This afternoon, Trump held a press conference in the Rose Garden of the White House to announce that he had signed into law the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, clearing the way for sanctions on Chinese officials and entities that undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy.
Also missing from Limbaugh's account is the reason the Donner Party was in that horrible position in the first place. They took a "short cut" on the route to California that those in the know told them wasn't a good choice. They took it anyway, which ended up delaying their arrival at the Sierras. So it is a good metaphor for Trump's insistence on taking a short cut of opening schools too early (and virtually all the other short cuts he has taken in dealing or not dealing with the pandemic).
I just finished a book about the Donner Party, so a lot of the history is still fresh in my mind. The short cut was known as the Hastings Cutoff, and it was promoted in a pamphlet published by a man named Lansford Hastings, who turned out to be a bit of a huckster (sound familiar?) and who had not actually taken the full route himself. He promised to wait at Fort Bridger to guide the members of the Donner Party who chose to follow him on this cutoff below the Great Salt Lake. He never showed up. The Donner Party split up at Fort Bridger and those who decided to take the Hastings Cutoff anyway ended up marooned in the Sierras in winter and the rest is history as they say. The most famous quote from one of the survivors. Virginia Reed, in a letter to her cousin, still has merit: " Never take no cutoffs and hurry along as fast as you can."
In 1846, my ancestors were in the same Wagon Train as the Donner & Reed families. When my 4xGreat Grandmother heard about Hastings plan, she called him a “fly-by-night” conman and kept her family on the known trail to Sutter’s Fort. Still lots of her descendants living in CA today, thanks to her wise decision.
Another good book, though maybe out circulation, is Year of Decision:1846.
Was the book The Indifferent Stars Above? If so, did you enjoy it (maybe enjoy isn't the right word). BTW, I remember that some character at the local Barnes & Noble some years ago put a book about the Donner Party on the shelf next to a book dining options guidebook in the California travel section -- and it wasn't me.
No, it was The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny (Norton, 2017) by Michael Wallis. It received good reviews when it came out. Your story reminds me of what a California native told me once. She said that a common practical joke at ski areas in the vicinity like Mammoth or Tahoe, was to give your name as Donner when placing your name on a reservation list at a restaurant, so that the announcement by the host or over the loudspeaker would be "Donner, party of five, Donner, party of five..."
Thank you! As always so insightful! I missed it all today because I did something I’ve never done before. I worked the polling place for the Texas primary. In a church in my neighborhood, I helped from 6am to 8pm, in a large hall with Democrats on one side and Republicans on the other. So moved by the people excited to vote and several for their first time ever at just 18. It was a long day! I had no idea! And as we rushed to set up because the building wasn’t opened on time, and through the day, and in breaking down, we could reach across the”table” and be neighbors with the people working. Helping each other just a bit, especially set up and break down. Share snacks, and hand sanitizer, and laughs. A Republican woman voter came over to use our hand sanitizer and asked if it was okay, we offered a few mints too. She was shocked! Said you’d let me have mints?! Sure, why not! It was a long heartwarming day! I highly recommend it to anyone! Mints are, I assume, way tastier than cannibalism! Really gave me a sense of hope! Highly recommend working the polling place if anyone can! A great day for the democratic process. And in Texas, voting by Democrats is up 296% since 2016! 💪🏽 🇺🇸
I work the polls in my town and urge any US citizen to do so at least once — you meet neighbors, learn how much care goes into making voting secure and accurate, enjoy conviviality, contribute to a fair process, and help make history. It’s a heartening experience. Democracy isn’t a spectator sport, and ordinary citizens, led by dedicated civil servants, keep the process a participatory one. (And ordinary citizens can also help return enfranchisement to the disenfranchised by volunteering with organizations assembled to promote free and fair elections and the right to vote.)
That’s how I got involved! I joined a democratic women’s group. The friend who got me started tells me “you’ve found your like minded tribe.” Hard to do in Texas!
Denise Huddle, it sounds like your day was well spent. Love the hand sanitizer and mints nuggets. Hearing about the outstanding Democratic voter turnout in Texas did my heart good.
Thank you for volunteering and for sharing this! From one election officer to another, I agree wholeheartedly on how uplifting an experience it is working at the polls.
I just want to say how appreciative I am of everyone’s comments here. They are well though out. They are informative. They have proper grammar and spelling!!!!, and don’t bash other commenters. Thank you, everyone!
I also agree! My interactions with people in this forum have been a restorative balm and have given me hope again that people can, indeed be civil and respectful to one another. I, too, read this first thing in the morning (when I’m not still up when it’s posted!) and it helps set a more positive tone for my day. Thank you, everyone!
Thomas M Cleaver, I did not watch the whole press conference, but what I saw in excerpts was nuts. I can't wait for the Lincoln Project ad. I am reading Mary Trump's book. The book validates my opinion that President Trump is nuts with the bonus of providing a clinical context for his behaviors from a mental health professional who is related to him. It also makes me sad. No one should have a childhood where abuse of others especially between family members is encouraged. His father was just cruel. The way Mary Trump writes about the abuse her father endured from his father and Donald, it broke my heart. In contrast to Joe Biden's childhood stories about his father, you can just mentally feel the hugs.
The family visit to and subsequent family dinner at the White House described in the book's prologue is epic. That said, don't judge, but I so hope there is a movie. All I could think about is who would play who in the movie. It would be just deserts for Meryl Streep to play Maryanne Trump Barry. She would nail it especially the parts were Maryanne Trump Barry calls President Trump a clown. From my couple of semesters of psychology in college one semester which was a child psychology class, my lay opinion is that it's a coping mechanism:)
I have ordered Mary's book and so I can only say that I understand your feeling the way you do about trump's upbringing and his father's abuse. That is truly horrible. Yet, he is shooting holes in the Constitution each and every day. He is damaging America both at home and abroad. I cannot focus on sympathy toward why trump is like he is. I can only think about how will we survive him?
I have listened to about half of Mary Trump's audio book...Yes..It seems Fred Trump ..DTrumps father, had sociopathic characteristcs..DTrump does also..I am just thinking that according to some books I have read..they have proved on MRI's definite structural differences seen in the brains of sociopathic people...So in other words, there seems to be a inheritable factor...Anyway, it does not change that such people are still accountable for their actions..
Carla Herkner, my sympathy is more directed to Fred Trump, Jr. thsn "The Donald". Unfortunately, Donald Trump lesson was it is more advantageous to be the bully😢and you are correct that mindset is not serving our country well.
I stopped watching Trump’s public events some time ago, but this morning my neighbor here in Germany sent me a quote from yesterday’s rant - he couldn’t quite believe it.
So, I broke down and read the full remarks, and they kept going and going and going, becoming more unhinged with every sentence.
My early thinking about how nutty this election season might be is out the window – this will be one for the record books.
Professor Richardson, I know you are a historian and not a soothsayer, but does history provide you a window into the types of reforms that might come about as a result of our experience with 45?
It's always interesting when the "forgotten" lies that have been told spiral out of control and come back to bite their instigator. Trump doesn't understand the interconnexion between the different issues that he's using and abusing to enhance his electoral chances: he has no conception of the significance of the "Butterfly theory" in the chaos that he so actively promotes. The case of the "purported China trade deal" is a clear illustration.
However, the Naked Emporer, when laughed at because he has no clothes, will look to take revenge on the "whistle blower". Beware the major universities and 17 states that have brought suites against Trump's foreign student visa barriers as they have won their battle and Trump has been forced to rescind his directive. They are an easy, "elite", communications and propaganda target to hit and further stoke the passions of his core electorate.
Trump has had to cancel the New Hampshire Rally and hisTulsa spectacular was a disaster because of his mis-handling of the Covid-19 epidemic. He had to give up his daily press briefings on dealing with the sanitary crisis as they where hitting the headlines but not producing favorable voter support. Trump is like a fish out of water and is struggling to find oxygen as his "gills" are not adapted to the atmosphere. The Rose Garden is a short-term stop-gap as it assures him some semblance of a "Presidential Posture". It wont work for more than a few "shows". He's running out of "reality" to put on television. The sooner this fish is put in an aquarium to be gauped at by passing tourists passing the better we'll all be.
There’s something fishy about his cancellation of the New Hampshire rally. They claimed it was because of expected bad weather but the forecast didn’t indicate bad weather and it was a beautiful, sunny day in all of New England that day.
It’s hard to believe that we’ve reached a time in which the idea of cannibalizing our own citizens for the Republican party’s self interests is a selling point.
I thought it interesting that Limbaugh also says, “Life has to go on. Life is to be lived. It’s not meant to be spent cowering and curled up in the corner in fear. It’s not meant to be spent as a victim. Your life is worth more than simply saying, ‘There's nothing I can do about it, I have an excuse for not even trying.’ But this is exactly where we are — and it’s not who we are.“
Allowing so many people to get sick and at this point, forcing people into situations where they ultimately will get sick, is saying precisely “there’s nothing I can do about it”. Using this idea of we must be tough like people who chose cannibalism over death is supposed to be our excuse for not even trying.
These Letters are the first thing I read every morning. That there are no Republican elected representatives on a federal level who will stand up and say “enough!” Is terrifying and makes me despair. So we are left with some governors and ultimately, local school boards, mayors, county commissioners, college presidents and other individuals of whatever political stripe to bring sanity to bear. If the Donner Party is a good choice of how Americans should act, it’s no wonder our neighbors to the north and the south have sealed their borders to us.
USA TODAY's ready willingness to publish Navarro's hit piece on Fauci is an important reminder that the MSM literally values clicks over democracy. Regardless of how this election proceeds, and whatever atrocities emerge, they will do everything possible to present Trump as a worthwhile, competitive option -- even if this means underreporting misconduct, and overreporting attacks on the opposition. Their SOLE goal is to make this race a nailbiter that keeps their audience clicking and sharing to the very end, and it represents one of the greatest dangers to our country.
There are a couple of things that we can do to help keep things on track . First, avoid sharing/RTing pieces that further enable the administration's misinformation campaign, no matter how outraged they make you feel.
Second, I think people underestimate the value of writing Letters to the Editor. This long lost art not only helps keep the discussion focused on reality, it also helps remind editors that accurate, factual reporting is what readers are really interested in.
From 1982 to about 2000, I had over 200 OpEd letters published by various newspapers. Some did make a difference when it was part of a common opinion. Unlike the internet, where every nutcase can post, this was when your opinion had to make sense to the Editor of the paper. (They did publish the nutcase letters for added reply drama – some slow motion “flame wars” with delay for paper letters to go thru the mail). I am proud to have been mentioned in the last edition of the more liberal Miami News (Dec. 31, 1988) as a frequent contributor.
Accountability is going to be the take down of this admin. Our healthcare workers are the voices of accountability in this one. They are the ones keeping the true data. It will make it to the CDC. We think nothing is being done, we gotta' keep looking behind the scenes.
So, Limbaugh’s defense of re-opening schools is that it’s as easy as cannibalism. That should reassure parents. And Limbaugh claims the Donner party “didn’t complain about it”. Really? Was Limbaugh there (if so, he would have been the main course)?
I am annoyed by the blatant lies this administration spews. But worse than that, I am appalled by the gullible, ignorant ppl who believe these lies without any critical thinking. The lies are not directed at me or any of the ppl who know the unlikely reality that “the media” (CBS, NBC, ABC, BBC, Reuters, etc) are even capable of conspiratorially broadcasting the same “Fake News” all over the planet. The lies are solely directed at the ignorant cult base and I am disheartened to know how many deluded ppl there are in our population. Before tRump, it was the 900 dead in the Jim Jones cult or the 39 dead in Heaven’s Gate cult that shocked us. But now it seems a third of the ppl around us are in this new Repugnant cult, adoringly following an insane man in the White House. Both mystifying and horrifying to those of us with normal mental faculties.
You know, Rob, that is the same thing that disgusts me. How can so many people actually fall for this nonsense? Where are the critical thinking skills? But even more horrifying is the complicity of the elected Republicans who do nothing. They know that he is unhinged and dangerous, yet they stand by in silence. And, even more, by their very adherence ( e.g our Governor DeSantis) they exacerbate the damage.
I find I cannot help myself. After reading today’s post, every time I see a trump-supporting comment on FB, I have this thought: “Another member of the Donner Party!”
Sadly, my sister has joined the cult of ignorance. She believes the conspiracists who claim there is a "deep state" controlling everything, and therefore does not accept any evidence I provide to her from the main stream media. She doesn't see how foolish it is to think the deep state can control all these major media outlets, but can't control the coven of wackos spewing this nonsense. She and all those who believe Trump have eliminated evidence all together, and have therefore freed themselves to believe whatever they choose.
Exactly right. I have a brother and sister into this same stuff. They will not even entertain any other thoughts. Thankfully, I have one other brother who shares my views. It is terrible to have a family split though.
You may see me mentioning my half-brother in Mississippi, with whom I have no communication since “the purge of Nov 9, 2016,” when I cut off ties with anyone who supported 45, including a co-worker friend of 15 years. After seeing the destruction and national insanity over the past 3.5 years, I don’t even consider it an overreaction.
Rob, unfortunately I live in an area full of people who have bought into this Repugnant cult. I cannot figure it out either. I have corrected friends who post lies on Facebook with truthful, verifiable articles, but they don't seem to care about facts. It is the darnedest thing I have ever witnessed. I can't figure it out.
Reading here about his “speech”, as 45 rambles off into cuckoo land, while understanding the need to document his decline, I am envisioning the press packing up as he is talking and going home. I think “Biden wants to remove all your windows” would have been my cue.
Plenty of people believed "Hillary wants to take away all your guns" - why wouldn't the same people believe "Biden wants to take away all your windows"? The non-logic is the same, the non-relation to reality is the same.
"Embattled"? I'd say maddened, as in driven to madness. Comparing sending children back to school during the current pandemic to "acceptable" cannibalism is even more insane than usual for our fearless nut job.
Hitler also got the hearts and minds of the populace by imposing Nazi control over schools and curriculum, instituting public works projects based on “volunteer” and/or enslaved labor, outlawing youth groups other than Hitler Youth, and militarizing the Hitler Youth and thugs—the Brown Shirts and citizens incited to violence at all levels, including Kristallnacht, property appropriations, and roundups for transportation to camps or execution sites.
Also missing from Limbaugh's account is the reason the Donner Party was in that horrible position in the first place. They took a "short cut" on the route to California that those in the know told them wasn't a good choice. They took it anyway, which ended up delaying their arrival at the Sierras. So it is a good metaphor for Trump's insistence on taking a short cut of opening schools too early (and virtually all the other short cuts he has taken in dealing or not dealing with the pandemic).
I just finished a book about the Donner Party, so a lot of the history is still fresh in my mind. The short cut was known as the Hastings Cutoff, and it was promoted in a pamphlet published by a man named Lansford Hastings, who turned out to be a bit of a huckster (sound familiar?) and who had not actually taken the full route himself. He promised to wait at Fort Bridger to guide the members of the Donner Party who chose to follow him on this cutoff below the Great Salt Lake. He never showed up. The Donner Party split up at Fort Bridger and those who decided to take the Hastings Cutoff anyway ended up marooned in the Sierras in winter and the rest is history as they say. The most famous quote from one of the survivors. Virginia Reed, in a letter to her cousin, still has merit: " Never take no cutoffs and hurry along as fast as you can."
In 1846, my ancestors were in the same Wagon Train as the Donner & Reed families. When my 4xGreat Grandmother heard about Hastings plan, she called him a “fly-by-night” conman and kept her family on the known trail to Sutter’s Fort. Still lots of her descendants living in CA today, thanks to her wise decision.
Another good book, though maybe out circulation, is Year of Decision:1846.
This is incredibly cool.
We could use more of your ancestor's common sense today!
Awesome story. Thanks for sharing!
Good for your 4x great grandmother!
Was the book The Indifferent Stars Above? If so, did you enjoy it (maybe enjoy isn't the right word). BTW, I remember that some character at the local Barnes & Noble some years ago put a book about the Donner Party on the shelf next to a book dining options guidebook in the California travel section -- and it wasn't me.
No, it was The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny (Norton, 2017) by Michael Wallis. It received good reviews when it came out. Your story reminds me of what a California native told me once. She said that a common practical joke at ski areas in the vicinity like Mammoth or Tahoe, was to give your name as Donner when placing your name on a reservation list at a restaurant, so that the announcement by the host or over the loudspeaker would be "Donner, party of five, Donner, party of five..."
Ha. That's rich! And thanks for giving me the title.
Great point. Wrong choices have consequences.
Bingo
Thank you! As always so insightful! I missed it all today because I did something I’ve never done before. I worked the polling place for the Texas primary. In a church in my neighborhood, I helped from 6am to 8pm, in a large hall with Democrats on one side and Republicans on the other. So moved by the people excited to vote and several for their first time ever at just 18. It was a long day! I had no idea! And as we rushed to set up because the building wasn’t opened on time, and through the day, and in breaking down, we could reach across the”table” and be neighbors with the people working. Helping each other just a bit, especially set up and break down. Share snacks, and hand sanitizer, and laughs. A Republican woman voter came over to use our hand sanitizer and asked if it was okay, we offered a few mints too. She was shocked! Said you’d let me have mints?! Sure, why not! It was a long heartwarming day! I highly recommend it to anyone! Mints are, I assume, way tastier than cannibalism! Really gave me a sense of hope! Highly recommend working the polling place if anyone can! A great day for the democratic process. And in Texas, voting by Democrats is up 296% since 2016! 💪🏽 🇺🇸
Kudos to you, Denise. This is so wonderful!
Thanks! It was a great experience! And I just woke up again. Very tiring! Everyone should do it at least once in their life!
I have worked the polls for several years and had the same good experience. Even the voters are courteous.
I work the polls in my town and urge any US citizen to do so at least once — you meet neighbors, learn how much care goes into making voting secure and accurate, enjoy conviviality, contribute to a fair process, and help make history. It’s a heartening experience. Democracy isn’t a spectator sport, and ordinary citizens, led by dedicated civil servants, keep the process a participatory one. (And ordinary citizens can also help return enfranchisement to the disenfranchised by volunteering with organizations assembled to promote free and fair elections and the right to vote.)
That’s how I got involved! I joined a democratic women’s group. The friend who got me started tells me “you’ve found your like minded tribe.” Hard to do in Texas!
Denise Huddle, it sounds like your day was well spent. Love the hand sanitizer and mints nuggets. Hearing about the outstanding Democratic voter turnout in Texas did my heart good.
Mine too! Don’t know if the emotions are hope or complete utter exhaustion!
I choose "hope"
Thank you for volunteering and for sharing this! From one election officer to another, I agree wholeheartedly on how uplifting an experience it is working at the polls.
That is great news that voting by Democrats is up 296%!.
It doesn't occur to them that adaptation might include wearing masks?
Right???
Adapt, "to make fit (as for a new use) often by modification" (m-w.com)
Or to modify school instruction to be online? Adapting implies change.
Also, I'm pretty sure the Donner party complained.
I thought the same thing!
I just want to say how appreciative I am of everyone’s comments here. They are well though out. They are informative. They have proper grammar and spelling!!!!, and don’t bash other commenters. Thank you, everyone!
I also agree! My interactions with people in this forum have been a restorative balm and have given me hope again that people can, indeed be civil and respectful to one another. I, too, read this first thing in the morning (when I’m not still up when it’s posted!) and it helps set a more positive tone for my day. Thank you, everyone!
Agreed! This is the reason I look forward to opening my email in the AM.
63 minutes spent publicly demonstrating his niece is right.
Thomas M Cleaver, I did not watch the whole press conference, but what I saw in excerpts was nuts. I can't wait for the Lincoln Project ad. I am reading Mary Trump's book. The book validates my opinion that President Trump is nuts with the bonus of providing a clinical context for his behaviors from a mental health professional who is related to him. It also makes me sad. No one should have a childhood where abuse of others especially between family members is encouraged. His father was just cruel. The way Mary Trump writes about the abuse her father endured from his father and Donald, it broke my heart. In contrast to Joe Biden's childhood stories about his father, you can just mentally feel the hugs.
The family visit to and subsequent family dinner at the White House described in the book's prologue is epic. That said, don't judge, but I so hope there is a movie. All I could think about is who would play who in the movie. It would be just deserts for Meryl Streep to play Maryanne Trump Barry. She would nail it especially the parts were Maryanne Trump Barry calls President Trump a clown. From my couple of semesters of psychology in college one semester which was a child psychology class, my lay opinion is that it's a coping mechanism:)
I have ordered Mary's book and so I can only say that I understand your feeling the way you do about trump's upbringing and his father's abuse. That is truly horrible. Yet, he is shooting holes in the Constitution each and every day. He is damaging America both at home and abroad. I cannot focus on sympathy toward why trump is like he is. I can only think about how will we survive him?
I have listened to about half of Mary Trump's audio book...Yes..It seems Fred Trump ..DTrumps father, had sociopathic characteristcs..DTrump does also..I am just thinking that according to some books I have read..they have proved on MRI's definite structural differences seen in the brains of sociopathic people...So in other words, there seems to be a inheritable factor...Anyway, it does not change that such people are still accountable for their actions..
Carla Herkner, my sympathy is more directed to Fred Trump, Jr. thsn "The Donald". Unfortunately, Donald Trump lesson was it is more advantageous to be the bully😢and you are correct that mindset is not serving our country well.
You nailed it.
When he could have done so in 6.3 minutes
I stopped watching Trump’s public events some time ago, but this morning my neighbor here in Germany sent me a quote from yesterday’s rant - he couldn’t quite believe it.
So, I broke down and read the full remarks, and they kept going and going and going, becoming more unhinged with every sentence.
My early thinking about how nutty this election season might be is out the window – this will be one for the record books.
Professor Richardson, I know you are a historian and not a soothsayer, but does history provide you a window into the types of reforms that might come about as a result of our experience with 45?
I have wondered that almost daily!
It's always interesting when the "forgotten" lies that have been told spiral out of control and come back to bite their instigator. Trump doesn't understand the interconnexion between the different issues that he's using and abusing to enhance his electoral chances: he has no conception of the significance of the "Butterfly theory" in the chaos that he so actively promotes. The case of the "purported China trade deal" is a clear illustration.
However, the Naked Emporer, when laughed at because he has no clothes, will look to take revenge on the "whistle blower". Beware the major universities and 17 states that have brought suites against Trump's foreign student visa barriers as they have won their battle and Trump has been forced to rescind his directive. They are an easy, "elite", communications and propaganda target to hit and further stoke the passions of his core electorate.
Trump has had to cancel the New Hampshire Rally and hisTulsa spectacular was a disaster because of his mis-handling of the Covid-19 epidemic. He had to give up his daily press briefings on dealing with the sanitary crisis as they where hitting the headlines but not producing favorable voter support. Trump is like a fish out of water and is struggling to find oxygen as his "gills" are not adapted to the atmosphere. The Rose Garden is a short-term stop-gap as it assures him some semblance of a "Presidential Posture". It wont work for more than a few "shows". He's running out of "reality" to put on television. The sooner this fish is put in an aquarium to be gauped at by passing tourists passing the better we'll all be.
There’s something fishy about his cancellation of the New Hampshire rally. They claimed it was because of expected bad weather but the forecast didn’t indicate bad weather and it was a beautiful, sunny day in all of New England that day.
Rick Wilson said it was because the campaign and Trump couldn’t risk a smaller turnout than in Tulsa.
I wonder if he was planning on a visit to Maxwell.
It’s hard to believe that we’ve reached a time in which the idea of cannibalizing our own citizens for the Republican party’s self interests is a selling point.
I thought it interesting that Limbaugh also says, “Life has to go on. Life is to be lived. It’s not meant to be spent cowering and curled up in the corner in fear. It’s not meant to be spent as a victim. Your life is worth more than simply saying, ‘There's nothing I can do about it, I have an excuse for not even trying.’ But this is exactly where we are — and it’s not who we are.“
Allowing so many people to get sick and at this point, forcing people into situations where they ultimately will get sick, is saying precisely “there’s nothing I can do about it”. Using this idea of we must be tough like people who chose cannibalism over death is supposed to be our excuse for not even trying.
These Letters are the first thing I read every morning. That there are no Republican elected representatives on a federal level who will stand up and say “enough!” Is terrifying and makes me despair. So we are left with some governors and ultimately, local school boards, mayors, county commissioners, college presidents and other individuals of whatever political stripe to bring sanity to bear. If the Donner Party is a good choice of how Americans should act, it’s no wonder our neighbors to the north and the south have sealed their borders to us.
USA TODAY's ready willingness to publish Navarro's hit piece on Fauci is an important reminder that the MSM literally values clicks over democracy. Regardless of how this election proceeds, and whatever atrocities emerge, they will do everything possible to present Trump as a worthwhile, competitive option -- even if this means underreporting misconduct, and overreporting attacks on the opposition. Their SOLE goal is to make this race a nailbiter that keeps their audience clicking and sharing to the very end, and it represents one of the greatest dangers to our country.
There are a couple of things that we can do to help keep things on track . First, avoid sharing/RTing pieces that further enable the administration's misinformation campaign, no matter how outraged they make you feel.
Second, I think people underestimate the value of writing Letters to the Editor. This long lost art not only helps keep the discussion focused on reality, it also helps remind editors that accurate, factual reporting is what readers are really interested in.
From 1982 to about 2000, I had over 200 OpEd letters published by various newspapers. Some did make a difference when it was part of a common opinion. Unlike the internet, where every nutcase can post, this was when your opinion had to make sense to the Editor of the paper. (They did publish the nutcase letters for added reply drama – some slow motion “flame wars” with delay for paper letters to go thru the mail). I am proud to have been mentioned in the last edition of the more liberal Miami News (Dec. 31, 1988) as a frequent contributor.
Accountability is going to be the take down of this admin. Our healthcare workers are the voices of accountability in this one. They are the ones keeping the true data. It will make it to the CDC. We think nothing is being done, we gotta' keep looking behind the scenes.
For Bob's sake. Rush thinks we should eat our own? Where do these people come from?
So, Limbaugh’s defense of re-opening schools is that it’s as easy as cannibalism. That should reassure parents. And Limbaugh claims the Donner party “didn’t complain about it”. Really? Was Limbaugh there (if so, he would have been the main course)?
Difficult to complain when you're dead.
I wonder if right-wingers only eat white meat?
Thank goodness I'm a vegetarian.
OxyContin
Denise Huddle, I was going to blame Satan, LOL. Just exposing my inner "Church Lady".
Maybe OxyContin is Satan! From what I can remember of my church upbringing satan can tempt us by being many forms! Lol!
Wait, I was told it was dancing.
Denise Huddle, I recall similar Sunday School lessons:)
It's another distraction and diversionary tactic
Yes. Everything about this is one huge diversion.
I am annoyed by the blatant lies this administration spews. But worse than that, I am appalled by the gullible, ignorant ppl who believe these lies without any critical thinking. The lies are not directed at me or any of the ppl who know the unlikely reality that “the media” (CBS, NBC, ABC, BBC, Reuters, etc) are even capable of conspiratorially broadcasting the same “Fake News” all over the planet. The lies are solely directed at the ignorant cult base and I am disheartened to know how many deluded ppl there are in our population. Before tRump, it was the 900 dead in the Jim Jones cult or the 39 dead in Heaven’s Gate cult that shocked us. But now it seems a third of the ppl around us are in this new Repugnant cult, adoringly following an insane man in the White House. Both mystifying and horrifying to those of us with normal mental faculties.
You know, Rob, that is the same thing that disgusts me. How can so many people actually fall for this nonsense? Where are the critical thinking skills? But even more horrifying is the complicity of the elected Republicans who do nothing. They know that he is unhinged and dangerous, yet they stand by in silence. And, even more, by their very adherence ( e.g our Governor DeSantis) they exacerbate the damage.
Cuts to education ver the years will do that.
Yes ma'am.
I find I cannot help myself. After reading today’s post, every time I see a trump-supporting comment on FB, I have this thought: “Another member of the Donner Party!”
Excellent!
Sadly, my sister has joined the cult of ignorance. She believes the conspiracists who claim there is a "deep state" controlling everything, and therefore does not accept any evidence I provide to her from the main stream media. She doesn't see how foolish it is to think the deep state can control all these major media outlets, but can't control the coven of wackos spewing this nonsense. She and all those who believe Trump have eliminated evidence all together, and have therefore freed themselves to believe whatever they choose.
My son.
Mine too.
Exactly right. I have a brother and sister into this same stuff. They will not even entertain any other thoughts. Thankfully, I have one other brother who shares my views. It is terrible to have a family split though.
You may see me mentioning my half-brother in Mississippi, with whom I have no communication since “the purge of Nov 9, 2016,” when I cut off ties with anyone who supported 45, including a co-worker friend of 15 years. After seeing the destruction and national insanity over the past 3.5 years, I don’t even consider it an overreaction.
Rob, unfortunately I live in an area full of people who have bought into this Repugnant cult. I cannot figure it out either. I have corrected friends who post lies on Facebook with truthful, verifiable articles, but they don't seem to care about facts. It is the darnedest thing I have ever witnessed. I can't figure it out.
Reading here about his “speech”, as 45 rambles off into cuckoo land, while understanding the need to document his decline, I am envisioning the press packing up as he is talking and going home. I think “Biden wants to remove all your windows” would have been my cue.
Plenty of people believed "Hillary wants to take away all your guns" - why wouldn't the same people believe "Biden wants to take away all your windows"? The non-logic is the same, the non-relation to reality is the same.
"Embattled"? I'd say maddened, as in driven to madness. Comparing sending children back to school during the current pandemic to "acceptable" cannibalism is even more insane than usual for our fearless nut job.
Yes people we are there.
How Hitler seized power:
1. Create a crisis.
2. Demonize opponents.
3. Declare a state of emergency.
4. Undermine elections.
5. Make the rule of law irrelevant.
6. Rule by decree.
If America falls it will be because of the people who didn’t pay attention.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/euro-hist/hitler-nazis/v/hitler-and-the-nazis-come-to-power
Hitler also got the hearts and minds of the populace by imposing Nazi control over schools and curriculum, instituting public works projects based on “volunteer” and/or enslaved labor, outlawing youth groups other than Hitler Youth, and militarizing the Hitler Youth and thugs—the Brown Shirts and citizens incited to violence at all levels, including Kristallnacht, property appropriations, and roundups for transportation to camps or execution sites.
Excellent synopsis, thank you! And Rush Limbaugh is insane.....