Today, the House of Representatives passed the Inflation Reduction Act, a sweeping bill that will invest more than $430 billion in climate change and extended subsidies for the Affordable Care Act.
What does it say? Donald Trump & the Republican Party are engaged in a treasonous criminal conspiracy that threatens the nation in countless ways. This cannot be treated as politics as usual.
Agreed. Gone are the days of reaching out to senators and representatives who deny the election, who parrot the big lie, who cheer overturning a woman’s right to bodily autonomy, who summon racist and armed mobs to murder our Vice President and Democratic elected leaders, and who now coalesce around blatant espionage and treason while delegitimizing the FBI’s authority to protect America from internal existential threats.
At this point the rule of law MUST be brought to bear, pronouncing de facto crimes and punishment, without fear of threatened civil war, or America will have fallen already.
~
And P.S. The climate provisions are great! Insufficient, but great. The 6th mass extinction, continents burning, sea level rising, etc may purge this whole experiment yet... but the climate provisions make me happy nonetheless!
And as a doc I cheer unshackling Medicare to reduce my patients’ drug costs a bit.
We should never have let it get this bad, but better to respond to epic corruption, dishonesty, and lawlessness late than never. We are still on the brink.
Good afternoon, Jeri. Yes, I think there is still a remarkable number of perfectly sane, ordinary, bright people who somehow have the capacity to not know what they don't want to know--if that makes sense. It's been building for so long that to look back at that is harder than looking ahead.
I would rephrase it, ". . . the capacity to not know what they SHOULD know". I believe that many well-intending, "true" Patriots are simply worn out by the constant barrage of negativity coming from the right and the Republicans. They are the poison pill that keeps America fully toxified, their odious nature almost suffocating. Yet, the MEDIA deserves a lot of criticism because the MEDIA plays off Trump and his followers.
I do tend to favor the ones who fly on their own. "Neediness" gives way to resilience. Fear overcomes cowardice, cowardice the trait so prevalent in today's society and culture.
I'm still outraged whenever I see Sen. Imhoff from OK, who brought a snowball into the Senate chamber in the 90's (a DC snowfall) and saying that there's no climate change.... what a fool. And no one wanted to listen to Al Gore. Ugh, it's exhausting, but thank God/Goddess/invoke the divinity of your choice..... it's a good start. And done by the Dems!
And further, what does it matter if climate change is real or not real. The bottom line is that the air, water and land is exponentially dirtier due to how society lives right now. No one disputes that. I have never met anyone who says the want to live in a polluted environment.
I recently listened to a radio commentary featuring a Native American environmentalist. We, the "white man", should be leaning on them for knowledge and understanding of Nature.
As the ice melts, land that contains natural resources (oil) is exposed. In particular, Pompeo wanted to exploit that. And probably still does. Just think of all the riches available under what is currently ice. Trump wanted to buy Greenland, remember.
shows Bezos, Bloomberg, Gates, among others, searching for valuable materials (used for manufacture of electric cars, no less) in the parts of Greenland exposed by melting on the west coast of Greenland: "The climate crisis is melting Greenland down at an unprecedented rate, which -- in a twist of irony -- is creating an opportunity for investors and mining companies who are searching for a trove of critical minerals capable of powering the green energy transition." Aside from the "irony", we need fewer cars, electric or otherwise, not more. If we generate more traffic, we use more electricity and produce more CO2. Electricity isn't a free and infinite resource. The Jevons paradox ("It is wholly a confusion of ideas to suppose that the economical use of fuel is equivalent to a diminished consumption. The very contrary is the truth," from Wikipedia) is a similar phenomenon in the case of coal in 19th century Britain. Past is prologue.
Hey, Doc Ryan. Focusing on climate, Robinson Meyer of the Atlantic highlights another bill that addresses climate change, the title of which is: "Congress Just Passed a Big Climate Bill. No, Not That One. A bipartisan act is quietly about to invest billions in boosting green technology." So Biden snuck that one in for climate while every one else was focused on CHIPS. Sneaky!
Lynell, I can't keep up with this deluge of information enough to discern fact from fiction ... so, the new law invests in green tech and other needed climate related measures ... whar about concessions to Big Oil ... new contracts to proceed with operations on and offshore ... what about the Arctic Wilderness ... what about leaky pipelines moving ahead with construction, regardless of permitting restrictions (DAPL; Lines 3 & 5; Trans Mountain; Trans Canada and more) ... who or what is holding these corporations, and THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS accountable and responsible for legitimate quality control - not to mention just observance of and respect for SOVEREIGN TREATY RIGHTS OF FIRST NATIONS PEOPLES who once again are being forced to PUT UP OR SHUT UP ... as " progress in the modern world" procedes unimpeded - regardless of cost or consequence to any and all ...? If we want to address loss of values, can we start with a close look at where we never had them in the first place ...?
"Greetings from Standing Rock. It’s good to be home again after a productive week in Washington, D.C.! A couple weeks back, I led a delegation of our leaders to discuss the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL) with lawmakers, congressional staffers, and environmental organizers in the nation’s capital. I encourage you to watch the new Water Wars video highlighting our meeting with Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), produced in conjunction with the Lakota People’s Law Project, the Great Plains Water Alliance, and the Oceti Sakowin.
"Our “Water Wars video” series chronicles the uniting of the Tribes of the Oceti Sakowin to stop the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL). In this chapter, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Chairwoman Janet Alkire leads an important delegation to Washington, D.C. to visit with Senate and congressional leaders, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. #NoDAPL #MniWiconi"
DAKOTA WATER WARS - CHAPTER 7 - DELEGATION TO D.C.
"By now, you’re well aware of the massive threat imposed by DAPL to our homelands and our sacred relative, the Mni Sose, known by colonizers as the Missouri River. This trip was an opportunity to make sure those inside the Beltway remember that threat, too. We live every day with the reality that low water levels have made accessing and fixing any potential leak extremely dangerous and time consuming. And every time we demand transparency on an adequate emergency response plan from the Army Corps of Engineers, we’re stonewalled.
"That’s why it’s so critical we have support from leaders like Rep. Tlaib. As a tribal chairwoman, I have tremendous respect for the next generation of female BIPOC leaders in Washington. And I’m grateful to know that the feeling is mutual, at least for Rep. Tlaib and other members of the Squad, which also includes New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. These brave women have consistently shown that they recognize the dangers of pipelines and care about what happens to us as Native People. Did you know that AOC decided to run for Congress after visiting Standing Rock to take part in the #NoDAPL resistance in 2017? And then last year, the Squad was present in Minnesota to meet with Indigenous leaders and speak out against the Line 3 tar sands pipeline.
"We have powerful allies, so we’ll keep pressing and building this movement. It’s up to all of us. DAPL’s Environmental Impact Statement, an absolute sham prepared by an oil-friendly firm, was supposed to come out for public comment months ago. Where is it? We’ve only seen a redacted copy, and the government knows that when it drops publicly, you’ll be ready and waiting with us to point out its many serious flaws. They can only delay so long. Our day is coming, and I remain hopeful that, together, we’ll achieve our mission of ending this pipeline once and for all."
Wopila tanka. Thank you for remaining in this fight with us.
Thank you for this important information, Kathleen. I am following a new podcast, The Tongue Unbroken, which features stories about restoring native languages. They describe English phrases that perpetuate negative impressions of native people like 'circling the wagons' and 'low man on the totem pole.' There are lessons everyone can benefit from.
"In this video co-produced by Standing Rock Nation, the Lakota People's Law Project, and the Great Plains Tribal Water Association, tribal leaders throughout South Dakota explain the ongoing struggle against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) at Standing Rock. They explore the spiritual power of the NoDAPL movement and the way it brought tribes together from all over the country in support of Unci Maka (Grandmother Earth)."
*****
Dakota Water Wars, Chapter Five: Ignoring Tribes, Ignoring Laws
"Our “Water Wars” video series chronicles the uniting of the Tribes of the Oceti Sakowin to stop the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL). In this chapter, we explore the disconnect between what’s happened with the pipeline — its illegal operation and crossing just to the north of Standing Rock under the Mni Sose, our sacred Missouri River — and what should have been done. Bottom line: DAPL should not be operating without Tribal input and consent and full compliance with the law."
*****
6/16/22 - from Chase Iron Eyes of Dakota Law:
"This is the fourth video from our “Water Wars” series, co-produced with Standing Rock, the Great Plains Water Alliance, and the Oceti Sakowin, highlighting why we resist the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL). When the oil company forced DAPL through our homelands, it claimed that we, the Native People on the frontlines, had been consulted. But that term has come to mean less than nothing to us. What’s required under international law and what should be standard operating procedure with projects like DAPL is something much more substantial than “consultation” — and that’s our Free, Prior, and Informed Consent."
Watch: “Consultation” isn’t an adequate standard. We never gave our consent for DAPL to threaten our water and homelands.
Dakota Water Wars, Chapter Four: Free, Prior, & Informed Consent
"No matter what they think over at the oil company headquarters, this isn’t the wild wild west anymore. There are rules. This pipeline is operating illegally, without a federal permit. Here in the modern era, I think most of us will also agree that no means no, and gaining consent from those affected before taking action is critical. The concept of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (or FPIC) is, in fact, codified in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. And Under President Obama, the United States promised to recognize the right we hold as the Nation’s first inhabitants to have a definitive say in what happens to our homelands.
"'Consultation” is a sham. Sending us emails notifying us that a pipeline is about to be drilled under our sole source of fresh drinking water is inadequate, and expecting us to stand aside and let that happen is just plain foolish. I’m grateful that, as our partner in this movement, you’re resisting with us. Please continue to stand with the Oceti Sakowin, and together, let’s defeat DAPL once and for all."
Wopila tanka — Thank you for supporting Indigenous justice!
Chase Iron Eyes
Co-Director and Lead Counsel
The Lakota People’s Law Project
*****
Dakota Water Wars, Chapter Three: Money Against a Prayer
"For time immemorial, we have lived along and revered our sacred relative, the Mni Sose, the Missouri River. These days, as you know, the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL) crosses under the Missouri — just upstream from the Standing Rock Nation — without a federal permit. And yet, unlike the oil company, we are required to have a permit just to pray in our traditional sweat ceremonies in certain, sacred spots along the river’s banks.
"This bit of disturbing cognitive dissonance is the subject of our third video in the “Water Wars” series we’re producing in partnership with Standing Rock and other tribes of the Oceti Sakowin. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch and share Dakota Water Wars, Chapter 3: Money Against a Prayer."
Dakota Water Wars, Chapter Two: Honor the Treaties
"The Tribes of the Oceti Sakowin are united in our mission to stop the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL). Hundreds of years of colonization — forced migration, broken treaties, flooding our territory, and the refusal to return our homelands — has led us to this moment. We won’t stop fighting for what is right, for our People and for Unci Maka, our Grandmother Earth. Honor the treaties. Mni wiconi — water is life."
"In this video, you’ll hear from Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Chairwoman Janet Alkire, Oglala Sioux Tribe President Kevin Killer, and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman Harold Frazier. It’s the first in a planned series that will delve more deeply into the complex issues faced by the tribes in their fight to stop DAPL — a pipeline which continues to operate without a permit for its crossing under Lake Oahe just north of the Standing Rock Nation.
"Chairwoman Alkire has been actively relaying tribal concerns directly to Michael Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. She recently returned from a meeting with him, in which she discussed the lack of transparency concerning DAPL’s oil spill response plan for the Missouri River and the terrible safety track record of its parent company, Energy Transfer. As detailed in a press release from the tribe, over a recent 8-year period, nine pipelines owned and controlled by Energy Transfer and its affiliated companies experienced nearly 300 spills — including 50 large ones in vulnerable areas like Lake Oahe.
"Until this pipeline has a valid Environmental Impact Statement and federal permit, it is operating in violation of the laws designed to safeguard our people, our delicate water systems, and our sacred homelands. We must keep the pressure on U.S. leaders to do the right thing and shut DAPL down. Please watch our video, stay tuned for the next chapters, and be ready when the time comes to take action together."
"... an Army representative came to Standing Rock to meet with tribal leaders from across the Oceti Sakowin. He listened to presidents and chairpersons, elders and community members, and he told us he heard our concerns. We hope that’s true. But since that day, it’s been a game of wait and see, with no movement from the Army and no release of the EIS — which, of course, was prepared by a pro-oil firm. It’s almost as if they know we’re not going to be happy unless the pipeline is shut down, and that we have a legion of supporters ready to engage in favor of an honest process."
Excellent, Kathleen! I also, admire “The Squad” and their endeavors. They don’t give in nor do they ever give up. Powerful women and I would like to add Katie Porter in that group.
Likewise Marlene - also, Senator Mallory MeMorrow of Michigan - and, of course, Leigh McGowan (Politics Girl) ... many conscious voices ... so, some respite from the miserable grind ... got to keep on keepin' on ... carry the earth with love and care - feel the embrace of heaven holding the globe - we are the horizon - may fresh winds blow through with every breath ... one breath at a time ..., carry on ....
Boy, howdy, Kathleen. I can't keep up either. But I do follow news about climate from some very knowledgeable journalists, in my opinion, who aren't afraid to report what they see happening. I acknowledge what you are saying about the mountain of work that still needs to be done. But this week, I think you'll agree, the Congress finally got it right by passing these climate bills that are being signed into law. Sometimes to get further, I feel stopping to give a hearty high-five does more to spur people on to do more than if we just keep talking about what hasn't been done yet.
This summer I have signed several petitions regarding DAPL, Lines 3 and 5. I have donated to these causes as well, putting my trust in those organizers who know how to further the cause.
Because the earth needs a good lawyer, I have signed petitions from and donated to Earthjustice who say: "At Earthjustice, we're rewriting our planet's future — one case at a time."
I donate regularly to Lakota People's Law Project and get news from them. Though not related to climate, here is the latest I received from LPLP:
"Dear Lynell,
Good news! Here at the Cheyenne River Nation, things are on track toward our goal of creating a tribally-run Child Welfare Department. Just last week, we held our second hearing in Eagle Butte, our reservation’s largest community. We recorded powerful testimony from several families, which we will ultimately present to the Cheyenne River Tribal Council.
I encourage you to watch our new video, in which Virginia White Feather — one of my fellow grandmothers in Wasagiya Najin, our Standing Strong grandmothers’ group — and I talk about the importance of our efforts to keep Native children in Native care."
And this from Evergreen Action who partners with Evergreen Action:
The House just passed the biggest clean energy investment in U.S. history. Transformational climate action is coming to America!
Let me be very clear: This would not have been possible without the sustained advocacy of people like you. In the last 18 months, through all the highs and lows, our grassroots community showed up.
☎️ We made 5,574 calls to our representatives
📬 We sent 4,591 letters to our leaders
📝 We gathered 44,264 signatures on our petitions
No matter what, you never gave up.
And it worked. With your support, we turned hundreds of billions in climate investments from a moonshot into reality.
I cannot overstate the impact of this bill—lowering costs for American families, dramatically reducing deadly pollution, and giving the U.S. and the world a fighting chance at avoiding the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
This bill is also a compromise with provisions that could do real harm—specifically in the Gulf South and Alaska. That's why we must ensure this bill is a beginning, not an end. We are already gearing up for those fights—and this bill means we have brand new resources to help win them.
I'll be sharing more of my thoughts on this monumental achievement soon, but until then, I just want to say thank you.
For every call, every letter, every signature—thank you.
For your hope, your resolve, your dedication—thank you.
For helping make history—thank you.
Today, we celebrate. Tomorrow, the next day, and every day after, we continue working toward the future we deserve—together.
Thanks for the info, Lynell. i think you just found another donor. I want to add that having Deb Haslsnd in Congress has made a tremendous difference also.
Yes, I agree, Marlene; though, I hardly get a chance to keep up with her. Just have faith that she will do the right thing!
Plus, among my stack of emails, I did see a headline somewhere that Al Gore is very happy with what Congress has accomplished for the climate. Hope to find it again
Thank you Lynell - and all of you for your response, and concern. No time now to converse ... and so much more than I can even see to do ... a word from the cosmic heart to guide ...:
Tao Te Ching – Lao Tzu – Verse 8
"The supreme good is like water,
which nourishes all things without trying to.
It flows to the low places loathed by all men.
Therefore, it is like the Tao. Live in accordance with the nature of things.
In dwelling, be close to the land.
In meditation, go deep in the heart.
In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.
In speech, be true.
In ruling be just.
In action, watch the timing.
No fight: No blame.
One who lives in accordance with nature does not go against the way of things.
Oh, my. So lovely, Kathleen. The supreme good, and all that follows, along with your prayer. We of white skin stole the land from these good people. We must return at least a goodly portion back to them in the condition it was before we took it. We can do this. We must do this.
Excellent! This makes me happy too. I know I’m not cool enough to fully grasp the ironic concept of dark Brandon… but this stealth climate action is pretty 🥷
Here's my final post for you, this coming from Al Gore, no less. The headline reads: "Al Gore hails Biden’s historic climate bill as ‘a critical turning point’"
I'm just providing the link to prove I didn't make it up!
That he has the unmitigated gall to say that after announcing the "Plan" to sunset Medicare and Social Security might even rise to the "Top Ten" level of Republiqan nonsense.
They weren't nearly as bad I think, but some of the same dynamics were in play. But recall that Republicans cooperated in impeachment investigation Nixon, and Nixon started the EPA which Reagan wanted to shut down.
Nixon said "I am inaugurating a program to marshal both government and private research with the goal of producing an unconventionally powered, virtually pollution free automobile within five years.".
"If the (oil) embargo is lifted, this will ease the crisis, but it will not mean an end to the energy shortage in America. Voluntary conservation will continue to be necessary... These measures will require the oil companies and other energy producers to provide the public with the necessary information on their supplies. They will prevent the injustice of windfall profits for a few as a result of the sacrifices of the millions of Americans."
Nixon was creepy, but he wasn't Reagan and he wasn't Trump. Earlier in history, Eisenhower said "This is what I mean by my constant insistence upon “moderation” in government. Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H.L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."
You’re right that Nixon was is a different category than Reagan and Trump. My complaint against Nixon is that he got the Southern Strategy rolling. That is what made all Republican victories after 1968 possible and what has devolved to the shameless crowd of Republicans currently in office and to the racist rabble that has put them there.
More Nixon. Imagine any prominent Republican saying this today:
It results not so much from choices made, as from choices neglected; not from malign intention, but from failure to take into account the full consequences of our actions.
"Quite inadvertently, by ignoring environmental costs we have given an economic advantage to the careless polluter over his more conscientious rival. While adopting laws prohibiting injury to person or property, we have freely allowed injury to our shared surroundings. Conditioned by an expanding frontier, we came only late to a recognition of how precious and how vulnerable our resources of land, water and air really are. ... Industries, power plants, furnaces, incinerators-these and other so-called "stationary sources" add enormously to the pollution of the air. In highly industrialized areas, such pollution can quite literally make breathing hazardous to health, and can cause unforeseen atmospheric and meteorological problems as well."
The cost of drugs can be a barrier for some, yet it seems to me that healthcare is a social necessity. I'm pro free enterprise, but for that to actually be free, you need robust and real competition to keep quality up and prices moderated. When Republicans talk about the "free market" what they mean is that corporate agendas tr*#p human rights, and "freedom" for conglomerates to dominate the market and control pricing. We fought that much of the 20th Century, and were then bamboozled into welcoming back.
I also see a legitimate role for a robust public sector as well as private enterprise. Their strengths and weaknesses differ, and they can compliment each other; but the rules of commerce should be the prerogative of the public will, not vice versa.
Thanks for calling out the climate provisions; the good news for the week that was nearly overshadowed by Trump’s crimes and the threats of violence. As a doctor, you understand better than most, the public health costs of the climate crisis. Insufficient? Yes. But a tiny bit of balm for this climate warrior’s soul. When added to the additional climate legislation also passed this week (see Lynell’s comment in this thread), maybe we can head off a complete meltdown for our kids and all future generations. I’m a bit more hopeful of that if for no other reason than that the Senators that roped Manchin back into discussions about climate provisions used the economics of renewable energy to convince him of the benefits. Yep, if you offer the same level of federal incentives for solar and wind, as you do for oil and coal, renewables can compete. Imagine that!! Even better? We might be able to continue as a species. Maybe....
Is it not true that once environmentally safe technology can compete (thanks to tax credits largely?) with fossil fuels, they will gradually get cheaper and therefore outstrip fossils? This seems like the intent to me. Am I following?
You are following. Taking renewable energy “to scale” is a tough enterprise, for many reasons: it is not “centralized,” - think power plant - and because it is decentralized, the laws and regulations that regulate it can be vastly different (think state vs municipal vs federal vs interstate) depending on who owns the generation equipment (wind turbines or solar panels) and who owns the transmission (sometimes it is the energy companies; sometimes its a government entity; sometimes its a private equity company) South Dakota has vast wind resources and could power much of the Eastern US. Some of my home’s electricity is generated 250 miles away near the SD border. So how could energy generated in SD be delivered to say Chicago or east to Indiana or even to Philadelphia? Transmission. Who builds, owns and maintains that transmission system? With the feds incentivizing wind and solar, power companies can plan their design of systems and formulate internal plans that reach carbon reduction goals because they understand the need to work across political boundaries, standardize regulatory policies, and develop manufacturing and supply chains to meet the new goals. While they are switching from the old to the new, such policies can help them figure out not only how to generate and distribute power but make it economically attractive to shareholders to make the switch.
Case in point: Minnesota, where I live, has a Renewable Energy Standard - a certain percentage of all electricity generated and used here has to come from renewables. When the law was first passed in 2007, the goal was 20% by 2020. Our major utility, Xcel Energy actually hit that goal 7 years early!! Cheaper to generate when you build and maintain systems to capture renewables vs. the volatile world markets of oil, gas and coal. We are on track to hit 50% - if the Repubs don’t take over!!
I have one retirement fund composed entirely of renewable energy companies. My rate of return, in the last five years, 12% to 42%! Yes, it can be a very good investment and with the new policies passed last week, it will only get better.
Thanks, Sheila, for this detailed explanation of the complexity of planning, implementing, regulating for renewables -- so many different intities and interests invovled at several levels of government or private ownership. Very complex!! It helps me realize better the difficulty of your work. Are you getting increasing cooperation among all these players? How are they reacting to the monies?
And don't forget that the threatened ex-VP, good acolyte that he is, is right up front defending every single thug, even the thug-in-chief who was calling for his execution!
Yes, sir. This is so much more than I expected. In these hard times, I have revived an old practice. At the end of the day, I write a gratitude list. Five things, no more no less. It couldn't be simpler, takes no time. Some days I'm tempted to write "Not an effing thing" five times, but I usually resist the urge. It's what Biden is slowly, painstakingly doing in the face of the swirl of ugliness around him, that amazes me. I am grateful every morning that Dr. Richardson is here to remind me.
For Trump's part, I don't think he understands a word like "espionage." He has one compass that responds to just one lodestone: personal profit. I doubt that the thought of "harm to nation" crossed through his mind even once: I'm not sure his damaged mind can grasp the concept. What he saw was a shiny thing he could sell. Something so shiny, he could get buyers to bid against each other to get it. Trump's best defense is going to be an insanity plea, executed by his lawyers, with permanent commitment to an asylum as the outcome.
As for the rest of the Republican politicians -- I'm just left shaking my head. Wow. When are they going to retreat to "The Devil made me do it! It wasn't me! It was the Devil!"
Wherever they go, the crime is now moving toward overt espionage and treason, and I don't think even Presidents get a free pass on that.
I think he planned to be like a Confederacy President atcMar-a-Lago, and use this info to blackmail our security or the security of other nations. He certainly saw it all as ‘a stay out of jail insurance.’ He could care less about the National security of us or out Allies as long as he makes a buck and protects his own hide.
It would be nicer to be rid of him, but we cannot have him become a martyr for his cult. He has to sit and rot. It won't take very long. He will shrivel up so fast without his adoring crowds and attention. Just a little, orange, dried raisin will be found sitting on his cot in due course.
He would never simply rot away in prison. The right-wing media would lionize him as a martyr suffering because of the evil and corrupt liberal socialists who want to turn the country into a communist regime. They probably would force Twitter to give him back his account and then it would be daily screeds and pleas to get me out of this hellhole that I never should have been sent to. Blah, blah, blah and, on and on and on. It would never end, and we would never heal.
Out of sight would be a welcome relief. Could we start now? Why do news media include photos of the ogre? We know who he is and what he looks like. Photos just play into his hands: free publicity. He loves it, and it makes the news people his dupes.
The media are not dupes. They pander to anyone who will pay to subscribe which is why they traffic in false equivalencies and characterizing this as politics as usual. Trump sells big time!! Apparently, they don't believe their days are numbered if Republicans get in control of the country and put them out of business.
Trump has had possession of this material illegally since January 20, 2021, and had been mishandling it before that. Trump’s theft was dozens of boxes of documents. Anyone else would have been arrested the next day for even one page of this stuff. Every single day since January 21, 2021 has been special treatment.
Joan, I agree. I had posed the question about security briefings right after Biden was sworn in, trying to find out whether TFG was continuing to get them, but never found out. Just a few days ago, I heard that Biden had given instructions that Trump was not to receive any security briefings - ever. Without fanfare or political posturing, Sleepy Joe, the elderly, doddering person who continues to be the target of the right wing's "concerns" about his mental acuity, took care of that essential business right out of the gate. They were right to fear his abilities.
To your point, we discovered too late that we have no guardrails, and the gentlemen's agreements upon which the framers depended are simply myths. All of this must be reconsidered, and as with the Supreme Court, definitive laws must be instituted, if our democracy is to be saved.
You're saying they shouldn't have followed protocol, e.g., finding out what was actually in the boxes, requesting them back, subpoenaing them when the request didn't get a response, etc.? The ends justify the means, in other words? Not to mention -- notice how Republican "leaders" reacted even when all the i's were dotted and all the t's crossed? Can you imagine what the reaction would have been if DoJ had said "To hell with the rule of law" and just marched in?
When anyone else has been known to possess government documents illegally, the FBI gets a legitimate search warrant and retrieves them immediately (they don't wait a year and a half). Then the person faces charges in court. Reality Winner went to jail for 4 years for one single page. In most cases, a subpoena is not used to recover stolen property - a subpoena is for property that the person possesses legally. The rule of law has been taking much longer to be applied to Donald Trump than it would take to be applied to anyone else.
What does it say? Donald Trump & the Republican Party are engaged in a treasonous criminal conspiracy that threatens the nation in countless ways. This cannot be treated as politics as usual.
Agreed. Gone are the days of reaching out to senators and representatives who deny the election, who parrot the big lie, who cheer overturning a woman’s right to bodily autonomy, who summon racist and armed mobs to murder our Vice President and Democratic elected leaders, and who now coalesce around blatant espionage and treason while delegitimizing the FBI’s authority to protect America from internal existential threats.
At this point the rule of law MUST be brought to bear, pronouncing de facto crimes and punishment, without fear of threatened civil war, or America will have fallen already.
~
And P.S. The climate provisions are great! Insufficient, but great. The 6th mass extinction, continents burning, sea level rising, etc may purge this whole experiment yet... but the climate provisions make me happy nonetheless!
And as a doc I cheer unshackling Medicare to reduce my patients’ drug costs a bit.
We should never have let it get this bad, but better to respond to epic corruption, dishonesty, and lawlessness late than never. We are still on the brink.
Truer than most have yet imagined. Deport Rupert Murdoch
Yes, to some new version of Devil's Island.
Really, the original would do.
Good afternoon, Jeri. Yes, I think there is still a remarkable number of perfectly sane, ordinary, bright people who somehow have the capacity to not know what they don't want to know--if that makes sense. It's been building for so long that to look back at that is harder than looking ahead.
I would rephrase it, ". . . the capacity to not know what they SHOULD know". I believe that many well-intending, "true" Patriots are simply worn out by the constant barrage of negativity coming from the right and the Republicans. They are the poison pill that keeps America fully toxified, their odious nature almost suffocating. Yet, the MEDIA deserves a lot of criticism because the MEDIA plays off Trump and his followers.
Yup, you nailed it. I wonder if this is the reason why I see so many ostriches walking around? LOL
Add his son Lachlan to this. He is just as vile and evil as his father.
Birds of a feather flock together. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
My own - it's a rare bird that learns to fly on their own.
I do tend to favor the ones who fly on their own. "Neediness" gives way to resilience. Fear overcomes cowardice, cowardice the trait so prevalent in today's society and culture.
I'm still outraged whenever I see Sen. Imhoff from OK, who brought a snowball into the Senate chamber in the 90's (a DC snowfall) and saying that there's no climate change.... what a fool. And no one wanted to listen to Al Gore. Ugh, it's exhausting, but thank God/Goddess/invoke the divinity of your choice..... it's a good start. And done by the Dems!
And further, what does it matter if climate change is real or not real. The bottom line is that the air, water and land is exponentially dirtier due to how society lives right now. No one disputes that. I have never met anyone who says the want to live in a polluted environment.
I recently listened to a radio commentary featuring a Native American environmentalist. We, the "white man", should be leaning on them for knowledge and understanding of Nature.
My thoughts, also, Robert. A recent study indicates that 23/26% of adults/children deaths in this countryyearly are environment related, preventable deaths. https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/environmental-factors-that-affect-health/
I really wonder about climate change/science deniers and their perception of reality.
The only reality they care about is mucho dinero!
As the ice melts, land that contains natural resources (oil) is exposed. In particular, Pompeo wanted to exploit that. And probably still does. Just think of all the riches available under what is currently ice. Trump wanted to buy Greenland, remember.
A recent article
https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/08/world/greenland-melting-mineral-mining-climate/index.html
shows Bezos, Bloomberg, Gates, among others, searching for valuable materials (used for manufacture of electric cars, no less) in the parts of Greenland exposed by melting on the west coast of Greenland: "The climate crisis is melting Greenland down at an unprecedented rate, which -- in a twist of irony -- is creating an opportunity for investors and mining companies who are searching for a trove of critical minerals capable of powering the green energy transition." Aside from the "irony", we need fewer cars, electric or otherwise, not more. If we generate more traffic, we use more electricity and produce more CO2. Electricity isn't a free and infinite resource. The Jevons paradox ("It is wholly a confusion of ideas to suppose that the economical use of fuel is equivalent to a diminished consumption. The very contrary is the truth," from Wikipedia) is a similar phenomenon in the case of coal in 19th century Britain. Past is prologue.
I really like the expression the past is prologue. You could name this newsletter the Past Is Prologue. It fits!
I’ll take goddess.
Spot on
❤️
Hey, Doc Ryan. Focusing on climate, Robinson Meyer of the Atlantic highlights another bill that addresses climate change, the title of which is: "Congress Just Passed a Big Climate Bill. No, Not That One. A bipartisan act is quietly about to invest billions in boosting green technology." So Biden snuck that one in for climate while every one else was focused on CHIPS. Sneaky!
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/08/chips-act-climate-bill-biden/671095/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly-planet&utm_content=20220810&utm_term=The%20Weekly%20Planet
Lynell, I can't keep up with this deluge of information enough to discern fact from fiction ... so, the new law invests in green tech and other needed climate related measures ... whar about concessions to Big Oil ... new contracts to proceed with operations on and offshore ... what about the Arctic Wilderness ... what about leaky pipelines moving ahead with construction, regardless of permitting restrictions (DAPL; Lines 3 & 5; Trans Mountain; Trans Canada and more) ... who or what is holding these corporations, and THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS accountable and responsible for legitimate quality control - not to mention just observance of and respect for SOVEREIGN TREATY RIGHTS OF FIRST NATIONS PEOPLES who once again are being forced to PUT UP OR SHUT UP ... as " progress in the modern world" procedes unimpeded - regardless of cost or consequence to any and all ...? If we want to address loss of values, can we start with a close look at where we never had them in the first place ...?
From Janet Alkire
Chairwoman
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
"Greetings from Standing Rock. It’s good to be home again after a productive week in Washington, D.C.! A couple weeks back, I led a delegation of our leaders to discuss the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL) with lawmakers, congressional staffers, and environmental organizers in the nation’s capital. I encourage you to watch the new Water Wars video highlighting our meeting with Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), produced in conjunction with the Lakota People’s Law Project, the Great Plains Water Alliance, and the Oceti Sakowin.
"Our “Water Wars video” series chronicles the uniting of the Tribes of the Oceti Sakowin to stop the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL). In this chapter, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Chairwoman Janet Alkire leads an important delegation to Washington, D.C. to visit with Senate and congressional leaders, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. #NoDAPL #MniWiconi"
DAKOTA WATER WARS - CHAPTER 7 - DELEGATION TO D.C.
https://vimeo.com/736675575?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=161995180
"By now, you’re well aware of the massive threat imposed by DAPL to our homelands and our sacred relative, the Mni Sose, known by colonizers as the Missouri River. This trip was an opportunity to make sure those inside the Beltway remember that threat, too. We live every day with the reality that low water levels have made accessing and fixing any potential leak extremely dangerous and time consuming. And every time we demand transparency on an adequate emergency response plan from the Army Corps of Engineers, we’re stonewalled.
"That’s why it’s so critical we have support from leaders like Rep. Tlaib. As a tribal chairwoman, I have tremendous respect for the next generation of female BIPOC leaders in Washington. And I’m grateful to know that the feeling is mutual, at least for Rep. Tlaib and other members of the Squad, which also includes New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. These brave women have consistently shown that they recognize the dangers of pipelines and care about what happens to us as Native People. Did you know that AOC decided to run for Congress after visiting Standing Rock to take part in the #NoDAPL resistance in 2017? And then last year, the Squad was present in Minnesota to meet with Indigenous leaders and speak out against the Line 3 tar sands pipeline.
"We have powerful allies, so we’ll keep pressing and building this movement. It’s up to all of us. DAPL’s Environmental Impact Statement, an absolute sham prepared by an oil-friendly firm, was supposed to come out for public comment months ago. Where is it? We’ve only seen a redacted copy, and the government knows that when it drops publicly, you’ll be ready and waiting with us to point out its many serious flaws. They can only delay so long. Our day is coming, and I remain hopeful that, together, we’ll achieve our mission of ending this pipeline once and for all."
Wopila tanka. Thank you for remaining in this fight with us.
Janet Alkire
Chairwoman
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Thank you for this important information, Kathleen. I am following a new podcast, The Tongue Unbroken, which features stories about restoring native languages. They describe English phrases that perpetuate negative impressions of native people like 'circling the wagons' and 'low man on the totem pole.' There are lessons everyone can benefit from.
Hey, Nancy. For sure, many changes need to happen on this front.
Thank you too Nancy ... so much to know ... eyes on the horizon, sail on!!
BACKGROUND;:
DAKOTA WATER WARS - ONGOING
Lakota People's Law Project: History and Overview
https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=34&v=qDbvWAl6Xgg
*******
7/16/22 - Dakota Water Wars, Chapter Six: I Can Still See It
https://vimeo.com/730172424
"In this video co-produced by Standing Rock Nation, the Lakota People's Law Project, and the Great Plains Tribal Water Association, tribal leaders throughout South Dakota explain the ongoing struggle against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) at Standing Rock. They explore the spiritual power of the NoDAPL movement and the way it brought tribes together from all over the country in support of Unci Maka (Grandmother Earth)."
*****
Dakota Water Wars, Chapter Five: Ignoring Tribes, Ignoring Laws
https://vimeo.com/725831770
"Our “Water Wars” video series chronicles the uniting of the Tribes of the Oceti Sakowin to stop the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL). In this chapter, we explore the disconnect between what’s happened with the pipeline — its illegal operation and crossing just to the north of Standing Rock under the Mni Sose, our sacred Missouri River — and what should have been done. Bottom line: DAPL should not be operating without Tribal input and consent and full compliance with the law."
*****
6/16/22 - from Chase Iron Eyes of Dakota Law:
"This is the fourth video from our “Water Wars” series, co-produced with Standing Rock, the Great Plains Water Alliance, and the Oceti Sakowin, highlighting why we resist the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL). When the oil company forced DAPL through our homelands, it claimed that we, the Native People on the frontlines, had been consulted. But that term has come to mean less than nothing to us. What’s required under international law and what should be standard operating procedure with projects like DAPL is something much more substantial than “consultation” — and that’s our Free, Prior, and Informed Consent."
Watch: “Consultation” isn’t an adequate standard. We never gave our consent for DAPL to threaten our water and homelands.
Dakota Water Wars, Chapter Four: Free, Prior, & Informed Consent
https://vimeo.com/720826040
"No matter what they think over at the oil company headquarters, this isn’t the wild wild west anymore. There are rules. This pipeline is operating illegally, without a federal permit. Here in the modern era, I think most of us will also agree that no means no, and gaining consent from those affected before taking action is critical. The concept of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (or FPIC) is, in fact, codified in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. And Under President Obama, the United States promised to recognize the right we hold as the Nation’s first inhabitants to have a definitive say in what happens to our homelands.
"'Consultation” is a sham. Sending us emails notifying us that a pipeline is about to be drilled under our sole source of fresh drinking water is inadequate, and expecting us to stand aside and let that happen is just plain foolish. I’m grateful that, as our partner in this movement, you’re resisting with us. Please continue to stand with the Oceti Sakowin, and together, let’s defeat DAPL once and for all."
Wopila tanka — Thank you for supporting Indigenous justice!
Chase Iron Eyes
Co-Director and Lead Counsel
The Lakota People’s Law Project
*****
Dakota Water Wars, Chapter Three: Money Against a Prayer
"For time immemorial, we have lived along and revered our sacred relative, the Mni Sose, the Missouri River. These days, as you know, the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL) crosses under the Missouri — just upstream from the Standing Rock Nation — without a federal permit. And yet, unlike the oil company, we are required to have a permit just to pray in our traditional sweat ceremonies in certain, sacred spots along the river’s banks.
"This bit of disturbing cognitive dissonance is the subject of our third video in the “Water Wars” series we’re producing in partnership with Standing Rock and other tribes of the Oceti Sakowin. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch and share Dakota Water Wars, Chapter 3: Money Against a Prayer."
https://vimeo.com/716550309
*****
Dakota Water Wars, Chapter Two: Honor the Treaties
"The Tribes of the Oceti Sakowin are united in our mission to stop the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL). Hundreds of years of colonization — forced migration, broken treaties, flooding our territory, and the refusal to return our homelands — has led us to this moment. We won’t stop fighting for what is right, for our People and for Unci Maka, our Grandmother Earth. Honor the treaties. Mni wiconi — water is life."
https://vimeo.com/713066984
*****
Dakota Water Wars, Part One: United Against DAPL
"In this video, you’ll hear from Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Chairwoman Janet Alkire, Oglala Sioux Tribe President Kevin Killer, and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Chairman Harold Frazier. It’s the first in a planned series that will delve more deeply into the complex issues faced by the tribes in their fight to stop DAPL — a pipeline which continues to operate without a permit for its crossing under Lake Oahe just north of the Standing Rock Nation.
"Chairwoman Alkire has been actively relaying tribal concerns directly to Michael Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. She recently returned from a meeting with him, in which she discussed the lack of transparency concerning DAPL’s oil spill response plan for the Missouri River and the terrible safety track record of its parent company, Energy Transfer. As detailed in a press release from the tribe, over a recent 8-year period, nine pipelines owned and controlled by Energy Transfer and its affiliated companies experienced nearly 300 spills — including 50 large ones in vulnerable areas like Lake Oahe.
"Until this pipeline has a valid Environmental Impact Statement and federal permit, it is operating in violation of the laws designed to safeguard our people, our delicate water systems, and our sacred homelands. We must keep the pressure on U.S. leaders to do the right thing and shut DAPL down. Please watch our video, stay tuned for the next chapters, and be ready when the time comes to take action together."
https://vimeo.com/709270906
*****
Standing Rock’s Dangerously Low Water Levels
"... an Army representative came to Standing Rock to meet with tribal leaders from across the Oceti Sakowin. He listened to presidents and chairpersons, elders and community members, and he told us he heard our concerns. We hope that’s true. But since that day, it’s been a game of wait and see, with no movement from the Army and no release of the EIS — which, of course, was prepared by a pro-oil firm. It’s almost as if they know we’re not going to be happy unless the pipeline is shut down, and that we have a legion of supporters ready to engage in favor of an honest process."
https://vimeo.com/699208496
*****
More videos:
DAPL: Great Sioux Nation to Meet with U.S. Government
https://vimeo.com/682074269
*****
SHUT THIS PIPELINE DOWN
https://vimeo.com/677905968
*****
Standing Rock Chairwoman Janet Alkire on DAPL’s Flawed EIS
https://vimeo.com/676434565
*****
Historic Meeting: Sec. Deb Haaland in the Black Hills
https://vimeo.com/661038959
*******
Wopila tanka — thank you, as ever, for standing with Standing Rock and the Oceti Sakowin.
Chase Iron Eyes
Co-Director and Lead Counsel
The Lakota People’s Law Project
https://action.lakotalaw.org
Lakota People's Law Project
547 South 7th Street #149
Bismarck, ND 58504-5859
The Lakota People's Law Project is part of the Romero Institute, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) law and policy center. All donations are tax-deductible.
https://action.lakotalaw.org/action/donate
Yes, Kathleen!
Excellent, Kathleen! I also, admire “The Squad” and their endeavors. They don’t give in nor do they ever give up. Powerful women and I would like to add Katie Porter in that group.
Likewise Marlene - also, Senator Mallory MeMorrow of Michigan - and, of course, Leigh McGowan (Politics Girl) ... many conscious voices ... so, some respite from the miserable grind ... got to keep on keepin' on ... carry the earth with love and care - feel the embrace of heaven holding the globe - we are the horizon - may fresh winds blow through with every breath ... one breath at a time ..., carry on ....
Me, too, Marlene!
❤️
Right there with you, Kathleen!
Boy, howdy, Kathleen. I can't keep up either. But I do follow news about climate from some very knowledgeable journalists, in my opinion, who aren't afraid to report what they see happening. I acknowledge what you are saying about the mountain of work that still needs to be done. But this week, I think you'll agree, the Congress finally got it right by passing these climate bills that are being signed into law. Sometimes to get further, I feel stopping to give a hearty high-five does more to spur people on to do more than if we just keep talking about what hasn't been done yet.
This summer I have signed several petitions regarding DAPL, Lines 3 and 5. I have donated to these causes as well, putting my trust in those organizers who know how to further the cause.
Because the earth needs a good lawyer, I have signed petitions from and donated to Earthjustice who say: "At Earthjustice, we're rewriting our planet's future — one case at a time."
https://earthjustice.org/blog/2022-july/what-does-west-virginia-v-epa-mean-for-climate-action?utm_source=crm&utm_medium=email&utm_term=newsletter&utm_campaign=220717_ForTheRecord_July2022&utm_content=ReadMore&curation=newsletter&emci=7c75c82f-d402-ed11-b47a-281878b83d8a&emdi=c9459e98-d205-ed11-b47a-281878b83d8a&ceid=2547127
I donate regularly to Lakota People's Law Project and get news from them. Though not related to climate, here is the latest I received from LPLP:
"Dear Lynell,
Good news! Here at the Cheyenne River Nation, things are on track toward our goal of creating a tribally-run Child Welfare Department. Just last week, we held our second hearing in Eagle Butte, our reservation’s largest community. We recorded powerful testimony from several families, which we will ultimately present to the Cheyenne River Tribal Council.
I encourage you to watch our new video, in which Virginia White Feather — one of my fellow grandmothers in Wasagiya Najin, our Standing Strong grandmothers’ group — and I talk about the importance of our efforts to keep Native children in Native care."
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/08/manchin-climate-bill-carbon-emissions-2030/671049/ (Another Robinson Meyer piece)
https://twitter.com/SierraClub/status/1558206637256708099?s=20&t=yMJVg3nYDtikV9Qp5lqTLQ
https://outreach.commondreams.org/index.php?action=social&chash=821fa74b50ba3f7cba1e6c53e8fa6845.477&s=deaf5751fe79a95e105246b4aca37e97
Environmental Defense Fund:
https://email.edfaction.org/q/11oHFDJ4rMQD2UgcCWNCEE5/wv
And this from Evergreen Action who partners with Evergreen Action:
The House just passed the biggest clean energy investment in U.S. history. Transformational climate action is coming to America!
Let me be very clear: This would not have been possible without the sustained advocacy of people like you. In the last 18 months, through all the highs and lows, our grassroots community showed up.
☎️ We made 5,574 calls to our representatives
📬 We sent 4,591 letters to our leaders
📝 We gathered 44,264 signatures on our petitions
No matter what, you never gave up.
And it worked. With your support, we turned hundreds of billions in climate investments from a moonshot into reality.
I cannot overstate the impact of this bill—lowering costs for American families, dramatically reducing deadly pollution, and giving the U.S. and the world a fighting chance at avoiding the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
This bill is also a compromise with provisions that could do real harm—specifically in the Gulf South and Alaska. That's why we must ensure this bill is a beginning, not an end. We are already gearing up for those fights—and this bill means we have brand new resources to help win them.
I'll be sharing more of my thoughts on this monumental achievement soon, but until then, I just want to say thank you.
For every call, every letter, every signature—thank you.
For your hope, your resolve, your dedication—thank you.
For helping make history—thank you.
Today, we celebrate. Tomorrow, the next day, and every day after, we continue working toward the future we deserve—together.
Onward,
Jamal Raad
Executive Director, Evergreen Action
Audobon:
https://audubon.stagecoachdigital.com/web-view/1617384?emci=47cb61e3-8d1a-ed11-bd6e-281878b83d8a&emdi=5ac9cb66-fd1a-ed11-bd6e-281878b83d8a&ceid=4395626
Oh, my goodness, there is so much more to do!
Thanks for the info, Lynell. i think you just found another donor. I want to add that having Deb Haslsnd in Congress has made a tremendous difference also.
Yes, I agree, Marlene; though, I hardly get a chance to keep up with her. Just have faith that she will do the right thing!
Plus, among my stack of emails, I did see a headline somewhere that Al Gore is very happy with what Congress has accomplished for the climate. Hope to find it again
🙋🏻🙋🏼🙋🏽🙋🏾🙋🏿🗽💜
Thank you Lynell - and all of you for your response, and concern. No time now to converse ... and so much more than I can even see to do ... a word from the cosmic heart to guide ...:
Tao Te Ching – Lao Tzu – Verse 8
"The supreme good is like water,
which nourishes all things without trying to.
It flows to the low places loathed by all men.
Therefore, it is like the Tao. Live in accordance with the nature of things.
In dwelling, be close to the land.
In meditation, go deep in the heart.
In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.
In speech, be true.
In ruling be just.
In action, watch the timing.
No fight: No blame.
One who lives in accordance with nature does not go against the way of things.
They move in harmony with the present moment,
always knowing the truth of just what to do."
*******
Compliments of Nick Polizzi:
https://www.thesacredscience.com
Nick Polizzi
The Sacred Science, LLC
1250 Addison Street. Suite 211-A
Berkeley, California 94530
*******
... peace and love through it all - otherwise, what are we living for ...?
https://tahomahome.weebly.com/prayer-for-america.html
Oh, my. So lovely, Kathleen. The supreme good, and all that follows, along with your prayer. We of white skin stole the land from these good people. We must return at least a goodly portion back to them in the condition it was before we took it. We can do this. We must do this.
I know. So sneaky, that smart legislation.
Have a great weekend, Lynell. It’s been quite the week.
🗽💜
Same to you, also Loyal Fan of Merrick Garland! ⚖️ (I was gonna say "fellow fan" but that was too manly)
Sister Fan. 😀
I knew you would come up with the right word. Getting late in the day for my little grey cells!
Thank you Lynell. Great article.
I like the Atlantic, though their columns can run rather long. Oh, well. I suppose that's what good journalism commands.
Excellent! This makes me happy too. I know I’m not cool enough to fully grasp the ironic concept of dark Brandon… but this stealth climate action is pretty 🥷
Here's my final post for you, this coming from Al Gore, no less. The headline reads: "Al Gore hails Biden’s historic climate bill as ‘a critical turning point’"
I'm just providing the link to prove I didn't make it up!
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/12/al-gore-climate-turning-point-inflation-reduction-act
Needed an optimistic article like that, thanks! A win is a win, and it's a win for the planet and its life.
All of this, so well said! And so right on. Thank you.
Thanks, Dr Ryan !“ And as a doc I cheer unshackling Medicare to reduce my patients’ drug costs a bit.” 👏
Love Dr. Heather’s “sense of humor”….
From a guy who plead the fifth 75 times in the HCA/Medicare fraud scandal !
“Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has called it a “war on seniors” because he says it cuts Medicare spending.”
That he has the unmitigated gall to say that after announcing the "Plan" to sunset Medicare and Social Security might even rise to the "Top Ten" level of Republiqan nonsense.
They have no shame. That’s the difference between now and 1968. They were just as bad at that time but tried to keep up appearances.
They weren't nearly as bad I think, but some of the same dynamics were in play. But recall that Republicans cooperated in impeachment investigation Nixon, and Nixon started the EPA which Reagan wanted to shut down.
Nixon said "I am inaugurating a program to marshal both government and private research with the goal of producing an unconventionally powered, virtually pollution free automobile within five years.".
"If the (oil) embargo is lifted, this will ease the crisis, but it will not mean an end to the energy shortage in America. Voluntary conservation will continue to be necessary... These measures will require the oil companies and other energy producers to provide the public with the necessary information on their supplies. They will prevent the injustice of windfall profits for a few as a result of the sacrifices of the millions of Americans."
Nixon was creepy, but he wasn't Reagan and he wasn't Trump. Earlier in history, Eisenhower said "This is what I mean by my constant insistence upon “moderation” in government. Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H.L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."
You’re right that Nixon was is a different category than Reagan and Trump. My complaint against Nixon is that he got the Southern Strategy rolling. That is what made all Republican victories after 1968 possible and what has devolved to the shameless crowd of Republicans currently in office and to the racist rabble that has put them there.
More Nixon. Imagine any prominent Republican saying this today:
It results not so much from choices made, as from choices neglected; not from malign intention, but from failure to take into account the full consequences of our actions.
"Quite inadvertently, by ignoring environmental costs we have given an economic advantage to the careless polluter over his more conscientious rival. While adopting laws prohibiting injury to person or property, we have freely allowed injury to our shared surroundings. Conditioned by an expanding frontier, we came only late to a recognition of how precious and how vulnerable our resources of land, water and air really are. ... Industries, power plants, furnaces, incinerators-these and other so-called "stationary sources" add enormously to the pollution of the air. In highly industrialized areas, such pollution can quite literally make breathing hazardous to health, and can cause unforeseen atmospheric and meteorological problems as well."
Agreed
Typical Republicon hypocrisy.
The cost of drugs can be a barrier for some, yet it seems to me that healthcare is a social necessity. I'm pro free enterprise, but for that to actually be free, you need robust and real competition to keep quality up and prices moderated. When Republicans talk about the "free market" what they mean is that corporate agendas tr*#p human rights, and "freedom" for conglomerates to dominate the market and control pricing. We fought that much of the 20th Century, and were then bamboozled into welcoming back.
I also see a legitimate role for a robust public sector as well as private enterprise. Their strengths and weaknesses differ, and they can compliment each other; but the rules of commerce should be the prerogative of the public will, not vice versa.
Thanks for calling out the climate provisions; the good news for the week that was nearly overshadowed by Trump’s crimes and the threats of violence. As a doctor, you understand better than most, the public health costs of the climate crisis. Insufficient? Yes. But a tiny bit of balm for this climate warrior’s soul. When added to the additional climate legislation also passed this week (see Lynell’s comment in this thread), maybe we can head off a complete meltdown for our kids and all future generations. I’m a bit more hopeful of that if for no other reason than that the Senators that roped Manchin back into discussions about climate provisions used the economics of renewable energy to convince him of the benefits. Yep, if you offer the same level of federal incentives for solar and wind, as you do for oil and coal, renewables can compete. Imagine that!! Even better? We might be able to continue as a species. Maybe....
Is it not true that once environmentally safe technology can compete (thanks to tax credits largely?) with fossil fuels, they will gradually get cheaper and therefore outstrip fossils? This seems like the intent to me. Am I following?
You are following. Taking renewable energy “to scale” is a tough enterprise, for many reasons: it is not “centralized,” - think power plant - and because it is decentralized, the laws and regulations that regulate it can be vastly different (think state vs municipal vs federal vs interstate) depending on who owns the generation equipment (wind turbines or solar panels) and who owns the transmission (sometimes it is the energy companies; sometimes its a government entity; sometimes its a private equity company) South Dakota has vast wind resources and could power much of the Eastern US. Some of my home’s electricity is generated 250 miles away near the SD border. So how could energy generated in SD be delivered to say Chicago or east to Indiana or even to Philadelphia? Transmission. Who builds, owns and maintains that transmission system? With the feds incentivizing wind and solar, power companies can plan their design of systems and formulate internal plans that reach carbon reduction goals because they understand the need to work across political boundaries, standardize regulatory policies, and develop manufacturing and supply chains to meet the new goals. While they are switching from the old to the new, such policies can help them figure out not only how to generate and distribute power but make it economically attractive to shareholders to make the switch.
Case in point: Minnesota, where I live, has a Renewable Energy Standard - a certain percentage of all electricity generated and used here has to come from renewables. When the law was first passed in 2007, the goal was 20% by 2020. Our major utility, Xcel Energy actually hit that goal 7 years early!! Cheaper to generate when you build and maintain systems to capture renewables vs. the volatile world markets of oil, gas and coal. We are on track to hit 50% - if the Repubs don’t take over!!
I have one retirement fund composed entirely of renewable energy companies. My rate of return, in the last five years, 12% to 42%! Yes, it can be a very good investment and with the new policies passed last week, it will only get better.
Thanks, Sheila, for this detailed explanation of the complexity of planning, implementing, regulating for renewables -- so many different intities and interests invovled at several levels of government or private ownership. Very complex!! It helps me realize better the difficulty of your work. Are you getting increasing cooperation among all these players? How are they reacting to the monies?
Three ❤️❤️❤️for you, Sheila, and fellow climate warrior!
😘right back at ya, Lynell. Thanks for posting the link!!! You are so good about doing that and I appreciate it.
There is very little legislation that does not get watered down by moneyed interest.
And don't forget that the threatened ex-VP, good acolyte that he is, is right up front defending every single thug, even the thug-in-chief who was calling for his execution!
Yes, sir. This is so much more than I expected. In these hard times, I have revived an old practice. At the end of the day, I write a gratitude list. Five things, no more no less. It couldn't be simpler, takes no time. Some days I'm tempted to write "Not an effing thing" five times, but I usually resist the urge. It's what Biden is slowly, painstakingly doing in the face of the swirl of ugliness around him, that amazes me. I am grateful every morning that Dr. Richardson is here to remind me.
Grateful for your perspective, Dean.
All I can say is that DJT has quite a bit of carbon (mostly in the form of lipids) that needs sequestering. :)
🤣🤣🤣!
But! But! It's all a hoax. Right. God in Heaven, I never would have believed when a much younger man that I would see this day in our history.
Thank you for your reasoned comments.
For Trump's part, I don't think he understands a word like "espionage." He has one compass that responds to just one lodestone: personal profit. I doubt that the thought of "harm to nation" crossed through his mind even once: I'm not sure his damaged mind can grasp the concept. What he saw was a shiny thing he could sell. Something so shiny, he could get buyers to bid against each other to get it. Trump's best defense is going to be an insanity plea, executed by his lawyers, with permanent commitment to an asylum as the outcome.
As for the rest of the Republican politicians -- I'm just left shaking my head. Wow. When are they going to retreat to "The Devil made me do it! It wasn't me! It was the Devil!"
Wherever they go, the crime is now moving toward overt espionage and treason, and I don't think even Presidents get a free pass on that.
I think he planned to be like a Confederacy President atcMar-a-Lago, and use this info to blackmail our security or the security of other nations. He certainly saw it all as ‘a stay out of jail insurance.’ He could care less about the National security of us or out Allies as long as he makes a buck and protects his own hide.
He could not care less. He cares not at all except for nurturing his sick ego.
Rosalind, and his wallet.
Is that not his ego?
So close to his fat arse, indistinguishable
Point taken.
Instead of a get out of jail card it should be a ticket to hi own hanging or firing squad - let him make that choice.
It would be nicer to be rid of him, but we cannot have him become a martyr for his cult. He has to sit and rot. It won't take very long. He will shrivel up so fast without his adoring crowds and attention. Just a little, orange, dried raisin will be found sitting on his cot in due course.
Still laughing at this one. Your last sentence just cracked me up. Will have to save that one if it's OK with you.
Please save and use to your heart's content, Jeanne. We deserve a ton of humor. I love to visualize--it helps me stay sane!
Oh no - that would be too swift. I'd rather go for life in a cell.
I agree - out of sight, out of mind.
He would never simply rot away in prison. The right-wing media would lionize him as a martyr suffering because of the evil and corrupt liberal socialists who want to turn the country into a communist regime. They probably would force Twitter to give him back his account and then it would be daily screeds and pleas to get me out of this hellhole that I never should have been sent to. Blah, blah, blah and, on and on and on. It would never end, and we would never heal.
Out of sight would be a welcome relief. Could we start now? Why do news media include photos of the ogre? We know who he is and what he looks like. Photos just play into his hands: free publicity. He loves it, and it makes the news people his dupes.
The media are not dupes. They pander to anyone who will pay to subscribe which is why they traffic in false equivalencies and characterizing this as politics as usual. Trump sells big time!! Apparently, they don't believe their days are numbered if Republicans get in control of the country and put them out of business.
Trump has had possession of this material illegally since January 20, 2021, and had been mishandling it before that. Trump’s theft was dozens of boxes of documents. Anyone else would have been arrested the next day for even one page of this stuff. Every single day since January 21, 2021 has been special treatment.
Joan, I agree. I had posed the question about security briefings right after Biden was sworn in, trying to find out whether TFG was continuing to get them, but never found out. Just a few days ago, I heard that Biden had given instructions that Trump was not to receive any security briefings - ever. Without fanfare or political posturing, Sleepy Joe, the elderly, doddering person who continues to be the target of the right wing's "concerns" about his mental acuity, took care of that essential business right out of the gate. They were right to fear his abilities.
To your point, we discovered too late that we have no guardrails, and the gentlemen's agreements upon which the framers depended are simply myths. All of this must be reconsidered, and as with the Supreme Court, definitive laws must be instituted, if our democracy is to be saved.
You're saying they shouldn't have followed protocol, e.g., finding out what was actually in the boxes, requesting them back, subpoenaing them when the request didn't get a response, etc.? The ends justify the means, in other words? Not to mention -- notice how Republican "leaders" reacted even when all the i's were dotted and all the t's crossed? Can you imagine what the reaction would have been if DoJ had said "To hell with the rule of law" and just marched in?
When anyone else has been known to possess government documents illegally, the FBI gets a legitimate search warrant and retrieves them immediately (they don't wait a year and a half). Then the person faces charges in court. Reality Winner went to jail for 4 years for one single page. In most cases, a subpoena is not used to recover stolen property - a subpoena is for property that the person possesses legally. The rule of law has been taking much longer to be applied to Donald Trump than it would take to be applied to anyone else.