Today, with the radical right the most loyal voting bloc in the party, Republican leaders refuse to call out even the most extreme statements from their followers. But once upon a time, Republican politicians were the champions of reason and compromise. Famously, on June 1, 1950, Senator Margaret Chase Smith, a Republican from Maine, stood up against Republican Senator Joe McCarthy of Wisconsin and his supporters, who were running roughshod over American democracy.
Thank you for reminding us of Margaret Chase Smith’s legacy. How I wish that there was a Republican with the courage shown by Liz Cheney (and Margaret Chase Smith) along with the wish to protect voting rights and the social safety net.
Well, Rowshan, it is then up to US to put the rethuglicans in their places and out of government—in Margaret Chase Smith's memory! Women sure seem to stand up against authoritarianism, no wonder white, privileged fascists hate us and prefer us to not know women's history, and to keep us barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. We scare the bejeezus out of them. And that is polite. Those who can— need to speak loudly. March. Write. These fools back into the tarpits of time so All of The People can move forward, together.
I saw a really incredible 2013 movie last night with Colin Firth & Nicole Kidman: The Railway Man. It is a true story and hits one in the gut about what really happens in war and its aftermath. In it, Firth's character states: "Wherever there are men, there is war."
Why don't we see what women (or those with higher levels of estrogen) can do? Let men take a break and golf, play sports and video games,mountain bike, do extreme feats with all that testosterone. Give the world a break and try something different. Warning: I speeded through the horrific torture scenes, but saw enough to curl my toes. Just like Uvalde and all our previous massacres of innocent people and children. It is time to stop this male-dominated, violent nonsense. (Apologies to all good men!).
Tread carefully about believing this war thing will be done away with a gender flip. It’s easy to think that way and comfortable. Yet, human beings are all capable of horrific judgement, narcissism, pettiness, greed, avarice, and maliciousness. Just look at many gop women currently lying, obstructing, and causing havoc for political access and power. It’s a human weakness.
There are always bad apples in any cart. I never even got to non-genders or transgenders this morning due to time constraints. But war, invention of assault weapons and massacres are rarely committed by non-males as much as males. A little tidbit on the assault weapons, most likely not invented by women (but much desired during a bad case of PMS).
A Brief History of the Assault Rifle
The gun’s name may have been coined by Adolf Hitler.
By Michael Shurkin
Amid the controversy over assault rifles—and specifically, the debate over whether or not guns like the semi-automatic weapon Omar Mateen used to commit the recent massacre in Orlando should be considered “assault weapons” or singled out for restrictions—some consideration of the original design and development of assault weapons is useful.
The assault rifle is a class of weapon that emerged in the middle of the last century to meet the needs of combat soldiers on the modern battlefield, where the level of violence had reached such heights that an entirely new way of fighting had emerged, one for which the existing weapons were a poor match. The name “assault rifle” is believed to have been coined by Adolf Hitler. Toward the end of World War II, the story goes, Hitler hailed his army’s new wonder weapon by insisting that it be called not by the technical name given it by its developers, the Machinenpistole (the German name for a submachine gun), but rather something that made for better propaganda copy. A Sturmgewehr, he called the new gun: a “storm” or “assault” weapon.
Well said. Hopeful change through "a gender flip" is not enough to make politicians suddenly moral and well-intentioned. Women are as subject to corruption as men are. Consider the number of political women, like men, who are enriched at the public trough. Consider all the female members of Congress who joined the men in voting for the Iraq War--a trillion$$$+ war which was not justified except to Bush Jr., Cheney, and Haliburton; a war which brought immense suffering and death to the people of Iraq. How many women politicians, as well as their male counterparts, totally endorsed the war?
I want to see a woman President--not just any woman but one who will maintain complete integrity and demonstrate the practical in female sensibilities; one who will not join the back-room boys' club in making secret deals to start another war; one who will not take PAC funds from defense industries; one who says, "I will not accept money which results from the torture and mutilation of other human beings, especially the innocent women and children." The odds are not good that we will experience this in our lifetime. I hope we can beat those odds.
P.S. I should add my belief that we currently have a remarkable candidate for President: Tulsi Gabbard. She has qualifications on such a high level in experience, character, and integrity that no one else even comes close. She has consistently put country first while political party devotion is a distant second. No way will she ever become a Republican.
And no way would I ever EVER vote for Gabbard! She is another one close to the Repubs. She has no integrity whatsoever. She met up with Assad and praised him. Who does that? Please review her records, Heydon.
For the record: There are presently 25 nations which have women leaders, Presidents or Prime ministers. Some of those nations are small, some are members of NATO, but none are at war, directly. Some have impressive economies and social supports. May they prevail. Also I recall Angela Merkel of Germany. On the negative side: Hong Kong and Myanmar whose women at the helm have been made redundant.
That's a good reminder. Although I am among the guilty of the male-who's-out-of-his-mind-ruler stereotype, we just don't know what women would do if we ruled the world. Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and Indira Ghandi are examples who ruled during war and chaos, but there were still plenty of men in their Parliament and Congress who influenced their reigns. Chances are there will still be wars with women at the helm. Nevertheless, I lean to the side of "Let's Give It a Try." Boudica and Joan of Arc were stalwart warriors, too, but cut down in their primes by men.
Yes, my step-grandfather was an incredible diplomat who served in multiple countries. Calm, intelligent and wise and could speak multiple languages, as do his children who lived in many countries and are so respectful of differences. Education of that sort is truly missing in our country and many other countries falling towards fascism due to greed and power over.
Agree 100%. And I would say biology/hormones are part of it but HEALING is what men are most afraid of. We are most afraid of our own pain and will do anything to avoid it. People who love political solutions ( like myself) rarely want to look deeper. Democracy takes courage on all levels
And would it not be wonderful for men and boys to be allowed to feel their pain and move through it so as not to inflict it upon others? Same with women, just in smaller numbers because higher levels of estrogen probably help us feel empathy more easily.
Exceptions please for cretins like MTG, Bobo, et al. To celebrate Uvalde, MTG is giving away her 50 caliber gun and claiming all sorts of lies about Joe. Yet this is the woman(?) who won her primary with no competition. Maybe she's actually trans. Pass it on. (Works for Republicans)
Why on earth do we have to jump on an unsavory female as possibly transgendered? Missy Three Names is reprehensible in her own right; why disparage transgender people by using it as an insult?
Agreed; this has always been a self-moderating group and comments like Mr. Whitman's are completely out of place as well as failing to advance the conversation.
MTG and Lauren Boebert are as bad as any man in the anti-democracy wing of the Republican Party. Women may not have had as many opportunities to screw things up as men, but given the chance, they are as likely to. Let’s judge people as individuals, not by their sexual identity.
Nope! Those two women are just a smidgen of our gender who act the way they do. Jon, look at history, especially ours. What women have started wars? What woman, in their right mind, willingly sends their child off to fight an enemy?
First, think of how many women march against women’s rights. And how many express pride when a child enlists in the armed forces? A myth of female superiority is as erroneous, and as dangerous, as the myth of male superiority.
Here in NH, we have a Republican legislature majority and they've been passing atrocious bill this session. There was a piece published about a goodly number of them in both houses taking into account the groups they fraternize with and the categories of their beliefs, including women. One of the women is a SECCESSIONIST and has a lot more unacceptable categories.
Pensa, I tend to agree that, in fact, hormones do play a part, also the fact that women, the quiet arbiters of compromise and relative peace in the home (no small job) have been conditioned to nurture, encourage unity rather than conflict, etc. The usual list. Some of us are better at it than others. But don't you think that another factor in the willingness of women or people of color or gay or transgender to speak out with courage is, simply, in a world in which so many forces are arrayed against us, we have nothing to lose.
Jean-Pierre, when a man can be self-reflective and say what you just said, I am afraid you probably fail flinging tyranny and misery over others. Even if you did, sounds like you learned from it and that is what being truly human is all about. Perfect example of males getting truly in touch with their tyranny is in the true story film I mentioned I saw last night called The Railway Man with Colin Firth. Tear jerker. Men, especially veterans, will need kleenex. Very healing for all of us to hear and see this story.
Not only do I feel her spirit within you and I, Rowshan, the list I have in my mind is long also….starting with Professor Richardson, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Katie Porter, Leigh McGowan, and a host of others. Some personal friends who are warriors for democracy, truth, and Light and some very powerful voices on this forum. If you know who they are , then count yourself in the collective power.
I am posting link for latest podcast from Leigh McGowan about us setting up right in EVERY state legislature.
Remember….from Mallory McMurrow….Faith with Works!
I tweeted excerpts of Chase’s speech to a few Republican Senators… Collins being the first— hoping she might feel a bit of shame when comparing herself to her predecessor, IF her staff passed on the message.
We already know who Liz Cheney is- she is a right wing extremist. I firmly believe she is doing all of this to run for president, and most Amrticans will be fooled by it. They think she's a good Republican, and she is not.
I'm old enough to remember Margaret Chase Smith, given my early-age interest in government and politics. She was among several highly principled stalwart Republicans in the Senate, whom today's Republicans would brand as antifa-loving socialists. This account of her standing up to McCarthy is a timely study in courage, which among the GOP is as rare as rain in much of the tinder-dry West. He certainly was a harbinger of Trump.
Greg wrote this a year ago. I hadn’t seen it until my sister sent it to me today. Makes total sense why he hasn’t been prosecuted for multiple crimes. Especially since he loves throwing anyone under the bus that will keep him out of jail.
In the midst of reading it. Someone else linked to it today on another site. Sad that America by and large doesn’t grasp Trump’s extent of criminality. It’s shocking.
Michael. I believe that more and more are “grasping” it all!
I listened to Denver Riggleman, former Republican congressman from VA, and Senior Technical advisor to Jan 6th Committee. I’m still in a bit of awe and shock from his interview with Anderson Cooper. What he said is coming from the Jan 6th Committee this month during the hearings can be enough to help anyone grasp a few dang things. He said the roadmap to overturning the election is very clear and Mark “weasel” Meadows can be “thanked” for all the emails. Funny, only other name he voluntarily mentioned among the many that have been linked to the treason is Ginni Thomas.
Thanks for this. I can't wait! The fact that the Ginni Thomas story isn't dominating headlines says a lot about how inured the media has become to this component of the attempted coup.
Greg ALWAYS makes my brain do flip flops. He, like HCR, comes at things from an unexpected angle. And always on target…. Had no idea that Murdoch had been a client of Roy Cohn. Unf**kingbelievable.
I am completely gobsmacked! Talk about letting the cat out of the bag! Greg O’Lear is one of my faves on Substack but I only followed him within the last 10-11 months and definitely, had not read this. Sleeping with the enemy is Donald’s trademark. My prediction is that someday, somebody, somewhere, will take The Donald out. Just like Whitey. Thanks for posting this Karen!
Marlene, I wondered how he had escaped being taken out too? Olear says tfg was not the only snitch so the retaliation spotlight may not have landed on him. What is blood chilling in Olear's scenario is that everyone involved, including the FBI, let him run for President. How do we vet our candidates when their own rampant crminality makes them so useful and so protected as a CI?? Margaret Chase Smith said when we go too far we hurt America....we certainly were hurt by the criminal President!!
So true, Carol. So much so, that it hurts…a lot. We are being used. We are allowed to do just so much but these tyrants rule the roost. They always have but with social media at our fingertips, perhaps uncovering these malpractices by the FBI and CIA, will bring more people down. I think that’s why Garland has been silent and his department, tight-lipped. They want to get all of the evidence necessary to bring these jerks down.
Intrigued by this revelation, my eye caught another piece by Greg Olear on Rand Paul's connection to Russia... and complicit with him was the Cato Institute, courtesy of the Koch Kleptocrats. We know that the Kochs have been connected to Russia since the 30's, but this is different: supporting a Senator (and a President?) in treason.
McCain certainly tried to get his message across that Paul was a traitor. That bastard still is in Congress. It’s truly too bad his neighbor didn’t do more damage. I don’t mean death…
Thank you for the link Jeff. John McCain hit the nail on the head when he said “Rand Paul is now working for Vladimir Putin”, on the Senate floor in 2017.
Thank you, Karen. The piece was fascinating and chilling. As one who has been hoping tfg would be held accountable for his crimes, I am coming to realize that that won’t happen. And it is more important than ever that there is a.blue wave for elections 2022 and 2024.
Karen, Thank you and your sister for 'Tinker, Tailor, Mobster, Trump' by Greg Olear. It is so extraordinary that the question of why Trump has been permitted to continue if this true is the one to ask. The piece is dated 3/31/20 and nothing!
Marlene, Trump's ties to mobsters is known. The substance of Olear's 2 year old 'Tinker, Tailor, Mobster, Trump' has not been substantiated. Whether it is true or much of it has not been established. We don't know whether we can know. It isn't satisfactory that Trump is still operating against this country. However frustrating, I know what is not known and cannot claim otherwise.
This was amazing. It very logically ties together so many dots. As I read I try to tell myself this could all be another conspiracy theory, but this is one that is not just highly plausible, there is tons of corroborating evidence to confirm it. It's so obvious, which is maybe why is isn't taken more seriously? Another question I came away from this asking is: since these organized crime syndicates within the former Soviet Union were very possibly (along with other factors) what eventually brought it down, is this same force now setting its sights on bringing down this country in a similar way? Do they want to turn this country over to autocratic, oligarchic rule in similar ways to what is in place in Russia? It sure seems so. They could do it too because they're being aided and abetted by a complicit Republican party, a party oblivious to the criminal connections, but aiding this takeover because they are a weak party with a shrinking demographic and they'll turn to ANYONE to help restore them to power. It's actually pretty brilliant because it is so simple. All of this done to a clueless American public, largely ignorant of all this, who are distracted by other things and are swayed by propaganda. This country is ripe for the picking. The best way to counter this is going to be overwhelming voter turnout this year and in 2024, something I worry about. Thanks again for sharing this (I've since subscribed to Olear's public writings...)
TC, What do you make of this piece released on 3/31/20, two years ago?
'Tinker, Tailor, Mobster, Trump' 'What happens when a Confidential Informant becomes President?' by Greg Olear. Karen RN posted it today. See link below.
TC, That Black Hole, how else to account for the vacuum of response, unless it was manufactured? This is relatively 'old' stuff. Maybe I didn't spot that it could be an elaborately concocted theory, easily knocked down by experts in INTEL. Can you look into it? Do you know people who could?
Oh the days of the highly principled republicans with “ Integrity”. I’m afraid we would have to provide the Webster definition of the “I” word for the republicans of today. Most of them don’t even know who Margaret Chase Smith is and if they do think she’s a communist
Yes, I remember my Mom being so excited and appreciative of her. I was very young and didn’t totally understand what was going on but got it that she was my Mom’s hero
"Oh the days of the highly principled republicans with “ Integrity”
Karen, it does seem that those (mythical) days never existed does it not?
One Republican a while back, Eisenhower, appeared to have some ethics, but, honestly, no other Republican President, since 1930, has been anything but a Charlatan, a thief and a liar.
It is mostly the same for Republicans in Congress.
Kathy’s correct, it’s much worse today than the McCarthy era. The techniques are similar but the structure, financing, and demagoguery is much much worse.
Yes, and communications are much more rapid now than then, so people don't have time to think things through, and also because of the decreasing distance between the irrational church and logical, law based state, the decreased level of education and lack of critical thinking now. Plus the mainstream press is owned by Murdphuck.
So much of HCR’s beauty and brilliance is in demonstrating how history is so freaking cyclical. Round and round we go, overshadowed by human shortcomings: hubris, greed, egoism, thirst for power/dominance, etc.
I’m not sure I remember Margaret Chase Smith but I do remember my parents fear about McCarthy. I also remember when the armed services offered its women who became pregnant either to be discharged or to have an abortion!
Kristin, When pondering what Mark Twain meant by his words: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes,” perhaps he wanted us to challenge the cliche and think of it in a new way. Hence, just as 2020-21 marked the first violent transition of power in the modern era, equally unprecedented is today’s MAGA Republicans’ aim never again to have to transfer power. As we speak, the RNC is placing mostly 2020 election deniers into positions of authority within the election administration system and training them, in largely swing state Democratic precincts, on how to contest voters as well as voting processes. Our job, with very little, if any, precedent upon which to call, is to figure out how we’re going to respond to the urgency of this moment.
Short term, a little righteous indignation might be appropriate right about now.
How many men did we send off to WWII? Maybe we should conscript and send a militia of the 3% who own 50,% of the guns in America to help the UkraInes fight off the Russian bullies. Long term, there seems to be an ongoing effort on the part of the Administration to
Susan, Though the sense of urgency I had in mind when drafting my closing statement was quite different from the proposals you advanced, admittedly, I like how your mind works.
Here is a link to a Politico article outlining how the Repugnant Party is recruiting and training poll workers to challenge voters in the overwhelmingly Democratic voting Detroit area. 😡😡
Thank you for this posting. I serve as a poll worker and have had a hard time imagining what aspect of the voting procedure (at least in Minnesota) would be vulnerable to challengers. Poll watchers from both major parties are present. They aren't standing over people leering but have been known to sit and knit, quietly making themselves available if needed.
Those of us who run the voting do not disclose our own party affiliations but the election judge in charge knows our allegiance so that if a voter needs help, the judge asks a poll worker from each party to be present to be sure the voter is not steered by one of us. This can be needed especially for immigrants who are voting for the first time or have language problems.
Every hour the judge tallies the number of votes from different parts of the process that keep count (number of voters who receive a ballot after being checked in and number shown by the voting machine of ballots fed into it). If the numbers don't match (although in my experience they almost always do), the judge figures out where the discrepancy is. It could be in a ruined ballot. They are kept in an envelope. (A new voter, unfamiliar with elections, might vote for everyone on the ballot. It happens. That is a ruined ballot.)
In other words, it's a tight system. Every poll worker is trained, we are assigned to different parts of the process, moved around during the day so we all learn all parts of it, and the whole process is amiable. Is Minnesota an exception in this?
Melinda, the process you describe sounds just like the rules we operate under in Arkansas where I volunteer as a poll worker. My county, as well as many others in Arkansas, is now using "election centers" so that any registered voter in the county can vote in any "election center", not just in the precinct where the voter resides. This makes it more convenient for the voter.
I'm glad to hear that Arkansas is sensible. I do wonder which states do not have solid enough voting processes to fend off the enemies of democracy. Thanks for your information.
Cathy, Thank you for the link. It’s worth noting that Ellie Kona posted a comment, this morning, on Robert Hubbell’s Substack encouraging people like us to sign up as election workers to offset Republican subversive tactics. I think it’s a great idea, presuming one is putting his or her good intentions to work in a swing state.
Jeri, Though I had used the verb “challenge” in an entirely different context, within the context you present here, while, admittedly, challenging a done deed can be nearly impossible, if our cause is right and just and moral, indeed, we must try.
... maybe we do learn - one by one, a few at a time through generations until that 100th monkey catches on, and the whole pack picks it up ... as we continue to learn and grow through progressive dimensions of awareness and evolving conscience ... who knows?
Direct link from McCarthy to death star donny through Roy Cohn. It is appalling how few Rs have any spine and care for democracy. The slime has been here all the time, but it has risen with the help of mafia don from the swamp to poison the waters.
Michels Trump relied heavily on Roy Cohn for his own machinations, and then abandoned him when Cohn was dying. Treump remains true to character, as his erstwhile Mafiosos are learning, as the DOJ bus comes down the road. Trump road kill?
No surprise...if you are dying, you are of no further use. And there are plenty of fresher bodies now under the bus. It must be getting crowded. Why does anyone work for that monster. Yes, I know, flies attracted to rot and manure.
Although I was in public school in Philadelphia during the period of McCarthy and his hearings, I knew of local teachers who were called before the Committee and dismissed from their positions because they were considered to be Communists!
Today there are very scary similarities to those days. I just never thought I'd live to see that happen again.
Smith was a very junior senator - and ardent anti communist - when she made her statement of conscience.
In contrast, with all her seniority and seeming senator-for-life status, Susan Collins has moved to the unethical extremism of today's GOP. Collins idea of bipartisanship is talking out of both sides of her mouth while finding infinite self justifications to march almost entirely lockstep with Mitch McConnell in serving the worst populist and plutocrat players.
Susan Collins is a disgrace. She speaks saying what she knows people want to hear, but does what McTurtlneck tells her to do. I once thought she represented a good middle ground rethuglican. but not anymore. She lost any respect when she said she believed Kavanaugh. Look where that went....
Yup, Collins has caved to the MAGA maniacs. She even endorsed Paul LePage for another chance at destroying Maine as governor. She is shamelessly ambitious. And she lies, lies, lies.
But there was a time, several years back, when I was comfortable crossing party lines and voting for her and Snowe. They were "reasonable Republicans". Those days are long past...
Mitch McConnell has the power, the clout and the MONEY. Collins was promised a blank check for voting straight Republican. She uses her on the fence posturing to keep McConnell sending the checks. She really is pathetic.
I blame the people of Maine who know everything there is to know about Collins, especially the fact that she's a lying hypocrite. They passed on a great Democratic candidate with Sara Gideon - huge mistake! That seat should have flipped last election and I still don't know how Gideon lost.
She’s horrible! She always has dangled the carrot in front of our faces, giving us hope, and then she snatches it away. The animal kingdom would never tolerate that behavior!
I double this thank you of the reminder of Margaret Chase Smith. I do appreciate the courage Liz Cheney has shown in the face of today’s Republicans. But it is more than her personal courage, it is a call to wake up and voice one’s energy of belief in Democracy and the United States.
Isn't it sweet how the current crop of Congressional Republicans carry on the tradition of the Republicans of Senator Smith's day by caving to bullies, liars, and bigots. Joe McCarthy would be proud of his legacy.
Thank you for reminding us of Margaret Chase Smith. I have never forgotten my father, speaking in the language he was born into, exclaiming that she was indeed a good soul after that speech - his highest complement. That for a life-long Democrat. How his daughter, a life-long Democrat, feels about Liz Cheney, despite disagreeing with every political stance she has taken in the past. Courage, ethics and a commitment to Democracy.
For added good measure. McCarthy died alone, disgraced, in a state institution from complications of alcoholism and dementia. Only one person claimed otherwise, his lawyer Roy Cohn, who later in life went to work for the TFG.
Thank you Professor. I ask this question: Are we in a time warp, taking us back to the necessity of remembering Republicans “running roughshod over American Democracy”? “Smith presented a “Declaration of Conscience,” listing five principles she hoped her party would adopt. It ended with a warning: “It is high time that we all stopped being tools and victims of totalitarian techniques—techniques that, if continued here unchecked, will surely end what we have come to cherish as the American way of life.” What happens next, elections and voting in Congress for critical legislation for health and safety of all Americans, will determine the strength of our Democracy. And a two party system that works for all Americans.
Comparing the times, there’s a difference in social consciousness, diversity, racial Justice. The two sides of social media, all media. We have to be aware of how we are manipulated.
Miriam, I don’t want us just to survive. I want us to thrive as a nation together. If there’s a superwoman or superman somewhere, please save us from ourselves!
The Margaret Chase Smith Republicans have ALWAYS been the exception. the three good Republican presidents - Lincoln, TR and Ike, were flukes the party hated because they had to go with them to gain and maintain power.
Were Margaret Chase Smith with us today, she would quickly see the Four Horsemen of Calumny are riding abroad at full throttle. Also abusing free speech to throttle the speech of others. How do we explain the almost total loss of centrist - so-called liberal Republicans - of the 1960s to 1980s even into the 1990s? Why and how did we lose the Chuck Hagels, the Richard Lugars, the Lowell Weickers, and their like? Thank you for this timely reminder from history.
Thank you for reminding us of Margaret Chase Smith’s legacy. How I wish that there was a Republican with the courage shown by Liz Cheney (and Margaret Chase Smith) along with the wish to protect voting rights and the social safety net.
What a formidable woman! How I wish she were still with us to put tfg and the current GOP thugs in their places. It would warm my heart!
Well, Rowshan, it is then up to US to put the rethuglicans in their places and out of government—in Margaret Chase Smith's memory! Women sure seem to stand up against authoritarianism, no wonder white, privileged fascists hate us and prefer us to not know women's history, and to keep us barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. We scare the bejeezus out of them. And that is polite. Those who can— need to speak loudly. March. Write. These fools back into the tarpits of time so All of The People can move forward, together.
I saw a really incredible 2013 movie last night with Colin Firth & Nicole Kidman: The Railway Man. It is a true story and hits one in the gut about what really happens in war and its aftermath. In it, Firth's character states: "Wherever there are men, there is war."
Why don't we see what women (or those with higher levels of estrogen) can do? Let men take a break and golf, play sports and video games,mountain bike, do extreme feats with all that testosterone. Give the world a break and try something different. Warning: I speeded through the horrific torture scenes, but saw enough to curl my toes. Just like Uvalde and all our previous massacres of innocent people and children. It is time to stop this male-dominated, violent nonsense. (Apologies to all good men!).
Tread carefully about believing this war thing will be done away with a gender flip. It’s easy to think that way and comfortable. Yet, human beings are all capable of horrific judgement, narcissism, pettiness, greed, avarice, and maliciousness. Just look at many gop women currently lying, obstructing, and causing havoc for political access and power. It’s a human weakness.
There are always bad apples in any cart. I never even got to non-genders or transgenders this morning due to time constraints. But war, invention of assault weapons and massacres are rarely committed by non-males as much as males. A little tidbit on the assault weapons, most likely not invented by women (but much desired during a bad case of PMS).
A Brief History of the Assault Rifle
The gun’s name may have been coined by Adolf Hitler.
By Michael Shurkin
Amid the controversy over assault rifles—and specifically, the debate over whether or not guns like the semi-automatic weapon Omar Mateen used to commit the recent massacre in Orlando should be considered “assault weapons” or singled out for restrictions—some consideration of the original design and development of assault weapons is useful.
The assault rifle is a class of weapon that emerged in the middle of the last century to meet the needs of combat soldiers on the modern battlefield, where the level of violence had reached such heights that an entirely new way of fighting had emerged, one for which the existing weapons were a poor match. The name “assault rifle” is believed to have been coined by Adolf Hitler. Toward the end of World War II, the story goes, Hitler hailed his army’s new wonder weapon by insisting that it be called not by the technical name given it by its developers, the Machinenpistole (the German name for a submachine gun), but rather something that made for better propaganda copy. A Sturmgewehr, he called the new gun: a “storm” or “assault” weapon.
Well said. Hopeful change through "a gender flip" is not enough to make politicians suddenly moral and well-intentioned. Women are as subject to corruption as men are. Consider the number of political women, like men, who are enriched at the public trough. Consider all the female members of Congress who joined the men in voting for the Iraq War--a trillion$$$+ war which was not justified except to Bush Jr., Cheney, and Haliburton; a war which brought immense suffering and death to the people of Iraq. How many women politicians, as well as their male counterparts, totally endorsed the war?
I want to see a woman President--not just any woman but one who will maintain complete integrity and demonstrate the practical in female sensibilities; one who will not join the back-room boys' club in making secret deals to start another war; one who will not take PAC funds from defense industries; one who says, "I will not accept money which results from the torture and mutilation of other human beings, especially the innocent women and children." The odds are not good that we will experience this in our lifetime. I hope we can beat those odds.
P.S. I should add my belief that we currently have a remarkable candidate for President: Tulsi Gabbard. She has qualifications on such a high level in experience, character, and integrity that no one else even comes close. She has consistently put country first while political party devotion is a distant second. No way will she ever become a Republican.
And no way would I ever EVER vote for Gabbard! She is another one close to the Repubs. She has no integrity whatsoever. She met up with Assad and praised him. Who does that? Please review her records, Heydon.
For the record: There are presently 25 nations which have women leaders, Presidents or Prime ministers. Some of those nations are small, some are members of NATO, but none are at war, directly. Some have impressive economies and social supports. May they prevail. Also I recall Angela Merkel of Germany. On the negative side: Hong Kong and Myanmar whose women at the helm have been made redundant.
Thank you Hope.
Totally agree.
That's a good reminder. Although I am among the guilty of the male-who's-out-of-his-mind-ruler stereotype, we just don't know what women would do if we ruled the world. Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and Indira Ghandi are examples who ruled during war and chaos, but there were still plenty of men in their Parliament and Congress who influenced their reigns. Chances are there will still be wars with women at the helm. Nevertheless, I lean to the side of "Let's Give It a Try." Boudica and Joan of Arc were stalwart warriors, too, but cut down in their primes by men.
True but I think it would help to have half and half men and women in federal, state and local offices.
Michele, nothing compared to the men!!!🧔🤬
And don't forget Margaret Thatcher's Falkland War.
Good thing I know and have known some wonderful old white men. The current batch of Repub men and women taint humanity.
Yes, my step-grandfather was an incredible diplomat who served in multiple countries. Calm, intelligent and wise and could speak multiple languages, as do his children who lived in many countries and are so respectful of differences. Education of that sort is truly missing in our country and many other countries falling towards fascism due to greed and power over.
So true. They don't represent the voters that elected them and don't dare speak out against DJT.
I’m right with you, Pensa. My mother used to say “Men cannot live without women but women can live without men.” Testosterone is deadly.
Gloria Steinem said: A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.
How is this not prejudicial? Could a man get away with saying estrogen is deadly? Keep your sexist conversation on Faux News where it has company.
It wouldn't be true but testosterone is deadly,
What?
And there's Malvina Reynolds's song, We Don't Need the Men https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHfFmo4NXi8
It says in Coronet Magazine,
June nineteen-fifty six, page ten,
That married women are not as happy
As women who have no men.
Married women are cranky,
Frustrated and disgusted,
While single women are bright and gay,
Creative and well adjusted.
We don't need the men,
We don't need the men,
We don't need to have them round
Except for now and then.
They can come to see us
When we need to move the piano,
Otherwise they can stay at home
And read about the White Sox.
We don't care about them,
We can do without them,
They'll look cute in a bathing suit
On a billboard in Manhattan.
We don't need the men,
We don't need the men,
We don't need to have them round
Except for now and then.
They can come to see us
When they have tickets for the symphony,
Otherwise they can stay at home
And play a game of pinochle.
We don't care about them,
We can do without them,
They'll look cute in a bathing suit
On a billboard in Wisconsin.
We don't need the men,
We don't need the men,
We don't need to have them round
Except for now and then.
The can come to see us
When they're feeling pleasant and agreeable,
Otherwise they can stay at home
And holler at the T.V. programs.
We don't care about them,
We can do without them,
They'll look cute in a bathing suit
On a billboard in Madagascar.
We don't need the men,
We don't need the men,
We don't need to have them round
Except for now and then.
They can come to see us
When they're all dressed up with a suit on,
Otherwise they can stay at home
(Spoken:) And drop towels in their own bathroom.
We don't care about them,
We can do without them,
They'll look cute in a bathing suit
On a billboard in Tierra del Fuego.
😎
Love it! Thanks! Here's another rendition from Canada:
https://youtu.be/zqVj8ZcXrpo
Thanks!
This one’s great too!😆👍🏼
🤣🤣🤣🤣 thank you!! This is priceless!
Agree 100%. And I would say biology/hormones are part of it but HEALING is what men are most afraid of. We are most afraid of our own pain and will do anything to avoid it. People who love political solutions ( like myself) rarely want to look deeper. Democracy takes courage on all levels
And would it not be wonderful for men and boys to be allowed to feel their pain and move through it so as not to inflict it upon others? Same with women, just in smaller numbers because higher levels of estrogen probably help us feel empathy more easily.
Exceptions please for cretins like MTG, Bobo, et al. To celebrate Uvalde, MTG is giving away her 50 caliber gun and claiming all sorts of lies about Joe. Yet this is the woman(?) who won her primary with no competition. Maybe she's actually trans. Pass it on. (Works for Republicans)
Why on earth do we have to jump on an unsavory female as possibly transgendered? Missy Three Names is reprehensible in her own right; why disparage transgender people by using it as an insult?
Please delete your comment. This is offensive and completely unnecessary.
Agreed; this has always been a self-moderating group and comments like Mr. Whitman's are completely out of place as well as failing to advance the conversation.
Cretins come in all forms, maybe even trans. One horrible example comes to mind
No, I think she's just an ignorant self-serving bitch. No testosterone required!
Please! You know very well she is from Uranus!
I am missing the humor here.
MTG and Lauren Boebert are as bad as any man in the anti-democracy wing of the Republican Party. Women may not have had as many opportunities to screw things up as men, but given the chance, they are as likely to. Let’s judge people as individuals, not by their sexual identity.
Nope! Those two women are just a smidgen of our gender who act the way they do. Jon, look at history, especially ours. What women have started wars? What woman, in their right mind, willingly sends their child off to fight an enemy?
First, think of how many women march against women’s rights. And how many express pride when a child enlists in the armed forces? A myth of female superiority is as erroneous, and as dangerous, as the myth of male superiority.
Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots...need I go on?
Here in NH, we have a Republican legislature majority and they've been passing atrocious bill this session. There was a piece published about a goodly number of them in both houses taking into account the groups they fraternize with and the categories of their beliefs, including women. One of the women is a SECCESSIONIST and has a lot more unacceptable categories.
Beautifully put, Pensa! Let’s go for it!
Pensa, I tend to agree that, in fact, hormones do play a part, also the fact that women, the quiet arbiters of compromise and relative peace in the home (no small job) have been conditioned to nurture, encourage unity rather than conflict, etc. The usual list. Some of us are better at it than others. But don't you think that another factor in the willingness of women or people of color or gay or transgender to speak out with courage is, simply, in a world in which so many forces are arrayed against us, we have nothing to lose.
I agree, Dean, we have nothing to lose. It is worth a try.
I hear you. We peckerwoods are responsible for much tyranny and misery - most, if not all, of it ego driven - of which I own my share.
Jean-Pierre, when a man can be self-reflective and say what you just said, I am afraid you probably fail flinging tyranny and misery over others. Even if you did, sounds like you learned from it and that is what being truly human is all about. Perfect example of males getting truly in touch with their tyranny is in the true story film I mentioned I saw last night called The Railway Man with Colin Firth. Tear jerker. Men, especially veterans, will need kleenex. Very healing for all of us to hear and see this story.
Where was it shown? Streaming?
Netflix
love this!
amen
well said
♥️
Well said and so very true!!!
❤️
Not only do I feel her spirit within you and I, Rowshan, the list I have in my mind is long also….starting with Professor Richardson, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Katie Porter, Leigh McGowan, and a host of others. Some personal friends who are warriors for democracy, truth, and Light and some very powerful voices on this forum. If you know who they are , then count yourself in the collective power.
I am posting link for latest podcast from Leigh McGowan about us setting up right in EVERY state legislature.
Remember….from Mallory McMurrow….Faith with Works!
UNITA! 🙋🏻🙋🏼🙋🏽🙋🏾🙋🏿🗽
Here’s the link. Powerful listen. https://youtu.be/L8EFQ6qRe-U
I tweeted excerpts of Chase’s speech to a few Republican Senators… Collins being the first— hoping she might feel a bit of shame when comparing herself to her predecessor, IF her staff passed on the message.
We can always hope and, in the interim, do what we can. Good idea on your part.
It would warm many hearts Rowshan as would the re-emergence of those who, like Senators Sasse and Romney, at one point did speak out.
Let's see who Liz Cheney is if the Republicans come into power in '24. Don't forget, she voted with Trump 98% of the time.
Exactly. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”, but it’s often a very temporary friendship because it is not multifaceted.
We already know who Liz Cheney is- she is a right wing extremist. I firmly believe she is doing all of this to run for president, and most Amrticans will be fooled by it. They think she's a good Republican, and she is not.
And that is EXACTLY why Liz Cheney is no hero. She'll condemn Trumpism, but all the other horrible extremes of the party are A-Ok with her.
As did Margaret Chase Smith...essentially Cheney sees trumpism as fascism.
I agree. Immediately thought of Liz Cheney. Plus ca change…
I'm old enough to remember Margaret Chase Smith, given my early-age interest in government and politics. She was among several highly principled stalwart Republicans in the Senate, whom today's Republicans would brand as antifa-loving socialists. This account of her standing up to McCarthy is a timely study in courage, which among the GOP is as rare as rain in much of the tinder-dry West. He certainly was a harbinger of Trump.
McCarthy's operative Roy Cohn was Trump's teacher.
Cohn is the tree from which many corrupt branches grew.
https://gregolear.substack.com/p/tinker-tailor-mobster-trump
Greg wrote this a year ago. I hadn’t seen it until my sister sent it to me today. Makes total sense why he hasn’t been prosecuted for multiple crimes. Especially since he loves throwing anyone under the bus that will keep him out of jail.
In the midst of reading it. Someone else linked to it today on another site. Sad that America by and large doesn’t grasp Trump’s extent of criminality. It’s shocking.
Michael. I believe that more and more are “grasping” it all!
I listened to Denver Riggleman, former Republican congressman from VA, and Senior Technical advisor to Jan 6th Committee. I’m still in a bit of awe and shock from his interview with Anderson Cooper. What he said is coming from the Jan 6th Committee this month during the hearings can be enough to help anyone grasp a few dang things. He said the roadmap to overturning the election is very clear and Mark “weasel” Meadows can be “thanked” for all the emails. Funny, only other name he voluntarily mentioned among the many that have been linked to the treason is Ginni Thomas.
Just found link to his interview. It https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2022/06/02/january-6-forensic-data-meadows-text-messages-denver-riggleman-sot-ac360-vpx.cnn This is serious “breaking news” worthy.
Salud, Michael.
Thanks for the link of Cooper and Riggleman, Christine.
Thanks for this. I can't wait! The fact that the Ginni Thomas story isn't dominating headlines says a lot about how inured the media has become to this component of the attempted coup.
Tinker Tailer Mobster Trump
Bumper sticker worthy
Greg ALWAYS makes my brain do flip flops. He, like HCR, comes at things from an unexpected angle. And always on target…. Had no idea that Murdoch had been a client of Roy Cohn. Unf**kingbelievable.
I am completely gobsmacked! Talk about letting the cat out of the bag! Greg O’Lear is one of my faves on Substack but I only followed him within the last 10-11 months and definitely, had not read this. Sleeping with the enemy is Donald’s trademark. My prediction is that someday, somebody, somewhere, will take The Donald out. Just like Whitey. Thanks for posting this Karen!
Marlene, I wondered how he had escaped being taken out too? Olear says tfg was not the only snitch so the retaliation spotlight may not have landed on him. What is blood chilling in Olear's scenario is that everyone involved, including the FBI, let him run for President. How do we vet our candidates when their own rampant crminality makes them so useful and so protected as a CI?? Margaret Chase Smith said when we go too far we hurt America....we certainly were hurt by the criminal President!!
So true, Carol. So much so, that it hurts…a lot. We are being used. We are allowed to do just so much but these tyrants rule the roost. They always have but with social media at our fingertips, perhaps uncovering these malpractices by the FBI and CIA, will bring more people down. I think that’s why Garland has been silent and his department, tight-lipped. They want to get all of the evidence necessary to bring these jerks down.
👌🏼
Whoa! Everyone needs to read this. I reposted it on LinkedIn.
Thank you! Astounding must read.
Intrigued by this revelation, my eye caught another piece by Greg Olear on Rand Paul's connection to Russia... and complicit with him was the Cato Institute, courtesy of the Koch Kleptocrats. We know that the Kochs have been connected to Russia since the 30's, but this is different: supporting a Senator (and a President?) in treason.
https://gregolear.substack.com/p/eight-ways-rand-paul-is-a-kremlin?s=r
McCain certainly tried to get his message across that Paul was a traitor. That bastard still is in Congress. It’s truly too bad his neighbor didn’t do more damage. I don’t mean death…
Thank you for the link Jeff. John McCain hit the nail on the head when he said “Rand Paul is now working for Vladimir Putin”, on the Senate floor in 2017.
Thank you for this!
Thank you, Karen. The piece was fascinating and chilling. As one who has been hoping tfg would be held accountable for his crimes, I am coming to realize that that won’t happen. And it is more important than ever that there is a.blue wave for elections 2022 and 2024.
Wow! So revealing. I sent it to my red state son.
I'm building the courage to send it to mine.
Thank you for sharing that. It was an eye opener for me.
Jaw dropping, but so enlightening, Thanks for the post. (And thanks to Greg O.)
Karen, Thank you and your sister for 'Tinker, Tailor, Mobster, Trump' by Greg Olear. It is so extraordinary that the question of why Trump has been permitted to continue if this true is the one to ask. The piece is dated 3/31/20 and nothing!
That’s because The Donald has the backing of his mobster friends who will take anyone out who defies him.
Marlene, Trump's ties to mobsters is known. The substance of Olear's 2 year old 'Tinker, Tailor, Mobster, Trump' has not been substantiated. Whether it is true or much of it has not been established. We don't know whether we can know. It isn't satisfactory that Trump is still operating against this country. However frustrating, I know what is not known and cannot claim otherwise.
too true.
David Cay Johnston has also documented a lot of trump's dirty dealing. trump has been laundering money for the Russians for a long time.
This was amazing. It very logically ties together so many dots. As I read I try to tell myself this could all be another conspiracy theory, but this is one that is not just highly plausible, there is tons of corroborating evidence to confirm it. It's so obvious, which is maybe why is isn't taken more seriously? Another question I came away from this asking is: since these organized crime syndicates within the former Soviet Union were very possibly (along with other factors) what eventually brought it down, is this same force now setting its sights on bringing down this country in a similar way? Do they want to turn this country over to autocratic, oligarchic rule in similar ways to what is in place in Russia? It sure seems so. They could do it too because they're being aided and abetted by a complicit Republican party, a party oblivious to the criminal connections, but aiding this takeover because they are a weak party with a shrinking demographic and they'll turn to ANYONE to help restore them to power. It's actually pretty brilliant because it is so simple. All of this done to a clueless American public, largely ignorant of all this, who are distracted by other things and are swayed by propaganda. This country is ripe for the picking. The best way to counter this is going to be overwhelming voter turnout this year and in 2024, something I worry about. Thanks again for sharing this (I've since subscribed to Olear's public writings...)
Terrifying, but so insightful. Thanks.
WOW. Thank you for that link! Certain things make a LOT more sense now!
Fascinating article
That made my blood run cold from the escalator ride.
TC, What do you make of this piece released on 3/31/20, two years ago?
'Tinker, Tailor, Mobster, Trump' 'What happens when a Confidential Informant becomes President?' by Greg Olear. Karen RN posted it today. See link below.
https://gregolear.substack.com/p/tinker-tailor-mobster-trump
I'm not sure about it.
TC, That Black Hole, how else to account for the vacuum of response, unless it was manufactured? This is relatively 'old' stuff. Maybe I didn't spot that it could be an elaborately concocted theory, easily knocked down by experts in INTEL. Can you look into it? Do you know people who could?
it's a good explanation, if accurate. And that, we will likely never know.
We, this country and all the big players part of the labyrinth of (too big to spell out)? You wrote that we will probably not know. We may not know!
I had the best afternoon watching Nadal play four sets on Tuesday. Tomorrow at 8:45 AM, I'll watch him again. Settle for that and get out the vote.
Can you hear my scream?
👌🏼
Oh the days of the highly principled republicans with “ Integrity”. I’m afraid we would have to provide the Webster definition of the “I” word for the republicans of today. Most of them don’t even know who Margaret Chase Smith is and if they do think she’s a communist
I remember her name was magic to us children of the 50’s in Eastern Montana.
Yes, I remember my Mom being so excited and appreciative of her. I was very young and didn’t totally understand what was going on but got it that she was my Mom’s hero
"Oh the days of the highly principled republicans with “ Integrity”
Karen, it does seem that those (mythical) days never existed does it not?
One Republican a while back, Eisenhower, appeared to have some ethics, but, honestly, no other Republican President, since 1930, has been anything but a Charlatan, a thief and a liar.
It is mostly the same for Republicans in Congress.
See Ike’s platform for the 1956 election, Bernie would love it
Today's Republican Party is no longer recognizable as the party of MCS or Joe McCarthy.
Correct that it's not Sen. Chase Smith's Republican Party but . . . are you sure it's not recognizable as the party of Joe McCarthy?
Kathy’s correct, it’s much worse today than the McCarthy era. The techniques are similar but the structure, financing, and demagoguery is much much worse.
I think of it as the logical outgrowth of McCarthyism.
The Benghazi "investigation" very much copied McCarthy's HUAC hearings. The new McCarthy (Kevin, the current minority leader) admitted as much.
Yes, and communications are much more rapid now than then, so people don't have time to think things through, and also because of the decreasing distance between the irrational church and logical, law based state, the decreased level of education and lack of critical thinking now. Plus the mainstream press is owned by Murdphuck.
I consume a lot of MSM - CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, NYT, WAPO, to name a half-dozen or so.
I watch or read Murdoch media only to take the pulse of the new McCarthyism.
Ooooh, "Murdphuck." How appropriate, Susan!
The attack-dog, alternative-reality, right-wing media machine obviously didn't exist in that era. It drives all of the madness we live with today.
Googled “Senator Joseph McCarthy biography” last night. Some interesting book titles pop up even today.
For me, it is in that it uses the same scare tactics to bring fear and hatred to the uneducated.
So much of HCR’s beauty and brilliance is in demonstrating how history is so freaking cyclical. Round and round we go, overshadowed by human shortcomings: hubris, greed, egoism, thirst for power/dominance, etc.
Agreed. History repeating itself. Will we never learn?
History doesn't repeat, but it often rhymes. - Mark Twain
I’m not sure I remember Margaret Chase Smith but I do remember my parents fear about McCarthy. I also remember when the armed services offered its women who became pregnant either to be discharged or to have an abortion!
It’s amazing how history repeats itself with new variations with each generation.
Kristin, When pondering what Mark Twain meant by his words: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes,” perhaps he wanted us to challenge the cliche and think of it in a new way. Hence, just as 2020-21 marked the first violent transition of power in the modern era, equally unprecedented is today’s MAGA Republicans’ aim never again to have to transfer power. As we speak, the RNC is placing mostly 2020 election deniers into positions of authority within the election administration system and training them, in largely swing state Democratic precincts, on how to contest voters as well as voting processes. Our job, with very little, if any, precedent upon which to call, is to figure out how we’re going to respond to the urgency of this moment.
Short term, a little righteous indignation might be appropriate right about now.
How many men did we send off to WWII? Maybe we should conscript and send a militia of the 3% who own 50,% of the guns in America to help the UkraInes fight off the Russian bullies. Long term, there seems to be an ongoing effort on the part of the Administration to
educate every generation of the mafia in civics.
Susan, Though the sense of urgency I had in mind when drafting my closing statement was quite different from the proposals you advanced, admittedly, I like how your mind works.
Here is a link to a Politico article outlining how the Repugnant Party is recruiting and training poll workers to challenge voters in the overwhelmingly Democratic voting Detroit area. 😡😡
https://www.politico.com/amp/news/2022/06/01/gop-contest-elections-tapes-00035758
Thank you for this posting. I serve as a poll worker and have had a hard time imagining what aspect of the voting procedure (at least in Minnesota) would be vulnerable to challengers. Poll watchers from both major parties are present. They aren't standing over people leering but have been known to sit and knit, quietly making themselves available if needed.
Those of us who run the voting do not disclose our own party affiliations but the election judge in charge knows our allegiance so that if a voter needs help, the judge asks a poll worker from each party to be present to be sure the voter is not steered by one of us. This can be needed especially for immigrants who are voting for the first time or have language problems.
Every hour the judge tallies the number of votes from different parts of the process that keep count (number of voters who receive a ballot after being checked in and number shown by the voting machine of ballots fed into it). If the numbers don't match (although in my experience they almost always do), the judge figures out where the discrepancy is. It could be in a ruined ballot. They are kept in an envelope. (A new voter, unfamiliar with elections, might vote for everyone on the ballot. It happens. That is a ruined ballot.)
In other words, it's a tight system. Every poll worker is trained, we are assigned to different parts of the process, moved around during the day so we all learn all parts of it, and the whole process is amiable. Is Minnesota an exception in this?
Melinda, the process you describe sounds just like the rules we operate under in Arkansas where I volunteer as a poll worker. My county, as well as many others in Arkansas, is now using "election centers" so that any registered voter in the county can vote in any "election center", not just in the precinct where the voter resides. This makes it more convenient for the voter.
I'm glad to hear that Arkansas is sensible. I do wonder which states do not have solid enough voting processes to fend off the enemies of democracy. Thanks for your information.
Cathy, Thank you for the link. It’s worth noting that Ellie Kona posted a comment, this morning, on Robert Hubbell’s Substack encouraging people like us to sign up as election workers to offset Republican subversive tactics. I think it’s a great idea, presuming one is putting his or her good intentions to work in a swing state.
Exactly, when the deed is done, challenging will be almost a non-starter
Jeri, Though I had used the verb “challenge” in an entirely different context, within the context you present here, while, admittedly, challenging a done deed can be nearly impossible, if our cause is right and just and moral, indeed, we must try.
That happens when we refuse to learn from it.
... maybe we do learn - one by one, a few at a time through generations until that 100th monkey catches on, and the whole pack picks it up ... as we continue to learn and grow through progressive dimensions of awareness and evolving conscience ... who knows?
Direct link from McCarthy to death star donny through Roy Cohn. It is appalling how few Rs have any spine and care for democracy. The slime has been here all the time, but it has risen with the help of mafia don from the swamp to poison the waters.
With a link to Murdoch way back then, had no clue
Michels Trump relied heavily on Roy Cohn for his own machinations, and then abandoned him when Cohn was dying. Treump remains true to character, as his erstwhile Mafiosos are learning, as the DOJ bus comes down the road. Trump road kill?
No surprise...if you are dying, you are of no further use. And there are plenty of fresher bodies now under the bus. It must be getting crowded. Why does anyone work for that monster. Yes, I know, flies attracted to rot and manure.
Although I was in public school in Philadelphia during the period of McCarthy and his hearings, I knew of local teachers who were called before the Committee and dismissed from their positions because they were considered to be Communists!
Today there are very scary similarities to those days. I just never thought I'd live to see that happen again.
Smith was a very junior senator - and ardent anti communist - when she made her statement of conscience.
In contrast, with all her seniority and seeming senator-for-life status, Susan Collins has moved to the unethical extremism of today's GOP. Collins idea of bipartisanship is talking out of both sides of her mouth while finding infinite self justifications to march almost entirely lockstep with Mitch McConnell in serving the worst populist and plutocrat players.
Collins is disasstrous! Yep, disasstrous.
Susan Collins is a disgrace. She speaks saying what she knows people want to hear, but does what McTurtlneck tells her to do. I once thought she represented a good middle ground rethuglican. but not anymore. She lost any respect when she said she believed Kavanaugh. Look where that went....
Yup, Collins has caved to the MAGA maniacs. She even endorsed Paul LePage for another chance at destroying Maine as governor. She is shamelessly ambitious. And she lies, lies, lies.
But there was a time, several years back, when I was comfortable crossing party lines and voting for her and Snowe. They were "reasonable Republicans". Those days are long past...
Mitch McConnell has the power, the clout and the MONEY. Collins was promised a blank check for voting straight Republican. She uses her on the fence posturing to keep McConnell sending the checks. She really is pathetic.
I blame the people of Maine who know everything there is to know about Collins, especially the fact that she's a lying hypocrite. They passed on a great Democratic candidate with Sara Gideon - huge mistake! That seat should have flipped last election and I still don't know how Gideon lost.
She’s horrible! She always has dangled the carrot in front of our faces, giving us hope, and then she snatches it away. The animal kingdom would never tolerate that behavior!
I double this thank you of the reminder of Margaret Chase Smith. I do appreciate the courage Liz Cheney has shown in the face of today’s Republicans. But it is more than her personal courage, it is a call to wake up and voice one’s energy of belief in Democracy and the United States.
It’s that and being in integrity
Isn't it sweet how the current crop of Congressional Republicans carry on the tradition of the Republicans of Senator Smith's day by caving to bullies, liars, and bigots. Joe McCarthy would be proud of his legacy.
Thank you for reminding us of Margaret Chase Smith. I have never forgotten my father, speaking in the language he was born into, exclaiming that she was indeed a good soul after that speech - his highest complement. That for a life-long Democrat. How his daughter, a life-long Democrat, feels about Liz Cheney, despite disagreeing with every political stance she has taken in the past. Courage, ethics and a commitment to Democracy.
Ditto!
For added good measure. McCarthy died alone, disgraced, in a state institution from complications of alcoholism and dementia. Only one person claimed otherwise, his lawyer Roy Cohn, who later in life went to work for the TFG.
Birds of a feather flock together......but that is very insulting to birds so I apologize
Don't worry. Now we know that "Birds Aren't Real!" The "drones" don't have feelings.
Interesting piece of information.
Thank you Professor. I ask this question: Are we in a time warp, taking us back to the necessity of remembering Republicans “running roughshod over American Democracy”? “Smith presented a “Declaration of Conscience,” listing five principles she hoped her party would adopt. It ended with a warning: “It is high time that we all stopped being tools and victims of totalitarian techniques—techniques that, if continued here unchecked, will surely end what we have come to cherish as the American way of life.” What happens next, elections and voting in Congress for critical legislation for health and safety of all Americans, will determine the strength of our Democracy. And a two party system that works for all Americans.
The McCarthyite right never left the party. It's what became "movement conservatism."
That the SC loves
And intentional lack of education and control of people in religious institutions who do not question authority.
Religion signed on to evil this go around.
Comparing the times, there’s a difference in social consciousness, diversity, racial Justice. The two sides of social media, all media. We have to be aware of how we are manipulated.
Thank you, Maggie. The interview and story are compelling. Friends, make time to listen.
What a timely bit of history, Heather....as usual, you are right on!
Amazing to learn about Margaret Chase Smith. and the similarity to what we have been living through. Maybe we will survive after all.
Miriam, I don’t want us just to survive. I want us to thrive as a nation together. If there’s a superwoman or superman somewhere, please save us from ourselves!
You can say her name. She has our backs.
It takes a historian to remind of a time before Stepford Republicans.
The Margaret Chase Smith Republicans have ALWAYS been the exception. the three good Republican presidents - Lincoln, TR and Ike, were flukes the party hated because they had to go with them to gain and maintain power.
... hmm ... we don't hear much about Stepford these days ...
Were Margaret Chase Smith with us today, she would quickly see the Four Horsemen of Calumny are riding abroad at full throttle. Also abusing free speech to throttle the speech of others. How do we explain the almost total loss of centrist - so-called liberal Republicans - of the 1960s to 1980s even into the 1990s? Why and how did we lose the Chuck Hagels, the Richard Lugars, the Lowell Weickers, and their like? Thank you for this timely reminder from history.
Today, even moderate, level headed democrats and republicans like her are labeled as radical extremists…
Projection.