I could swear this is a democratic republic. I must be nuts because Tuberville, a single person, has stopped this country from functioning. How is this possible? Who were the idiots that came up with this very undemocratic idea? Why do we allow this sheer stupidity to continue?
I could swear this is a democratic republic. I must be nuts because Tuberville, a single person, has stopped this country from functioning. How is this possible? Who were the idiots that came up with this very undemocratic idea? Why do we allow this sheer stupidity to continue?
I think Republicans to claim that President Joe Biden has weaponized DOJ, Department of Education, and FBI is a plot to deny any legal implications that Donald Trump and his allies are implicated in. It is a ploy to create a common ground of saying "after all Democrats can do what we are capable of undemocratically." For the last 8 years since Donald Trump came to White House, Republican Party has become a threat to the very basic democracy principles given their radical obstructionist tactics. MAGA Republicans have always had anti-democratic ideals:
1. Wanting to support third term for Trump
2. Believing in election claims by Donald Trump
3. Make voting as hard as possible
4. Rejecting election Congressional results.
Over the last years, Republicans haven't yet to stick to the constitutional compromise on principle (as advocated by the founders of the country). Rather, they would prefer to religiously use their political ideological guns and not change any tact to give room for the work to be done. Their obstructionism in Congress is alarmingly rising and so far it has rendered government departments ineffective, with public trust in government decreasing. Unfortunately, in some cases, Republican has led to Democratic Party being polarized as a response to the GOP behaviour. Republican obstructionism has become a bait for their political coexistence. Senator Tuberville is sticking to usual GOP's political playbook.
(I am a writer on African affairs and I shed light on political affairs as well across the world. I am greatly indebted to those who have subscribed to my newsletter in large numbers. It was a surprise gift ЁЯОБ to me). I welcome you to my newsletter for free.
My next newsletter; how America is losing its grip on Africa to China
I often enjoy his commentaries, but the preaching style and the endless advertising of his wares i think is misplaced here. Some might think he's trolling the commentaries.
As per the Global Party Survey on OECD countries (countries considered as democratic), Republican Party has been extreme outlier and shares the same attributes with anti-democratic and radical right wing parties like Turkey's AKP (jailed journalists) and PiS in Poland which has threated judges who make contrary verdicts to what they want by promising them criminal punishment.
From African perspective in Third Wave Democracies, parties with historic anti-democratic ideals include NRM led by President Museveni where opposition leaders are jailed (Kizza Besigye and Bobi Wine have been arrested many times), with the party banning social media. In Tanzania, CCM has no room for civil rights (opposition leader Tundu Lissu was shot many times in his home), with human rights abuses being high on the list. In 2021, when the late John Pombe Magufuli was ill with heart-related complications resulting from COVID-19 that he denied fervently about its existence, one of the persons who questioned his health status was arrested.
Hello. I wholeheartedly agree with 99% of your comment and I am in no way a supporter of Trump or the out of control Republicans. But, it is not clear whether before Biden the Democrats used dirty tricks and the DOJ and FBI to undermine their opponents, especially through Hillary. See the Twitter files by Matt Taibi. Innocence is elusive.
Republican behavior pushed Democratic Party to somehow adopt the same polarising tactics, but they aren't aggressive as those of the GOP. I will check the Twitter files. Thanks @Michael Green
Sure. Someone reminded me that I should as well expound on how China is defrauding Africa's resources (an issue for another day). But, many do not know what led to America losing Africa to China. Also, do you know that tomorrow, Iranian President will visit Africa by starting with Kenya? What does this mean to Africa and US and Europe? I will reveal. Thanks
But perhaps best on your own substack, Edwin. Heather is a specialist in American political history who puts a lot of time and effort into a remarkable series of columns whose purpose is to explain American history and how it created who we are today. It is considered impolite to use someone else's place to beat your own drum. I am glad to know of your substack, but will not subscribe so long as you persist in highjacking Dr Richardson's space.
I agree Molly. This is not the only stupidity of Congressional 'rules'. You can add the rule that allows the Speaker of the House and the Senate majority leader the sole responsibility to determine which bills are sent to committee and which are "tabled for the duration. This gives dictatorial power to a single person in each house for whom only citizens of one State or worse, one District in one State were even given a vote. Then there is the Senate filibuster. All these imbecilic rules came about because at the time the Constitution was written there were no strong political parties. As the Democrats and Republicans grew stronger they set these dumb rules. These rules are not laws. They were not voted on, passed and signed into law by the President. They are rules made by a committee. Like all rules they can be broken. It just takes courage, a virtue lacking in either house.
If that is true, then it is time to call BS on these authoritarian тАЬrulesтАЭ and chuck them. The country comes before any stupid тАЬruleтАЭ or party.
I agree Molly, I'm just not sure how to go about achieving this. It's quite obvious neither House of Congress is willing to "police" itself. Look how often in the last few years we've tried to get rid of the filibuster. Perhaps a very large, very peaceful gathering of people at the Congress building politely demanding an end to these authoritarian rules?
We need change in Washington, and 22 Republican control states. But we also need a rewrite of the constitution to prevent this from happening again, resolve the supreme court term limits, undo what SCOTUS has done in the past 8 years.
The Massachusetts legislature suffers from the same ills. It is a smaller version of Washington. And it doesn't help that Democrats are in charge of both houses: party affiliation doesn't seem to matter when it comes to the corrupt wielding of power.
The way it works, for better or worse, is that the Senate creates rules of conduct and then abides by and (too often in recent years) interprets those rules in ways that are both unethical and (therefore?) downright destructive to its major role in our constitutional republic. We canтАЩt just look at the willful chaos of the House, but need to apply pressure to our Senators. Chuck Schumer and Co recently did this nation a huge disservice when they refused to press votes on Military Promotions in TubervilleтАЩs absence. A gentlemanтАЩs agreement with a snake? You bring a big club or a cage to deal with a snake.
IтАЩm from Georgia and I personally worked long hours to elect Senators Ossoff and Warnock, and IтАЩm still exhausted from that effort. IтАЩm on hiatus from active work, and overwhelmed with family and health, and I have hope.. but itтАЩs not enough.
But.. I still live by this, and I encourage you all to do what you can with whatever you got. Make the calls to your electeds to keep the pressure on. Donate the money and/or time to Expand the Majority. And most importantly, support each other. WeтАЩre stronger together. Our voices.
Penny, thank you so much for all your efforts to elect Osshoff and Warnock. I did what I could from here in MN but I know how much blood, sweat and sheer effort it took on the ground. (Been there. Done that.)
Take care of yourself and your family and know how much you are appreciated in my small blue corner of the North. Without you and thousands like you, our situation would be that much more devastating. I see you and appreciate you!
Penny, I understand your exhaustion. I have been there many times. Your long hours put forth to get two very important people elected was not in vain. So I want to thank you and everyone else for bringing some sanity to our nation. Be well.
Penny, agree with others here to take care of yourselfтАжwhat is the saying?тАж.put your own oxygen mask on first before assisting others. Well, hereтАЩs to light breezes of clear, fresh oxygen and energy coming your way to replenish you.
Penny, I echo everyone's thanks for your service. You've beautifully expressed the exhaustion of activism. We're all down to fumesтАФbut a post like yours makes me want to keep doing SOMETHING every day.
It was one of the mistakes that the Founding Fathers made (if in fact this is their idea.) The other mistake is the makeup of the Electoral College and the assignment of two U.S. Senators per state. Those eighteenth century inhabitants of thirteen colonies along our eastern seaboard could not imagine what the U.S. would become. As it stands right now, California has two U.S. Senators with a population of 40 million, equal to that of sixteen other states in the Midwest, with thirty-two Senators. That imbalance, along with the Filibuster, could be the cause for the demise of the Union.
They did what they needed to do to create a nation that would hold together because under the Article of Confederation, it was not. That meant compromises that are biting us now especially the electoral college. Slavery was the elephant in the room and I recommend reading LaPore's These Truths, a fairly recent book on US history. She explains in detail what went on at the constitutional convention. As for the two Senators for every state, I am not bothered by that since the House is based on population. I am bothered by gerrymandering and voter suppression, the electoral college, Citizens United, rules that allow what Tuberville is doing, and here in Oregon, quorums. And of course, the Supreme Court which proves that elections matter and purity often gets in the way of the hard and slow work of progress. And then there is climate change. I thought the pictures of the floods looked apocalyptic. 1000 year floods, not anymore.
Excellent points. I will check out LaPore's book. In return, to help understand today's racist, Fascist Republican Party, James Loewen's book, "Lies My Teacher Told Me," and "Stony the Road" by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., about Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow are very informative. It would be interesting to read an American history book written by a Native American.
There are quite a few. Seminal is Vine DeLoria's "Custer Died For Your Sins"- and his many other writings.
Anything by N. Scott Momaday, whose work includes novels and memoir, and deep insight into indigenous culture.
Here are a few others from my shelves:
Covered With Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America by Nicole Eustace, Liveright, 464 pages.
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, An Indigenous PeoplesтАЩ History of the United States.
Winona LaDuke, All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life, an excellent primer on the movement to reclaim tribal lands, and Recovering the Sacred: The Power of Naming and Claiming, which looks at traditional beliefs and practices.
Louise Erdrich, Leslie Marmon Silko, Sherman Alexie, Paula Gunn Allenthe list is long. You will find history along with memoir, fiction, and poetry. This list is a little dated, but a little research will unveil the rich literature, both academic and popular, both fiction and non-fiction, that can help you understand history from the various indigenous perspectives.
I also suggest checking out the magazine High Country News (my favorite mag). It is focused primarily on issues that affect the mountains and high plains, but has an annual issue focused on American indigenous affairs, and continuing coverage in it's other issues, including reviews of books about Indigenous people written by indigenous people.
Thanks for the book tips. I have an order coming from Powells, but it's full of mysteries and my own historical interests which has long included Elizabethan England, English history in general (currently reading a bio of George III), and now Sumer and the ancient middle east. There is an author who focuses on Native Americans, but he is a Finnish Oxford don. Some Native Americans criticize him, but I still recommend his books including Lakota America and Indigenous Continent. Sometimes I am so affected by books that I have to put them down.
Good. I really enjoyed it. I found one error early in the book having to do with English history, but on the whole, it is excellent. She describes Bill Clinton as a rascal which did make me smile.
The weather..... is the WAKE UP !! CALL, for MANKIND ! ITS NOT " Pretty Mother Nature" This is ( FATHER) GOD ! Saying: CONSIDER My WORD ! ......... and BE READY ! ARE YOU ??
I have no idea what you are responding to. Why all the all caps? The climate change we are seeing now is largely human caused. I also notice your refer to the masculine father. While you are free to believe whatever you want, many here have different religious beliefs or no religious beliefs. Many people here have also given thought to their personal life styles and try to do what they can not to add to our climate problems.
MICHELE I am SORRY , that I have OFFENDED YOU, in Information I Post ! I use CAPS, to amplify My statements. My speak, is usually for the MANKIND, of this WORLD . Yes, there is umpteen Religions, BUT, There is ONLY ONE JESUS ! GODS WORD, ( JESUS SPEAKING) states: NONE, Come unto the FATHER ( GOD} But BY ME ! GOD , did give US !.... ALL FREEWILL ! Its ALL, Our OWN CHOCE ! BLESSINGS ! & I AM !, SORRY !!
To me all caps is shouting. I can see that you are a firm believer in Christianity and that's fine with me. However, as I said people have all kinds of way of approaching spirituality and you say in all caps that there is only one. I do not appreciate seeing this on this particular blog. I do accept your apology, but please henceforth, do not preach to me.
You speak the truth, David. I feel like I'm holding my breath, waiting for Trump's stolen documents to show up in the wrong hands and come back and slap the US in the face. It seems that the National Archives was asleep on the job in letting those documents get so far afield. (And even if the documents are retrived, what about copies?)
I think that you are right about the stolen documents. Is it merely coincidental that some of Putin's close associates started dying mysteriously last summer? Was that info on them taken from the documents that Trump turned over to Putin and which are now missing? I think that U.S. Intelligence knows but hasn't said anything yet. It's a case of treason.
Great comment, those are my thoughts, EXACTLY!! It's even more outrageous that the dumbest, most ignorant Senator (Tuberville) in the Senate, is behind this.
Did anyone see his interview last night on CNN with Caitlin Collins? He truly is STUPID. HeтАЩs a perfect example to use with the insulting term тАЬdumb jock.тАЭ He and Jordan should not be allowed to harm our military and waste our tax money with their pathetic antics to prove they are тАЬChristian men.тАЭ Yuk!
Dont watch cable anymore - so she interviewed Tuberville now? Frankly, I thought she was a decent journalist BEFORE she interviewed the dumpster. This just solidifies my opinion. Dont these characters get enough airtime on Faux?
In addition to the obsolete rules the Senate follows, rules that incorrectly assume all Senators are ladies or gentlement deserving of respect, that's what happens when a State's voters think being an SEC football coach is great training for the Senate.
The problem of political "gridlock": based on senate representation numbers and polarization. Extremism has its political day. As long as GOP can elect a large minority or small majority, that's it, folks! The smorgasbord throw everything into the daily adversary buffet (Jorden et al) has often served the GOP well, the truth be damned. Misinformation is GOP DNA, not unusual in the "realpolitik" tradition. Rule with demonization of your enemies, emotions sway. 2024 may be very tough. I read a recent stats report that the youth (say up to 30+) support, so vital for Dem advances, is stalled or in decline, and hold out against Biden. Anyone want to help with info here would be appreciated. Dems must organize and message/engage loud and clear... and persistently
I have not seen that decline in young voters. They were have been energized by the lawlessness of the Repubs. They have Victor Shi who is a college student whose life changed in the Parkland shootings. There is also David Hogg, who Marjorie Three Names harrassed, who is active. Maxwell Frost, the youngest member of the House ever elected. The younger generation is tired of the bullshit about guns and other legislations not getting passed. They are organized and ready for battle. I look forward to their leadership.
In many ways each senator is like a Saudi Prince, in that they have to power to cause pain without any repercussions. I say defund the senate! Let them pay for their daily delivery of ice to their offices!
Sometimes being the first to come up with a new idea, like democracy, has drawbacks. The compromises necessary to incorporate all the states has led to this dysfunctional version of democracy. I doubt we could rewrite the thing today, but maybe in some wiser future we might. So much is wrong with the Constitution as it stands.
I could swear this is a democratic republic. I must be nuts because Tuberville, a single person, has stopped this country from functioning. How is this possible? Who were the idiots that came up with this very undemocratic idea? Why do we allow this sheer stupidity to continue?
Exactly and crucially; why do we (as a nation) allow this (plainly anti-democratic) sheer stupidity to continue? It's our future at stake.
Then get out on the streets and protest.
I think Republicans to claim that President Joe Biden has weaponized DOJ, Department of Education, and FBI is a plot to deny any legal implications that Donald Trump and his allies are implicated in. It is a ploy to create a common ground of saying "after all Democrats can do what we are capable of undemocratically." For the last 8 years since Donald Trump came to White House, Republican Party has become a threat to the very basic democracy principles given their radical obstructionist tactics. MAGA Republicans have always had anti-democratic ideals:
1. Wanting to support third term for Trump
2. Believing in election claims by Donald Trump
3. Make voting as hard as possible
4. Rejecting election Congressional results.
Over the last years, Republicans haven't yet to stick to the constitutional compromise on principle (as advocated by the founders of the country). Rather, they would prefer to religiously use their political ideological guns and not change any tact to give room for the work to be done. Their obstructionism in Congress is alarmingly rising and so far it has rendered government departments ineffective, with public trust in government decreasing. Unfortunately, in some cases, Republican has led to Democratic Party being polarized as a response to the GOP behaviour. Republican obstructionism has become a bait for their political coexistence. Senator Tuberville is sticking to usual GOP's political playbook.
(I am a writer on African affairs and I shed light on political affairs as well across the world. I am greatly indebted to those who have subscribed to my newsletter in large numbers. It was a surprise gift ЁЯОБ to me). I welcome you to my newsletter for free.
My next newsletter; how America is losing its grip on Africa to China
EVERY ACCUSATION IS A CONFESSION.
1. WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
2. WHAT THEY WILL DO.
Nicely observed ЁЯУ░
Have you got enough of HCRтАЩs subscribers yet?
he does beat the advertising drum, doesn't he!
Like he found the mother lode
I often enjoy his commentaries, but the preaching style and the endless advertising of his wares i think is misplaced here. Some might think he's trolling the commentaries.
Some might
Maybe.
I can't stand to read his comments anymore. Is there some way to block him?
There must be a moderator/administrator
Use the тАЬтАжтАЭ below (his) comments to report to administrators.
As per the Global Party Survey on OECD countries (countries considered as democratic), Republican Party has been extreme outlier and shares the same attributes with anti-democratic and radical right wing parties like Turkey's AKP (jailed journalists) and PiS in Poland which has threated judges who make contrary verdicts to what they want by promising them criminal punishment.
From African perspective in Third Wave Democracies, parties with historic anti-democratic ideals include NRM led by President Museveni where opposition leaders are jailed (Kizza Besigye and Bobi Wine have been arrested many times), with the party banning social media. In Tanzania, CCM has no room for civil rights (opposition leader Tundu Lissu was shot many times in his home), with human rights abuses being high on the list. In 2021, when the late John Pombe Magufuli was ill with heart-related complications resulting from COVID-19 that he denied fervently about its existence, one of the persons who questioned his health status was arrested.
So true
Thank you, Edwin! Beautifully put, I am subscribed to you and will add you to my daily list on Substack. I look forward to your next newsletter.
I am really really grateful for your support. I am really fired ЁЯФе up.
I also subscribed to your newsletter, Edwin. Thank you for your insight.
Thank you so much
Hello. I wholeheartedly agree with 99% of your comment and I am in no way a supporter of Trump or the out of control Republicans. But, it is not clear whether before Biden the Democrats used dirty tricks and the DOJ and FBI to undermine their opponents, especially through Hillary. See the Twitter files by Matt Taibi. Innocence is elusive.
Republican behavior pushed Democratic Party to somehow adopt the same polarising tactics, but they aren't aggressive as those of the GOP. I will check the Twitter files. Thanks @Michael Green
Thank you for your reminder about China in Africa. Too many Americans do not understand the significance of that fact
Sure. Someone reminded me that I should as well expound on how China is defrauding Africa's resources (an issue for another day). But, many do not know what led to America losing Africa to China. Also, do you know that tomorrow, Iranian President will visit Africa by starting with Kenya? What does this mean to Africa and US and Europe? I will reveal. Thanks
But perhaps best on your own substack, Edwin. Heather is a specialist in American political history who puts a lot of time and effort into a remarkable series of columns whose purpose is to explain American history and how it created who we are today. It is considered impolite to use someone else's place to beat your own drum. I am glad to know of your substack, but will not subscribe so long as you persist in highjacking Dr Richardson's space.
Kindly put, Ms Stratton. Thank you.
I will cover that as well. Thanks
I agree Molly. This is not the only stupidity of Congressional 'rules'. You can add the rule that allows the Speaker of the House and the Senate majority leader the sole responsibility to determine which bills are sent to committee and which are "tabled for the duration. This gives dictatorial power to a single person in each house for whom only citizens of one State or worse, one District in one State were even given a vote. Then there is the Senate filibuster. All these imbecilic rules came about because at the time the Constitution was written there were no strong political parties. As the Democrats and Republicans grew stronger they set these dumb rules. These rules are not laws. They were not voted on, passed and signed into law by the President. They are rules made by a committee. Like all rules they can be broken. It just takes courage, a virtue lacking in either house.
If that is true, then it is time to call BS on these authoritarian тАЬrulesтАЭ and chuck them. The country comes before any stupid тАЬruleтАЭ or party.
I agree Molly, I'm just not sure how to go about achieving this. It's quite obvious neither House of Congress is willing to "police" itself. Look how often in the last few years we've tried to get rid of the filibuster. Perhaps a very large, very peaceful gathering of people at the Congress building politely demanding an end to these authoritarian rules?
Part of me agrees with you, butтАж
See my new post.
100% Hiding behind process is just a dishonest way of weaseling out of something you never intended to do in the first place.
Our constitution needs a re-write, we can't be governed by rules set up 244 years ago.
I don't see THAT happening anytime soon.
If we the 68% who do not agree with the policies of the Republican party vote to give a 60 vote count in the senate and house this maybe could happen.
Be careful what you wish for. Who knows what might happen?
We need change in Washington, and 22 Republican control states. But we also need a rewrite of the constitution to prevent this from happening again, resolve the supreme court term limits, undo what SCOTUS has done in the past 8 years.
The Massachusetts legislature suffers from the same ills. It is a smaller version of Washington. And it doesn't help that Democrats are in charge of both houses: party affiliation doesn't seem to matter when it comes to the corrupt wielding of power.
Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
The players often lack integrity. Rules could change with the culture of the organizations.
Is it the fake filibuster at fault? Time to make Senators talk 24/7 until exhaustion and then give up!
The way it works, for better or worse, is that the Senate creates rules of conduct and then abides by and (too often in recent years) interprets those rules in ways that are both unethical and (therefore?) downright destructive to its major role in our constitutional republic. We canтАЩt just look at the willful chaos of the House, but need to apply pressure to our Senators. Chuck Schumer and Co recently did this nation a huge disservice when they refused to press votes on Military Promotions in TubervilleтАЩs absence. A gentlemanтАЩs agreement with a snake? You bring a big club or a cage to deal with a snake.
IтАЩm from Georgia and I personally worked long hours to elect Senators Ossoff and Warnock, and IтАЩm still exhausted from that effort. IтАЩm on hiatus from active work, and overwhelmed with family and health, and I have hope.. but itтАЩs not enough.
But.. I still live by this, and I encourage you all to do what you can with whatever you got. Make the calls to your electeds to keep the pressure on. Donate the money and/or time to Expand the Majority. And most importantly, support each other. WeтАЩre stronger together. Our voices.
Penny, thank you so much for all your efforts to elect Osshoff and Warnock. I did what I could from here in MN but I know how much blood, sweat and sheer effort it took on the ground. (Been there. Done that.)
Take care of yourself and your family and know how much you are appreciated in my small blue corner of the North. Without you and thousands like you, our situation would be that much more devastating. I see you and appreciate you!
Penny, I understand your exhaustion. I have been there many times. Your long hours put forth to get two very important people elected was not in vain. So I want to thank you and everyone else for bringing some sanity to our nation. Be well.
Hang in there, Penny thanks for your huge effort in Georgia. It say the Senate.
Penny, agree with others here to take care of yourselfтАжwhat is the saying?тАж.put your own oxygen mask on first before assisting others. Well, hereтАЩs to light breezes of clear, fresh oxygen and energy coming your way to replenish you.
Penny, I echo everyone's thanks for your service. You've beautifully expressed the exhaustion of activism. We're all down to fumesтАФbut a post like yours makes me want to keep doing SOMETHING every day.
It was one of the mistakes that the Founding Fathers made (if in fact this is their idea.) The other mistake is the makeup of the Electoral College and the assignment of two U.S. Senators per state. Those eighteenth century inhabitants of thirteen colonies along our eastern seaboard could not imagine what the U.S. would become. As it stands right now, California has two U.S. Senators with a population of 40 million, equal to that of sixteen other states in the Midwest, with thirty-two Senators. That imbalance, along with the Filibuster, could be the cause for the demise of the Union.
They did what they needed to do to create a nation that would hold together because under the Article of Confederation, it was not. That meant compromises that are biting us now especially the electoral college. Slavery was the elephant in the room and I recommend reading LaPore's These Truths, a fairly recent book on US history. She explains in detail what went on at the constitutional convention. As for the two Senators for every state, I am not bothered by that since the House is based on population. I am bothered by gerrymandering and voter suppression, the electoral college, Citizens United, rules that allow what Tuberville is doing, and here in Oregon, quorums. And of course, the Supreme Court which proves that elections matter and purity often gets in the way of the hard and slow work of progress. And then there is climate change. I thought the pictures of the floods looked apocalyptic. 1000 year floods, not anymore.
Excellent points. I will check out LaPore's book. In return, to help understand today's racist, Fascist Republican Party, James Loewen's book, "Lies My Teacher Told Me," and "Stony the Road" by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., about Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow are very informative. It would be interesting to read an American history book written by a Native American.
There are quite a few. Seminal is Vine DeLoria's "Custer Died For Your Sins"- and his many other writings.
Anything by N. Scott Momaday, whose work includes novels and memoir, and deep insight into indigenous culture.
Here are a few others from my shelves:
Covered With Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America by Nicole Eustace, Liveright, 464 pages.
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, An Indigenous PeoplesтАЩ History of the United States.
Winona LaDuke, All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life, an excellent primer on the movement to reclaim tribal lands, and Recovering the Sacred: The Power of Naming and Claiming, which looks at traditional beliefs and practices.
Louise Erdrich, Leslie Marmon Silko, Sherman Alexie, Paula Gunn Allenthe list is long. You will find history along with memoir, fiction, and poetry. This list is a little dated, but a little research will unveil the rich literature, both academic and popular, both fiction and non-fiction, that can help you understand history from the various indigenous perspectives.
I also suggest checking out the magazine High Country News (my favorite mag). It is focused primarily on issues that affect the mountains and high plains, but has an annual issue focused on American indigenous affairs, and continuing coverage in it's other issues, including reviews of books about Indigenous people written by indigenous people.
Thanks for the book tips. I have an order coming from Powells, but it's full of mysteries and my own historical interests which has long included Elizabethan England, English history in general (currently reading a bio of George III), and now Sumer and the ancient middle east. There is an author who focuses on Native Americans, but he is a Finnish Oxford don. Some Native Americans criticize him, but I still recommend his books including Lakota America and Indigenous Continent. Sometimes I am so affected by books that I have to put them down.
Just ordered Jill Lapore's book.
Good. I really enjoyed it. I found one error early in the book having to do with English history, but on the whole, it is excellent. She describes Bill Clinton as a rascal which did make me smile.
The weather..... is the WAKE UP !! CALL, for MANKIND ! ITS NOT " Pretty Mother Nature" This is ( FATHER) GOD ! Saying: CONSIDER My WORD ! ......... and BE READY ! ARE YOU ??
I have no idea what you are responding to. Why all the all caps? The climate change we are seeing now is largely human caused. I also notice your refer to the masculine father. While you are free to believe whatever you want, many here have different religious beliefs or no religious beliefs. Many people here have also given thought to their personal life styles and try to do what they can not to add to our climate problems.
MICHELE I am SORRY , that I have OFFENDED YOU, in Information I Post ! I use CAPS, to amplify My statements. My speak, is usually for the MANKIND, of this WORLD . Yes, there is umpteen Religions, BUT, There is ONLY ONE JESUS ! GODS WORD, ( JESUS SPEAKING) states: NONE, Come unto the FATHER ( GOD} But BY ME ! GOD , did give US !.... ALL FREEWILL ! Its ALL, Our OWN CHOCE ! BLESSINGS ! & I AM !, SORRY !!
To me all caps is shouting. I can see that you are a firm believer in Christianity and that's fine with me. However, as I said people have all kinds of way of approaching spirituality and you say in all caps that there is only one. I do not appreciate seeing this on this particular blog. I do accept your apology, but please henceforth, do not preach to me.
Michele. What GODS HOLY SPIRIT,
SPEAKS, *in My Bones*. is that,
That I can't Hold Back !
You, are also, Made in GODS IMAGE
so You are Constantly Blessed !
You, are kept, in My Prayers !
LOVE ! covers a Multitude
Of Sin .
Just stop communicating with me.
We The People: Trump's stolen documents threaten National Security in the worst way.
Tuberville: Hold my beer.
You speak the truth, David. I feel like I'm holding my breath, waiting for Trump's stolen documents to show up in the wrong hands and come back and slap the US in the face. It seems that the National Archives was asleep on the job in letting those documents get so far afield. (And even if the documents are retrived, what about copies?)
I think that you are right about the stolen documents. Is it merely coincidental that some of Putin's close associates started dying mysteriously last summer? Was that info on them taken from the documents that Trump turned over to Putin and which are now missing? I think that U.S. Intelligence knows but hasn't said anything yet. It's a case of treason.
Great comment, those are my thoughts, EXACTLY!! It's even more outrageous that the dumbest, most ignorant Senator (Tuberville) in the Senate, is behind this.
Proof that successful football coaches do not make good pols. Then there are actors and reality show hosts.
Did anyone see his interview last night on CNN with Caitlin Collins? He truly is STUPID. HeтАЩs a perfect example to use with the insulting term тАЬdumb jock.тАЭ He and Jordan should not be allowed to harm our military and waste our tax money with their pathetic antics to prove they are тАЬChristian men.тАЭ Yuk!
Dont watch cable anymore - so she interviewed Tuberville now? Frankly, I thought she was a decent journalist BEFORE she interviewed the dumpster. This just solidifies my opinion. Dont these characters get enough airtime on Faux?
She let him show his stupidity front and center.
Sure to us - but the followers of djt dont see that.
In addition to the obsolete rules the Senate follows, rules that incorrectly assume all Senators are ladies or gentlement deserving of respect, that's what happens when a State's voters think being an SEC football coach is great training for the Senate.
McConnell could whip a majority of his caucus to join democrats and reach the 2/3 majority in the Senate necessary to expel Tuberville.
Wishful thinking.
The problem of political "gridlock": based on senate representation numbers and polarization. Extremism has its political day. As long as GOP can elect a large minority or small majority, that's it, folks! The smorgasbord throw everything into the daily adversary buffet (Jorden et al) has often served the GOP well, the truth be damned. Misinformation is GOP DNA, not unusual in the "realpolitik" tradition. Rule with demonization of your enemies, emotions sway. 2024 may be very tough. I read a recent stats report that the youth (say up to 30+) support, so vital for Dem advances, is stalled or in decline, and hold out against Biden. Anyone want to help with info here would be appreciated. Dems must organize and message/engage loud and clear... and persistently
I have not seen that decline in young voters. They were have been energized by the lawlessness of the Repubs. They have Victor Shi who is a college student whose life changed in the Parkland shootings. There is also David Hogg, who Marjorie Three Names harrassed, who is active. Maxwell Frost, the youngest member of the House ever elected. The younger generation is tired of the bullshit about guns and other legislations not getting passed. They are organized and ready for battle. I look forward to their leadership.
Glad to hear. This may also be a "mid-term" tuning out, but it seemed to be "on" the Dems.
In many ways each senator is like a Saudi Prince, in that they have to power to cause pain without any repercussions. I say defund the senate! Let them pay for their daily delivery of ice to their offices!
The republic is ostensibly democratic but the rules of both houses of Congress are not.
Stupidly seems to be the MAGA brand and it is not pretty.
Sometimes being the first to come up with a new idea, like democracy, has drawbacks. The compromises necessary to incorporate all the states has led to this dysfunctional version of democracy. I doubt we could rewrite the thing today, but maybe in some wiser future we might. So much is wrong with the Constitution as it stands.
It's called a filibuster.
Uninformed voters!