get the search warrant issued.
I never heard of any search warrant being issued for any of Trump’s other properties across the United States. I did hear that he had his workers move a lot of boxes, using several vehicles on making the move, to other properties. This was done prior to the search of Mar-a-Lago. It’s my understanding, from the testimony of one of the workers who moved these boxes, they didn’t have any clue what was in them, just that Trump wanted them out of there immediately and taken to a storage unit in West Palm Beach. From there, after the search some were returned to Mar-a-Lago while others were taken to NJ. The ones which were returned to Mar-a-Lago contained the Classified, Top Secret, documents which were shared in whole with the Russian oligarch who then took the information to Putin. These do have mental were shown to anyone who wanted to look at them when they were in the dining room at Mar-a-Lago.
This can be shortened significantly:
In an ad, McGarvey said: “Donald Trump is incapable of running anything, let alone the most powerful country in the history of the world.”
To:
“Donald Trump is incapable of running.”
My apologies for a typical (of me) lack of gravitas.
Some days, well too many lately, a lack of gravitas is needed. That’s why I read Jeff Tiedrich daily!
To get this bipartisan bill passed threw the house and the senate, goes to show you how shrewd Biden is with his negotiating working behind the scenes with Johnson, McConnell and Jeffries. He is a pro with 40 years of experience. Trump on the other hand keeps getting bad news. Especially what happened today in Arizona with the 11 fake electors who were indicated. All the hell Trump has caused this country and the American people doesn't mean a damn thing unless the Supreme Court will make right decision and not grant Trump immunity for the crimes that he has committed and betrayal of our Democracy. It's time for the Supreme Court to step up to the plate. The American people are completely fed up with their BS excuses and their BS theories.
But trump can and will still be Al Caponed in New York.
Yes he will. To have a crook as leader of this country is a disgrace. This is way beyond what Al Caponed did.
Gosh, I'm doing a happy dance. Thank you, HCR.