Yesterday, Raw Story reported that Ivan Raiklin, Trump’s self-declared “Secretary of Retribution” has compiled a “Deep State target list” of 350 people he wants to see arrested and punished for “treason” if Trump is reelected.
"Today the Heritage Foundation preemptively accused the Biden administration of cheating in the 2024 election and warned that Biden might try to hold the White House “by force.” It said that Biden and his administration could “circumvent constitutional limits and disregard the will of the voters should they demand a new president.”
Almost laughable, almost. Google: ''Psychological projection''
Please file a complaint on them with the IRS for violating their tax status. Here is the link, how to do it, and 2 different suggestions on what to say.
Seen on Mastodon. At this link you can download a PDF form to file a complaint to the IRS, requesting that they revoke the Heritage Foundation‘s non-profit status. Fill out the form and mail it to: eoclass@irs.gov
This is what is suggested on the sample form to fill in:
Based on the statements of Kevin Roberts, the Heritage Foundation’s president, on June 11 and July 2, the foundation’s mission is no longer solely “research and education,” but now includes preparing for a possibly bloody revolution.
Specifically, in an interview on “The War Room” on July 2, Roberts stated that the Heritage Foundation has developed a prominent series of policy plans (Project 2025) to overhaul the federal government under a Republican president, and that the country was “in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be”
Sure sounds like Roberts and the other authors of Project 2025 are planning to start a bloody war as part of the Heritage Foundation’s mission.
The Heritage Foundation clearly and overtly supports presidential candidate Donald Trump. This shows the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken.
You'll need more information about The Heritage Foundation to be able to fill out IRS complaint form 13909. This information is from Jessica Craven, Chop Wood Carry Water:
The Heritage Foundation's street address is 214 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., city is Washington, state is D.C. Zip code is 20002
Their tax ID/EIN was tricky to submit - you cannot have a hyphen so it's 237327730
You can name both John P. Bakiel (VP of Finance) and Kevin Roberts (President).
Jessica suggested saying something like:
The Heritage Foundation clearly and overtly supports presidential candidate Donald Trump. This shows the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken.
I just completed my complaint and found that it is easy to submit electronically.
She also says, “No need to email. You'll get a download of your submittal for your records.” I could not get it to do that and had to email. If you can figure out how to do it, please do.
Thanks, but why stop there? How about the Southern Baptist Convention and even individual MegaMaga churches like Osteen's church in Dallas and many others so called religious organizations that bring in speakers with the sole purpose of bashing Biden and Harris.
We give them millions in tax breaks to trash our democracy and denigrate our leaders.
Then, go after them. We should all be concentrating on SCOTUS to take back our country, because otherwise they will just block any action and support the right wing. Clearly Alito's goals are those of the New Apostolic Reformation.
Has anybody seen “Bad Faith” on Amazon Prime?? It’s exactly who these crazy people are. They need to be stripped of their tax-exempt status and exposed for their lunacy. ASAP.
Gobsmacking movie. My formerly-Republican (couldn’t stomach the Orange Clown a second time) and very devout Christian friends were completely speechless after watching “God + Country” with my husband and me. Wish the majority of this country would view this and start thinking for themselves.
Yes, I did and everyone needs to watch it Linda. Right?
The scenes from inside the churches where men of faith(?) are yelling the most hateful slurs at Biden and Harris and every other Democrat they can, are very disturbing. Seeing these scenes in Bad Faith is much of the reason I wrote my comment above.
Alito and Thomas are both Catholics. I am too, and couldn’t disagree more with them. They are blissfully unaware their Protestant evangelical allies will eventually turn on them as well.
" Ivan Raiklin, Trump’s self-declared “Secretary of Retribution” has compiled a “Deep State target list” of 350 people he wants to see arrested and punished for “treason” if Trump is reelected. The list includes Democratic and Republican elected officials, journalists he considers to be Trump’s enemies, U.S. Capitol Police officers, and witnesses against Trump in his impeachment trials and the hearings concerning the events of January 6, 2021."
IMHO if he "named names" then threatened to harm them, he may be criminally and civilly liable and should have to appear at a grand jury ASAP.
Yes. They are "the scum". We.. gentle people.., have been too pre-occupied with other seemingly more-important things, instead of "stirring the pot".. ("SLC")! And, as a result, "the Scum" have risen to the top. Yes.., it's boiling over on us. Heritage Foundation be damned. We have afforded that oxymoron title, and we are paying the price. I hope we can regroup. Libtard behavior is what fueled the fire under that pot. And, you might ask, just what IS libtard behavior..? You think about that. You define it. Or, have we just lost our way like little lambs?
we need to go after SCOTUS first, or at the same time. Back AOC in leading impeachment. I have sent her money, and an email using a dummy address since I am not in her district encouraging her in her work. It is the work that Dick Durbin my elected senator is supposed to be doing. When I repeatedly asked him to he responded with a letter on what he is doing, which is basically nothing. He has drafted rules, but they sit drafted not passed. I told him I was sure he could drag an impeachment investigation out for 4 months. Instead, someone not even on the judiciary committee takes the reins. She deserves our support. It should also scare SCOTUS because they don't know whether or not she will be successful. Here's to bold moves to try to save our democracy from the Court the staged a Coup.
Unfortunately I was taken with Hillsdale and their "free" coursework. I was not interested in obtaining any degree (have those already) or continuing ed. but wanted to continue learning. With the brag that they took no gvt. money & were strictly private, I did some checking & found out they accepted $ from trump. Then started getting letters about courses that sounded very biased & then coursework on Russian topics. It's then I not only turned away, but rans away as fast as I could. I responded to a couple of letters from Arn but I don't think he ever saw them, they were scathing on his misleading assertions of "non bias" claimed coursework. Beware of anything free.
Once a conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation has become a domestic terrorist organization, openly threatening the overthrow of our government and Constitution. Isn’t any of this against the law? Is actively planning a Revolution complete with threatening the lives of opponents no longer illegal? Where the hell is the line between opposition and treason?
This, so so so much. I have Catholic friends who have left the church because their priests were telling them how to vote from the actual pulpit. How are churches still tax exempt?
Gary: Don't forget in 2013 the IRS targeted tax exempt groups with words such as
"Tea Party" in their names. That generated some serious blow back of accusations of the government/leftist victimization of conservative groups. I can't imagine how bad an "attack on Christianity" would play.
Part and parcel of the 2013 IRS action was fully embraced and utilized by the right for propaganda usage among evangelicals, exaggerating (?) that the IRS would come for them next; The effect ? Enlarging the right wing coalition, via fear stoking, projection, etc., etc. The aftermath we live within today makes all that clear.
To get a better sense of their mission and why they support Trump, you should read the New Section of this Substack called, Why Project 2025 Will Ruin YOUR Life. https://project2025istheocracy.substack.com/
Read the parts about Christian Nationalism and New Apostolic Reformation
I am reading Project 2025, and I find this helps to understand more deeply where everything fits in. I also recommend Strongmen by Ruth Ben-Ghiat to understand the fascist progaganda and playbook were are facing better. However, we cannot take the churches on, unless we address SCOTUS. For that I recommend donating even $5 to AOC who has the guts to take on starting Impeachment investigation into the 2 worst of the 6 horrors, Thomas and Alito. She got the money Dick Durbin could have gotten if he had listened to my entreaties to do the same thing, instead of sending me a letter explaining the nothingness that he has been doing.
This Christian Nationalism concept that props up the "Christian family model" bizarrely has absolutely nothing to do with Christianity! Hypocrisy was Jesus' biggest pet peeve and if He hadn't resurrected He'd be rolling around in His grave about now. Evangelicals who go around quoting the Bible and profess to live by its word (parables were not meant to be taken literally) have bought into everything Anti-Christ.
Speaking about the Antichrist mentioned in the scriptures (St. John and St. Paul), described as the "deceiver" and the "lawless one," the term was loosely tossed around to make the comparison to Obama, a Black man when he was president. Yet, I have not heard the term once compared to Trump, an Orange man, when it's so entirely apt.
Everything seems upside down. Here we have Biden who has made gaffes for the last half century, a true Christian, who has worked tirelessly and achieved so much for Americans, who is asked to step down by members of his own party, while a real Deceiver is propped up by so many who are duly and blatantly deceived!
Regardless of the concern for Biden and the growing number who are calling for him to step down now, if it's between Biden and Trump in November, I am confident that every single democrat will fall in line and vote for Biden. Otherwise, I will cry for you America....
Think of who called Obama the anti-Christ. White Christian Nationalists, racist. death on "socialist" AHCT, plus Democrat! Jesus always warned about the self-righteous. Fits to a T.
Please leave religion out of this! Haven't you noticed? Religion is the problem. The constitution wisely tried to keep it out of government. It has failed, and we are paying the consequences. Jesus had pet peeves? Oh for Christ's sake!
Agree completely. That's why PACs 501(c)(4)s became so popular but right now so many c3s are violating the prohibition against political activity -- let's challenge them all.
I remember the All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena California being threatened. A rather conservative friend attended the liberal church while I just drove by it many Fridays to do things local to my work while waiting for the rush hour traffic to subside before going 45 miles the other way to home.
Seems they only wanted to challenge the tax status of liberal churches, but now, will go far beyond any previous protect of conservative churches that do far more extreme political drum beating (to me even when they suggest violent overthrow of our democracy and its’ evolved Constitution).
It does, and has applied for ages! We are here today because this atrocity has not been enforced. The IRS seems too afraid to be accused of being political if they enforce the law.
Frank, I completely agree, but playing devil's advocate here, doesn't the same happen with Black churches (mainly in the South)? Didn't Biden just speak at a church?
I believe that *any* church which takes a public political position should forfeit its nonprofit status. (I'm an atheist and say they all should anyway, but my daughter attends a Uni-Uni church with her kids and tells me that, if forced to pay taxes, the congregation would need to disband due to funding issues.)
That's a widely shared view among more aggressive atheists. If and when churches enter terminal decline, tax relief policies may undergo an "adjustment"... despite the separation of church and state in the constitution, this has little bearing that Christianity was a moral bulwark at many levels, not just a doctrinal story... though buttressing doctrine was widely seen as a first order of defence against the "owl of atheism", a dreaded condition which got going in the late 18th century but really took off in the 19th , England that is. (having an aside chat here :) )
I became an Independent 25 years earlier than one of the 3 founders of the Heritage Foundation, one whom I have the most respect for, Mickey Edwards (whose birthday is today, July 12, by the way). As I understand it he finally became an independent because of, and soon after the Jan 6 practice insurrection.
I don't remember when I started paying attention to what Mickey Edwards said, but throughout most of this century, his putting country over party reasoning helped me never regret stepping away from the party ancestors helped found (3 of whom served in 34th Congress in which the Opposition Coalition/Caucus was the majority, before the new name for the party was used on ballots).
It is just one of many appearances on Bill Moyers Journal
I wonder if Mickey Edwards would, as I suspect he might, be willing to file such a complaint against the current version of the Heritage Foundation he was a co-founder of.
Before Joe gets pitched, I wish that he would recognize Bill with the Presidential Metal of Freedom. It still galls me that Rush ruined that honor for the real deserving.
Do everything that helps, but Abraham Lincoln was correct, absolutely correct, in saying that anything can be accomplished with public sentiment and nothing can be accomplished without it. Translation: the law is a useful tool if, and only if, it rests on a foundation of trust. It's not working against Trump the way we expect because he and his cronies have sown the seeds of mistrust.
Whatever else anyone does, we must all do one thing. We must all treat one another like human beings.
We have what I refer to as many wisdom practices. They are the structural components of our social system. They include all the great religions, democracy, science, journalism, capitalism, etc. They are wisdom practices because and while they are expressions of what I refer to as the wisdom principle, aka the Golden Rule, aka the idea that is in our heads on the day we are born, which is that we must treat one another the way we would want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot.
When we do, it works. Then someone takes advantage of the situation, people get cynical, then things go from bad to worse, and then we have precisely two options. The wise option is to recognize that treating human beings like human beings is hard, but possible and necessary. The unwise option is to say, in essence, "The wisdom principle (or whatever you want to call it) doesn't work." The former will work if enough of us are doing it, and the latter is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Maybe taking all these organizations to court is necessary and helpful, but it is not sufficient.
To what I said above, I will add that this thing so many people are doing, criticizing one person for doing what we all do every day, which is make honest mistakes, when that one person has gotten himself into a position because he is capable of doing what none of the rest of us can do, which is successfully lead the most powerful nation on Earth in perhaps the most challenging time in American history, is appalling, absolutely appalling.
Here's something else that is absolutely true. The people who are doing that need to go to Wikipedia, and read the "phycological projection" article, and then take a look at themselves in the mirror. If they do that honestly, they will recognize they are harming all of us and themselves.
If Biden steps down, he steps down. If he stays on, he stays on. Either way, he has earned and deserves our unqualified support.
"Be angry, but do not let the sun go down on your anger." —Ephesians 4:26.
I feel much calmer now. Thanks for letting me spew.
James, it’s like discarding the most wonderful of cakes because of swirl marks on the icing. Hopefully, the content of his answers last night will convince the naysayers.
I have been wondering how religious organizations and not-for-profits like the NRA have not lost their exempt status. Guessing they funnel their donations through a sister organization. Is that common?
I feel like these organizations have been taboo. One good thing is that the Biden administration has funded the IRS better so it actually can go after people. I am still boggled at the personal fortunes of mega church leaders and others in the church.
On other criminal matters specifically, criminal 'retributions' by now in the Trump era we should all be familiar with the criminal act to conspire to commit "ANY offense" against the United Staes and/or its employees.
Per the Cornell's "LII"--- Legal Info Institute. See, 18 U.S. Code Section 371 which is actionable now.
Please note: there is a minor typo both times the word 'show' appears above; please correct to "shows," so anyone copying and pasting this part of the complaint is typo-free:
"This show the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken."
Thank you for this detailed info. I will take the time to do this today!!! I’m so freaking infuriated, I’ll do anything to stop these disgusting fascists.
Yours is one of a few action proposals. Too many comments are criticisms and I see no value in them as we know the imminent danger of Trump and his supporters.
Michael Just another example of Trump following the copy book of Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda hit man:
‘IF YOU TELL A BIG ENOUGH LIE LONG ENOUGH, A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE IT.’
The Washington Post, during Trump’s presidency, identified more than 30,000 Trump whoopers. By now this must be approaching stratospheric numbers.
One of my favorites: ‘Biden is the worst president in American history.’ WOW! This would win the GEORGE ORWELL 1984 SPEAKTALK AWARD.
A distinguished panel of political scientists and historians has, every few years, ranked American presidents. In their last official assessment, Biden was ranked above the median, while Trump was ranked the worst president in American history by a significant margin.
Another example of a Trumpian ‘black is white and white is black’ pronouncement.
Morning, Ally! So lately I have been taking note of how many gaffes, stumbles, and mumbling phrases the pundit class commit as they try to drive home their own points for how the rest of us should think, then vote. The art of verbal communication is not as easy as some may believe, don't you think?
It’s why I never volunteer to speak to a group although I learned early on that a little humor helps. Still, why volunteer for pressure. Unless that is your thing. It’s not mine.
I have done that. More than a few times. My Mama told me long, long ago that I have to learn things the hard way. She would be glad to know that I finally learned that lesson. Sort of…
The country had a relatively stable eight years under Barack Obama, not perfect but there was economic growth. However the aftermath of the Bush wars opened the doors of hell and the laws of unintended consequences dominated.
And it came to pass that as a new election neared in 2016, a creature walked to the stage to suspend reality and make enough voters believe that he would lead the nation to wealth and weapons for all.
Cajoled by this socially mangled, misanthrope who has perfected the fine art of the lie, bigotry and unfair tax relief for the wealthy, they naively followed this most foul leader off the cliff.
Wait. What am I doing here? Am I trying to present a logical reason why someone would not vote for Trump? That’s totally insane. That’s almost as insane as voting for Trump! Plus, having to go through all that socio-economic, psychological, and historical crapola is about as interesting as a Xarelto commercial. So, I’m going to reveal the cause of the disease that I am dubbing, “Trump Voterism” or simply, “TV”: a vicious parasite, mutated by toxins now allowed into our air, water and food by Trump’s relentless attempt to kill all of us by loosening our environmental regulations.
Not only does that explain the phenomenon, it also sets the stage for an entirely new series of blockbuster movies, all based around these parasitic mutants. Think The Purge meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Citizen Kane meets Tremors.
There, can we move on to examining why people do other stupid things, like falling off a cliff while taking a selfie?
And Now the Good News:
After reading an opinion piece by Julian Zelizer of CNN opining a replacement ticket with Kamala Harris as President and Governor Gretchan Whitmer as Vice President. It would be a ticket that can’t lose. Let the women run things for a change. Let’s do it.
To quote: “Harris and Whitmer also offer experience and stability in governing. Harris has served as attorney general of California, US senator, and vice president. Whitmer has been a successful and popular governor in a crucial swing state. Both are serious policy wonks. Few challenge their chops when it comes to being interested in the nuts and bolts of governance. The Harris-Whitmer ticket would symbolize order in contrast to Trumpian chaos, replicating some of the promise of Biden’s campaign of 2020, with an added dose of youth.
Both women are in their fifties, and Gen Xers (although some categorize Harris as a Baby Boomer). With Republicans making old age an issue, a Harris-Whitmer ticket turns that argument against Trump, who at 78 has shown struggles with syntax and memory. Instead, Democrats would have a president and vice president who are in their primes, generating some of the energy that Bill Clinton and his VP Al Gore brought in their 1992 campaign against President H.W. Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle.”
It’s long overdue for women to run things. Let’s get it done. There would in all likelihood, be a blue tidal wave and we would sweep both houses of Congress with super majorities.
Will we rise to the occasion to save our fragile democracy? Who the hell knows. But I hope we do.
Yes. We see how effective the Right wing, and the Christian Nationalists have been at this. Now they are allied. We need long term planning and a clear agenda.
The right wing and Christian nationalists are one and the same. They have been working in anonymity for years, waiting for their chance to take power. Because we live in an open society the beyond radical right has been able to work to undermine our democratic society by stealing rights that do NOT belong to them.
There is no way at this point in time that this country would elect one woman as Pres ( although Hilary DiD ) let alone two. It’s tilting at windmills. Biden has mastered the presidency from getting us out of a pandemic to legislation including global cohesiveness. Ageism is a terrible thing. Clinton has my vote. Ooh- i mean Biden. I also get a word mixed up!! I’m ridin with Biden!!
I’d vote for a turd sandwich over Trump!!! This isn’t about WHO the Democratic candidate is right now. It’s about democracy versus fascism. It is that serious, that deadly. I am voting FOR DEMOCRACY.
I mix up my husband and daughter and they aren't even the same gender. They're also used to being called by each other's name. The worst was when I have mistakenly called my husband by my ex's name about 2 times.
Biden is in serious cognitive decline. A retired professor of psychology friend of mine explained in more fully than anyone else has. I’m not suggesting that Trump isn’t along side of him he is but for a few different reasons. This is a mess.
Bill, didn’t you hear his foreign affairs answers last night? I have had relatives in cognitive decline—none of them could have done what he did in the press conference. Did he pause before he answered—yes, he did, knowing that every single word would be dissected six ways to Sunday for talking points for Hannity/Ingrams.
Yes. When we know a lot about what we are doing, which Trump never did, cognitive decline usually means some of the people around you are taking on different tasks, and you might need more of them, but the basic things you are still understanding and making complex decisions on.
Bill Katz, Please stop the arm chair diagnosis. Your retired professor friend should be ashamed of himself for claiming any special knowledge along this line. Most of us with a PhD in behavioral science know better than to offer such an opinion based on their TV watching and no independent expert evaluation of Biden’s cognitive functioning. It’s irresponsible.
Ok. I’m spanked. But considering all this muck, it would be better for all for him to get out of the way. He identified himself ealyly a a transitional president and this could mean 4 years.
Bill, aren't we all. However, I don't see any big changes happening in the next 4 months, and really that is all we need. He has back up. I also know that stress impacts cognition, and I am much more stressed these days because I am not eager to live on a planet where fascism rules. Democracy is so much nicer.
In this bigoted country where hating women is the default stance and where we just rolled back bodily autonomy for women, there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell that a two woman presidential ticket is the solution to this impending fascist nightmare. As nice as it sounds, it’s not realistic.
I totally agree, Bill. "Trump Voterism" (TV). Hmmm... Isn't there a vaccine for injecting progressive nano-robots into unsuspecting Trump-drone voters? They'll be disappointed when their hero goes down in flames. Might as well make it painless.
omg is that a funny recollection Keith ! Yes.. indeed. Awkward twist though is that today, the 'more-equal-than-others pigs' own many state legislatures and SCOTUS.
In their styes with all their backing, they don't care what goes on around. We have got to roll back excessive, concentrated money as a prime determinant of political and social outcomes. Robert Reich had this take on that in current developments:
This projection is based on the fact that Trump is in a weaker position to overthrow the results of the election, since he isn’t in office. If Biden wins, he has no need to leave, and therefore, in perspective of the Heritage Foundation, Biden’s business-as-usual is treason. And this is supposed to be a “Think Tank”?
Psychological projection is what trump is all about. Most of all his lies are the exact opposite of the truth. So when he speaks he is always referring to himself by projection and telling the truth but its opposite. And he was POTHUS and could be again, which I am afraid is a horrible sad commentary on the American electorate.
I think it would be fascinating if at the next "debate" Biden would START with outlining what Trump does - lie, project, not answer questions. And every time that Trump does it, Biden can then raise a finger to flag it for people as Trump's doing it.
It is essential that Trump gets more blowback from his relentless lies. Even Republicans were poised to convict Nixon of "the coverup". We have been inured to Trumps carpet-bomb of fabrication style, but he can't be allowed to get away with it. Way too many people were inured to slavery and racism until focused objection made a "thing" of it. Far too many accepted second-class citizenship for women, etc. etc. "Normalized" evil gets to skate. Those who would be tyrants are trying to normalize evil even further,
I think of projection as at least partially naive; you assume others are lying because that's what you would do. Trump seems to have been raised to be a manipulator. I think he knows that he lies and is proud of it. Some of his remarks in the past implies to me he thinks deceiving, and certainly manipulating people, is clever. It is clear from all of the deceptive plotting that Trump knows very well he lost the last election, but he feels entitled to use any tactic, hook AND crook, to get what he wants.
The projection by the right is stunning. The whole thing, out of the blue, about Biden taking pills for the debate really made me wonder if that was also Trump projection.
We also expect the IRS to remove the Heritage Foundation’s non-profit status. "The Heritage Foundation holds a tax-exempt status per 501(c)(3) and therefore has engaged in numerous violations of such code."
Michael, laughable indeed except when used to describe the psychological process, projection occurs unconsciously. The user is unaware that s/he is projecting the idea outwards onto others which is the means by which the one employing it protects the self from unwanted or unacceptable thoughts. It seem far more likely that this form of "projection" is simply use of Putin's "political technology" by which misinformation is employed to confuse and divide political opponents [see HCR's LFAA from July, 7th]. Either way, the person using it had to have the thought in the first place.
The book, "Fear: Trump in the White House," was released Tuesday and details a White House is chaos. Woodward spoke to dozens of current and former officials for the book on background, meaning their names weren't used.
The book includes a conversation between Trump and a "friend who had acknowledged some bad behavior toward women." The friend was not named, but the president, who has been accused by more than a dozen women of inappropriate sexual behavior, offered some advice.
(...)
"You've got to deny, deny, deny and push back on these women," Trump said, according to Woodward. "If you admit to anything and any culpability, then you're dead. That was a big mistake you made."
Trump said the key was showing no hesitancy in denying accusations and instead, be on the attack and push back.
"You didn't come out guns blazing and just challenge them. You showed weakness," Trump told the friend, according to Woodward. "You've got to be strong. You've got to be aggressive. You've got to push back hard. You've got to deny anything that's said about you. Never admit."
It is just another proof that lying is now fully the coin of the realm for Republicans/MAGAs/conservatives in general. Lying has seemed to help them and got Trump elected in 2016 despite losing the popular vote by nearly 3 million. If anyone is going to disrupt our election it will be Trump and Kump with the help of The Heritage Foundation, an entity all Americans should scorn as seditious.
Thanks for the good humor. We need more honesty and light-heartedness as we wander toward the month of August and some of us already looking forward to school!
What is the penalty for blatantly lviolating the Logan Act?
Is there just nothing that applies to tfg that could get him into jail without yearlong back-and-forth? He is violating that act in plain sight. Wouldn't any other private citizen be jailed already?
Correct, but the problem is that Orbán does NOT have a mandate for anything of this kind. He takes advantage of a situation where EU leadership is going through a shuffle after the recent elections. EU has many different 'presidents', which add to the confusion. EU has a completely different foreign policy, and Orbán as usual is a rogue pretender. There will soon be a public announcement on the matter - see this reporting from the Financial Times https://www.ft.com/content/cca3c407-e583-451b-929e-cfcd2cfa223d . Hopefully soon before he causes even more damage.
The EU has been making it very clear he does not. I am waiting to see if they can find a way to address him. He is making these remarks at the same time that the Biden Administration is sharing intelligence with Germany that there is a plan to kill top arms dealers who supply Ukraine with weapons, such a Putin move, of intimidation. Trump would not do this, and that is why Europe is really eager to shut Orbán up. They have blocked him from making the traditional president of the Council of the EU speech. Still, it is a problem that he is acting like Richard Grenell is, by going around representing Trump's interests with right wing governments and movements, seemingly treasonous to the Biden administration. However, there are so many rats coming out, it is hard to catch them all.
What I have read is that the rock and hard place they are in, is if they do too much discipline he will obstruct all Ukraine supports. So, they have to figure out how to put Hungary on notice that if they don't follow the rules with which they first got into the EU they are out. That might wake the population up. They enjoy a better lifestyle from being in the EU. Can Hungary be like Belarus, and be another one of Putin's small state bootlickers, if kicked out? Are the people willing to try?
Thanks for the explanation, but this seems to be another classic case that will end up like a Trumpian slap on the wrist. Orbán is clearly out of control.
They have already been using blocking Orbán. I recall Scholz asking him to not attend a vote on Ukraine. Now they are blocking him from speaking in the presidency. They said there will not be room for 6 months, so that means, when his time is up. So, he is just traveling on his own, while his former coparty member is trying to oust him at home. While I don't know that someone from his party can really bring anything new other than his own corruption, at least he is whistle blowing on Orbán. That is what Trump does. It is a fascist tactic.
Well, Orbán seems to be abusing this privilege. He seems to be milking the position for all it's worth - at least in terms of optics. (Talk about the tail wagging the dog.)
Clearly is the despots are ‘a Clear and present danger’. While Trump is Clearly breaking the law here, the other nefarious Clearly breaking international laws..it is even more clear little can/will be done definitively.
And so …the world turns with the despicable getting away literally with murder, espionage, lying, infiltration, and us holding the high bar of integrity, playing by the rules.
I don’t feel so bad now …thoughts and prayers , huh?
"This is humanly understandable. A shrewd victor will, if possible, always present his demands to the vanquished in installments. And then, with a nation that has lost its character -and this is the case of every one which voluntarily submits - he can be sure that it will not regard one more of these individual oppressions as an adequate reason for taking up arms again."
- Hitler, Mein Kampf
We have been snoozin' and losin'. Now the fascists are saying the implied parts out load, and hopefully (and critically) it is triggering more focused resistance.
Right now some things one can be doing, and that I recommend, are funding AOC who is taking on impeachment proceedings against two of the SCOTUS members, Thomas and Alito. I sent her a donation and used a dummy address in her district to thank her for taking this on. Another thing you can be doing is filing a complaint with the IRS about The Heritage Foundation for violating their tax exempt status. I found information on this after a friend has already sent me some information from Mastodon. So, I am sharing both.
Seen on Mastodon. At this link you can download a PDF form to file a complaint to the IRS, requesting that they revoke the Heritage Foundation‘s non-profit status. Fill out the form and mail it to: eoclass@irs.gov
This is what is suggested on the sample form to fill in:
Based on the statements of Kevin Roberst, the Heritage Foundation’s president, on June 11 and July 2, the foundation’s mission is no longer solely “research and education,” but now includes preparing for a possibly bloody revolution.
Specifically, in an interview on “The War Room” on July 2, Roberts stated that the Heritage Foundation has developed a prominent series of policy plans (Project 2025) to overhaul the federal government under a Republican president, and that the country was “in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be”
Sure sounds like Roberts and the other authors of Project 2025 are planning to start a bloody war as part of the Heritage Foundation’s mission.
The Heritage Foundation clearly and overtly supports presidential candidate Donald Trump. This show the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken.
You'll need more information about The Heritage Foundation to be able to fill out IRS complaint form 13909. This information is from Jessica Craven, Chop Wood Carry Water:
The Heritage Foundation's street address is 214 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., city is Washington, state is D.C. Zipcode is 20002
Their tax ID/EIN was tricky to submit - you cannot have a hyphen so it's 237327730
You can name both John P. Bakiel (VP of Finance) and Kevin Roberts (President).
Jessica suggested saying something like:
The Heritage Foundation clearly and overtly supports presidential candidate Donald Trump. This show the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken.
I just completed my complaint and found that it is easy to submit electronically. She says, “No need to email. You'll get a download of your submission for your records.” I was not able to do this and had to email it. If you can figure it out, can you please share it.
I don’t doubt that Kevin Roberts, Donald Trump and their ilk want bloodshed, which is a horrible thing to desire. Whether or not Trump wins, I don’t doubt we’ll see violence, and it won’t be coming from the “Left.” We don’t really have a “Left” in any real sense apart from small groups with more bark than bite, and MAGA has a compelling need to make those of us who don’t agree with their plans enemies.
I agree that the left is not the problem. Also, Biden and mainstream Americans voting for him are not "The Left." Unfortunately, the Dems have allowed the Republicans to define them or even some of them as "The Left" for so long it is impossible to take on now. I have neighbors in Chicago that are "The Left." They homeschool differently than "The Right," and they tell me the left is armed. My mom's childhood friend is "The Left" here in Germany and we have coffee about 4 times a year and I get to hear the positions of the left. That is not what Democrats are, not even the so called, "Left wing" of the Democratic party. A resource someone shared yesterday, which I am gathering, about Project 2025 is the Substack called How Project 2025 Will Ruin YOUR Life. https://project2025istheocracy.substack.com/
I recommend reading it if you do and don't read Project 2025 yourself. She is right on the money about what I have read her saying about Education, although so far, I have read that section of Project 2025 and have an even worse picture of what is planned, but at least she gives the Christian Nationalist details that everyone who is not one should understand. It clears up a lot of things.
Linda, it would seem that what the MAGAts describe as "the Left" is becoming "anyone who is left" believing anything tRump after reading and understanding just what Project 2025 and the Republican party are about...which is all of US!
I hesitated when I wrote that, and expected a counter. Yes, you're correct, but MAGA is the party of AR-15s while those opposed are largely armed with burning torches and pitchforks in comparison.
I know. Trump is a sadist, and he sat for several hours watching the bloodshed on January 6. I have no doubt that he wants bloodshed whether or not he wins the election.
We need to punish them too. Going after Trump's supports like Supreme Court justices and the Heritage Foundation. See my post above about filing with the IRS against the Heritage Foundation. We need these complaints to be pouring in. Hopefully, we will be able to do this with all of the funders of SCOTUS and Trump. Biden is now funding the IRS to be able to begin to go after these people. Of course, the Christian Nationalists want the church tax exemptions enshrined in gold.
For their churches only, perhaps the only reason they don’t want to reveal going after other churches (at least until they consolidate enough power), like the GW Bush administration played with.
And the Johnson amendment Marli-- What are the penalties for violating it? The penalty should be each church loses their tax exempt status. It's not like many of these churches help anyone with their hate and anger. Our county of 50,000, has three food banks that feed or supplement almost 5000 people every month. And the Catholic Church comes in and takes credit when they provide a fraction of the support. And yet, they constantly promote the patriarchy and are above the law when it comes to sexual abuse of everyone that isn't a priest.
You expressed my concern regarding the Logan Act. Given the latest from SCOTUS regarding presidential immunity, couldn't the Biden administration now take action against Trump for violating the Act?
Marli, unfortunately it seems like the Logan Act is just words on a paper. Only once was someone charged with a violation, long ago, but never convicted. Here’s a Wiki blurb on it—too bad it doesn’t seem to have any teeth, we could sure use it right about now: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan_Act
Even if it was invoked - we'd never see a conviction hold up because the corrupt SCOTUS would bend the law as needed or just legislate from the bench which is what they want to do.
I've come to the conclusion that Trump will not pick a Vice Presidential candidate because he doesn't want to share the stage with anyone but himself. His gigantic ego won't allow it! Prove me wrong.
The most frightening scenario is if jd vance is the pick. Young, fascist, smooth-talking, educated, and ruthless. In a worse case scene, the orange turd either wins, or steals the election, and shortly after is 'removed' from office, and replaced by vance. At that point, vance becomes our Putin, and life as we've known it comes to a screeching halt.
And that's the thing. The orange turd is nothing but a tool. A useful tool to the traitors from the Heritage and other 'Foundations'. Once they have their real guy installed as VP, they manipulate the election through the already-compromised Federal Courts, take over next January, and then invoke Article 25 to remove the turd, and install vance. He's not 40 yet, so we'll then be sentenced to his 'rule' for the next 40 years or so. A horrifying scenario.
Is it too far fetched to see Heritage geniuses having their puppet elected as VP and then assassinating their and Putin’s useful idiot and pinning it on the Democrats or Liz Cheney. They will have no further use for 45 after his grievance driven apprentice cult puts him back in the WH with their man tagging along. If Joe won’t go, we have goofus vs gallant again and need to make the contents of P2025 apparent to the young voters put off by Biden’s stumbles.
Fox uses fear and ridicule to motivate their unAmerican agenda. We have been given their scary playbook with something to lose for everyone who isn’t wealthy. Women, minority and young voters can still save this democratic republic. It’s time to wake them up.
I think he’s waiting as long as he can, to see if Biden will step back and Harris will be the candidate. If she is, I’ll wager that he chooses Tim Scott. If she isn’t, I think it will maybe be JD Vance.
He knows how to use suspense, thats all he's doing. Can't stand Biden in the spotlight. Anyone investigating why he's been so quiet? You really think he's heeding his advisors to lay low while Dems look bad? His VP is news, so he dangles it.
I don’t understand all the comments below. I do understand that America is in mortal danger, not just as a society but an idea born in the 1700s by people wanting freedom. It is a resonating idea. World War Two saw Germany and Japan come back from the brink to embrace that idea. They are now staunch allies.
Trump himself is not to be feared that much as he is a garbled mouthpiece. It is the people behind him who need to answer. Hitler was a deluded drug addict but the enablement of his direct minions made his rants reality. I’m not saying hitler was an innocent and I’m not saying Trump is an innocent. Far from it. They both had the media and judiciary stacked on their side by volunteer, greed or intimidation.
Myself, I think if Biden wins and I seriously hope he does, you are going to have your own Crystalnacht. Might be called red neck stupid night or greedy lazy liars in the GOP night.
Biden, give him his due. Re elect, make sure democrats control congress and the senate, push the rule of law and stop giving ammunition to the other side, stop shooting yourself in the foot. Should he die in office, possible, welcome Kamala Harris. This is probably Bidens greatest gift to the nation.
Stability.
Sense.
Care.
I will say now that I’m Australian. The ramifications of the prefrontal dementia clown getting in again by any means is appalling and alarming and will irrevocably change the whole world.
You have every reason to be terrified. I just returned from Greece where I was relating my fears to my relatives and that we would be looking for property there if trump won. Their response mirrored your perspective that the whole world would change and there would be no place on earth to hide. Time to go back and crawl under the covers....
What the hell does the USA have all that bloated, ridiculous pile-up of defense/security/intelligence gathering/police and investigation agencies for when they were incapable of weeding out candidates for high office who are blatant security risks and sit on their hands in the face of a putsch attempt that has been going on without a break every minute since the failed attempt to overthrow the Republic on January 6th 2021?
Don't these agencies, from the Pentagon all the way down to local police forces KNOW that THEY are among the first due to be taken apart and replaced by MAGA-Mafia stooges on behalf of the smirking semi-human in the Kremlin?
WHAT DO THEY INTEND TO DO ABOUT THIS FRONTAL ASSAULT ON THE REPUBLIC?
As for America's Media... Frankly beneath contempt. As the whole country will be if it cannot pull itself together and deal with this grotesque criminal assault on its very being.
Don't people realize that the US could soon become the universal enemy???
Read Prequel, Peter. Conservatives have always taken advantage of our Bill of Rights especially when it comes to breaking the law. When these agencies you mention work to do their jobs as you mentioned, the conservatives bully them to stop them. Conservatives fought to keep slavery, then avoided prosecution following the Civil War, then undermined reconstruction, set up Jim Crows laws....the list goes on and on....conservatives are why the Wall Street crooks walked in 2008
Thank you, Rickey. I'd not heard of this book, although I did know about some of its content, in particular, some of the characters involved, as well as the influence of American racism on Hitler and Nazi policy.
I shall read this book, since I am scatterbrains and it appears to put together what is still, for me, a ragbag of scattered information.
Today's Americans, including, I suspect, many—even most—fellow readers of Letters from an American, seem blind to the very pressing reality of a well-nigh completed counter-revolution—the overthrow, not only of the modern Federal State, but of the original American Revolution and the Constitution and Bill of Rights that crowned that long struggle.
Blind, because quite unable to see the wood for all the habitual trees.
And we can be quite sure that, if the ultrafascist seizure of the State should be completed according to plan, appearances and all the familiar American rituals that go to make up those appearance will be preserved. The reality that underlies that shiny, flickering telescreen surface, is to be replaced.
Through the parachute troops that have invested the judiciary, in particular the “conservative” majority of the Supreme Court, the bare bones of Führerprinzip have already been put in place, updating that grand slogan plastered across walls throughout Fascist Italy:
MUSSOLINI HA SEMPRE RAGIONE — MUSSOLINI IS ALWAYS RIGHT
As a teenager, I saw the remains of that sign on Italian walls, together with LONG LIVE MUSSOLINI replaced by DOWN WITH MUSSOLINI. And still on walls when the train reached the outskirts of Paris in 1952… A BAS LES JUIFS… DOWN WITH THE JEWS…
Under “normalization” (as in post-Dubcek Czechoslovakia) there will be new “Jews”—new scapegoats, new pariahs. However, those Jews still true to the essential values of the tradition, with its deeply ingrained sense of justice, will be in danger. As will be genuine Christians—despite the imposition of a form of imperial pseudo-Christianity reminiscent of the Japanese militarists’ State Shinto.
And it goes without saying that women and every aspect of the Feminine are to be subservient. The left wing of the bald eagle is to be firmly pinioned.
If you are at long last willing to see what no one in their right mind would wish to see, go to the conspiracy theories now being aired by the Heritage Foundation, the so-called 2024 Transition Integrity Project, which spell out the plans of the MAGA-GOP but… attribute them to Joe Biden… Admire the ingenuity of those who would be your new owners. In today’s WaPo:
“The GOP group behind Project 2025 floats conspiracy theory that Biden will use 'force' to keep power
A conservative think tank that is planning a complete overhaul of the federal government in the event of a Republican presidential win is suggesting that President Joe Biden might try to hold the White House “by force” if he loses the November election
By Gary Fields and Ali Swenson | AP”
Yes. Admire, enjoy, and maybe for a change accept the reality of the regime that is being put in place for you.
And, having accepted that reality, have the guts and the principles to refuse once and for all to surrender to it.
Deep changes are coming to the world and we shall have to adjust to them.
I have not entertained illusions about America, all my life I have been very critical of many, many aspects of the great power. But then, neither have I entertained illusions about anti-Americanism, however justifiable, however understandable.
Now we face those who would throw all our babies out with the bathwater (while upholding the "rights" of zygotes...).
Such vile legislative sewage gushing forth from the House. Deluded deluders about to invite a grandmaster deluder, self-deluder... and I shall refrain from spelling out the rest of what there is to be said about the wretch.
How is it that human beings are the only animals on this Earth that can select misleaders, then praise, lionize, even worship them? How can beings that can perform such wonders attain such depths of malignant, suicidal stupidity?
Love your thoughts and writings Peter. Sadly at least to me most Magas aren't true Fascist idealogues. They are mostly just bigots. You are right however in wondering WHY our security state isn't trying harder to stop this deep threat to our Republic?!
I note that you use the word "conservative" exclusively with the meaning it has come to acquire for those who are not and have no admiration for upholders of finders-keepers and fences determined to hold onto the swag they've acquired even if the whole world must be destroyed to ensure that hold.... What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine.
The Forty Thieves are to rule the world and Ali Baba is to die like Navalny.
Let me clarify- CONservative leadership of today. I posted and 11 part series here on SUbstack about how the entirety of conservative leadership is leading this charge. Many of the conservative I know are uninformed of what their real plan is and have some difficulty in defending them once their actions verify those plans.
Rick, I am so happy that you're making a big point of it to delineate between gop leadership and the general membership ! I've been advocating that here and elsewhere forever - there's a crucial difference that has to be understood, accepted, and acted upon by all of us concerned. Thank you ~
American schools K-12 to "higher" caved when Heritage Foundation, Hoover Institution, and ALEC spent the post-Powell-memo 1970s gutting humanities from all schools.
They replaced the humanities K-12 with the throttling, dehumanizing regimes of standardized testing, and replaced them in higher ed with all-neutered, mutually-isolated adjacent silos. High-paid admin giving away universities to corporate interests, and to the banks indebting the students.
The machinery for the body snatchers to take over was set in place those decades ago. Peter's comment, above, only shows his lack of familiarity with Don Siegel's original "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," and the systematized prep for all to fall into that sleep.
Phil, I’m stupid to imagine that I can get through to anyone but the few who are already awake when even the attack on the Twin Towers, even the recent horrific assault on Israel have failed to awaken people from their mental torpor. At most, the agitation provoked by bad dreams.
I’m remembering again those words I wrote on August 29th 2001…
“Sleepwalkers reasoning on the edge of the abyss… But… are we not already in it?”
The comfortable complacency of so many of us can, perhaps, be disturbed by nothing less than total disaster.
*
I guess I ought to understand. I slept through a night-time fire alarm at boarding school at age 12.
Likewise, I had to meet with charlatans and go along with them for a while before I got the message, usually delivered in person in the presence of all those in thrall to the conman in question—a deliberate public humiliation designed to get rid of me while duly impressing the faithful. (This is, incidentally, more or less what happened to the President the other day. And no doubt happened to Chamberlain and Daladier who couldn’t fathom the kind of being they faced…)
Why can only human beings be fooled by conmen when even your pet dog would get the point?
Thanks, I thought it must be that but didn't recall Powell's first name.
Interesting, the awakening of consciousness, all the way from "this is so systematic, it does begin to look like a conspiracy"... up to the point when even Supreme Court Justices out themselves...
And still people sleep peacefully, for... "It can't happen here".
Phil, often when I think of this slow infiltration, over decades, of the what is now known Project 2025’s Mandate for Leadership goals, I hear this Leonard Cohen tune in my head “First We Take Manhattan”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan_Act I first read about it last spring soon after it was announced/published and, not believing it was “real” at first, I became very alarmed that no one seemed to be concerned, let alone alarmed by it & most folks I talked to had never heard of it…..well, finally, it is making the news & many are gobsmacked by it as they should be. Glad, too, that the House of Representatives has convened a task force to investigate it. I also recommend this group Stop the Coup 2025: 🗽🇺🇸 https://www.stopthecoup2025.org/
Thanks for showing a beam of light in this foul darkness... A moment's poetic feeling...
"Then we take Berlin!"
It is more than unfortunate that The Coup has already been "normalized". The Coup, and The Beast. And the top chessmen are already in place, calling out "Check!"
With that special botox-enhanced Putinsmirk imprinted on their features.
I think that is what we have all wanted to think & ignored a lot of evidence our interests were being undermind. The rules of engagement have changed, we can no longer afford to extend the benefit of the doubt, then be bewildered when social contracts are not honored. Being responsible citizens is continuing to hold faith in our principles of democracy while expecting clear accountability on an ongoing basis. That's the progressive process, staying engaged.
Is anyone surprised that Trump has an enemies list? I'm surprised the 350 isn't higher. People in my city were discussing putting all the Democrats in reform camps when Trump wins according to a friend. Preachers advocating for a Trump win here in Indiana. Things are getting scary folks. Not that they haven't been already. Then there's this. God help us all. Thank you Heather. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
We can redirect our conversations to the many different dangers of Project 2025. There’s something for everyone to worry about. Social Security? Medicare? Veterans’ benefits? Reproductive rights? Education? As Heather repeatedly says, it’s up to us to make our voices heard, and this is the most critical time.
Here is a QR code for the Biden Campaign introduction to Project 2025 (with the QR code currently available on stickers and tote bags):
Recently the Heritage people were very cagey about mentioning that there are other unadvertised features of Project 2025 that the Right doesn't want the Left to know about. Think about it: we're going into an election with one party towing a Pandora's Trojan horse. It's a terrifying prospect.
Violation of the the Logan Act is a felony punishable by fines and up to 3 years of imprisonment. Is Donald Trump -- now a private citizen -- not subject to the laws he violates? The recent democracy-ending Supreme Court decision gives immunity to a sitting President, not to a traitorous shit like the current GOP presidential candidate.
Is Merrick Garland still out to lunch? Is the FBI on vacation?
David, I posted upthread that while the Logan Act has been “on the books” since 1799 only ONCE has anyone been charged, long ago, for violating it….but was not convicted. So, apparently, a law with no teeth…not sure in today’s political climate there would be the cojones to try and bring charges. Would like to see it happen tho!!!!
Don’t you just know it. President Biden is smart enough to know the SCOTUS majority would not enable him to break the law the same way they have just enabled Trump to be a dictator. Talk about rigging the scales of justice!
Many of us are trying to hold body and soul together. It’s not that peaceful protest is unnecessary, but many of us have to work to keep ourselves and families fed.
Agree, Craig! If you read The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis, you come to understand that the “deep state” folks are caterwauling about is really just (mostly) civil servants doing their nonpartisan jobs, a scaffold if you will, underpinning the work of our government.
Joe Biden is a Senior Citizen who has gotten up in age. Instead of panicking and denigrating him for getting old, citizens should see him as an inspiration ! This is a "working" U.S. President who has his hands on the levers. He has vast experience and wisdom in this game. His policies are starting to show up for the middle class economy. And his policies are not a sugar high like (Trump) cutting taxes for the rich and giving the citizens a one time $600.00 check while the rich got hundreds of thousands and millions in tax breaks. The balance being made up in cuts to social services, environmental preservation, NATO and infrastructure to the middle class. If Joe wants to stick it out , I'm with him 100%.
Me too, Bill. He has, IMHO, a great VP in Harris and an excellent administrative staff/Cabinet. If for some reason he was not able to complete his full term (and NO president is ever assured that, life being what it is!), fully talented & competent folks are there to step up & step in to the role. I’m voting for Team Biden/Harris!
I wish I had the money to pay for a billboard that says, "You can thank the media for this chaos." The NYT Editorial Board (NOT the newsroom!) started it, immediately after Biden's admittedly bad debate. Since then, WAPO piled on. And the press began claiming (without any sources or citations) that unnamed aides and advisors to President Biden wanted him to step aside. And so it continues!
It's worse than high school journalism. One news outlet's initial comment on last night's press conference was "a rare press conference." Objective journalism would report that "there was a press conference" without playing games with adjectives.
I don't begin to know how to make it clear to people that the press are the problem! They need to be focusing on how unfit Trump is. Instead, they are doing everything they can to take down an extraordinarily successful president. And at the end of the day, Biden has surrounded himself with people who are highly experienced, talented, and competent. People like Secretary Blinken and Secretary Buttigieg provide a base on which even an imperfect person can confidently rest. THEY are not the ones who want him out. The big corporations that own the big newspapers are saying it. It's not hard to figure out why!! Controversy, chaos, and advertising sell subscriptions and advertising.
Barbara, I have posted here & on other SubStacks recently that, to me, it all seems too “slick and coordinated”, a veritable pile-on cacophony & hope that some decent investigative journalists peel back the lid to find out who/what may be orchestrating this—-maybe election interference 2.0??????? Who knows, but would be good to find out.
What a fitting contrast: President Biden is celebrating the 75th anniversary of NATO in Washington while Trump is meeting with Putin puppy Orban at Mar a Lago.
I remember when and why NATO was created in 1949 as a Cold War bulwark against Stalin and his occupiers of Berlin and Eastern Europe. Then it was unimaginable that Stalin would come to America and play footsie with a prominent American politician.
The American would have been castigated as a traitor. As a former Foreign Service Officer, this is what I would call Trump for his past and present bromance with ‘Greater Russia’ Putin AND his stated desire to sharply weaken American commitment to NATO.
Keith, fpotus is a traitor in word and deed, an oathbreaker, and a criminal. And yet, people still run around with his face on a flag in the back of their jacked up trucks. SMH.
The Heritage Foundation is in fact giving Trump language for his efforts to commit treason by projecting that same accusation against the democrats. Trump is in seventh heaven as he plays golf and lets the more “intellectually credible” organization prove him right. This is one of Heather’s most frightening letter yet.
AT LAST! The NY Times published a powerful editorial pointing out the many reasons why Donald Trump is manifestly unfit for the presidency, or any other public office.
One hopes to soon see another editorial stating that whoever the Democratic presidential candidate turns out to be, that candidate must soundly prevail in the November election, whether or not that candidate is the editorial board’s first choice.
In other words, stop bashing Joe Biden, and start talking about all the positive things the Democrats have brought the country in the last four years.
I read the article, and while it’s good that the NYT came out with this (better late than never I guess) they just had to get their digs in on Biden. They continue to create an infuriating moral equivalence between Trump’s evil and the fact that Biden has slowed down. Makes me want to tear my hair out.
If anyone here still subscribes and is willing to post a gift article, I’d love to read that. As a former subscriber, I’ve been unable to access the article anywhere without subscribing again, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to do that.
- Pulled Quote -
"Today the Heritage Foundation preemptively accused the Biden administration of cheating in the 2024 election and warned that Biden might try to hold the White House “by force.” It said that Biden and his administration could “circumvent constitutional limits and disregard the will of the voters should they demand a new president.”
Almost laughable, almost. Google: ''Psychological projection''
Please file a complaint on them with the IRS for violating their tax status. Here is the link, how to do it, and 2 different suggestions on what to say.
IRS complaint
https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/irs-complaint-process-tax-exempt-organizations
Seen on Mastodon. At this link you can download a PDF form to file a complaint to the IRS, requesting that they revoke the Heritage Foundation‘s non-profit status. Fill out the form and mail it to: eoclass@irs.gov
This is what is suggested on the sample form to fill in:
Based on the statements of Kevin Roberts, the Heritage Foundation’s president, on June 11 and July 2, the foundation’s mission is no longer solely “research and education,” but now includes preparing for a possibly bloody revolution.
Specifically, in an interview on “The War Room” on July 2, Roberts stated that the Heritage Foundation has developed a prominent series of policy plans (Project 2025) to overhaul the federal government under a Republican president, and that the country was “in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be”
Sure sounds like Roberts and the other authors of Project 2025 are planning to start a bloody war as part of the Heritage Foundation’s mission.
The Heritage Foundation clearly and overtly supports presidential candidate Donald Trump. This shows the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken.
See NYTimes reporting of this incident on July 3rd: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/03/us/politics/heritage-foundation-2025-policy-america.html
You'll need more information about The Heritage Foundation to be able to fill out IRS complaint form 13909. This information is from Jessica Craven, Chop Wood Carry Water:
The Heritage Foundation's street address is 214 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., city is Washington, state is D.C. Zip code is 20002
Their tax ID/EIN was tricky to submit - you cannot have a hyphen so it's 237327730
You can name both John P. Bakiel (VP of Finance) and Kevin Roberts (President).
Jessica suggested saying something like:
The Heritage Foundation clearly and overtly supports presidential candidate Donald Trump. This shows the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken.
I just completed my complaint and found that it is easy to submit electronically.
She also says, “No need to email. You'll get a download of your submittal for your records.” I could not get it to do that and had to email. If you can figure out how to do it, please do.
Thanks, but why stop there? How about the Southern Baptist Convention and even individual MegaMaga churches like Osteen's church in Dallas and many others so called religious organizations that bring in speakers with the sole purpose of bashing Biden and Harris.
We give them millions in tax breaks to trash our democracy and denigrate our leaders.
First understand what Alito is, and perhaps Clarence Thomas as Christians by reading https://project2025istheocracy.substack.com/
Then, go after them. We should all be concentrating on SCOTUS to take back our country, because otherwise they will just block any action and support the right wing. Clearly Alito's goals are those of the New Apostolic Reformation.
Has anybody seen “Bad Faith” on Amazon Prime?? It’s exactly who these crazy people are. They need to be stripped of their tax-exempt status and exposed for their lunacy. ASAP.
Also see God+Country, Rob Reiner’s documentary. It’s even more chilling if possible.
Gobsmacking movie. My formerly-Republican (couldn’t stomach the Orange Clown a second time) and very devout Christian friends were completely speechless after watching “God + Country” with my husband and me. Wish the majority of this country would view this and start thinking for themselves.
Yes, I did and everyone needs to watch it Linda. Right?
The scenes from inside the churches where men of faith(?) are yelling the most hateful slurs at Biden and Harris and every other Democrat they can, are very disturbing. Seeing these scenes in Bad Faith is much of the reason I wrote my comment above.
Yes I have and God & Country is also very revealing!
Alito and Thomas are both Catholics. I am too, and couldn’t disagree more with them. They are blissfully unaware their Protestant evangelical allies will eventually turn on them as well.
AND "RELIGIOUS" UNIVERSITIES
Liberty, Oral Roberts, Grand Canyon, Hillsdale - indoctrination schools - all of them
" Ivan Raiklin, Trump’s self-declared “Secretary of Retribution” has compiled a “Deep State target list” of 350 people he wants to see arrested and punished for “treason” if Trump is reelected. The list includes Democratic and Republican elected officials, journalists he considers to be Trump’s enemies, U.S. Capitol Police officers, and witnesses against Trump in his impeachment trials and the hearings concerning the events of January 6, 2021."
IMHO if he "named names" then threatened to harm them, he may be criminally and civilly liable and should have to appear at a grand jury ASAP.
https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/22-407
Exactly!!! This is DOMESTIC TERRORISM. He needs to be arrested NOW.
Yes. They are "the scum". We.. gentle people.., have been too pre-occupied with other seemingly more-important things, instead of "stirring the pot".. ("SLC")! And, as a result, "the Scum" have risen to the top. Yes.., it's boiling over on us. Heritage Foundation be damned. We have afforded that oxymoron title, and we are paying the price. I hope we can regroup. Libtard behavior is what fueled the fire under that pot. And, you might ask, just what IS libtard behavior..? You think about that. You define it. Or, have we just lost our way like little lambs?
However, with the right-wing members of SCOTUS backing him in their Christian Nationalist and New Apostolic Reformation missions, https://project2025istheocracy.substack.com/p/project-2025-new-start-here
we need to go after SCOTUS first, or at the same time. Back AOC in leading impeachment. I have sent her money, and an email using a dummy address since I am not in her district encouraging her in her work. It is the work that Dick Durbin my elected senator is supposed to be doing. When I repeatedly asked him to he responded with a letter on what he is doing, which is basically nothing. He has drafted rules, but they sit drafted not passed. I told him I was sure he could drag an impeachment investigation out for 4 months. Instead, someone not even on the judiciary committee takes the reins. She deserves our support. It should also scare SCOTUS because they don't know whether or not she will be successful. Here's to bold moves to try to save our democracy from the Court the staged a Coup.
Nearly 50 years ago, Nixon resigned to avoid being impeached & convicted for doing the same thing. How times have changed.
They are ubiquitous, vicious, and power-hungry greedy bastards.
And don't forget, "Purveyors of Toxic Masculinity." And Narcissistic, Antisocial, unbalanced, and seriously deranged.
The very worst of our citizenry, pretending to be the best. And propaganda spews the lies non-stop
Boycott...Ban....Cut all ties to Chritofascist brainwashing concentratin camps!!!!
Nowhere in the Bible does permit holding Gods word in one hand and a fully loaded AR-15 assault gun in the other.
Unfortunately I was taken with Hillsdale and their "free" coursework. I was not interested in obtaining any degree (have those already) or continuing ed. but wanted to continue learning. With the brag that they took no gvt. money & were strictly private, I did some checking & found out they accepted $ from trump. Then started getting letters about courses that sounded very biased & then coursework on Russian topics. It's then I not only turned away, but rans away as fast as I could. I responded to a couple of letters from Arn but I don't think he ever saw them, they were scathing on his misleading assertions of "non bias" claimed coursework. Beware of anything free.
Once a conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation has become a domestic terrorist organization, openly threatening the overthrow of our government and Constitution. Isn’t any of this against the law? Is actively planning a Revolution complete with threatening the lives of opponents no longer illegal? Where the hell is the line between opposition and treason?
American Taliban sound familiar?
Southern Poverty Law Center -- ARE YOU LISTENING?
My husband and I discussed this very thing this morning! Threatening in broad daylight...come on AOC, sue them!!
Tax the hell out of the church!
This, so so so much. I have Catholic friends who have left the church because their priests were telling them how to vote from the actual pulpit. How are churches still tax exempt?
good question!
Gary: Don't forget in 2013 the IRS targeted tax exempt groups with words such as
"Tea Party" in their names. That generated some serious blow back of accusations of the government/leftist victimization of conservative groups. I can't imagine how bad an "attack on Christianity" would play.
Part and parcel of the 2013 IRS action was fully embraced and utilized by the right for propaganda usage among evangelicals, exaggerating (?) that the IRS would come for them next; The effect ? Enlarging the right wing coalition, via fear stoking, projection, etc., etc. The aftermath we live within today makes all that clear.
Ooo yes. Let’s give the Southern Baptist Convention something else to think about…
I want to discontinue tax exemptions for religious organizations and buildings.
Hurray for the IRS for catching tax cheats.
No more exemptions
I wonder how that might apply to the many Evangelical churches which have openly supported Trump these past several years.
To get a better sense of their mission and why they support Trump, you should read the New Section of this Substack called, Why Project 2025 Will Ruin YOUR Life. https://project2025istheocracy.substack.com/
Read the parts about Christian Nationalism and New Apostolic Reformation
I am reading Project 2025, and I find this helps to understand more deeply where everything fits in. I also recommend Strongmen by Ruth Ben-Ghiat to understand the fascist progaganda and playbook were are facing better. However, we cannot take the churches on, unless we address SCOTUS. For that I recommend donating even $5 to AOC who has the guts to take on starting Impeachment investigation into the 2 worst of the 6 horrors, Thomas and Alito. She got the money Dick Durbin could have gotten if he had listened to my entreaties to do the same thing, instead of sending me a letter explaining the nothingness that he has been doing.
This Christian Nationalism concept that props up the "Christian family model" bizarrely has absolutely nothing to do with Christianity! Hypocrisy was Jesus' biggest pet peeve and if He hadn't resurrected He'd be rolling around in His grave about now. Evangelicals who go around quoting the Bible and profess to live by its word (parables were not meant to be taken literally) have bought into everything Anti-Christ.
Speaking about the Antichrist mentioned in the scriptures (St. John and St. Paul), described as the "deceiver" and the "lawless one," the term was loosely tossed around to make the comparison to Obama, a Black man when he was president. Yet, I have not heard the term once compared to Trump, an Orange man, when it's so entirely apt.
Everything seems upside down. Here we have Biden who has made gaffes for the last half century, a true Christian, who has worked tirelessly and achieved so much for Americans, who is asked to step down by members of his own party, while a real Deceiver is propped up by so many who are duly and blatantly deceived!
Regardless of the concern for Biden and the growing number who are calling for him to step down now, if it's between Biden and Trump in November, I am confident that every single democrat will fall in line and vote for Biden. Otherwise, I will cry for you America....
As far as AOC, more power to her!
At this stage of the Fascist incursion: They will sow doubt and Chaos! Be prepared
October 2024 thru February 2025 could be very 'Interesting'.... Isn't the saying, "May-You-Live-In-Interesting-Times", an old Chinese Curse?
Think of who called Obama the anti-Christ. White Christian Nationalists, racist. death on "socialist" AHCT, plus Democrat! Jesus always warned about the self-righteous. Fits to a T.
My point exactly...thank you! After my initial post meant to highlight this hypocrisy I was accused of preaching religion!
Please leave religion out of this! Haven't you noticed? Religion is the problem. The constitution wisely tried to keep it out of government. It has failed, and we are paying the consequences. Jesus had pet peeves? Oh for Christ's sake!
He was human--he must have had pet peeves!
Mentioning religion does not mean putting religion in the constitution, it only refers to behavior that is voluntary, not regimented.
Is DJT the Anti-Christ? He does have the Luck-Of-The-Devil...
Hear, hear, Sophia! Spoken like a true believer, bless you!
Linda, you are amazing. Thank you for this. I shall distribute this information to others.
Thank you, Linda, for this information.
Agree completely. That's why PACs 501(c)(4)s became so popular but right now so many c3s are violating the prohibition against political activity -- let's challenge them all.
Laurie, great idea1
I remember the All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena California being threatened. A rather conservative friend attended the liberal church while I just drove by it many Fridays to do things local to my work while waiting for the rush hour traffic to subside before going 45 miles the other way to home.
See https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-sep-24-me-allsaints24-story.html
Seems they only wanted to challenge the tax status of liberal churches, but now, will go far beyond any previous protect of conservative churches that do far more extreme political drum beating (to me even when they suggest violent overthrow of our democracy and its’ evolved Constitution).
It does, and has applied for ages! We are here today because this atrocity has not been enforced. The IRS seems too afraid to be accused of being political if they enforce the law.
Frank, I completely agree, but playing devil's advocate here, doesn't the same happen with Black churches (mainly in the South)? Didn't Biden just speak at a church?
I believe that *any* church which takes a public political position should forfeit its nonprofit status. (I'm an atheist and say they all should anyway, but my daughter attends a Uni-Uni church with her kids and tells me that, if forced to pay taxes, the congregation would need to disband due to funding issues.)
IMO all churches should be taxed
That's a widely shared view among more aggressive atheists. If and when churches enter terminal decline, tax relief policies may undergo an "adjustment"... despite the separation of church and state in the constitution, this has little bearing that Christianity was a moral bulwark at many levels, not just a doctrinal story... though buttressing doctrine was widely seen as a first order of defence against the "owl of atheism", a dreaded condition which got going in the late 18th century but really took off in the 19th , England that is. (having an aside chat here :) )
Frank, Trump just spoke at a black church, but not to its congregation.
saw one of those some weeks ago, unless that's what you're referring to.
Frank, yes, it was a few weeks ago —black church filled with white people.
Yes, I'm sure Black churches do, and they did i'm sure during the civil rights struggles.
Only if he is kept out of office.
I became an Independent 25 years earlier than one of the 3 founders of the Heritage Foundation, one whom I have the most respect for, Mickey Edwards (whose birthday is today, July 12, by the way). As I understand it he finally became an independent because of, and soon after the Jan 6 practice insurrection.
I don't remember when I started paying attention to what Mickey Edwards said, but throughout most of this century, his putting country over party reasoning helped me never regret stepping away from the party ancestors helped found (3 of whom served in 34th Congress in which the Opposition Coalition/Caucus was the majority, before the new name for the party was used on ballots).
A sample of his persuasive thinking (from March 7, 2008), is at https://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/03072008/transcript2.html
It is just one of many appearances on Bill Moyers Journal
I wonder if Mickey Edwards would, as I suspect he might, be willing to file such a complaint against the current version of the Heritage Foundation he was a co-founder of.
Bill Moyers had his pulse on the players way back there. I sure miss Bill’s voice these days. Thank you.
Me too. Bill Moyers voice and gentle intelligence.
Before Joe gets pitched, I wish that he would recognize Bill with the Presidential Metal of Freedom. It still galls me that Rush ruined that honor for the real deserving.
I miss him, too.
Well worth read and reflection. Thanks!!
Do everything that helps, but Abraham Lincoln was correct, absolutely correct, in saying that anything can be accomplished with public sentiment and nothing can be accomplished without it. Translation: the law is a useful tool if, and only if, it rests on a foundation of trust. It's not working against Trump the way we expect because he and his cronies have sown the seeds of mistrust.
Whatever else anyone does, we must all do one thing. We must all treat one another like human beings.
We have what I refer to as many wisdom practices. They are the structural components of our social system. They include all the great religions, democracy, science, journalism, capitalism, etc. They are wisdom practices because and while they are expressions of what I refer to as the wisdom principle, aka the Golden Rule, aka the idea that is in our heads on the day we are born, which is that we must treat one another the way we would want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot.
When we do, it works. Then someone takes advantage of the situation, people get cynical, then things go from bad to worse, and then we have precisely two options. The wise option is to recognize that treating human beings like human beings is hard, but possible and necessary. The unwise option is to say, in essence, "The wisdom principle (or whatever you want to call it) doesn't work." The former will work if enough of us are doing it, and the latter is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Maybe taking all these organizations to court is necessary and helpful, but it is not sufficient.
To what I said above, I will add that this thing so many people are doing, criticizing one person for doing what we all do every day, which is make honest mistakes, when that one person has gotten himself into a position because he is capable of doing what none of the rest of us can do, which is successfully lead the most powerful nation on Earth in perhaps the most challenging time in American history, is appalling, absolutely appalling.
Here's something else that is absolutely true. The people who are doing that need to go to Wikipedia, and read the "phycological projection" article, and then take a look at themselves in the mirror. If they do that honestly, they will recognize they are harming all of us and themselves.
If Biden steps down, he steps down. If he stays on, he stays on. Either way, he has earned and deserves our unqualified support.
"Be angry, but do not let the sun go down on your anger." —Ephesians 4:26.
I feel much calmer now. Thanks for letting me spew.
James, it’s like discarding the most wonderful of cakes because of swirl marks on the icing. Hopefully, the content of his answers last night will convince the naysayers.
I have been wondering how religious organizations and not-for-profits like the NRA have not lost their exempt status. Guessing they funnel their donations through a sister organization. Is that common?
I feel like these organizations have been taboo. One good thing is that the Biden administration has funded the IRS better so it actually can go after people. I am still boggled at the personal fortunes of mega church leaders and others in the church.
https://www.therichest.com/richest-pastors-in-america/
https://ministrywatch.com/100-highly-paid-ministry-executives-2024/
I mean who gets tax exempt status with 300 mil?
Yes.Thank-you for this.
NRA needs it plug pulled too.
They should be first in line.
Thank you very much 'Good Links Linda"!
On other criminal matters specifically, criminal 'retributions' by now in the Trump era we should all be familiar with the criminal act to conspire to commit "ANY offense" against the United Staes and/or its employees.
Per the Cornell's "LII"--- Legal Info Institute. See, 18 U.S. Code Section 371 which is actionable now.
Thank you, Linda!
Please note: there is a minor typo both times the word 'show' appears above; please correct to "shows," so anyone copying and pasting this part of the complaint is typo-free:
"This show the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken."
Thanks for beating me to the punch, Diana.
Thank you!
Thank you for this detailed info. I will take the time to do this today!!! I’m so freaking infuriated, I’ll do anything to stop these disgusting fascists.
Thanks Linda. I saw this suggestion elsewhere yesterday but didn't have the info to put into the complaint
What a fine public service you have accomplished here! Have a great day!
Yours is one of a few action proposals. Too many comments are criticisms and I see no value in them as we know the imminent danger of Trump and his supporters.
Keep up the cancellations of NYTimes subscriptions!!! Do not stop this.
MeidasTouch....2.5 million....David Pakman...2 million....Ring of Fire....1 million subscribers!!!
Cancel cancel cancel all right wing media outlets!!!
Excellent, good job, & thanks.
Michael Just another example of Trump following the copy book of Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda hit man:
‘IF YOU TELL A BIG ENOUGH LIE LONG ENOUGH, A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE IT.’
The Washington Post, during Trump’s presidency, identified more than 30,000 Trump whoopers. By now this must be approaching stratospheric numbers.
One of my favorites: ‘Biden is the worst president in American history.’ WOW! This would win the GEORGE ORWELL 1984 SPEAKTALK AWARD.
A distinguished panel of political scientists and historians has, every few years, ranked American presidents. In their last official assessment, Biden was ranked above the median, while Trump was ranked the worst president in American history by a significant margin.
Another example of a Trumpian ‘black is white and white is black’ pronouncement.
Exactly so, Keith. This has Nazi fingerprints all over it.
Morning, Ally! So lately I have been taking note of how many gaffes, stumbles, and mumbling phrases the pundit class commit as they try to drive home their own points for how the rest of us should think, then vote. The art of verbal communication is not as easy as some may believe, don't you think?
Morning, Lynell!
Yes, it seems that gaffes, stumbles, and mumbling is particularly invasive in the human species.
It’s why I never volunteer to speak to a group although I learned early on that a little humor helps. Still, why volunteer for pressure. Unless that is your thing. It’s not mine.
LOL, so true, JD. It must be why fools rush in where angels fear to tread?
I have done that. More than a few times. My Mama told me long, long ago that I have to learn things the hard way. She would be glad to know that I finally learned that lesson. Sort of…
And Stalin.
They have been all over chump from the git go
JD, you are my friend from Texas, yes?
Thanks for asking, I was wondering too!
Yes, have gone nowhere
❣️
Falling into the Wrong Arms — First the Bad News
(From, “Donald’s Vanity Tantrums”)
The country had a relatively stable eight years under Barack Obama, not perfect but there was economic growth. However the aftermath of the Bush wars opened the doors of hell and the laws of unintended consequences dominated.
And it came to pass that as a new election neared in 2016, a creature walked to the stage to suspend reality and make enough voters believe that he would lead the nation to wealth and weapons for all.
Cajoled by this socially mangled, misanthrope who has perfected the fine art of the lie, bigotry and unfair tax relief for the wealthy, they naively followed this most foul leader off the cliff.
Wait. What am I doing here? Am I trying to present a logical reason why someone would not vote for Trump? That’s totally insane. That’s almost as insane as voting for Trump! Plus, having to go through all that socio-economic, psychological, and historical crapola is about as interesting as a Xarelto commercial. So, I’m going to reveal the cause of the disease that I am dubbing, “Trump Voterism” or simply, “TV”: a vicious parasite, mutated by toxins now allowed into our air, water and food by Trump’s relentless attempt to kill all of us by loosening our environmental regulations.
Not only does that explain the phenomenon, it also sets the stage for an entirely new series of blockbuster movies, all based around these parasitic mutants. Think The Purge meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Citizen Kane meets Tremors.
There, can we move on to examining why people do other stupid things, like falling off a cliff while taking a selfie?
And Now the Good News:
After reading an opinion piece by Julian Zelizer of CNN opining a replacement ticket with Kamala Harris as President and Governor Gretchan Whitmer as Vice President. It would be a ticket that can’t lose. Let the women run things for a change. Let’s do it.
To quote: “Harris and Whitmer also offer experience and stability in governing. Harris has served as attorney general of California, US senator, and vice president. Whitmer has been a successful and popular governor in a crucial swing state. Both are serious policy wonks. Few challenge their chops when it comes to being interested in the nuts and bolts of governance. The Harris-Whitmer ticket would symbolize order in contrast to Trumpian chaos, replicating some of the promise of Biden’s campaign of 2020, with an added dose of youth.
Both women are in their fifties, and Gen Xers (although some categorize Harris as a Baby Boomer). With Republicans making old age an issue, a Harris-Whitmer ticket turns that argument against Trump, who at 78 has shown struggles with syntax and memory. Instead, Democrats would have a president and vice president who are in their primes, generating some of the energy that Bill Clinton and his VP Al Gore brought in their 1992 campaign against President H.W. Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle.”
It’s long overdue for women to run things. Let’s get it done. There would in all likelihood, be a blue tidal wave and we would sweep both houses of Congress with super majorities.
Will we rise to the occasion to save our fragile democracy? Who the hell knows. But I hope we do.
We failed to do the long term planning to preserve government of, for, and by the people, and we need to change that.
Yes. We see how effective the Right wing, and the Christian Nationalists have been at this. Now they are allied. We need long term planning and a clear agenda.
The right wing and Christian nationalists are one and the same. They have been working in anonymity for years, waiting for their chance to take power. Because we live in an open society the beyond radical right has been able to work to undermine our democratic society by stealing rights that do NOT belong to them.
There is no way at this point in time that this country would elect one woman as Pres ( although Hilary DiD ) let alone two. It’s tilting at windmills. Biden has mastered the presidency from getting us out of a pandemic to legislation including global cohesiveness. Ageism is a terrible thing. Clinton has my vote. Ooh- i mean Biden. I also get a word mixed up!! I’m ridin with Biden!!
I’d vote for a turd sandwich over Trump!!! This isn’t about WHO the Democratic candidate is right now. It’s about democracy versus fascism. It is that serious, that deadly. I am voting FOR DEMOCRACY.
I mix up my husband and daughter and they aren't even the same gender. They're also used to being called by each other's name. The worst was when I have mistakenly called my husband by my ex's name about 2 times.
Biden is in serious cognitive decline. A retired professor of psychology friend of mine explained in more fully than anyone else has. I’m not suggesting that Trump isn’t along side of him he is but for a few different reasons. This is a mess.
Bill, didn’t you hear his foreign affairs answers last night? I have had relatives in cognitive decline—none of them could have done what he did in the press conference. Did he pause before he answered—yes, he did, knowing that every single word would be dissected six ways to Sunday for talking points for Hannity/Ingrams.
Yes. When we know a lot about what we are doing, which Trump never did, cognitive decline usually means some of the people around you are taking on different tasks, and you might need more of them, but the basic things you are still understanding and making complex decisions on.
Bill Katz, Please stop the arm chair diagnosis. Your retired professor friend should be ashamed of himself for claiming any special knowledge along this line. Most of us with a PhD in behavioral science know better than to offer such an opinion based on their TV watching and no independent expert evaluation of Biden’s cognitive functioning. It’s irresponsible.
Brava Bonnie.
Ok. I’m spanked. But considering all this muck, it would be better for all for him to get out of the way. He identified himself ealyly a a transitional president and this could mean 4 years.
I disagree Bill. I'm ridin' with Biden.
Bill, aren't we all. However, I don't see any big changes happening in the next 4 months, and really that is all we need. He has back up. I also know that stress impacts cognition, and I am much more stressed these days because I am not eager to live on a planet where fascism rules. Democracy is so much nicer.
In this bigoted country where hating women is the default stance and where we just rolled back bodily autonomy for women, there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell that a two woman presidential ticket is the solution to this impending fascist nightmare. As nice as it sounds, it’s not realistic.
I would say we are so behind that I don't see a one woman in the presidential role on the ticket winning.
I totally agree, Bill. "Trump Voterism" (TV). Hmmm... Isn't there a vaccine for injecting progressive nano-robots into unsuspecting Trump-drone voters? They'll be disappointed when their hero goes down in flames. Might as well make it painless.
"... lead the nation to wealth and weapons for all". A MAGA wet dream right there. As long as it's an originalist's version of "all" anyway.
Or "1984". It's just manipulation.
Of course it is. Whatever they accuse their opponents of is what they do
JL I prefer George Orwell’s ANIMAL FARM in which the ‘more-equal-than-others pigs ultimately were turned into bacon.
omg is that a funny recollection Keith ! Yes.. indeed. Awkward twist though is that today, the 'more-equal-than-others pigs' own many state legislatures and SCOTUS.
In their styes with all their backing, they don't care what goes on around. We have got to roll back excessive, concentrated money as a prime determinant of political and social outcomes. Robert Reich had this take on that in current developments:
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/who-exactly-is-trying-to-push-biden
This projection is based on the fact that Trump is in a weaker position to overthrow the results of the election, since he isn’t in office. If Biden wins, he has no need to leave, and therefore, in perspective of the Heritage Foundation, Biden’s business-as-usual is treason. And this is supposed to be a “Think Tank”?
I am amused by all the obfuscatory names for right wing mischief.
"Heritage'? Of what? Feudal entitlement?
Absolutely 💯
Also Americans for Prosperity, like it’s the new Christianity.
Psychological projection is what trump is all about. Most of all his lies are the exact opposite of the truth. So when he speaks he is always referring to himself by projection and telling the truth but its opposite. And he was POTHUS and could be again, which I am afraid is a horrible sad commentary on the American electorate.
I think it would be fascinating if at the next "debate" Biden would START with outlining what Trump does - lie, project, not answer questions. And every time that Trump does it, Biden can then raise a finger to flag it for people as Trump's doing it.
It is essential that Trump gets more blowback from his relentless lies. Even Republicans were poised to convict Nixon of "the coverup". We have been inured to Trumps carpet-bomb of fabrication style, but he can't be allowed to get away with it. Way too many people were inured to slavery and racism until focused objection made a "thing" of it. Far too many accepted second-class citizenship for women, etc. etc. "Normalized" evil gets to skate. Those who would be tyrants are trying to normalize evil even further,
As a rule, just add the word "not" to any assertion in Geopease and it starts to make sense again.
I often wonder if he knows he is projecting?
I think of projection as at least partially naive; you assume others are lying because that's what you would do. Trump seems to have been raised to be a manipulator. I think he knows that he lies and is proud of it. Some of his remarks in the past implies to me he thinks deceiving, and certainly manipulating people, is clever. It is clear from all of the deceptive plotting that Trump knows very well he lost the last election, but he feels entitled to use any tactic, hook AND crook, to get what he wants.
The projection by the right is stunning. The whole thing, out of the blue, about Biden taking pills for the debate really made me wonder if that was also Trump projection.
If MTG was sincere, one might suspect her of psychosis, but she is just fishing for the greater fool.
Almost laughable... if it wasn't so terrifying.
Projection? Egg-zactly! When someone points a finger at the enemy to cast blame, 3 fingers are pointing back.
We also expect the IRS to remove the Heritage Foundation’s non-profit status. "The Heritage Foundation holds a tax-exempt status per 501(c)(3) and therefore has engaged in numerous violations of such code."
Project 2025 Reported to IRS Over 'Violations'
Michael, laughable indeed except when used to describe the psychological process, projection occurs unconsciously. The user is unaware that s/he is projecting the idea outwards onto others which is the means by which the one employing it protects the self from unwanted or unacceptable thoughts. It seem far more likely that this form of "projection" is simply use of Putin's "political technology" by which misinformation is employed to confuse and divide political opponents [see HCR's LFAA from July, 7th]. Either way, the person using it had to have the thought in the first place.
DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Oppressor. Bullies have used this tactic for a long long time. And they do it with intent.
It classic, and it's provably Trump's MO;
The book, "Fear: Trump in the White House," was released Tuesday and details a White House is chaos. Woodward spoke to dozens of current and former officials for the book on background, meaning their names weren't used.
The book includes a conversation between Trump and a "friend who had acknowledged some bad behavior toward women." The friend was not named, but the president, who has been accused by more than a dozen women of inappropriate sexual behavior, offered some advice.
(...)
"You've got to deny, deny, deny and push back on these women," Trump said, according to Woodward. "If you admit to anything and any culpability, then you're dead. That was a big mistake you made."
Trump said the key was showing no hesitancy in denying accusations and instead, be on the attack and push back.
"You didn't come out guns blazing and just challenge them. You showed weakness," Trump told the friend, according to Woodward. "You've got to be strong. You've got to be aggressive. You've got to push back hard. You've got to deny anything that's said about you. Never admit."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/09/11/donald-trump-bob-woodward-book-fear-deny-accusations-women/1269617002/
It is just another proof that lying is now fully the coin of the realm for Republicans/MAGAs/conservatives in general. Lying has seemed to help them and got Trump elected in 2016 despite losing the popular vote by nearly 3 million. If anyone is going to disrupt our election it will be Trump and Kump with the help of The Heritage Foundation, an entity all Americans should scorn as seditious.
Yes...almost laughable & surely projection.
This is typical of fanatical and fascism thinking - accuse others of the same despicable behavior that you have committed.
Thanks for the good humor. We need more honesty and light-heartedness as we wander toward the month of August and some of us already looking forward to school!
How would these idiots know if Biden is "cheating"? The smears just keep on comin.' I've never seen a run-up to an election so vicious.
What is the penalty for blatantly lviolating the Logan Act?
Is there just nothing that applies to tfg that could get him into jail without yearlong back-and-forth? He is violating that act in plain sight. Wouldn't any other private citizen be jailed already?
I agree, especially because Viktor Orbán does not just represent Hungary. He represents the Council of the EU Presidency.
Correct, but the problem is that Orbán does NOT have a mandate for anything of this kind. He takes advantage of a situation where EU leadership is going through a shuffle after the recent elections. EU has many different 'presidents', which add to the confusion. EU has a completely different foreign policy, and Orbán as usual is a rogue pretender. There will soon be a public announcement on the matter - see this reporting from the Financial Times https://www.ft.com/content/cca3c407-e583-451b-929e-cfcd2cfa223d . Hopefully soon before he causes even more damage.
There is a bit more information in the piece I wrote on the 6th July, on the messed up foreign policy of the EU https://hanschristensen.substack.com/p/eus-messed-up-foreign-policy
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/12/patriots-for-europe-viktor-orbans-new-eu-group-is-another-hollow-victory-for-the-far-right?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
These cretins just take a mantle and wave it over whatever they want. A mandate is irrelevant to them. Haven’t we figured that out yet..l
The EU has been making it very clear he does not. I am waiting to see if they can find a way to address him. He is making these remarks at the same time that the Biden Administration is sharing intelligence with Germany that there is a plan to kill top arms dealers who supply Ukraine with weapons, such a Putin move, of intimidation. Trump would not do this, and that is why Europe is really eager to shut Orbán up. They have blocked him from making the traditional president of the Council of the EU speech. Still, it is a problem that he is acting like Richard Grenell is, by going around representing Trump's interests with right wing governments and movements, seemingly treasonous to the Biden administration. However, there are so many rats coming out, it is hard to catch them all.
What about disciplinary action?
What I have read is that the rock and hard place they are in, is if they do too much discipline he will obstruct all Ukraine supports. So, they have to figure out how to put Hungary on notice that if they don't follow the rules with which they first got into the EU they are out. That might wake the population up. They enjoy a better lifestyle from being in the EU. Can Hungary be like Belarus, and be another one of Putin's small state bootlickers, if kicked out? Are the people willing to try?
The EU Council has told him that he is not to speak for the EU in his meeting with Putin.
Thanks for the explanation, but this seems to be another classic case that will end up like a Trumpian slap on the wrist. Orbán is clearly out of control.
Trump and Orbán are both out of control, and if we can save ourselves we must do so.
Only for six months. The EU has a rotating presidency. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/council-eu/presidency-council-eu/
What exactly can such a political leader accomplish in such a short period of time other than create controversy?
They have already been using blocking Orbán. I recall Scholz asking him to not attend a vote on Ukraine. Now they are blocking him from speaking in the presidency. They said there will not be room for 6 months, so that means, when his time is up. So, he is just traveling on his own, while his former coparty member is trying to oust him at home. While I don't know that someone from his party can really bring anything new other than his own corruption, at least he is whistle blowing on Orbán. That is what Trump does. It is a fascist tactic.
They chair the meetings. That's it.
Well, Orbán seems to be abusing this privilege. He seems to be milking the position for all it's worth - at least in terms of optics. (Talk about the tail wagging the dog.)
Well clearly that.
Clearly is the despots are ‘a Clear and present danger’. While Trump is Clearly breaking the law here, the other nefarious Clearly breaking international laws..it is even more clear little can/will be done definitively.
And so …the world turns with the despicable getting away literally with murder, espionage, lying, infiltration, and us holding the high bar of integrity, playing by the rules.
I don’t feel so bad now …thoughts and prayers , huh?
"This is humanly understandable. A shrewd victor will, if possible, always present his demands to the vanquished in installments. And then, with a nation that has lost its character -and this is the case of every one which voluntarily submits - he can be sure that it will not regard one more of these individual oppressions as an adequate reason for taking up arms again."
- Hitler, Mein Kampf
We have been snoozin' and losin'. Now the fascists are saying the implied parts out load, and hopefully (and critically) it is triggering more focused resistance.
Right now some things one can be doing, and that I recommend, are funding AOC who is taking on impeachment proceedings against two of the SCOTUS members, Thomas and Alito. I sent her a donation and used a dummy address in her district to thank her for taking this on. Another thing you can be doing is filing a complaint with the IRS about The Heritage Foundation for violating their tax exempt status. I found information on this after a friend has already sent me some information from Mastodon. So, I am sharing both.
IRS complaint
https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/irs-complaint-process-tax-exempt-organizations
Seen on Mastodon. At this link you can download a PDF form to file a complaint to the IRS, requesting that they revoke the Heritage Foundation‘s non-profit status. Fill out the form and mail it to: eoclass@irs.gov
This is what is suggested on the sample form to fill in:
Based on the statements of Kevin Roberst, the Heritage Foundation’s president, on June 11 and July 2, the foundation’s mission is no longer solely “research and education,” but now includes preparing for a possibly bloody revolution.
Specifically, in an interview on “The War Room” on July 2, Roberts stated that the Heritage Foundation has developed a prominent series of policy plans (Project 2025) to overhaul the federal government under a Republican president, and that the country was “in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be”
Sure sounds like Roberts and the other authors of Project 2025 are planning to start a bloody war as part of the Heritage Foundation’s mission.
The Heritage Foundation clearly and overtly supports presidential candidate Donald Trump. This show the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken.
See NYTimes reporting of this incident on July 3rd: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/03/us/politics/heritage-foundation-2025-policy-america.html
You'll need more information about The Heritage Foundation to be able to fill out IRS complaint form 13909. This information is from Jessica Craven, Chop Wood Carry Water:
The Heritage Foundation's street address is 214 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., city is Washington, state is D.C. Zipcode is 20002
Their tax ID/EIN was tricky to submit - you cannot have a hyphen so it's 237327730
You can name both John P. Bakiel (VP of Finance) and Kevin Roberts (President).
Jessica suggested saying something like:
The Heritage Foundation clearly and overtly supports presidential candidate Donald Trump. This show the organization is an 'action organization' and therefore violates the code allowing for tax exemption under 501(c)(3). This is fraudulent. Action must be taken.
I just completed my complaint and found that it is easy to submit electronically. She says, “No need to email. You'll get a download of your submission for your records.” I was not able to do this and had to email it. If you can figure it out, can you please share it.
I don’t doubt that Kevin Roberts, Donald Trump and their ilk want bloodshed, which is a horrible thing to desire. Whether or not Trump wins, I don’t doubt we’ll see violence, and it won’t be coming from the “Left.” We don’t really have a “Left” in any real sense apart from small groups with more bark than bite, and MAGA has a compelling need to make those of us who don’t agree with their plans enemies.
I agree that the left is not the problem. Also, Biden and mainstream Americans voting for him are not "The Left." Unfortunately, the Dems have allowed the Republicans to define them or even some of them as "The Left" for so long it is impossible to take on now. I have neighbors in Chicago that are "The Left." They homeschool differently than "The Right," and they tell me the left is armed. My mom's childhood friend is "The Left" here in Germany and we have coffee about 4 times a year and I get to hear the positions of the left. That is not what Democrats are, not even the so called, "Left wing" of the Democratic party. A resource someone shared yesterday, which I am gathering, about Project 2025 is the Substack called How Project 2025 Will Ruin YOUR Life. https://project2025istheocracy.substack.com/
I recommend reading it if you do and don't read Project 2025 yourself. She is right on the money about what I have read her saying about Education, although so far, I have read that section of Project 2025 and have an even worse picture of what is planned, but at least she gives the Christian Nationalist details that everyone who is not one should understand. It clears up a lot of things.
Linda, it would seem that what the MAGAts describe as "the Left" is becoming "anyone who is left" believing anything tRump after reading and understanding just what Project 2025 and the Republican party are about...which is all of US!
They have redefined us and we sometimes answer to it. STOP THAT
Check out this white paper https://davidpakman.com/white-paper/project-2025/
I want to read Project 2025 and I haven’t liked what it has proposed. I agree entirely with your remarks above.
And the MAGA side has all the guns, Kathy.
Not all...
Not even close
I hesitated when I wrote that, and expected a counter. Yes, you're correct, but MAGA is the party of AR-15s while those opposed are largely armed with burning torches and pitchforks in comparison.
I'm pleading the 5th here..
Uh... No they don't.
Kathy, Trump showed that he likes to witness bloodshed when he tried to go with armed supporters to the Capitol.
I know. Trump is a sadist, and he sat for several hours watching the bloodshed on January 6. I have no doubt that he wants bloodshed whether or not he wins the election.
Thanks for the links and information
Marli, Wikipedia says "violators can be punished with fines and up to 3 years" in the Big House.
Merrick Garland, are you there? Yooo hooo.....
We need to punish them too. Going after Trump's supports like Supreme Court justices and the Heritage Foundation. See my post above about filing with the IRS against the Heritage Foundation. We need these complaints to be pouring in. Hopefully, we will be able to do this with all of the funders of SCOTUS and Trump. Biden is now funding the IRS to be able to begin to go after these people. Of course, the Christian Nationalists want the church tax exemptions enshrined in gold.
For their churches only, perhaps the only reason they don’t want to reveal going after other churches (at least until they consolidate enough power), like the GW Bush administration played with.
Heritage is violating its 501(c)(3) exemption, but the SCOTUS majority would find some way to bend, twist and ignore precedent to claim it’s not.
And the Johnson amendment Marli-- What are the penalties for violating it? The penalty should be each church loses their tax exempt status. It's not like many of these churches help anyone with their hate and anger. Our county of 50,000, has three food banks that feed or supplement almost 5000 people every month. And the Catholic Church comes in and takes credit when they provide a fraction of the support. And yet, they constantly promote the patriarchy and are above the law when it comes to sexual abuse of everyone that isn't a priest.
You expressed my concern regarding the Logan Act. Given the latest from SCOTUS regarding presidential immunity, couldn't the Biden administration now take action against Trump for violating the Act?
He would holler and sue, but what is new.
Nice rhyme. 😁
Damn, I’m a poet and didn’t know it…
Ha HA
My first thought was "the extreme court will just ok it" . And there it is. Part of the point is to convince us resistance is futile.
Exactly, a sea change has swept over us without much acknowledgement
Marli, unfortunately it seems like the Logan Act is just words on a paper. Only once was someone charged with a violation, long ago, but never convicted. Here’s a Wiki blurb on it—too bad it doesn’t seem to have any teeth, we could sure use it right about now: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan_Act
Sounds like the Hatch act which Cheetolini’s admin violated repeatedly.
- Yes; And one should think that a lot of others are have been in violation; Like Greg Abbott for just one.
Even if it was invoked - we'd never see a conviction hold up because the corrupt SCOTUS would bend the law as needed or just legislate from the bench which is what they want to do.
These are frightening times indeed. Thanks for always telling us the truth, Heather.
Indeed, we need to hear the truth, because we won’t hear it elsewhere.
I've come to the conclusion that Trump will not pick a Vice Presidential candidate because he doesn't want to share the stage with anyone but himself. His gigantic ego won't allow it! Prove me wrong.
His VP candidate must be prepared to try on a noose to see if they're really sure they want the job.
the candidate needs to be asked if they are comfortable with a gallows
He has to be sure it's not someone clearly smarter than he is, so yes, he needs to keep quiet about it as long as possible.
Then he will have no VP.
That's probably covered in 2025. He wouldn't need one. A modern king can only do what he's told to do.
The most frightening scenario is if jd vance is the pick. Young, fascist, smooth-talking, educated, and ruthless. In a worse case scene, the orange turd either wins, or steals the election, and shortly after is 'removed' from office, and replaced by vance. At that point, vance becomes our Putin, and life as we've known it comes to a screeching halt.
Vance would be a pick of Heritage creeps
And that's the thing. The orange turd is nothing but a tool. A useful tool to the traitors from the Heritage and other 'Foundations'. Once they have their real guy installed as VP, they manipulate the election through the already-compromised Federal Courts, take over next January, and then invoke Article 25 to remove the turd, and install vance. He's not 40 yet, so we'll then be sentenced to his 'rule' for the next 40 years or so. A horrifying scenario.
Can't "like" this but seems obvious. Why my fellow Ohioans elected this guy is beyond me.
I'm east of Cleveland. Every time I think about Tim Ryan not running away with that election, I think less of my fellow Buckeyes.
South of Cleveland here, me, too!
South of Cleveland
Yes; Insufficient button selections. We definitely need or require a "Yikes" button.
Yikes !
They think 40 years down the road…
Is it too far fetched to see Heritage geniuses having their puppet elected as VP and then assassinating their and Putin’s useful idiot and pinning it on the Democrats or Liz Cheney. They will have no further use for 45 after his grievance driven apprentice cult puts him back in the WH with their man tagging along. If Joe won’t go, we have goofus vs gallant again and need to make the contents of P2025 apparent to the young voters put off by Biden’s stumbles.
Fox uses fear and ridicule to motivate their unAmerican agenda. We have been given their scary playbook with something to lose for everyone who isn’t wealthy. Women, minority and young voters can still save this democratic republic. It’s time to wake them up.
I wouldn’t put anything past those cretins, absolutely nothing.
I think he’s waiting as long as he can, to see if Biden will step back and Harris will be the candidate. If she is, I’ll wager that he chooses Tim Scott. If she isn’t, I think it will maybe be JD Vance.
Interesting thoughts KR.
interesting logic. Smart
I agree.
I’ve been saying the same thing, the only VP he’d accept would be one of his children.
He knows how to use suspense, thats all he's doing. Can't stand Biden in the spotlight. Anyone investigating why he's been so quiet? You really think he's heeding his advisors to lay low while Dems look bad? His VP is news, so he dangles it.
Bh
I don’t understand all the comments below. I do understand that America is in mortal danger, not just as a society but an idea born in the 1700s by people wanting freedom. It is a resonating idea. World War Two saw Germany and Japan come back from the brink to embrace that idea. They are now staunch allies.
Trump himself is not to be feared that much as he is a garbled mouthpiece. It is the people behind him who need to answer. Hitler was a deluded drug addict but the enablement of his direct minions made his rants reality. I’m not saying hitler was an innocent and I’m not saying Trump is an innocent. Far from it. They both had the media and judiciary stacked on their side by volunteer, greed or intimidation.
Myself, I think if Biden wins and I seriously hope he does, you are going to have your own Crystalnacht. Might be called red neck stupid night or greedy lazy liars in the GOP night.
Biden, give him his due. Re elect, make sure democrats control congress and the senate, push the rule of law and stop giving ammunition to the other side, stop shooting yourself in the foot. Should he die in office, possible, welcome Kamala Harris. This is probably Bidens greatest gift to the nation.
Stability.
Sense.
Care.
I will say now that I’m Australian. The ramifications of the prefrontal dementia clown getting in again by any means is appalling and alarming and will irrevocably change the whole world.
Hope I have made sense of my fears…
Thank you for your statement, you are entirely correct, and we know and appreciate the support for us in other parts of the world.
You have every reason to be terrified. I just returned from Greece where I was relating my fears to my relatives and that we would be looking for property there if trump won. Their response mirrored your perspective that the whole world would change and there would be no place on earth to hide. Time to go back and crawl under the covers....
What the hell does the USA have all that bloated, ridiculous pile-up of defense/security/intelligence gathering/police and investigation agencies for when they were incapable of weeding out candidates for high office who are blatant security risks and sit on their hands in the face of a putsch attempt that has been going on without a break every minute since the failed attempt to overthrow the Republic on January 6th 2021?
Don't these agencies, from the Pentagon all the way down to local police forces KNOW that THEY are among the first due to be taken apart and replaced by MAGA-Mafia stooges on behalf of the smirking semi-human in the Kremlin?
WHAT DO THEY INTEND TO DO ABOUT THIS FRONTAL ASSAULT ON THE REPUBLIC?
As for America's Media... Frankly beneath contempt. As the whole country will be if it cannot pull itself together and deal with this grotesque criminal assault on its very being.
Don't people realize that the US could soon become the universal enemy???
Read Prequel, Peter. Conservatives have always taken advantage of our Bill of Rights especially when it comes to breaking the law. When these agencies you mention work to do their jobs as you mentioned, the conservatives bully them to stop them. Conservatives fought to keep slavery, then avoided prosecution following the Civil War, then undermined reconstruction, set up Jim Crows laws....the list goes on and on....conservatives are why the Wall Street crooks walked in 2008
Agreed, Rickey. Prequel scares the carp out of me.
Sounds fishy to me...
That was funny , you both made me laugh!!!
Thank you, Rickey. I'd not heard of this book, although I did know about some of its content, in particular, some of the characters involved, as well as the influence of American racism on Hitler and Nazi policy.
I shall read this book, since I am scatterbrains and it appears to put together what is still, for me, a ragbag of scattered information.
Today's Americans, including, I suspect, many—even most—fellow readers of Letters from an American, seem blind to the very pressing reality of a well-nigh completed counter-revolution—the overthrow, not only of the modern Federal State, but of the original American Revolution and the Constitution and Bill of Rights that crowned that long struggle.
Blind, because quite unable to see the wood for all the habitual trees.
And we can be quite sure that, if the ultrafascist seizure of the State should be completed according to plan, appearances and all the familiar American rituals that go to make up those appearance will be preserved. The reality that underlies that shiny, flickering telescreen surface, is to be replaced.
Through the parachute troops that have invested the judiciary, in particular the “conservative” majority of the Supreme Court, the bare bones of Führerprinzip have already been put in place, updating that grand slogan plastered across walls throughout Fascist Italy:
MUSSOLINI HA SEMPRE RAGIONE — MUSSOLINI IS ALWAYS RIGHT
As a teenager, I saw the remains of that sign on Italian walls, together with LONG LIVE MUSSOLINI replaced by DOWN WITH MUSSOLINI. And still on walls when the train reached the outskirts of Paris in 1952… A BAS LES JUIFS… DOWN WITH THE JEWS…
Under “normalization” (as in post-Dubcek Czechoslovakia) there will be new “Jews”—new scapegoats, new pariahs. However, those Jews still true to the essential values of the tradition, with its deeply ingrained sense of justice, will be in danger. As will be genuine Christians—despite the imposition of a form of imperial pseudo-Christianity reminiscent of the Japanese militarists’ State Shinto.
And it goes without saying that women and every aspect of the Feminine are to be subservient. The left wing of the bald eagle is to be firmly pinioned.
If you are at long last willing to see what no one in their right mind would wish to see, go to the conspiracy theories now being aired by the Heritage Foundation, the so-called 2024 Transition Integrity Project, which spell out the plans of the MAGA-GOP but… attribute them to Joe Biden… Admire the ingenuity of those who would be your new owners. In today’s WaPo:
“The GOP group behind Project 2025 floats conspiracy theory that Biden will use 'force' to keep power
A conservative think tank that is planning a complete overhaul of the federal government in the event of a Republican presidential win is suggesting that President Joe Biden might try to hold the White House “by force” if he loses the November election
By Gary Fields and Ali Swenson | AP”
Yes. Admire, enjoy, and maybe for a change accept the reality of the regime that is being put in place for you.
And, having accepted that reality, have the guts and the principles to refuse once and for all to surrender to it.
Thanks for this. Deep thoughts.
Pain. Pain. Pain.
Deep changes are coming to the world and we shall have to adjust to them.
I have not entertained illusions about America, all my life I have been very critical of many, many aspects of the great power. But then, neither have I entertained illusions about anti-Americanism, however justifiable, however understandable.
Now we face those who would throw all our babies out with the bathwater (while upholding the "rights" of zygotes...).
Such vile legislative sewage gushing forth from the House. Deluded deluders about to invite a grandmaster deluder, self-deluder... and I shall refrain from spelling out the rest of what there is to be said about the wretch.
How is it that human beings are the only animals on this Earth that can select misleaders, then praise, lionize, even worship them? How can beings that can perform such wonders attain such depths of malignant, suicidal stupidity?
Love your thoughts and writings Peter. Sadly at least to me most Magas aren't true Fascist idealogues. They are mostly just bigots. You are right however in wondering WHY our security state isn't trying harder to stop this deep threat to our Republic?!
Interesting Rickey; I've not read that one yet. Thx
Can also recommend the podcast ULTRA season 1 and 2.
I note that you use the word "conservative" exclusively with the meaning it has come to acquire for those who are not and have no admiration for upholders of finders-keepers and fences determined to hold onto the swag they've acquired even if the whole world must be destroyed to ensure that hold.... What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine.
The Forty Thieves are to rule the world and Ali Baba is to die like Navalny.
Let me clarify- CONservative leadership of today. I posted and 11 part series here on SUbstack about how the entirety of conservative leadership is leading this charge. Many of the conservative I know are uninformed of what their real plan is and have some difficulty in defending them once their actions verify those plans.
Rick, I am so happy that you're making a big point of it to delineate between gop leadership and the general membership ! I've been advocating that here and elsewhere forever - there's a crucial difference that has to be understood, accepted, and acted upon by all of us concerned. Thank you ~
..and still they don’t see it 🤦♀️
I like to think that there is a rational plan that the Administration doesn't talk about.
No, J L, it's worse, in fact, than Peter let on.
American schools K-12 to "higher" caved when Heritage Foundation, Hoover Institution, and ALEC spent the post-Powell-memo 1970s gutting humanities from all schools.
They replaced the humanities K-12 with the throttling, dehumanizing regimes of standardized testing, and replaced them in higher ed with all-neutered, mutually-isolated adjacent silos. High-paid admin giving away universities to corporate interests, and to the banks indebting the students.
The machinery for the body snatchers to take over was set in place those decades ago. Peter's comment, above, only shows his lack of familiarity with Don Siegel's original "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," and the systematized prep for all to fall into that sleep.
Phil, I’m stupid to imagine that I can get through to anyone but the few who are already awake when even the attack on the Twin Towers, even the recent horrific assault on Israel have failed to awaken people from their mental torpor. At most, the agitation provoked by bad dreams.
I’m remembering again those words I wrote on August 29th 2001…
“Sleepwalkers reasoning on the edge of the abyss… But… are we not already in it?”
The comfortable complacency of so many of us can, perhaps, be disturbed by nothing less than total disaster.
*
I guess I ought to understand. I slept through a night-time fire alarm at boarding school at age 12.
Likewise, I had to meet with charlatans and go along with them for a while before I got the message, usually delivered in person in the presence of all those in thrall to the conman in question—a deliberate public humiliation designed to get rid of me while duly impressing the faithful. (This is, incidentally, more or less what happened to the President the other day. And no doubt happened to Chamberlain and Daladier who couldn’t fathom the kind of being they faced…)
Why can only human beings be fooled by conmen when even your pet dog would get the point?
Fitting, dear Peter, your words of August 29, 2001.
More apt, yours here on "duly impressing the faithful."
Dems, damn them, still won't rouse themselves to the cohering front to which they could and should be bestirring themselves.
Excellent. Phil! LPM is the seed, P25 is the crop.
Sorry, Rickey what's LPM?
Louis Powell Memorandum
Thanks, I thought it must be that but didn't recall Powell's first name.
Interesting, the awakening of consciousness, all the way from "this is so systematic, it does begin to look like a conspiracy"... up to the point when even Supreme Court Justices out themselves...
And still people sleep peacefully, for... "It can't happen here".
Lewis Powell Memo
Phil, often when I think of this slow infiltration, over decades, of the what is now known Project 2025’s Mandate for Leadership goals, I hear this Leonard Cohen tune in my head “First We Take Manhattan”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan_Act I first read about it last spring soon after it was announced/published and, not believing it was “real” at first, I became very alarmed that no one seemed to be concerned, let alone alarmed by it & most folks I talked to had never heard of it…..well, finally, it is making the news & many are gobsmacked by it as they should be. Glad, too, that the House of Representatives has convened a task force to investigate it. I also recommend this group Stop the Coup 2025: 🗽🇺🇸 https://www.stopthecoup2025.org/
Thanks for showing a beam of light in this foul darkness... A moment's poetic feeling...
"Then we take Berlin!"
It is more than unfortunate that The Coup has already been "normalized". The Coup, and The Beast. And the top chessmen are already in place, calling out "Check!"
With that special botox-enhanced Putinsmirk imprinted on their features.
Corprocrats want robots not citizens; and until fully AI ones arrive, flesh and blood will do.
All organs already zombified? Despite the normal human beings who "minded" the 45th tenant of the White House and are still in circulation.
I think that is what we have all wanted to think & ignored a lot of evidence our interests were being undermind. The rules of engagement have changed, we can no longer afford to extend the benefit of the doubt, then be bewildered when social contracts are not honored. Being responsible citizens is continuing to hold faith in our principles of democracy while expecting clear accountability on an ongoing basis. That's the progressive process, staying engaged.
Is anyone surprised that Trump has an enemies list? I'm surprised the 350 isn't higher. People in my city were discussing putting all the Democrats in reform camps when Trump wins according to a friend. Preachers advocating for a Trump win here in Indiana. Things are getting scary folks. Not that they haven't been already. Then there's this. God help us all. Thank you Heather. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
https://www.heritage.org/press/project-2025-reaches-100-coalition-partners-continues-grow-preparation-next-president?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0mHz7tzNSsqwqffsgL_aPA3u07L8_c3J_4h8y5wGiYHphpzVZ-8gdy0_Y_aem_8Ro_c0MBuVEBg0f0r9Kajg
We can redirect our conversations to the many different dangers of Project 2025. There’s something for everyone to worry about. Social Security? Medicare? Veterans’ benefits? Reproductive rights? Education? As Heather repeatedly says, it’s up to us to make our voices heard, and this is the most critical time.
Here is a QR code for the Biden Campaign introduction to Project 2025 (with the QR code currently available on stickers and tote bags):
https://www.threads.net/@tlduryea/post/C9KwUG7O2Vg/?xmt=AQGzKiKkjzNPby6AvDnb5X3R2GvkFAaVg9xnqNouq98KGg
I know Project 2025 is awful. It’s a contract on America on steroids.
EXACTLY!
Thank You, Ellie.
Joyce Vance wrote a terrific article yesterday - substack- about how to talk one on one to people unfamiliar with P 2025.
https://joycevance.substack.com
Trump is the sort of person who would have an enemies list, and he lacks any sort of insight to realize he is his own worst enemy.
Isn't that the truth?!!
Recently the Heritage people were very cagey about mentioning that there are other unadvertised features of Project 2025 that the Right doesn't want the Left to know about. Think about it: we're going into an election with one party towing a Pandora's Trojan horse. It's a terrifying prospect.
Now there's an image: Pandora's Trojan Horse.
Yah, Ally, when myths collide it makes quite a mess!🤦🏻♀️
But apt
Violation of the the Logan Act is a felony punishable by fines and up to 3 years of imprisonment. Is Donald Trump -- now a private citizen -- not subject to the laws he violates? The recent democracy-ending Supreme Court decision gives immunity to a sitting President, not to a traitorous shit like the current GOP presidential candidate.
Is Merrick Garland still out to lunch? Is the FBI on vacation?
As Kellyanne said- "Let me know when someone enforces the Logan Act."
This isn’t the first time Orban came to visit his orange buddy. Violations of the Logan Act have been ongoing since tfg move to Fla.
Well, when all you have left is the Logan Act...
David, I posted upthread that while the Logan Act has been “on the books” since 1799 only ONCE has anyone been charged, long ago, for violating it….but was not convicted. So, apparently, a law with no teeth…not sure in today’s political climate there would be the cojones to try and bring charges. Would like to see it happen tho!!!!
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
Biden could legally order a black op to take out DJT, too.
I have wanted to join the Deep State but can't find info on how to do so.
The problem is that the SCOTUS determines what is "presidential duties" and will decide that Biden didn't qualify, ruling that he committed a crime.
The "current" SCOTUS, that is.
Don’t you just know it. President Biden is smart enough to know the SCOTUS majority would not enable him to break the law the same way they have just enabled Trump to be a dictator. Talk about rigging the scales of justice!
Too true, Kathy. Why are we not out in the streets with our pitchforks by now?
Many of us are trying to hold body and soul together. It’s not that peaceful protest is unnecessary, but many of us have to work to keep ourselves and families fed.
Deep State is Heritage Foundation.
Agree, Craig! If you read The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis, you come to understand that the “deep state” folks are caterwauling about is really just (mostly) civil servants doing their nonpartisan jobs, a scaffold if you will, underpinning the work of our government.
If you find it let me know. I've been trying to find the membership info for antifa too but it's apparently not a real thing.
I wore my Deep State 2016 T-shirt yesterday.
It appears that the Heritage Foundation is the real Deep State. But I'm not waiting to join them.
Joe Biden is a Senior Citizen who has gotten up in age. Instead of panicking and denigrating him for getting old, citizens should see him as an inspiration ! This is a "working" U.S. President who has his hands on the levers. He has vast experience and wisdom in this game. His policies are starting to show up for the middle class economy. And his policies are not a sugar high like (Trump) cutting taxes for the rich and giving the citizens a one time $600.00 check while the rich got hundreds of thousands and millions in tax breaks. The balance being made up in cuts to social services, environmental preservation, NATO and infrastructure to the middle class. If Joe wants to stick it out , I'm with him 100%.
Me too, Bill. He has, IMHO, a great VP in Harris and an excellent administrative staff/Cabinet. If for some reason he was not able to complete his full term (and NO president is ever assured that, life being what it is!), fully talented & competent folks are there to step up & step in to the role. I’m voting for Team Biden/Harris!
Trump sounds worse than Reagan did with his Alzheimer's.
Trump will pick whomever the Federalist Society tells him to pick.
Agreed. Trump is just a hood ornament for the Federalist Society.
I wish I had the money to pay for a billboard that says, "You can thank the media for this chaos." The NYT Editorial Board (NOT the newsroom!) started it, immediately after Biden's admittedly bad debate. Since then, WAPO piled on. And the press began claiming (without any sources or citations) that unnamed aides and advisors to President Biden wanted him to step aside. And so it continues!
It's worse than high school journalism. One news outlet's initial comment on last night's press conference was "a rare press conference." Objective journalism would report that "there was a press conference" without playing games with adjectives.
I don't begin to know how to make it clear to people that the press are the problem! They need to be focusing on how unfit Trump is. Instead, they are doing everything they can to take down an extraordinarily successful president. And at the end of the day, Biden has surrounded himself with people who are highly experienced, talented, and competent. People like Secretary Blinken and Secretary Buttigieg provide a base on which even an imperfect person can confidently rest. THEY are not the ones who want him out. The big corporations that own the big newspapers are saying it. It's not hard to figure out why!! Controversy, chaos, and advertising sell subscriptions and advertising.
Barbara, I have posted here & on other SubStacks recently that, to me, it all seems too “slick and coordinated”, a veritable pile-on cacophony & hope that some decent investigative journalists peel back the lid to find out who/what may be orchestrating this—-maybe election interference 2.0??????? Who knows, but would be good to find out.
Thank you. I sometimes feel that I am talking only to myself, but I find the evidence against the media-created "crisis" all too clear.
Billboards are about $3,500 in the northern midwest at least. who’s in?
so what are we going to do?
What a fitting contrast: President Biden is celebrating the 75th anniversary of NATO in Washington while Trump is meeting with Putin puppy Orban at Mar a Lago.
I remember when and why NATO was created in 1949 as a Cold War bulwark against Stalin and his occupiers of Berlin and Eastern Europe. Then it was unimaginable that Stalin would come to America and play footsie with a prominent American politician.
The American would have been castigated as a traitor. As a former Foreign Service Officer, this is what I would call Trump for his past and present bromance with ‘Greater Russia’ Putin AND his stated desire to sharply weaken American commitment to NATO.
A frightened Congress is agonizing over Biden’s age which aids the plot. Biden, who knows what’s going on is fighting for our lives.
I have called traitors all congresspersons who voted not to accept the vote in 2020 . I stick by that.
All 147 of them. Oathbreakers all, and traitors to the United States.
Keith, fpotus is a traitor in word and deed, an oathbreaker, and a criminal. And yet, people still run around with his face on a flag in the back of their jacked up trucks. SMH.
Well done. I tried what if Roosevelt had cozied up to Hitler.
Next: the Heritage Foundation with SCOTUS and Project 2025 is plotting to destroy democracy in America with Putin’s useful idiot Trump,
The Heritage Foundation is in fact giving Trump language for his efforts to commit treason by projecting that same accusation against the democrats. Trump is in seventh heaven as he plays golf and lets the more “intellectually credible” organization prove him right. This is one of Heather’s most frightening letter yet.
AT LAST! The NY Times published a powerful editorial pointing out the many reasons why Donald Trump is manifestly unfit for the presidency, or any other public office.
One hopes to soon see another editorial stating that whoever the Democratic presidential candidate turns out to be, that candidate must soundly prevail in the November election, whether or not that candidate is the editorial board’s first choice.
In other words, stop bashing Joe Biden, and start talking about all the positive things the Democrats have brought the country in the last four years.
I read the article, and while it’s good that the NYT came out with this (better late than never I guess) they just had to get their digs in on Biden. They continue to create an infuriating moral equivalence between Trump’s evil and the fact that Biden has slowed down. Makes me want to tear my hair out.
If anyone here still subscribes and is willing to post a gift article, I’d love to read that. As a former subscriber, I’ve been unable to access the article anywhere without subscribing again, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to do that.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/11/opinion/editorials/donald-trump-2024-unfit.html
Thank you, Ralph!
Thanks to Swbv below, I was able to read the article. There’s a link further down the thread if anyone else is interested.