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It appears to me that there seems to be a “tell” for Republican miscreants: If they say that Democrats are doing “X”, you can bet money on the possibility that is it likely that “X” is actually being done by Republicans instead. Has anyone else noticed this over the last few decades. One great example is the ratio of Rs cheating in the voting arena versus Ds.

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As Josef Goebbels once said, "always accuse your opponent of doing that which you yourself are doing."

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Right, we can describe it as "projection," but it is not a reflection of Republicans' psychological dysfunction; it is a strategy for hiding their misconduct while they score political points off the Democrats' having to deny the charges thrown at them. It has been used a number of times by the Republican party. Case in point, the attempt by a coterie of "veterans" (no doubt funded by Republican operatives) to cast doubt on Senator John Kerry's record of valor in Vietnam--the Swift Boat controversy of 2004. All to deflect from evidence--denied and obfuscated by the party--that his opponent George W. went AWOL for months in 1972 during his term of service in the Texas Air National Guard, possibly associated with drug and alcohol use. Dan Rather, attempting to present what was known, was given the axe by CBS after he was accused of improperly vetting one or two pieces of evidence.

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What's so disturbing is that these tactics were so effective. Honorable people were discredited while those with something to hide escaped scrutiny. The imbalance is even greater today than it was in 2004.

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It may be that the same amount was happening in 2004 as today, but then there was less access to information compared with the technology of today.

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The "Swift Boat" scandal so effectively used against John Kerry provides a great example of how inept our "Fourth Estate," the press, has become. The scandal appeared to be a political stunt, where some Republican-aligned, 'Nam-era vets claimed that Kerry was a fraud while other, Democrat-aligned vets claimed that Kerry was a hero.

I found only one reporter who went to the trouble of going to the scene in Vietnam to inspect the site, and also interviewing numerous people who were at or near the site at the time. And the answer was very clear -- it's a big river. If you were on the side of the river that Kerry was patrolling, you thought Kerry was a hero. If you were on the other side, or far enough up/downstream, you didn't know that anything happened. The political breast-beating depended on that simple fact being obscured.

I saw that story printed once. Only once.

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The entire SwiftBoating of Kerry leave a bitter taste in the mouth of this veteran who served in Vietnam of 18 months, much during the same time Kerry was there.

I also marched with the Vietnam Veterans Against the War as he testified before a Congressional hearing.

The far right Republicans came after Kerry with this hack job because he was at the lead of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War - Their assertion was that Vietnam was a total waste of people (American and Vietnamese) and treasure to support an ill conceived foreign policy. I might add that it was one largely put into action by the Dulles brothers and their rabid anti-Commie pipe dream of installing a puppet Catholic in Saigon to thwart the free elections mandated by a Geneva Convention plan to unite the nation.

The fact that “one” reporter arrived at the site where Kerry chased down a VC armed with a Rocket Propelled Grenade Launcher and killed him some twenty years later was confirmed by surviving locals who actually knew the guy Kerry killed.

Had that VC been able to launch an RPG round at the Swift Boat that Kerry commandeered then it likely that he and most of his crew would be dead or seriously wounded.

Kerry could have “bone-spurred” his way out of Vietnam as a member of Americas elite class and Skull and Bones. He is perhaps the only one from that upper class that ever set foot in Vietnam. I often wonder if had he been President if we would have been in the Trumpian scum pit we are in today.

Kerry should be decorated with the Presidential Medal of Freedom as he had the courage as a Senator to expose the Iran Contra affair and the BCCI a funnel of cash for some of the most evil and nefarious CIA operations against nations with freely elected leaders. Money supplied by CIA operated drug cartels.

There is in my opinion a special place in hell for the summer Swift Boat “Truthers” whose very moniker is of course a cynical projection.

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I also hope that some day the sunshine of sanity will come to this sorry state of affairs the U.S. has been in for many years.

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Thank you for explaining some of the circumstances around the whole Swift Boat "Truthers" charade. The entire 8 years of the GW Bush administration was an utter shit show based on lies and deception, all for the advancement of corrupt, corporate oligarchy-friendly policies. Yet in hindsight it looks like a warm up run for the nightmare of the RTrump years. Anyway... I appreciate your shining a little light on one of the more despicable episodes of the "bushie" years.

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In a real sense, a boiling pot is thousands of molecules that grow excited over time because of heat. My thesis today is that while we rightly compartmentalize Presidencies to cite a time frame, that we also have this tendency to think that for example, what happened w/ Bush Jr. was not actually causation for where we are now. However, causation in this realm should probably be thought of as more like black mold than specific events like falling dominoes. That is to suggest that Fascism in America is an underlying force that is pushed, fueled and guided by those who clearly sees a state under Christian Nationalist “morality” and crushing authoritarian power where America as the the grand prize. So back to the pot metaphor; who is lighting the burner and turning up the heat? I hold that the increased temperature was the aftermath of WWII, the Cold War, the Dulles Bros, the assassinations of JFK, RFK, MLK and a realization by rich fascist billionaires (i.e. Koch’s, Mercers, Theil) that ending Democracy was for them doable after no price being paid for domestic political assassination.. It’s just money over time for them.

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Texas billionaire T. Boone Pickins put his fortune behind the slander. no confusion there...

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So … NAME the reporter, Mr. Addertongue, and the publication. Please.

If there are journalists out there doing a good, even great, job, let’s name them. Let’s acknowledge the publication. Let’s pinpoint and celebrate the good work. Let’s support the democracy-enhancing information gatherers, the foundation of our form of government.

Journalism, the free and fair exchange of ideas, is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. Why? Because that’s how we get to keep our democracy. By keeping our electorate informed about issues, policies, debates, shenanigans.

I completely agree that news organization — even, maybe especially, some of the really good ones — have lost their way. They’re trying to find out how to make a bunch of money to pay really skilled reporters and editors what their expertise is worth, while also telling the truth — which can drive away subscribers who don’t want THAT particular version of “truth.” It’s a mess. But we NEED this kind of reliable information service if we want our democracy to survive.

It’s not that despicable, derisible “MainStreamMedia,” it’s OUR media.

How can we help the industry to heal itself?

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Amazing how history has turned on just such insignificant claims. One falsehood and many fold toward the GOP thus leaving a thousand facts on the table.

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There is an old saying that applies here: "To the victors go the spoils." They write the histories that make them seem wonderful. The United States of America is no different.

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Oh, I do wish I could name them. But I was just a little Addertongue then, so long ago, and didn't keep notes. Sad, since such forgetfulness can hamstring later debates Over the many years of watching the clown-fight, I find that I've retained the conclusions but have forgotten the supporting evidence.

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Okay, SJ, I shall NAME a few: Amy Goodman and Democracy Now! , The Canary, a small British publication, and Heather Cox Richardson and Letters From an American, are a few. There are many more that most of us would need to did deeper to find, since corporations rule so much of the press.

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I was just about to write about something Amy Goodman said as the keynote speaker at the International Women's Writing Guild summer conference in 2008. When she said, it, I felt like I'd been struck by lightning: "What this nation needs is a Fourth Estate, not a "for-the-state."

It was true then, and it is true now.

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Forgot about Amy Goodman. Thank You.

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So much 'news' is reported by members of the fourth estate that they learned second, third, or, perish the thought, twentieth-hand. Far too many of these so-called 'journalists' fail to truly did into a story that would have meaning if they had actually interviewed the folks involved. I say, "Shame of them."

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This recall galls me to the nth degree to this day. After Walter retired, I watched Rupert and repubs go after Dan every day in every way. A hit job like Ailes and Murdoch became expert at. CBS lost me on that one, but then MSM has become a poor excuse for a “free press.” Chump calling them the “enemy of the people” just cemented their “both-sides bull Schitt” til we are awash in the swill that will circle the drain.

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That matches my experience with national "news" as well.

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In this article a sickening feeling concerning the NYT. "A 2017 study in the Columbia Journalism Review by Duncan J. Watts and David M. Rothschild found that the New York Times in six days published as many cover stories about Clinton’s emails as they did about “all the policy issues combined in the 69 days leading up to the election.” The network news gave more time to Clinton’s emails than to all policy issues combined."

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Thanks to Maggie Haberman

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Nous ne trumpons pas ici.

Interesting: look how close that word is to “tampon.” Hey, a new business idea for the Trump family!

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Had to look it up, Nous ne trumpons pas ici, "We are not cheating here."

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they should go for that!!!

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Thank heavens I'm post-menopausal!!!

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Feb 11, 2022
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Hear hear Spooky!

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Nicely done, Spooky. Thank you for that.

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“Projecting” is a subconscious impulse.

This repetitive behavior by R’s should be named for what it is - gaslighting.

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For the next nine+ months these very clever highly educated supremely informed determined individuals who daily prove their concerns about the state of emergency American democracy is experiencing as set out in this newsletter must now come together as one powerful resource to activate every person who loves America into a successful campaign to save The United States Of America from all those who would destroy our freedoms forever!

We can continue exhibiting our sage comments on various topics but we all must now work together to insure the continuance of the greatest Democracy in the history of this World.

DO IT!

DO IT NOW!

PLEASE!

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Ideas posted here within the past few months from Ellie. First, these are ideas to help with the Georgia election. ~ The path forward from here, as laid out by Robert Hubbell:

"The path forward runs through us. We must blaze the path with small acts of democracy that will light the way for others. We must pave the path with our stubborn refusal to listen to those who tell us “You can’t win” or “Be afraid” or “Imagine the worst.” The path forward requires militant optimism—a vow never to give up, even if our role is only to hold the ramparts until future generations relieve us.

...First, engage in a daily action to make your voice heard.

...Second, help change the negative media narrative.

...Third, arrange group visits to the local field offices of your congressional and state representatives."

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DO IT!

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Yes, absolutely.

How?

This is the question I keep asking. I doin't know what to do. We used to be able to use our right to vote, but the far right is working very hard to neutralize it and is apparently succeeding. Even if we win, states controlled by "Republicans" will simply declare the result "fraud" and cancel our votes.

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DO IT.......VOTE!

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More ideas from Ellie ~ "There's an app for that." For real: Mobilize

https://www.mobilize.us/

You're in the home state of Stacey Abrams, whose Fair Fight welcomes allies:

www.fairfight.com

Sen. Warnock is up for re-election in 2022.

https://ballotpedia.org/Raphael_Warnock

Want to connect with like minds in action? Find your local Democratic Party, League of Women Voters, or Indivisible.

https://www.georgiademocrat.org/

https://www.lwv.org/

https://indivisible.org/

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Thanks! Going to bookmark those.

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ME TOO!

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Then, why aren't Chuck Schumer and other members of Democratic leadership in public every day doubling down on the evidence revealed here in HCR's letter about the former President's treasonous behavior. Isn't Edward Snowden living in Russia because he shared highly sensitive, top secret, very important NSA documents and cannot return home unless he's willing to face arrest?

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I've written my congressman (James McGovern) several times about exactly this issue -- the silence of the Dems --, but have gotten either a boilerplate response or no response (and no action, needless to say).

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And Mr. Rather was given humiliating assignments like the one I remember where he interviewed Swinger couples

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CBS really blew it with me. Would love to see a 60 Minutes Show where they placed the blame where it belonged, Karl Rove, in my book

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Feb 11, 2022
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Neither he nor his cult nuts pretend anymore

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Freakin’ Goebbels, Viva la Gazpacho

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The Capitol Police: Gestapo or Gazpacho? Vote here.

[This is my new clickbait ad to target you either with leftist recipes or racist political causes]

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When TFG is found guilty, I think the sentence should be he has to donate his eye to the Capital policeman who lost theirs. Oh, and the fingers too. But in a shocking twist, after the eye and several fingers are removed, the Capital Police change their minds and just take the donations and the Secret Service let’s them flush the organs down the WH toilet.

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Hmm, dark. I kinda like it.

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I wish I’d said that!

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Hybrid cuisine: Gestacho. With Gazstapo for dessert, with a drizzle of chocolate....

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Interesting. In Italian the word "gestaccio" --same pronunciation as "gestacho" with a soft g -- refers to the raised middle finger.

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I keep seeing Vladimir Putin’s head exploding. Now why is that?

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Don't defile chocolate!🤣

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Clearly Joseph is contributing a California cuisine recipe, perhaps à la Alice Waters.

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Leftist recipes? I am interested.

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Roland’s Diversity Apfelstrudel, a blended hybrid of traditional old German and utopian new world flavors baked into delicious goodness.

What’s your contribution to the recipe book, Carol?

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Careful. If 'they' are caught by the gazpacho they might be throw into the goulash.

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A meme I came across: "Go ahead. Laugh. But gazpacho police will lead to sangria law."

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Great meme features the Keystone Kops as the Gazpacho police with the side car labeled soup patrol. I have seen several great memes featuring Gangrene's stupidity. One of my friends said she was warming up her tomato soup with Jewish space lasers.

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Recipes ! Recipes ! 😂

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I'm thinking fig balsamic drizzled over mango

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For the next nine+ months these very clever highly educated supremely informed determined individuals who daily prove their concerns about the state of emergency American democracy is experiencing as set out in this newsletter must now come together as one powerful resource to activate every person who loves America into a successful campaign to save The United States Of America from all those who would destroy our freedoms forever!

We can continue exhibiting our sage comments on various topics but we all must now work together to insure the continuance of the greatest Democracy in the history of this World.

DO IT!

DO IT NOW!

PLEASE!

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A classic A/B test.

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LOL, Roland. Too funny.

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For the next nine+ months these very clever highly educated supremely informed determined individuals who daily prove their concerns about the state of emergency American democracy is experiencing as set out in this newsletter must now come together as one powerful resource to activate every person who loves America into a successful campaign to save The United States Of America from all those who would destroy our freedoms forever!

We can continue exhibiting our sage comments on various topics but we all must now work together to insure the continuance of the greatest Democracy in the history of this World.

DO IT!

DO IT NOW!

PLEASE!

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👍

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Clever ... but Goebbels and Greene are really just distractions from what must accomplished on November 8.

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Jack, I feel that November 8th will be here and gone and we will again be caught flat footed.

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For the next nine+ months these very clever highly educated supremely informed determined individuals who daily prove their concerns about the state of emergency American democracy is experiencing as set out in this newsletter must now come together as one powerful resource to activate every person who loves America into a successful campaign to save The United States Of America from all those who would destroy our freedoms forever!

We can continue exhibiting our sage comments on various topics but we all must now work together to insure the continuance of the greatest Democracy in the history of this World.

DO IT!

DO IT NOW!

PLEASE!

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😂

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Thank you TC, the playbook for decades: Karl Rove in Tx 1994, of course Newt never missed a chance; W/Dickie loved this one although they used more than one of Goebbels propaganda strategies and had Rupert to blast 24/7 at 90 decibels; and don’t forget the tea party, and McCain’s prize Palin. They may have lost but did they? Of course chump cut his teeth on mob/Nazi methods, from his cradle to Roy Cohn. I never thought the American public was so easily flim-flammed. But Chump knew…

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For the next nine+ months these very clever highly educated supremely informed determined individuals who daily prove their concerns about the state of emergency American democracy is experiencing as set out in this newsletter must now come together as one powerful resource to activate every person who loves America into a successful campaign to save The United States Of America from all those who would destroy our freedoms forever!

We can continue exhibiting our sage comments on various topics but we all must now work together to insure the continuance of the greatest Democracy in the history of this World.

DO IT!

DO IT NOW!

PLEASE!

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Classic tactics of abusers in relationships.

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The republicans are good at this. So is Putin.

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That works up to a point - the point at which people notice that a pattern is emerging!

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Talia,

Don't get your hopes up.

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GOP = Gaslighters Only Party

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Please May I paste this all over kingdom come?

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For the next nine+ months these very clever highly educated supremely informed determined individuals who daily prove their concerns about the state of emergency American democracy is experiencing as set out in this newsletter must now come together as one powerful resource to activate every person who loves America into a successful campaign to save The United States Of America from all those who would destroy our freedoms forever!

We can continue exhibiting our sage comments on various topics but we all must now work together to insure the continuance of the greatest Democracy in the history of this World.

DO IT!

DO IT NOW!

PLEASE!

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No offense, but how many times are you going to do this copy-and-paste job? I don't disagree with the sentiment, but this is starting to look abusive.

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I now simply scroll past these repetitive posts.

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TC, you should check out Frank Lee’s Social Misfits Newsletter… you have an honorable mention in his most recent screenshot.

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"Frank Lee" is a well-known right wing troll and a fucking moron.

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Frankie is also about to discover (the hard way) of how I deal with right wing trolls that get underfoot. Sadly for him, it turns out he's a flagrant violator of Substack rules.

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Where did he say that?

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Projection. ( I have learned this is it’s name, and it’s hallmark tactic of Roy Cohn, McCarthy, and all Fascists. It’s their playbook of propaganda goodies… their calling card.)

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For the next nine+ months these very clever highly educated supremely informed determined individuals who daily prove their concerns about the state of emergency American democracy is experiencing as set out in this newsletter must now come together as one powerful resource to activate every person who loves America into a successful campaign to save The United States Of America from all those who would destroy our freedoms forever!

We can continue exhibiting our sage comments on various topics but we all must now work together to insure the continuance of the greatest Democracy in the history of this World.

DO IT!

DO IT NOW!

PLEASE!

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(Sweden)

The last few years I have been drawing a line there on the personal level. I like to be friends with a lot of different people, but if someone starts accusing me of their own shortcomings, I shut off.

Sweden is now under massive international attack by islamist muslims falsely claiming their children are being kidnapped by Swedish authorities. The few examples mentioned have been shown to follow due legal procedures, and include children who have asked for protection against their parents, grossly criminal families, and drug addictive parents. - A hair cutter just happens to take a video of a man complaining outside a social service office that his children have been stolen, and publish it on internet where he just happens to have some 40 000 followers, and he "had no idea that it would be abused and distorted" the way it has! - Accusing others of your own faults is the pattern from top to bottom. - Admittedly Swedish law is very strict when it comes to parents physical punishment of children, and makes for a cultural shock for a lot of people from other cultures. Over the decades it has been successful in lowering the level of violence in society, but some people fleeing from war tend to still have it on their minds.

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Roberto Calasso tells in 'The Wedding Party of Kadmos and Harmonia' of how the ancient Greek used their gods: they stayed innocent from blaming the gods for whatever wrong they did. I think then the words at Delphi: 'Know yourself' must have been kind of therapy to grow up and realize what we do is all part of ourselves. Gudrun Olsson, professor of psychology, confirmed me on this point and said we call it drawing back our projections. So, monoteism not only deprived religion of humor, but also blocked this chance to grow up and take responsibility for what we do.

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Olaf, The echoes of the largest diaspora from the Middle East, caused by that "Legacy Admission" to Harvard and Yale, George W. Bush, just never ends does it?

No other person in modern history, except Hitler, has had a more evil set of impacts.

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Saddam Hussein called it the mother of all wars. - I would add Samuel P Huntingdon and his 'Clash of Civilizations': stir up the Middle East and the muslims will start fighting each other, and be unable to unite against Jews and Christians. Success in that way, but no wonder really that these young men take the war with them.

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You might enjoy "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder" for the unjust war in Iran by famed criminal prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi in 2008.

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Accusation is confession.

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Exactly, but the cult hasn’t figured that out.

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For the next nine+ months these very clever highly educated supremely informed determined individuals who daily prove their concerns about the state of emergency American democracy is experiencing as set out in this newsletter must now come together as one powerful resource to activate every person who loves America into a successful campaign to save The United States Of America from all those who would destroy our freedoms forever!

We can continue exhibiting our sage comments on various topics but we all must now work together to insure the continuance of the greatest Democracy in the history of this World.

DO IT!

DO IT NOW!

PLEASE!

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As concerning as Trump’s complete disregard for requirements under the Presidential Records Act and lack of concern for common security of information passing through his office, Do Not Be Distracted by this from far more serious offenses. Under most administrations these would be grievous offenses. However, compared to the far more serious offenses committed by Trump, his close advisors and associates, and his administration this is comparable to simply bad table manners. Deflecting attention from more serious matters has long been a common tactic of DJT. Let’s keep the attention on what really matters and the far more serious offense of his efforts to overturn the results of a legitimate election, prevent the peaceful transition of power to a legitimately elected new administration, and his attempts not just to undermine but end our democracy.

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"Mike Pence should have overturned the election for us"

But her emails!

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Yes!

Let ALL of us here keep attention on what really matters!

For the next nine+ months these very clever highly educated supremely informed determined individuals who daily prove their concerns about the state of emergency American democracy is experiencing as set out in this newsletter must now come together as one powerful resource to activate every person who loves America into a successful campaign to save The United States Of America from all those who would destroy our freedoms forever!

We can continue exhibiting our sage comments on various topics but we all must now work together to insure the continuance of the greatest Democracy in the history of this World.

DO IT!

DO IT NOW!

PLEASE!

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Patricia,

Exactly correct. It's like the 2nd grade kid accusing another kid of hitting him on the playground, when, in fact, that kid was doing the hitting.

Hey, maybe that kid in in the Senate now!!

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Senate full of them

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I've adopted that rule since about 2017, and so far, I haven't seen any major deviations.

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Or consequences?

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Brings to mind a few R's that were extremely homophobic, campaigned on "family values" who were then caught in gay relationships.

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Yes, and it has led me to wonder if any brands of voting machines were corruptly switching votes to Republicans in 2020.

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When every single swing district in the 2020 election goes red and no one pays any attention because the red side is screaming that the election was stolen from them.

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and Mitch McConnell gets 59% of the vote with an 18% approval rating

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