President Joe Biden is currently in England, participating in a meeting of the G7, an informal group of wealthy democracies including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
"...Trump’s people secretly investigated journalists, Democratic lawmakers and their families and staff… and the president’s own lawyer and his wife, apparently out of concerns about leaks."
Leaks? In a pig's eye!
The former president was looking for anything he could use to damage, blackmail, or otherwise coerce his percieved enemies, Adam Schiff being at the top of that list. In Don McGahn's case, there was likely added the question of loyalty to dear leader.
This is how dictators operate, especially the paranoid, megalomanic ones.
And, THIS is the fundamental difference between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans of all stripes employ fear in everything they undertake. What they can't achieve in selling the merits of their position, they coerce through threats and intimidation. Make no mistake, fear is equally applied to their enemies and their allies. Trump may have taken it to a whole new level, but Republicans have long depended on fear to keep people in line and gain the upper hand.
Thus far, Democrats have not found a way to counter the politics of fear, largely because they have not made the Republicans pay a political price for their cruel and ruthless authoritarian tactics (the same you see used by Russia, China, North Korea, as well as, numerous other countries in Africa and Latin America.) Democrats have another chance to severely punish the Trump administration. Will they find the strength and perseverance to bring all these people to justice. Trump didn't operate in a vacuum - he was surrounded by like-minded enablers. They all need to be indicted, prosecuted, and punished for high crimes and misdemeanors.
This should be the number one priority of the Biden administration and the entire Democratic Party. Anyone who isn't up to the task needs to be replaced immediately. If this is not addressed before the 2022 election, they may not get another chance to save democracy, and to save the Republic from becoming a quasi-autocratic regime.
It's true that 1/45 was obsessed over leaks. But every admin likes authorized leaks, not the unauthorized ones. Both Obama and now Biden choose to come down hard on them, and whistleblowers too. Presidents will rarely yield inherited powers, and seek to use and expand the ones they have. SWe should count on Biden obeying the law more than Idjt -- but his admin must be watched to avoid violating people's rights. We shall see.
"What they can't achieve in selling the merits of their position..."
They have proven time and again that when they are forced to create good policy and legislation for their wants and desires, they just can't do it. Whether that be because they can't get along or don't have the intellect to do it or the value system is often the question.
If Drump constantly watched TV and directed his people to bully, harass, and investigate his opposition and staff, where were the hours for actually learning about and running the country so to speak. Also, of note is that Drump is a severe paranoid narcissist. His ability to think of others is nonexistent and his paranoia could easily be manipulated by those so called friends and family and staff.
A layman could come up with a number of reasons why an emotional cripple like the former president is so dangerous, and I'm sure a psych professional could come up with several more even more frightening ones. In the end, I think there will be more volumes written about the previous administration by scholars of psychiatry than by students of history and political science. LIkely there will be additions to the lexicon of psychology that are variations of the word trump.
Christy McG and Ralph Averill - My dismal memories of the former PO(TU)S' administration during his term is what keeps me watching C-SPAN to watch and listen to Biden and his people speak knowledgeably, capably, intelligently about domestic and foreign affairs. I always feel that I learn something important about governance and diplomacy when I do. From 2017 through Jan. 19 of this year, every time I watched and/or listened to members of 45's administration, my anger, disgust, and disappointment grew. Watching members of the Biden/Harris administration calms me immeasurably. I know they will not be perfect and that they will do things that will not rise to my progressive expectations, but I don't deperately reach for the bottle of scotch every time I hear one of their names, and that is a good thing.
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall to hear the conversation that must have been going on when Joe Biden showed up with the Jill on his arm, smiling and waving and ostentatiously elbow-bumping. It would be like coming to a family gathering where your favorite uncle shows up after a very messy divorce, and where he got all of the community property; he has a story to tell, and everyone is ready to drop everything to hear all the dirty details! And Joe Biden is an Irish storyteller of the first-order. He will tell stories about Trump and his sleazy band of crooks that will make everybody's hair stand on end, and Trump's inconceivable stupidity that brought him down. There will be lots and lots of laughter, but everybody knows that Trump and those who believe and act like him are not going away anytime soon. Trump's ridiculousness does not detract the least from his dangerousness.
But, as we well know, the points that Joe wants to make come with the story; and undoubtedly, the point of Joe Biden's story is going to be about saving democracy and having us all pull together. Everything else is secondary. He will emphasize his points to highlight his concerns about democracy's vulnerabilities, noting that Trump failed because of his own personal incompetencies. The take away will be that a more savvy scoundrel, like Vladimir Putin, would have avoided Trump's mistakes, to Western culture's collective disadvantage. As the saying goes, we can hate Trump, but we cannot hate his supporters, because they are us. Pulling together will mean having to change some of our assumptions, and taking proactive measures to ward off abuse of political rights and social norms. I am confident that Joe Biden, along with Jill Biden, will make for entertaining, as well as sobering discussion about what we need to do. Like the President and Ms. Biden, we can take the problem seriously without taking ourselves too seriously. There are reasons why these things happened, and it took decades for the rot to set in that undermined our democratic institutions. For most of us, this is entirely new territory, and it will test our strengths and ability to think outside the box before we even begin to think this might be over soon.
Historical analogies are always inexact, and it is important to clearly differentiate what we see are similarities from what are clearly differences, and that the decisions made are likely to depend on those differences. The analogy that comes to mind is the meeting between Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in April 1941, aboard the USS Augusta, anchored off the Newfoundland coast, when the United States and Great Britain joined together to formulate what was called the Atlantic Charter. Recently, we saw on the news that an updated version of that statement of principle has been agreed to between President Biden and Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister. I confess to not having read the revised and updated version, but I certainly know what the original Atlantic Charter stood for: no territorial aggrandizement; respect for the rights of all people to choose the form of government under which they would live; for all states to trade on equal access and on equal terms; improving the global standard of living; and freedom of the seas. This was a unified response to an external threat back by military force. Our situation today is no less dire, but the elements constituting an existential threat to our way of life are different, and far more subtle: internal subversion; a corrosive populism that destroys trust among people; a tidal wave of disinformation and anti-democratic propaganda emanating from Russia; and the de facto declaration of war by the Trump Republican Party against our constitutional form of government. Time will tell how this will turn out, but it looks to me that President Biden is off to a good start.
So noted, but outside a professional or academic context, mentioning our academic credentials would seem to be more off-putting than not. In the political world, where personal titles ascribed to individuals in their present or former capacities tend to be more honorific than meaningful, in the sense that a former ambassador is still an ambassador in matters of address, as with former Congressmen and Senators. We do this sometimes in order to signify a heightened level of seriousness, gravitas, and authority to speak, when these individuals are interviewed for their views on public affairs. In those instances, the mentioning of the title, or former title, the relationship of the title, or former title, the purpose of the interview is self-evident and obvious. In democratic societies, the use of social titles in matters outside their professional capacities is generally considered déclassé, as in drawing unnecessary attention to oneself as a cut above the ordinary. For people of egalitarian mien, like the Bidens, who present themselves simply as Joe and Jill, I just do not see that happening.
Yes, the familiar is welcome, such as Joe and Jill. But you referred to her with a title of Ms., in a context when the title of Dr. was appropriate, and Ms. was diminishing.
“In those instances, the mentioning of the title, or former title, the relationship of the title, or former title, the purpose of the interview is self-evident and obvious. In democratic societies, the use of social titles in matters outside their professional capacities is generally considered déclassé, as in drawing unnecessary attention to oneself as a cut above the ordinary.”
Dr. Biden intends to return to teaching, in addition to her duties as First Lady. Her credentials and title, in that context, are still appropriate.
Agreed, you and several others have made your point. I apologize for the omission, and my sole excuse would have to be the late hour I was writing that comment. Thank you all for reminding me.
"[B]iden will tell stories about Trump and his sleazy band of crooks that will make everybody's hair stand on end, and Trump's inconceivable stupidity that brought him down".
Biden may be a story teller in the grand tradition. But he is also a decent human being and a savvy politician with brains, dignity and self respect. He won't be the favorite uncle telling knee slapping tales about Trump and his sleazy band of crooks. He has nothing to gain and much to lose by doing so. Biden understands that that sort of story telling tends to blow up in one's face somewhere down the road. Nah, the favorite aunt and uncle will surely be there, and with twinkles in their eyes, but Joe won't be telling the tales..
And another elephant in our democratic living room is the conflict between our First Amendment and a television network that spews unabated propaganda and disinformation.
Hmmm. I hope this is a “chapter book”, as young readers call it, and that you have just entered the first chapter. I’ll be waiting for the next, artsilen. Fascinating story. Thank you.
"As the saying goes, we can hate Trump, but we cannot hate his supporters, because they are us."
They are also his victims. Thay will need our support to recover from his manipulations. It will take a while for them to ba able to accept it, though.
No. They are not us. They are 42% of us, consisting primarily of the most willfully ignorant elements of the population, or, to put it another way, 60% of white Americans (80% in the South) and almost nobody else. We can hate them, dislike them, ignore them, talk to them, invite them to dinner, do with them whatever we’re comfortable with. Doesn’t matter. They will not change. The only thing that matters, the only thing we must do, is to outvote them. And that monumental task will require all the able citizens among us to work our tails off for, probably, the rest of our lives.
And direct our energy to where it will be more effective: the 40% independent voters in the middle. Moneyed far right groups are aggressively going after them. So must we.
People who don’t name a political party in their voter registration are predominantly people who usually vote for Republicans and are mostly unconvertible. Our most effective opportunities are in making sure Americans with non-European ancestors get registered to vote, get to the polls, and cast votes. Depending on the demographic, 70% to 90% of Americans with non-European ancestors vote for Democrats.
Party stats are about 30% Republicans + 40% Independents + 30% Democrats. Stacey Abrams’ secret to success was going after traditionally perceived unreachable or unlikely voters.
Stacy Abrams accomplished the miracle in Georgia by getting an unprecedented voter turnout among the 44% of the Georgia electorate who have non-European ancestors. She did not waste her time trying to convince white voters, Independent or not, to vote for Democrats. White voters in Georgia with even a remote inclination to vote Democratic did so with no encouragement from Stacy Abrams. Many of those voters helped her with her project. The same miracle can be accomplished through energetic, well financed, Abrams-style efforts in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina. It cannot be accomplished in Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Idaho, or Wyoming.
If you look back at our recent history from the New Deal to the 1980 presidential election, and the beginning of the Reagan Revolution, most working-class whites voted Democratic.
Rex, voters in states with open primaries, like Georgia, are limited in the primaries to those candidates who have also not declared a party affiliation. That results in precious few choices. My firstborn learned that the hard way. Had he only asked his mother …. I also learned it the hard way. When I registered to vote in NYS, many moons ago, I registered Independent. Same result. Now, in GA, we are asked which ballot we want when we vote. That’s our declaration.
Those may be our private judgments with regard to that hard core of unteachables within the Trump voter base. You may recall Hillary Clinton's reference to Trump supporters as 'deplorables', and how that appellation played out in the states that Clinton lost. You cannot merely dismiss these people; and therefore, you need to at least try to see the world as they do, because how they see the world will pretty much dictate how they respond to it. Our job is to reframe the conversation in ways that reinforce common goals and values. People invent conspiracy theories because they are scared to death of what they do not know; and ridiculing them, and condemning them is a waste of breath, and self-defeating. Finding some sort of common ground, no matter how small, is the place we need to start, and we start by lowering the temperature of the conversation.
There is no common ground. They prefer a white autocracy to a democracy without a systemic bias favoring the white population. Every hour or dollar spent trying to convince white voters to vote for Democrats would get ten times as many Democratic votes if it were applied to the task of getting Americans with non-European ancestors registered to vote and to the polls to cast their votes. We have enough votes to outvote them but just barely. Hardly a vote to spare and no time or money to spare in the long process required to convince white people with Republican inclinations to change their minds.
I disagree, vehemently. There is common ground if you're willing to look for it. We didn't always have these divisions, until we allowed social media companies to monopolize the conversation. Your post assumes facts not in evidence, that white people uniformly are in a state of insurrection and rebellion against what our nation stands for. That unfounded echo chamber amplifies noise over dialogue. There is nothing that cannot be negotiated to serve the common good. We have always adhered to the principle of majority rule, even where local practices fell short from time to time. Except for a tiny minority, whites are not single issue voters, neither are other social groups. Sixty years ago, biracial families and interracial marriage was almost nil, and prohibited by law in 31 states. Now, as President Biden observed recently, you cannot watch an hour of television without seeing advertisements of consumer products that feature biracial social groups and families. That's progress that goes totally unacknowledged in your comment. The advertisers have gotten it right, and are betting large sums of money that don't care all that much about racial groupings.Bill Maher's commentary last Friday, when he chided those whom he called out as 'progressophobics' for pretending that no social progress has been made. That assertion is demonstrably false, and watching Woke heads explode added to the satisfaction of them having to admit to themselves that they were wrong was immensely satisfying. Bottom line, being both stubborn and stupid in a good cause is just as wrong-headed as doing it in a bad cause. I'm more inclined to call out nitwit claiming to be progressives because their immediate goal is a self-satisfied emotional thrill. Sorry, guys, that's not on our agenda. We need to operate on the assumption that some significant fraction of those opposing us are ambivalent and not entirely sold in their opposition to measures and policies we are proposing. Everything can be improved, and the more people who get involved, the better the outcome tends to be. So apply some calculus to your method and break the problems down into solvable modules, and work from there. Reframe problems. When problems are resolved, there's more than enough credit to go around.
Very well written, thank you. I do hope that the updated Atlantic Charter includes provisions for the protection of the planet and its natural resources as a top priority consideration in "all states to trade on equal access and on equal terms". That was certainly not a consideration in the last 100 years and it needs to be.
Perhaps it is the 14th Amendment Section 3 of the US Constitution that is the reason the Republicans in Congress are not voting for a special commission to study the Jan. 6th Insurrection:
"No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability."
That section prohibits anyone from running for state or federal office that has engaged in insurrection etc or has aided and abetted enemies of the nation unless Congress, by a 2/3 vote, has permitted it.
Exactly. But why do we need Congress to do the investigation? Why not the DOJ? In fact wouldn't that have a lot more teeth than a congressional muddle? And just what does "engage in insurrection" mean. A certain Senator from Missouri was hardly an innocent bystander. We only need 2 more votes.
Bruce… the original comment by Cathy was an opinion as to REALLY why many many members of Congress voted against the independent commission. As in discovery showing they aided and abetted the resurrection would result in immediate removal from office.
Do not think for a minute that Nancy Pelosi will allow investigation off the table. Could be another vote even for the bipartisan independent commission.
Sessions, Rosentein, and Barr deny any knowledge of the subpoenas. It seems unlikely that all three are lying, especially because Department of Justice experts have said there would be a detailed paper trail. So it raises the possibility of a Trump-authorized secret op within DOJ, an op unknown to the top officials in the department. Regardless, what's been disclosed so far likely is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Considering the seriousness and breadth of this still-building scandal, I don't see how DOJ can use an inspector general to investigate. Appoint of a special counsel seems in order.
Perhaps not all three are lying but one of them might be. That Barr hid things from Rosenstein....for sure. That Rosenstein hadn't more integrity than Barr...i think that is probably true. That Sessions was out to lunch and out of the loop....probably. Anyway, somebody had to sign the paper. Find the piece of paper...Apple at least will have a copy and would I'm sure be happy to supply the DOJ should they not find their's.....and you find the end of the strand of wool which you pull on to unknit this trumpian sweater. Over and above the subpoena itself there is the "gag order" which must also be signed. It is difficult to imagine that "unknown" entities in the DOJ would have the ear of a judge asked to impose such an order.....probably claiming "national security". There has got to be an established and recognized process on this....at least for the judge to cover his proverbial "seat" and judicial standing should the matter come to light with "unfortunate" connotations. A second strand of wool to pull on which bit by bit might get closer to Trump's skin. These trumpians usually went about their "dark works" in such stupid, inept ways that the strands should be easy to follow.
A little ascetic for me. I alternate days with whole wheat toast and butter and full cream milk (it has taste!) and meusli but every morning has lashings of seasonal fruit and a massive pot of tea!........after I've read Heather's morning piece. Lunch of course is often very late and frequently minimal around my coffee.
They are not. Oatmeal reigns Supreme in the category. Especially when mixed with golden flax, oat bran, chia seeds, and walnuts. Sweetener and fruit of your choice, and oat milk or almond milk. If you just have to, garnish with corn flakes! Stay close to restrooms until your pipes adjust, and throw away your probiotics.
Head to your nearest co-op grocery store and you are sure to find organic cornflakes made with non-GMO corn. Better cornflakes, yummier corn chips are available! If there is no co-op in your town, you can order online. But do your research first. Even some brands that claim to be made with non-genetically engineered corn have been found to be contaminated with GMO corn. However, going organic is more likely to be GMO free since organic certification is quite strict in most states.
All true and I believe this is but the tip of the iceberg in an administration that depended upon fear and intimidation to keep enemies at bay and members in line. No doubt Mueller was muffled by expressed and implied threats.
Morning fellow thinkers. Agree Stuart. Certainly an Inspector General can tug firmly on the first strand of wool. No need for special counsels at this point. The DOJ appears to be back in the proverbial saddle.
But, why is the DOJ still defending tRump against a rape accusation that happened before he got sovereign immunity or whatever while posing as president?
Rob, the defense is not against the rape (or rather, sexual assault, which unlike rape has a statute of limitations, now expired) but against a claim of libel because T***p called her a liar.
Great reply, Stuart. One of the 3 stooges has to be lying. And, I believe Sessions was gone by 2018, so he may not have the "whole truth and nothing but...."
I have no trouble believing that all 3 are lying. The lying was universal and rampant in that administration. I have more difficulty believing any one of them is telling the truth.
We already know Barr lies. Rosenstein shook Kavanaugh's hand and patted him on the back after his confirmation process performance on the floor of Congress, and so I looked for a connection. Cabal is too conspiratorial a term but conservative network (with benefits) fits.
Too many folks didn't want to believe who #45 was when he told them. Hopefully we have learned something form these dark years.
I'm thinking Sessions signed for it thinking he would keep DJT happy and get off his back about Russia. He was craven enough to do it. Sargent ShultzBarr just winked at the request for McGann's records, ensuring he could say "I know nothing," because the paperwork was in place already. He was slimy enough to do it. The only clueless one might have been Rosenstein. He did look like a deer caught in the headlights on his last day - or a prisoner. I always wondered why. He was naive enough to be caught by surprise. Maybe he found out hIs phone calls, texts, and emails were also asked for. We haven't heard a peep from him since he went back to a private life. What is he doing these days?
As it has been pointed out, finding “leakers” has always been a priority for protecting national intelligence. And every administration has done so. Why you suggest a Pandora’s box and President Obama in the same sentence diverts attention. Or tries to. Similar to a news network I choose not to listen to.
I agree with you. Perhaps “Pandora’s box” was the wrong image. I only refer to Obama because some of the same actors from his administration are likely to still be around, while those of earlier presidents would not be.
Just forget all the denigrating stories that have been written about him - this is one of the worst "leaker" issues for the 2020's. At least Daniel Ellsberg didn't cop this.
Julian Assange should be dangling from a rope till the corpse rots off it. Mentioning that worthless piece of shit at the same time Ellsberg is mentioned is the purest of intellectual dimness (and that's giving it as much credit as possible) Ellsberg did it because he loved his country and thought they needed to know what had been done in their name. Assange did it because he's a troll.
I think that your comments only underscore how incredibly effective the 10+ years of demonization of Assange has been. Sadly, the result for him is a bit like the refrain from the song about Ned Kelly "Poor old Ned, you're better off dead" - maybe you should inform yourselves about the history of "Get Assange"
it's long and horrible, and casts some serious light over the "secret state" and its machinations (and the willingness of the media - think the Guardian - to go along with it).
Nitwityahoo accused Biden (with regard to the Iranian nuclear deal) of allowing Jews to be killed the way they were when Roosevelt wouldn't order the bombing of Auschwitz in 1944. As the resident WW2 technical expert here, I guess it's up to me to point out that, in 1944, US bombers based in the UK didn't have the range to fly to Auschwitz with a useful load of bombs, unless t he Soviets would have allowed them to fly a shuttle mission, landing in Soviet territory as they did in Operation Frantic. I doubt Uncle Joe would have agreed. As it was, during the Warsaw Rising that August, the RAF and USAAF sent planes to drop supplies to Warsaw. Each plane was able to carry approximately 200 pounds of supplies, with an overload of fuel for the round trip, since the Soviets wouildn't allow shuttle missions (since Stalin had ordered the Red Army to sit on the other side of the Vistula and let the Germans kill the people he knew would oppose what he had planned for Poland). 200 pounds as a bombload wouldn't have amounted to one bomb.
But Nitwityahoo, like any other far right moron, never lets truth get in the way of another chance to mislead the rubes.
Yes it was good to welcome President Biden onto our soil. Quite a large crowd turned out at RAF Mildenhall (65 miles from where we live - a mere stone's throw to you Americans) to see him land. However most of those interviewed on local television admitted that they had come to see Air Force One, not who was inside it. Yet it was so reassuring to see the avuncular figure of Biden emerging (I wasn't there by the way!) and calmly telling us that America is back.
The scenes in Cornwall were also encouraging with the great and good descending on one of our most picturesque counties and installing themselves in a hotel that had a faint resemblance to the one in Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (though much posher). Then 3 generations of the Royal Family showed up (that must be a first), and the Queen made a joke.
Justin Trudeau needs a haircut. Macron should restrain himself from putting his arm round everyone and we still need to sort out the Northern Ireland problem.
Good to get a faint feeling of optimism. Thanks as usual Heather.
PS I am still no relation of William Barr (apart from the one who is my brother).
Thank You for the insightful UK perspective Richard. The last time I saw Air Force One (and 15 minutes later Air Force 2) it was flying over my house right before the elections, for a last ditch rally in town with the former guy. I screamed at the sky. It felt like a military invasion. How wonderful to again see it as a marvel. P.S. Am I the only latter day hippie who likes Justin Trudeau's long hair?
My first, last and only view of AirForce One was 29 October 1998 when we were in Florida to watch John Glenn being launched into space on the Shuttle Discovery. Bill Clinton stopped by to wish him well - obviously a much happier experience of yours. I only noted Trudeau's hair in passing. It was much shorter and tidier than mine was for many months during lockdown, so who am I to complain?
“There are lots of moving pieces in the world right now.”
The Grandparent of understatements, Professor.
As is often the case, there is a line in your Letters that drives directly to the heart of things that concern this reader.
Politicians - elected, self-appointed, autocratic – you name the stripe, bring to mind a group of powerful people scrambling to garner support for their vision of the future – some sincerely trying to do good as they see it, others trying to avoid prison or irrelevance, others filling their coffers with treasure, and those simply enamored with the maintaining control (whatever they might mean today).
Many people look to these “leaders” for solutions, others reject them as illegitimate or untrustworthy, and still others, simply tolerate them as they move through their daily lives putting one foot in front of the other in an attempt to get through the day without losing ground.
All this while our planet tumbles toward climatic catastrophe; hunger, disease and violence run rampant, and billionaires compete for seats on rockets to spin them away from it all.
I would have to agree there are many moving pieces in the world right now, but for all the movement, there is little that looks like hope for solutions comprehensive enough to give us a chance to survive much less thrive. And by “us” I mean all of us – the global us, because nations matter to the same extent that fingers and toes matter to the survival of the body: They are instrumental only when part of a unified whole.
The nagging question is: Where, what, or is there, a brain – collective or otherwise – to marshal the resources of the planet to deal with the existential issues before us?
Social change tends to work from the ground up, rather than a brain working top down. The scene on the ground may be a populace vulnerable to control by a nefarious brain at the top. In our democratic republic, the brain is us, crafting our messages and reaching out for community to make our voices heard.
We particularly need to make our voices heard to counter the build up of state legislatures poised to enact a legal coup by not certifying the presidential election in 2024 if the traditional winner is a Democrat.
And I agree that local change is often from the ground – up.
But my comment was directed more toward the global perspective where we need action sooner than later. For that to happen, there needs to be push – serious, focused push.
I don’t have the answer, but I expect whatever the answer may be, it is neither simple nor traditional.
Good day to you R Dooley! I am an advocate of bottom up action and also I see our nation getting stalled with carrying out good ideas because of of the energy put in from “both sides” to freeze inertia of change.
I am beginning to BELIEVE the answer lies in the differences of the generation(s) coming up. The young adults….and I frame that age range loosely in 18-45….there’s something very different about them and I credit what we who have raised them have contributed. Their blinders are off, they confront dissonance with a firm shrug, and they have this confidence at a young age that took me years to hone. They are not afraid of change and I have seen their eyebrow raised recently at the stale routines of racism continuing. THEY have toppled the caste ladder amongst themselves and intuitively know the power of 1+1 = 3. A circle allows for differing opinions and values. However, it does not allow one to shove a boot on one below you trying to better themselves. They just appear, to me, to collectively understand betterment of one is betterment for all.
Perhaps simplistic on my part, but then our greatest minds in history and our writer of the Letters understands the power of simplicity of truth in detangling the mess of lies obscuring and obstructing change.
I agree Christine with your hope resting on the younger generations. My fear is if these new state laws remain on the books snd enforced is that the younger and more inclusive generations will be hand tied....with a knee on the neck to suppress change and democracy. I hope grassroots efforts and voices prevail. 🙏🏻
My fervent hope matches yours, Sharon. The gens that I speak of are gaining MUCH greater influence at the polls. Their demographic is very concerning to autocratic principled politicians.
That is very encouraging to hear. Too many of our citizens are complacent regarding what is happening to our democracy. Not really complacent...disengaged and therefore uninformed.
And it certainly does not involve billionaires trying to get their rocks off aboard a brief trip to space. THAT story was simply abysmal in my mind. Did I miss something?
You missed nothing. It’s their “escape hatch” theory. Based on their, for example, aggravating tendency to weaponize theories such as Critical Race Theory to win elections.
I am reminded of the scene in Independence Day (the original) where, following the alien attack, and the mustering of forces to defeat it across national and oppositional boundaries (thinking in particular of the shot with the Russians talking over their device saying "the American's have figured out a plan" along with the one of Israeli and Palestinian forces assembled at a border agreeing to cooperate) and the actor playing the president says, in the middle of his pep talk "Mankind. That has a whole new meaning today, doesn't it?"
I really hope that we don't have to have a hostile alien invasion intent on destroying the planet (that we are destroying, but I digress) in order to get us to work together. COVID-19 could have been that agent, but it wasn't serious enough to get us to work together...
Yes, Ally. I think we are close to such a moment. One could say we are there but for the Alien attack element ... Ours is more like a suicide intervention.
Interesting side note: I had just read an article on the dangers of trying to reach out to Extraterrestrials before Earth had all come together on a protocol for speaking with them, about ten minutes before I wrote this comment today.
On June 19, 1865, when word of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached the enslaved people in Texas, did Lincoln’s crew say “We have GOT to work on our communication?” Probably not. Lincoln had been assassinated two months earlier.
“Today, Israel’s legislature, the Knesset, voted 60 to 59 to support a new coalition and oust right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been in power for 12 years and who is currently under indictment for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. The session was heated, with people yelling and at least seven members escorted out. In Netanyahu’s final speech, he pledged to ‘topple this dangerous government and return to lead the country in our way.’”
Netanyahu’s words and actions are reminiscent of Trump’s following his November election loss. Much like Trump, he too faces legal peril for various crime and corruption charges held at bay only by having his hands on the levers of executive power. Without access to those levers his legal peril may well find him now worse than merely deposed from office.
It is important for the future of the Rule of Law in both Israel and the U.S. to demonstrate that those who break the law will be held accountable regardless of what levers of power they may have previously held. No one should be beyond being subject to the Rule of Law.
In both countries we will be tested on this for the world to observe if we are truly committed to this principle. Those Israeli and U.S. citizens of good conscience must support this principle and it’s application to former leaders now exposed or the principle will lose its meaning, not only in the U.S. and Israel, but for all the world. We will be tested. Let us hope we are prepared for those tests and will pass.
The ghosts of the evil-doers Don and Bebe continue to destroy their respective countries when out of office. Will it take a take a stake through the heart?
And it's incredible that the so-called checks and balances of power in our government seem to have failed so miserably under 45's reign of lawlessness and moral bankruptcy, in that he had so many so willing to cater to his demands. Truly frightening in that if nothing changes significantly, in a future election there may be a candidate with 45's narcissistic autocratic intentions but with higher intelligence, charisma and eloquence.
The people who are responsible for exercising the checks & balances REFUSED to do so. Politicians in Congress REFUSED to follow the Constitution and exercise over the executive branch and the president. It’s so disheartening that the R’s basically said “So what” to djt’s crimes.
We often write here about Trump as if he were a solo act but I think we're all aware, even if we sometimes forget, that Trump himself is not too bright, knew nothing about US or world history when he became POTUS, made no effort to enlighten himself and in fact surrounded himself with advisors like Kushner who disdained history as HCR indicated in her previous letter about the middle east. The scariest thing to me about Trump being the 45th was that he was the puppet of some very dangerous thinking people (Stephen Miller, Steve Bannon, and their ilk). The reality that they couldn't completely control his personality and temperment and tweets only seemed to make him more popular among his base. As you say, Janice, truly frightening that there may well be a future candidate who embodies the puppet master minds with a much more eloquent mouth. Such a person could bring a lot of Republicans currently with a bad taste in their mouths about Trump back into the fold.
There are all sorts of intelligence. Of the current breed of would-be trumps, the intelligence to lead their way out of an open barn is not evident. And as for eloquence and charisma........words fail me....even if such an absence of vocabulary and personality has never bothered any of them.
Trumpists and reactionaries tend to be low in the domain of emotional intelligence--hence prone to reactivity instead of reasoned response. Charisma is in the eye of the beholder. Eloquence will be a dangerously seductive quality of a prospective autocratic candidate.
I'm not sure Trumpists and reactionaries would recognize eloquence if it bit them in the ass. Eloquence requires a bit more than Trump's 300 word vocabulary and 3rd grader's reading skills. They just want to hear simple slogans they can use to denigrate the Libs.
Charisma schmarisma! Just give them a candidate who can rile up a crowd!
It seemed suspicious to me that Lindsey Graham did such a 180 on Trump, and that was early on. I know it sounds paranoid or whatever, but I always wonder if Trump had dug around and gotten some kind of dirt on Graham and was holding it over his head. Ditto Mitch. Ditton others. Definitely seems like something Trump and his thug buddies would do.
Oh there's tons of dirt on Graham and Moscow Mitch and his wife--and it's hiding in plain sight. But they hope their own state constituents will look the other way.
Good morning everyone! As I was reading this letter, I was also perusing the news from other outlets and bring you a news update from the utterly unhinged state of Missouri. This past weekend was the Ghastly Oh-So-Racist Party's convention--hilariously called the "Lincoln Days"--featuring that super appalling hank of hair Joshy Hawley. They hold every state-wide seat except that of MO State Auditor, held by the very talented and able Nicole Galloway. So they are gunning for her, especially because she put the scare in the mumblefest governor Mike Parson (more on him later) when she ran against him in 2020. They are also concerned about the open senate seat so they plan on doing everything they can to suppress the vote in the two major metro areas (where the only two Dem congresspeople serve) in order to "sweep" Missouri. https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2021-06-13/missouri-republicans-craft-messages-they-hope-lead-to-statewide-sweep-in-2022
On Saturday the resembles-a-box-of-rocks governor signed a bill that invalidates ALL federal gun laws "past, present, and future" and also bars local law enforcement from assisting in the enforcement of any gun control laws and makes it permissible to sue individuals in law enforcement for "failure to protect the 2nd Amendment rights of citizens." https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-06-12/missouri-law-enforcement-no-longer-required-to-enforce-federal-gun-laws
Now, mind you, the cops in Missouri are all about being protected from prosecution and maintaining the "qualified immunity" status of individual cops. So this looks like it could be a super interesting confrontation between the MO state legislature and the police unions. Why bother to investigate gun crimes if you're a cop in Missouri? It's just citizens exercising their 2nd Amendment rights after all. I think the (I have so many expletives in my head right now) white boyz who think this is going to be a way that they can kill non-white folks with impunity are going to be in for a surprise. They think that this is going to protect their caches of AR-15s? Well, when the locals in the rural counties start shooting each other and the cops don't come to restore order because some szlub of a cop could get sued, there could be a change of heart. Or maybe the (more expletives) will just hope and pray.
I have no doubt that papers have been filed in court this morning to put a stop to this utterly imbecilic piece of legislation but if this doesn't provide a stark example of why we need to have an overwhelming response against these forces of evil, then I don't know what is. At least the superior court put a stop to the appalling MO anti-female law the white boyz tried to get past them. Small comfort if people "exercising" their "rights" consider women to be expendable and start shooting their wives and girlfriends because they could be, y'know, insurrectionists.
Good morning, Linda! I've been following (via TRMS) the story regarding wrongly convicted for murder Kevin Strickland, and the Governor's "not a priority" to reflect the 40 years he's' been in custody as anything other than a priority. As I Googled to get Strickland's name, I saw the story where he said he would pardon the white St. Louis couple from a couple years ago "if they were convicted". Priorities indeed.
Ally, even more heinous is his rationale: that Strickland should not "jump the line" and that there is a backlog of pardons--when he has been governor for over 4 years. So whose backlog is this??? It is horrific.
Women and girlfriends might consider exercising their "purchasing power" via online as opposed to local businesses. Pressure on businesses and no females to shoot...what will those white boyz do with themselves this summer...all those AR-15s and no innocents to target? Wow. Guess where I will NOT be vacationing this summer! I'm so sorry. I read between the lines of your post and I share every one of those unwritten expletives!
The last guy has spread a contagion through his party, nation, and throughout the world, to poison free elections at the very least. It is time to pull our nation back together and stand against him and his minions. Stop dithering and begin charging these people for their crimes!
So what happens now? Will anyone be held accountable? Bill Barr? trump? Or is this just another un-democratic act that becomes precedent just as the memo that claims “no sitting President can be indicted” has basically been treated as law of the land? Any one of these breaking news stories over the past week would have taken down a party just 6 years ago. Not so with the party of trump.
Sharon, totally agree! It’s past time for the dems to ditch bipartisanship and do what’s right to save our democracy. The Democrats seem to be the only ones caring about it anyway. It has done no good acquiring a senate majority if they’re not willing to do what NEEDS to be done. McConnell still has control.
I hope good, positive news is not too much for US citizens and Republicans.
What can we do to rid our air waves of FOX? We need better standards for truth in broadcasting across all media, air and internet. The First Amendment should not be a garbage can, dump site or pollution source for lies and conspiracy theories. How can we fix this?
Hi David - We might consider restoring the FCC Fairness Doctrine. I learned a bit this morning from reading the wikipedia entry linked below and following up one of its references to a 2005 fair.org review ("How we lost it, and why we need it back"). Note that this could help with the "air waves" but not necessarily the cable networks. Thanks for your question.
I believe it’s doubtful that the fairness doctrine or other regulatory measure is the answer… at least not by itself. But there are things all of us and the rest of the Biden/Harris (majority) can do right now.
“It’s the money, stupid.”
Fox rakes in a lot of its money through media and cable bundling fees, and arguably they make more from Biden/Harris voters than trump voters because there are more of us. But we (most of us) continue to pay Xfinity, Sling and other bundles our monthly fees and Fox continues to rake in a handful of our dollars every month while we fret and bitch about Hannity and Carlson.
Everyone of us should stop today, examine what we pay for and unsubscribe from any bundle that includes Fox News (one America newsmax and others). That may mean affecting other ambulance chasing outlets, CNN, MSNBC. (but to they don’t abide by a fairness doctrine either). Our media world has changed a lot since Reagan’s 2nd term so let’s stop pretending we can just turn back the clock. Regulation comes and goes, but money always counts.
What would count for fairness? A Biden/Harris supporter on one side, maybe, or a Bernie Sanders or Eizabeth Warren supporter. But who on the right? Cruz? Cotton? McCarthy? Scalise? Someone else who also bought into the big lie? Do you give patently false claptrap equal time with views based in verifiable evidence?
Good question, I was hoping Mike Bloomberg would make Rupert a deal he couldn’t refuse with a non compete agreement and shut the whole thing down, just think how much the nation would benefit from that.
I believe it’s doubtful that the fairness doctrine or other regulatory measure is the answer… at least not by itself. But there are things all of us and the rest of the Biden/Harris (majority) can do right now.
“It’s the money, stupid.”
Fox rakes in a lot of its money through media and cable bundling fees, and arguably they make more from Biden/Harris voters than trump voters because there are more of us. But we (most of us) continue to pay Xfinity, Sling and other bundles our monthly fees and Fox continues to rake in a handful of our dollars every month while we fret and bitch about Hannity and Carlson.
Everyone of us should stop today, examine what we pay for and unsubscribe from any bundle that includes Fox News (one America newsmax and others). That may mean affecting other ambulance chasing outlets, CNN, MSNBC. (but to they don’t abide by a fairness doctrine either). Our media world has changed a lot since Reagan’s 2nd term so let’s stop pretending we can just turn back the clock. Regulation comes and goes, but money always counts.
"...Trump’s people secretly investigated journalists, Democratic lawmakers and their families and staff… and the president’s own lawyer and his wife, apparently out of concerns about leaks."
Leaks? In a pig's eye!
The former president was looking for anything he could use to damage, blackmail, or otherwise coerce his percieved enemies, Adam Schiff being at the top of that list. In Don McGahn's case, there was likely added the question of loyalty to dear leader.
This is how dictators operate, especially the paranoid, megalomanic ones.
And, THIS is the fundamental difference between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans of all stripes employ fear in everything they undertake. What they can't achieve in selling the merits of their position, they coerce through threats and intimidation. Make no mistake, fear is equally applied to their enemies and their allies. Trump may have taken it to a whole new level, but Republicans have long depended on fear to keep people in line and gain the upper hand.
Thus far, Democrats have not found a way to counter the politics of fear, largely because they have not made the Republicans pay a political price for their cruel and ruthless authoritarian tactics (the same you see used by Russia, China, North Korea, as well as, numerous other countries in Africa and Latin America.) Democrats have another chance to severely punish the Trump administration. Will they find the strength and perseverance to bring all these people to justice. Trump didn't operate in a vacuum - he was surrounded by like-minded enablers. They all need to be indicted, prosecuted, and punished for high crimes and misdemeanors.
This should be the number one priority of the Biden administration and the entire Democratic Party. Anyone who isn't up to the task needs to be replaced immediately. If this is not addressed before the 2022 election, they may not get another chance to save democracy, and to save the Republic from becoming a quasi-autocratic regime.
It's true that 1/45 was obsessed over leaks. But every admin likes authorized leaks, not the unauthorized ones. Both Obama and now Biden choose to come down hard on them, and whistleblowers too. Presidents will rarely yield inherited powers, and seek to use and expand the ones they have. SWe should count on Biden obeying the law more than Idjt -- but his admin must be watched to avoid violating people's rights. We shall see.
Word to the wise "watched to avoid violating people's rights." Good advice.
Ask any early childhood care giver how to treat a mini-monster.
Yes, but what exactly are the steps we should be taking?!
"What they can't achieve in selling the merits of their position..."
They have proven time and again that when they are forced to create good policy and legislation for their wants and desires, they just can't do it. Whether that be because they can't get along or don't have the intellect to do it or the value system is often the question.
If Drump constantly watched TV and directed his people to bully, harass, and investigate his opposition and staff, where were the hours for actually learning about and running the country so to speak. Also, of note is that Drump is a severe paranoid narcissist. His ability to think of others is nonexistent and his paranoia could easily be manipulated by those so called friends and family and staff.
A layman could come up with a number of reasons why an emotional cripple like the former president is so dangerous, and I'm sure a psych professional could come up with several more even more frightening ones. In the end, I think there will be more volumes written about the previous administration by scholars of psychiatry than by students of history and political science. LIkely there will be additions to the lexicon of psychology that are variations of the word trump.
Christy McG and Ralph Averill - My dismal memories of the former PO(TU)S' administration during his term is what keeps me watching C-SPAN to watch and listen to Biden and his people speak knowledgeably, capably, intelligently about domestic and foreign affairs. I always feel that I learn something important about governance and diplomacy when I do. From 2017 through Jan. 19 of this year, every time I watched and/or listened to members of 45's administration, my anger, disgust, and disappointment grew. Watching members of the Biden/Harris administration calms me immeasurably. I know they will not be perfect and that they will do things that will not rise to my progressive expectations, but I don't deperately reach for the bottle of scotch every time I hear one of their names, and that is a good thing.
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall to hear the conversation that must have been going on when Joe Biden showed up with the Jill on his arm, smiling and waving and ostentatiously elbow-bumping. It would be like coming to a family gathering where your favorite uncle shows up after a very messy divorce, and where he got all of the community property; he has a story to tell, and everyone is ready to drop everything to hear all the dirty details! And Joe Biden is an Irish storyteller of the first-order. He will tell stories about Trump and his sleazy band of crooks that will make everybody's hair stand on end, and Trump's inconceivable stupidity that brought him down. There will be lots and lots of laughter, but everybody knows that Trump and those who believe and act like him are not going away anytime soon. Trump's ridiculousness does not detract the least from his dangerousness.
But, as we well know, the points that Joe wants to make come with the story; and undoubtedly, the point of Joe Biden's story is going to be about saving democracy and having us all pull together. Everything else is secondary. He will emphasize his points to highlight his concerns about democracy's vulnerabilities, noting that Trump failed because of his own personal incompetencies. The take away will be that a more savvy scoundrel, like Vladimir Putin, would have avoided Trump's mistakes, to Western culture's collective disadvantage. As the saying goes, we can hate Trump, but we cannot hate his supporters, because they are us. Pulling together will mean having to change some of our assumptions, and taking proactive measures to ward off abuse of political rights and social norms. I am confident that Joe Biden, along with Jill Biden, will make for entertaining, as well as sobering discussion about what we need to do. Like the President and Ms. Biden, we can take the problem seriously without taking ourselves too seriously. There are reasons why these things happened, and it took decades for the rot to set in that undermined our democratic institutions. For most of us, this is entirely new territory, and it will test our strengths and ability to think outside the box before we even begin to think this might be over soon.
Historical analogies are always inexact, and it is important to clearly differentiate what we see are similarities from what are clearly differences, and that the decisions made are likely to depend on those differences. The analogy that comes to mind is the meeting between Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in April 1941, aboard the USS Augusta, anchored off the Newfoundland coast, when the United States and Great Britain joined together to formulate what was called the Atlantic Charter. Recently, we saw on the news that an updated version of that statement of principle has been agreed to between President Biden and Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister. I confess to not having read the revised and updated version, but I certainly know what the original Atlantic Charter stood for: no territorial aggrandizement; respect for the rights of all people to choose the form of government under which they would live; for all states to trade on equal access and on equal terms; improving the global standard of living; and freedom of the seas. This was a unified response to an external threat back by military force. Our situation today is no less dire, but the elements constituting an existential threat to our way of life are different, and far more subtle: internal subversion; a corrosive populism that destroys trust among people; a tidal wave of disinformation and anti-democratic propaganda emanating from Russia; and the de facto declaration of war by the Trump Republican Party against our constitutional form of government. Time will tell how this will turn out, but it looks to me that President Biden is off to a good start.
As I love what you have so cogently written, may I offer one correction? Jill Biden, Ed.D., has earned the title of Dr. Biden.
President and Dr. Biden. I’ve seen it in headlines, and I like it, very much!
👍🏻❤️🤍💙
So noted, but outside a professional or academic context, mentioning our academic credentials would seem to be more off-putting than not. In the political world, where personal titles ascribed to individuals in their present or former capacities tend to be more honorific than meaningful, in the sense that a former ambassador is still an ambassador in matters of address, as with former Congressmen and Senators. We do this sometimes in order to signify a heightened level of seriousness, gravitas, and authority to speak, when these individuals are interviewed for their views on public affairs. In those instances, the mentioning of the title, or former title, the relationship of the title, or former title, the purpose of the interview is self-evident and obvious. In democratic societies, the use of social titles in matters outside their professional capacities is generally considered déclassé, as in drawing unnecessary attention to oneself as a cut above the ordinary. For people of egalitarian mien, like the Bidens, who present themselves simply as Joe and Jill, I just do not see that happening.
Yes, the familiar is welcome, such as Joe and Jill. But you referred to her with a title of Ms., in a context when the title of Dr. was appropriate, and Ms. was diminishing.
“In those instances, the mentioning of the title, or former title, the relationship of the title, or former title, the purpose of the interview is self-evident and obvious. In democratic societies, the use of social titles in matters outside their professional capacities is generally considered déclassé, as in drawing unnecessary attention to oneself as a cut above the ordinary.”
Dr. Biden intends to return to teaching, in addition to her duties as First Lady. Her credentials and title, in that context, are still appropriate.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/us/politics/jill-biden-first-lady.html
Agreed, you and several others have made your point. I apologize for the omission, and my sole excuse would have to be the late hour I was writing that comment. Thank you all for reminding me.
"[B]iden will tell stories about Trump and his sleazy band of crooks that will make everybody's hair stand on end, and Trump's inconceivable stupidity that brought him down".
Biden may be a story teller in the grand tradition. But he is also a decent human being and a savvy politician with brains, dignity and self respect. He won't be the favorite uncle telling knee slapping tales about Trump and his sleazy band of crooks. He has nothing to gain and much to lose by doing so. Biden understands that that sort of story telling tends to blow up in one's face somewhere down the road. Nah, the favorite aunt and uncle will surely be there, and with twinkles in their eyes, but Joe won't be telling the tales..
Great analysis! I would suggest something you didn't mention. The major difference today is the presence of Social Media in our lives.
And another elephant in our democratic living room is the conflict between our First Amendment and a television network that spews unabated propaganda and disinformation.
Hmmm. I hope this is a “chapter book”, as young readers call it, and that you have just entered the first chapter. I’ll be waiting for the next, artsilen. Fascinating story. Thank you.
Great post, Artsilen. I'm in!
"As the saying goes, we can hate Trump, but we cannot hate his supporters, because they are us."
They are also his victims. Thay will need our support to recover from his manipulations. It will take a while for them to ba able to accept it, though.
No. They are not us. They are 42% of us, consisting primarily of the most willfully ignorant elements of the population, or, to put it another way, 60% of white Americans (80% in the South) and almost nobody else. We can hate them, dislike them, ignore them, talk to them, invite them to dinner, do with them whatever we’re comfortable with. Doesn’t matter. They will not change. The only thing that matters, the only thing we must do, is to outvote them. And that monumental task will require all the able citizens among us to work our tails off for, probably, the rest of our lives.
And direct our energy to where it will be more effective: the 40% independent voters in the middle. Moneyed far right groups are aggressively going after them. So must we.
People who don’t name a political party in their voter registration are predominantly people who usually vote for Republicans and are mostly unconvertible. Our most effective opportunities are in making sure Americans with non-European ancestors get registered to vote, get to the polls, and cast votes. Depending on the demographic, 70% to 90% of Americans with non-European ancestors vote for Democrats.
Party stats are about 30% Republicans + 40% Independents + 30% Democrats. Stacey Abrams’ secret to success was going after traditionally perceived unreachable or unlikely voters.
Stacy Abrams accomplished the miracle in Georgia by getting an unprecedented voter turnout among the 44% of the Georgia electorate who have non-European ancestors. She did not waste her time trying to convince white voters, Independent or not, to vote for Democrats. White voters in Georgia with even a remote inclination to vote Democratic did so with no encouragement from Stacy Abrams. Many of those voters helped her with her project. The same miracle can be accomplished through energetic, well financed, Abrams-style efforts in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina. It cannot be accomplished in Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Idaho, or Wyoming.
If you look back at our recent history from the New Deal to the 1980 presidential election, and the beginning of the Reagan Revolution, most working-class whites voted Democratic.
Rex, voters in states with open primaries, like Georgia, are limited in the primaries to those candidates who have also not declared a party affiliation. That results in precious few choices. My firstborn learned that the hard way. Had he only asked his mother …. I also learned it the hard way. When I registered to vote in NYS, many moons ago, I registered Independent. Same result. Now, in GA, we are asked which ballot we want when we vote. That’s our declaration.
Well said.
I hate that I have to agree with you, but I do.
Those may be our private judgments with regard to that hard core of unteachables within the Trump voter base. You may recall Hillary Clinton's reference to Trump supporters as 'deplorables', and how that appellation played out in the states that Clinton lost. You cannot merely dismiss these people; and therefore, you need to at least try to see the world as they do, because how they see the world will pretty much dictate how they respond to it. Our job is to reframe the conversation in ways that reinforce common goals and values. People invent conspiracy theories because they are scared to death of what they do not know; and ridiculing them, and condemning them is a waste of breath, and self-defeating. Finding some sort of common ground, no matter how small, is the place we need to start, and we start by lowering the temperature of the conversation.
There is no common ground. They prefer a white autocracy to a democracy without a systemic bias favoring the white population. Every hour or dollar spent trying to convince white voters to vote for Democrats would get ten times as many Democratic votes if it were applied to the task of getting Americans with non-European ancestors registered to vote and to the polls to cast their votes. We have enough votes to outvote them but just barely. Hardly a vote to spare and no time or money to spare in the long process required to convince white people with Republican inclinations to change their minds.
I disagree, vehemently. There is common ground if you're willing to look for it. We didn't always have these divisions, until we allowed social media companies to monopolize the conversation. Your post assumes facts not in evidence, that white people uniformly are in a state of insurrection and rebellion against what our nation stands for. That unfounded echo chamber amplifies noise over dialogue. There is nothing that cannot be negotiated to serve the common good. We have always adhered to the principle of majority rule, even where local practices fell short from time to time. Except for a tiny minority, whites are not single issue voters, neither are other social groups. Sixty years ago, biracial families and interracial marriage was almost nil, and prohibited by law in 31 states. Now, as President Biden observed recently, you cannot watch an hour of television without seeing advertisements of consumer products that feature biracial social groups and families. That's progress that goes totally unacknowledged in your comment. The advertisers have gotten it right, and are betting large sums of money that don't care all that much about racial groupings.Bill Maher's commentary last Friday, when he chided those whom he called out as 'progressophobics' for pretending that no social progress has been made. That assertion is demonstrably false, and watching Woke heads explode added to the satisfaction of them having to admit to themselves that they were wrong was immensely satisfying. Bottom line, being both stubborn and stupid in a good cause is just as wrong-headed as doing it in a bad cause. I'm more inclined to call out nitwit claiming to be progressives because their immediate goal is a self-satisfied emotional thrill. Sorry, guys, that's not on our agenda. We need to operate on the assumption that some significant fraction of those opposing us are ambivalent and not entirely sold in their opposition to measures and policies we are proposing. Everything can be improved, and the more people who get involved, the better the outcome tends to be. So apply some calculus to your method and break the problems down into solvable modules, and work from there. Reframe problems. When problems are resolved, there's more than enough credit to go around.
Yes.
Very well written, thank you. I do hope that the updated Atlantic Charter includes provisions for the protection of the planet and its natural resources as a top priority consideration in "all states to trade on equal access and on equal terms". That was certainly not a consideration in the last 100 years and it needs to be.
Perhaps it is the 14th Amendment Section 3 of the US Constitution that is the reason the Republicans in Congress are not voting for a special commission to study the Jan. 6th Insurrection:
"No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability."
Yeah, Section 3 is a bucket of water thrown at all the Confederate witches in Congress.
Yet we don't have the numbers to reach a 2/3's vote in each house. So insurrectionists, and/or their supporters, remain in Congress.
no. the amendment says it takes 2/3 to reinstate. any court finding of such activity should lead to immediate removal from office.
Whew!
That section prohibits anyone from running for state or federal office that has engaged in insurrection etc or has aided and abetted enemies of the nation unless Congress, by a 2/3 vote, has permitted it.
So, they still don't have to vote themselves out of office, because they are too numerous to count!? So we will have to.
Thanks!
Grrrr
Let's call for vote(s)! Clean our houses.
Wow Cathy, three interpretations of one little paragraph... then TC summed it up for me...thanks all.
I'd say that'd be a yep.
Exactly. But why do we need Congress to do the investigation? Why not the DOJ? In fact wouldn't that have a lot more teeth than a congressional muddle? And just what does "engage in insurrection" mean. A certain Senator from Missouri was hardly an innocent bystander. We only need 2 more votes.
Bruce… the original comment by Cathy was an opinion as to REALLY why many many members of Congress voted against the independent commission. As in discovery showing they aided and abetted the resurrection would result in immediate removal from office.
Do not think for a minute that Nancy Pelosi will allow investigation off the table. Could be another vote even for the bipartisan independent commission.
Exactly!
Likely. ❤️🤍💙
Sessions, Rosentein, and Barr deny any knowledge of the subpoenas. It seems unlikely that all three are lying, especially because Department of Justice experts have said there would be a detailed paper trail. So it raises the possibility of a Trump-authorized secret op within DOJ, an op unknown to the top officials in the department. Regardless, what's been disclosed so far likely is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Considering the seriousness and breadth of this still-building scandal, I don't see how DOJ can use an inspector general to investigate. Appoint of a special counsel seems in order.
Perhaps not all three are lying but one of them might be. That Barr hid things from Rosenstein....for sure. That Rosenstein hadn't more integrity than Barr...i think that is probably true. That Sessions was out to lunch and out of the loop....probably. Anyway, somebody had to sign the paper. Find the piece of paper...Apple at least will have a copy and would I'm sure be happy to supply the DOJ should they not find their's.....and you find the end of the strand of wool which you pull on to unknit this trumpian sweater. Over and above the subpoena itself there is the "gag order" which must also be signed. It is difficult to imagine that "unknown" entities in the DOJ would have the ear of a judge asked to impose such an order.....probably claiming "national security". There has got to be an established and recognized process on this....at least for the judge to cover his proverbial "seat" and judicial standing should the matter come to light with "unfortunate" connotations. A second strand of wool to pull on which bit by bit might get closer to Trump's skin. These trumpians usually went about their "dark works" in such stupid, inept ways that the strands should be easy to follow.
Morning, Stuart. Your comment has a poetic flow to it. Thanks!
Morning Lynell. We do what we can to help the cornflakes go down well.
Funny, this. Usually, when I have cornflakes, I have no milk; when I have milk, I have no cornflakes🤔
A little ascetic for me. I alternate days with whole wheat toast and butter and full cream milk (it has taste!) and meusli but every morning has lashings of seasonal fruit and a massive pot of tea!........after I've read Heather's morning piece. Lunch of course is often very late and frequently minimal around my coffee.
I miss cornflakes. Tell me they are more nutritious than oatmeal.
They are not. Oatmeal reigns Supreme in the category. Especially when mixed with golden flax, oat bran, chia seeds, and walnuts. Sweetener and fruit of your choice, and oat milk or almond milk. If you just have to, garnish with corn flakes! Stay close to restrooms until your pipes adjust, and throw away your probiotics.
Head to your nearest co-op grocery store and you are sure to find organic cornflakes made with non-GMO corn. Better cornflakes, yummier corn chips are available! If there is no co-op in your town, you can order online. But do your research first. Even some brands that claim to be made with non-genetically engineered corn have been found to be contaminated with GMO corn. However, going organic is more likely to be GMO free since organic certification is quite strict in most states.
Thank you! I will! Great organic foods here.
Sorry, due to Monsanto
All true and I believe this is but the tip of the iceberg in an administration that depended upon fear and intimidation to keep enemies at bay and members in line. No doubt Mueller was muffled by expressed and implied threats.
Morning fellow thinkers. Agree Stuart. Certainly an Inspector General can tug firmly on the first strand of wool. No need for special counsels at this point. The DOJ appears to be back in the proverbial saddle.
DOJ is in da house!
But, why is the DOJ still defending tRump against a rape accusation that happened before he got sovereign immunity or whatever while posing as president?
Rob, the defense is not against the rape (or rather, sexual assault, which unlike rape has a statute of limitations, now expired) but against a claim of libel because T***p called her a liar.
The libel occurred during T***p's presidency, which is the justification for defense by the DOJ.
Hmmm
Great reply, Stuart. One of the 3 stooges has to be lying. And, I believe Sessions was gone by 2018, so he may not have the "whole truth and nothing but...."
The main stooge (he even looks like one) is the Top Guy - Barr. We watched him lie to Senator Harris' face while testifying under oath.
I have no trouble believing that all 3 are lying. The lying was universal and rampant in that administration. I have more difficulty believing any one of them is telling the truth.
Stuart, I agree that the 'evidence' is there and it will turn up, probably in a most unusual way. Pentagon Papers kind of thing.
I can’t wait until the Maxwell trial
Yes! Of course!
Hitler had his special henchmen, mob bosses have their special thugs, Donald's no different
Yes, and most of them ended up on trial -- watching the clock for DJT's turn at the stand
Amen!
We already know Barr lies. Rosenstein shook Kavanaugh's hand and patted him on the back after his confirmation process performance on the floor of Congress, and so I looked for a connection. Cabal is too conspiratorial a term but conservative network (with benefits) fits.
Too many folks didn't want to believe who #45 was when he told them. Hopefully we have learned something form these dark years.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/09/bill-barr-founders/616445/
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2018/11/15/federalist-society-hls/
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/05/leonard-leo-federalist-society-voter-fraud.html
https://www.salon.com/2019/10/25/bill-barrs-alternate-universe-investigation-has-a-goal-right-wing-authoritarian-rule/
Opus Dei rides again.
There is an assumption that all 3 are telling the truth. I am not so sure.
I agree, just as comprehensible that all 3 are lying.
I'm thinking Sessions signed for it thinking he would keep DJT happy and get off his back about Russia. He was craven enough to do it. Sargent ShultzBarr just winked at the request for McGann's records, ensuring he could say "I know nothing," because the paperwork was in place already. He was slimy enough to do it. The only clueless one might have been Rosenstein. He did look like a deer caught in the headlights on his last day - or a prisoner. I always wondered why. He was naive enough to be caught by surprise. Maybe he found out hIs phone calls, texts, and emails were also asked for. We haven't heard a peep from him since he went back to a private life. What is he doing these days?
It shouldn’t be too hard to find out, if they want to. It could open a Pandora’s box, since Obama was pretty aggressive about finding leakers, too.
As it has been pointed out, finding “leakers” has always been a priority for protecting national intelligence. And every administration has done so. Why you suggest a Pandora’s box and President Obama in the same sentence diverts attention. Or tries to. Similar to a news network I choose not to listen to.
I agree with you. Perhaps “Pandora’s box” was the wrong image. I only refer to Obama because some of the same actors from his administration are likely to still be around, while those of earlier presidents would not be.
Well, what about this one??
https://www.change.org/p/free-julian-assange-before-it-s-too-late-stop-usa-extradition/u/29202906
Just forget all the denigrating stories that have been written about him - this is one of the worst "leaker" issues for the 2020's. At least Daniel Ellsberg didn't cop this.
Julian Assange should be dangling from a rope till the corpse rots off it. Mentioning that worthless piece of shit at the same time Ellsberg is mentioned is the purest of intellectual dimness (and that's giving it as much credit as possible) Ellsberg did it because he loved his country and thought they needed to know what had been done in their name. Assange did it because he's a troll.
Thank you TC so I did not have to respond.
I think that your comments only underscore how incredibly effective the 10+ years of demonization of Assange has been. Sadly, the result for him is a bit like the refrain from the song about Ned Kelly "Poor old Ned, you're better off dead" - maybe you should inform yourselves about the history of "Get Assange"
it's long and horrible, and casts some serious light over the "secret state" and its machinations (and the willingness of the media - think the Guardian - to go along with it).
It is perhaps worth noting that a parking violation and capital murder, while both crimes, are hardly in the same class and by no means equivalent.
I wouldn’t leave Matthew Whitaker out of the mix. Three months is long enough to get into a heap of trouble
Excellent point. He was among the consummate Trump lackeys.
He certainly had no clue. And he was in there 11/18 to 2/19, so the timing seems to fit.
Nitwityahoo accused Biden (with regard to the Iranian nuclear deal) of allowing Jews to be killed the way they were when Roosevelt wouldn't order the bombing of Auschwitz in 1944. As the resident WW2 technical expert here, I guess it's up to me to point out that, in 1944, US bombers based in the UK didn't have the range to fly to Auschwitz with a useful load of bombs, unless t he Soviets would have allowed them to fly a shuttle mission, landing in Soviet territory as they did in Operation Frantic. I doubt Uncle Joe would have agreed. As it was, during the Warsaw Rising that August, the RAF and USAAF sent planes to drop supplies to Warsaw. Each plane was able to carry approximately 200 pounds of supplies, with an overload of fuel for the round trip, since the Soviets wouildn't allow shuttle missions (since Stalin had ordered the Red Army to sit on the other side of the Vistula and let the Germans kill the people he knew would oppose what he had planned for Poland). 200 pounds as a bombload wouldn't have amounted to one bomb.
But Nitwityahoo, like any other far right moron, never lets truth get in the way of another chance to mislead the rubes.
You are insulting actual yahoos who may be ignorant but not as malicious and attention-seeking.
not to mention actual nitwits ;-)
Haha.
Thank you for your morning report, TC. Clear the cobwebs. The spider has vamoosed.
Your knowledge is treasured here! Thank you.
Nitwityahoo = TFG, idt, and DT? That's a new one.
Nitwityahoo = Netanyahu of Israel.
Yes it was good to welcome President Biden onto our soil. Quite a large crowd turned out at RAF Mildenhall (65 miles from where we live - a mere stone's throw to you Americans) to see him land. However most of those interviewed on local television admitted that they had come to see Air Force One, not who was inside it. Yet it was so reassuring to see the avuncular figure of Biden emerging (I wasn't there by the way!) and calmly telling us that America is back.
The scenes in Cornwall were also encouraging with the great and good descending on one of our most picturesque counties and installing themselves in a hotel that had a faint resemblance to the one in Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (though much posher). Then 3 generations of the Royal Family showed up (that must be a first), and the Queen made a joke.
Justin Trudeau needs a haircut. Macron should restrain himself from putting his arm round everyone and we still need to sort out the Northern Ireland problem.
Good to get a faint feeling of optimism. Thanks as usual Heather.
PS I am still no relation of William Barr (apart from the one who is my brother).
Thank You for the insightful UK perspective Richard. The last time I saw Air Force One (and 15 minutes later Air Force 2) it was flying over my house right before the elections, for a last ditch rally in town with the former guy. I screamed at the sky. It felt like a military invasion. How wonderful to again see it as a marvel. P.S. Am I the only latter day hippie who likes Justin Trudeau's long hair?
No, no: you’ve got company.
My first, last and only view of AirForce One was 29 October 1998 when we were in Florida to watch John Glenn being launched into space on the Shuttle Discovery. Bill Clinton stopped by to wish him well - obviously a much happier experience of yours. I only noted Trudeau's hair in passing. It was much shorter and tidier than mine was for many months during lockdown, so who am I to complain?
Ah, Richard, the French can't help themselves with the affection, right? ;) So nice to hear your perspective.
Yes Justin Trudeau does need a haircut.
At least it’s his own hair…
😂
I must admit...I preferred the cut of his father!
Much as I love hirsute men, yes, he needs a haircut. ☺️
“There are lots of moving pieces in the world right now.”
The Grandparent of understatements, Professor.
As is often the case, there is a line in your Letters that drives directly to the heart of things that concern this reader.
Politicians - elected, self-appointed, autocratic – you name the stripe, bring to mind a group of powerful people scrambling to garner support for their vision of the future – some sincerely trying to do good as they see it, others trying to avoid prison or irrelevance, others filling their coffers with treasure, and those simply enamored with the maintaining control (whatever they might mean today).
Many people look to these “leaders” for solutions, others reject them as illegitimate or untrustworthy, and still others, simply tolerate them as they move through their daily lives putting one foot in front of the other in an attempt to get through the day without losing ground.
All this while our planet tumbles toward climatic catastrophe; hunger, disease and violence run rampant, and billionaires compete for seats on rockets to spin them away from it all.
I would have to agree there are many moving pieces in the world right now, but for all the movement, there is little that looks like hope for solutions comprehensive enough to give us a chance to survive much less thrive. And by “us” I mean all of us – the global us, because nations matter to the same extent that fingers and toes matter to the survival of the body: They are instrumental only when part of a unified whole.
The nagging question is: Where, what, or is there, a brain – collective or otherwise – to marshal the resources of the planet to deal with the existential issues before us?
Social change tends to work from the ground up, rather than a brain working top down. The scene on the ground may be a populace vulnerable to control by a nefarious brain at the top. In our democratic republic, the brain is us, crafting our messages and reaching out for community to make our voices heard.
We particularly need to make our voices heard to counter the build up of state legislatures poised to enact a legal coup by not certifying the presidential election in 2024 if the traditional winner is a Democrat.
As I said, the “brain” can be collective.
And I agree that local change is often from the ground – up.
But my comment was directed more toward the global perspective where we need action sooner than later. For that to happen, there needs to be push – serious, focused push.
I don’t have the answer, but I expect whatever the answer may be, it is neither simple nor traditional.
Good day to you R Dooley! I am an advocate of bottom up action and also I see our nation getting stalled with carrying out good ideas because of of the energy put in from “both sides” to freeze inertia of change.
I am beginning to BELIEVE the answer lies in the differences of the generation(s) coming up. The young adults….and I frame that age range loosely in 18-45….there’s something very different about them and I credit what we who have raised them have contributed. Their blinders are off, they confront dissonance with a firm shrug, and they have this confidence at a young age that took me years to hone. They are not afraid of change and I have seen their eyebrow raised recently at the stale routines of racism continuing. THEY have toppled the caste ladder amongst themselves and intuitively know the power of 1+1 = 3. A circle allows for differing opinions and values. However, it does not allow one to shove a boot on one below you trying to better themselves. They just appear, to me, to collectively understand betterment of one is betterment for all.
Perhaps simplistic on my part, but then our greatest minds in history and our writer of the Letters understands the power of simplicity of truth in detangling the mess of lies obscuring and obstructing change.
I agree Christine with your hope resting on the younger generations. My fear is if these new state laws remain on the books snd enforced is that the younger and more inclusive generations will be hand tied....with a knee on the neck to suppress change and democracy. I hope grassroots efforts and voices prevail. 🙏🏻
My fervent hope matches yours, Sharon. The gens that I speak of are gaining MUCH greater influence at the polls. Their demographic is very concerning to autocratic principled politicians.
That is very encouraging to hear. Too many of our citizens are complacent regarding what is happening to our democracy. Not really complacent...disengaged and therefore uninformed.
Keep at it!
From your lips Christine.
And it certainly does not involve billionaires trying to get their rocks off aboard a brief trip to space. THAT story was simply abysmal in my mind. Did I miss something?
Playing their fiddles while Rome burns. Or maybe they think they can get out of here before the planet implodes. Real profiles in courage.
I wish they would all get on board something and leave because they are the very people who have destroyed the planet. So, ah buh bye! 👏
You missed nothing. It’s their “escape hatch” theory. Based on their, for example, aggravating tendency to weaponize theories such as Critical Race Theory to win elections.
I am reminded of the scene in Independence Day (the original) where, following the alien attack, and the mustering of forces to defeat it across national and oppositional boundaries (thinking in particular of the shot with the Russians talking over their device saying "the American's have figured out a plan" along with the one of Israeli and Palestinian forces assembled at a border agreeing to cooperate) and the actor playing the president says, in the middle of his pep talk "Mankind. That has a whole new meaning today, doesn't it?"
I really hope that we don't have to have a hostile alien invasion intent on destroying the planet (that we are destroying, but I digress) in order to get us to work together. COVID-19 could have been that agent, but it wasn't serious enough to get us to work together...
The film 'Arrival' does a very fine job of addressing this cooperation between countries in the face of extraterrestrial arrival.
Yes, Ally. I think we are close to such a moment. One could say we are there but for the Alien attack element ... Ours is more like a suicide intervention.
Interesting side note: I had just read an article on the dangers of trying to reach out to Extraterrestrials before Earth had all come together on a protocol for speaking with them, about ten minutes before I wrote this comment today.
Fascinating!
We already have an alien attack...QAnon!
Ooooo, yes, Ally. Independence Day. Watch it every July!
Same here. And irritate the heck out of our family by quoting all the lines ahead of time... My favorite? "We have GOT to work on our communication"
On June 19, 1865, when word of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached the enslaved people in Texas, did Lincoln’s crew say “We have GOT to work on our communication?” Probably not. Lincoln had been assassinated two months earlier.
and our courageous child of our Universe, Greta persists in doing all she can....
If that is true, maybe the migrating hoards have the answer. Whodda thunkit?
“Today, Israel’s legislature, the Knesset, voted 60 to 59 to support a new coalition and oust right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been in power for 12 years and who is currently under indictment for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. The session was heated, with people yelling and at least seven members escorted out. In Netanyahu’s final speech, he pledged to ‘topple this dangerous government and return to lead the country in our way.’”
Netanyahu’s words and actions are reminiscent of Trump’s following his November election loss. Much like Trump, he too faces legal peril for various crime and corruption charges held at bay only by having his hands on the levers of executive power. Without access to those levers his legal peril may well find him now worse than merely deposed from office.
It is important for the future of the Rule of Law in both Israel and the U.S. to demonstrate that those who break the law will be held accountable regardless of what levers of power they may have previously held. No one should be beyond being subject to the Rule of Law.
In both countries we will be tested on this for the world to observe if we are truly committed to this principle. Those Israeli and U.S. citizens of good conscience must support this principle and it’s application to former leaders now exposed or the principle will lose its meaning, not only in the U.S. and Israel, but for all the world. We will be tested. Let us hope we are prepared for those tests and will pass.
It's a problem when a leader of government is above the law as long as he manages to stay in office.
Or, even after their removal from office.
The ghosts of the evil-doers Don and Bebe continue to destroy their respective countries when out of office. Will it take a take a stake through the heart?
"A lot of moving pieces," indeed!
And it's incredible that the so-called checks and balances of power in our government seem to have failed so miserably under 45's reign of lawlessness and moral bankruptcy, in that he had so many so willing to cater to his demands. Truly frightening in that if nothing changes significantly, in a future election there may be a candidate with 45's narcissistic autocratic intentions but with higher intelligence, charisma and eloquence.
The people who are responsible for exercising the checks & balances REFUSED to do so. Politicians in Congress REFUSED to follow the Constitution and exercise over the executive branch and the president. It’s so disheartening that the R’s basically said “So what” to djt’s crimes.
Exercise oversight over the executive branch is what I meant to say.
We often write here about Trump as if he were a solo act but I think we're all aware, even if we sometimes forget, that Trump himself is not too bright, knew nothing about US or world history when he became POTUS, made no effort to enlighten himself and in fact surrounded himself with advisors like Kushner who disdained history as HCR indicated in her previous letter about the middle east. The scariest thing to me about Trump being the 45th was that he was the puppet of some very dangerous thinking people (Stephen Miller, Steve Bannon, and their ilk). The reality that they couldn't completely control his personality and temperment and tweets only seemed to make him more popular among his base. As you say, Janice, truly frightening that there may well be a future candidate who embodies the puppet master minds with a much more eloquent mouth. Such a person could bring a lot of Republicans currently with a bad taste in their mouths about Trump back into the fold.
I think you can count on it.
There are all sorts of intelligence. Of the current breed of would-be trumps, the intelligence to lead their way out of an open barn is not evident. And as for eloquence and charisma........words fail me....even if such an absence of vocabulary and personality has never bothered any of them.
Trumpists and reactionaries tend to be low in the domain of emotional intelligence--hence prone to reactivity instead of reasoned response. Charisma is in the eye of the beholder. Eloquence will be a dangerously seductive quality of a prospective autocratic candidate.
I'm not sure Trumpists and reactionaries would recognize eloquence if it bit them in the ass. Eloquence requires a bit more than Trump's 300 word vocabulary and 3rd grader's reading skills. They just want to hear simple slogans they can use to denigrate the Libs.
Charisma schmarisma! Just give them a candidate who can rile up a crowd!
trumpers see him as a genius and see Biden as a doddering old man with Alzheimer’s...where is their reality?
With DT as the benchmark, the reach is a short one.
😞
Oh, dear.
Read “The Executive Order” by David Fisher.
Anti democracy seems to be another pandemic. Like Covid-19 wasn’t bad enough.
It seemed suspicious to me that Lindsey Graham did such a 180 on Trump, and that was early on. I know it sounds paranoid or whatever, but I always wonder if Trump had dug around and gotten some kind of dirt on Graham and was holding it over his head. Ditto Mitch. Ditton others. Definitely seems like something Trump and his thug buddies would do.
Oh there's tons of dirt on Graham and Moscow Mitch and his wife--and it's hiding in plain sight. But they hope their own state constituents will look the other way.
Boy, it is going to be one hell of a movie.
Charlie, documentary!
A series I'm sure.
Now you’re talking’.
That was my first thought as well. Graham's "change of heart" seemed almost instantaneous - on the golf course, wasn't it?
Good morning everyone! As I was reading this letter, I was also perusing the news from other outlets and bring you a news update from the utterly unhinged state of Missouri. This past weekend was the Ghastly Oh-So-Racist Party's convention--hilariously called the "Lincoln Days"--featuring that super appalling hank of hair Joshy Hawley. They hold every state-wide seat except that of MO State Auditor, held by the very talented and able Nicole Galloway. So they are gunning for her, especially because she put the scare in the mumblefest governor Mike Parson (more on him later) when she ran against him in 2020. They are also concerned about the open senate seat so they plan on doing everything they can to suppress the vote in the two major metro areas (where the only two Dem congresspeople serve) in order to "sweep" Missouri. https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2021-06-13/missouri-republicans-craft-messages-they-hope-lead-to-statewide-sweep-in-2022
On Saturday the resembles-a-box-of-rocks governor signed a bill that invalidates ALL federal gun laws "past, present, and future" and also bars local law enforcement from assisting in the enforcement of any gun control laws and makes it permissible to sue individuals in law enforcement for "failure to protect the 2nd Amendment rights of citizens." https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-06-12/missouri-law-enforcement-no-longer-required-to-enforce-federal-gun-laws
Now, mind you, the cops in Missouri are all about being protected from prosecution and maintaining the "qualified immunity" status of individual cops. So this looks like it could be a super interesting confrontation between the MO state legislature and the police unions. Why bother to investigate gun crimes if you're a cop in Missouri? It's just citizens exercising their 2nd Amendment rights after all. I think the (I have so many expletives in my head right now) white boyz who think this is going to be a way that they can kill non-white folks with impunity are going to be in for a surprise. They think that this is going to protect their caches of AR-15s? Well, when the locals in the rural counties start shooting each other and the cops don't come to restore order because some szlub of a cop could get sued, there could be a change of heart. Or maybe the (more expletives) will just hope and pray.
I have no doubt that papers have been filed in court this morning to put a stop to this utterly imbecilic piece of legislation but if this doesn't provide a stark example of why we need to have an overwhelming response against these forces of evil, then I don't know what is. At least the superior court put a stop to the appalling MO anti-female law the white boyz tried to get past them. Small comfort if people "exercising" their "rights" consider women to be expendable and start shooting their wives and girlfriends because they could be, y'know, insurrectionists.
Give me strength.
Good morning Linda! Agggghhhhh. Hank of Hair Hawley. Just when you think creative naming has slipped. Perfect.
Good morning, Linda! I've been following (via TRMS) the story regarding wrongly convicted for murder Kevin Strickland, and the Governor's "not a priority" to reflect the 40 years he's' been in custody as anything other than a priority. As I Googled to get Strickland's name, I saw the story where he said he would pardon the white St. Louis couple from a couple years ago "if they were convicted". Priorities indeed.
Ally, even more heinous is his rationale: that Strickland should not "jump the line" and that there is a backlog of pardons--when he has been governor for over 4 years. So whose backlog is this??? It is horrific.
Exactly so. I cannot fathom the hubris here, either.
It's not hubris it's know-nothing racism, pure and simple.
Indeed it is.
Good morning Linda I-Have-So-Many-Expletives-In-My-Head-Right-Now Mitchell. This should be your new LFAA name.
Women and girlfriends might consider exercising their "purchasing power" via online as opposed to local businesses. Pressure on businesses and no females to shoot...what will those white boyz do with themselves this summer...all those AR-15s and no innocents to target? Wow. Guess where I will NOT be vacationing this summer! I'm so sorry. I read between the lines of your post and I share every one of those unwritten expletives!
Linda, I’d never know if you hadn’t posted this just how awful things are there. God bless you and keep you.
The last guy has spread a contagion through his party, nation, and throughout the world, to poison free elections at the very least. It is time to pull our nation back together and stand against him and his minions. Stop dithering and begin charging these people for their crimes!
The far right wing around the world taking up the Trump cry of election fraud. He has infected democracies around the entire planet.
I’m soooo tired of hearing his name....
One for the playbook in "Dictator" magazine.
So what happens now? Will anyone be held accountable? Bill Barr? trump? Or is this just another un-democratic act that becomes precedent just as the memo that claims “no sitting President can be indicted” has basically been treated as law of the land? Any one of these breaking news stories over the past week would have taken down a party just 6 years ago. Not so with the party of trump.
Sharon, totally agree! It’s past time for the dems to ditch bipartisanship and do what’s right to save our democracy. The Democrats seem to be the only ones caring about it anyway. It has done no good acquiring a senate majority if they’re not willing to do what NEEDS to be done. McConnell still has control.
I hope good, positive news is not too much for US citizens and Republicans.
What can we do to rid our air waves of FOX? We need better standards for truth in broadcasting across all media, air and internet. The First Amendment should not be a garbage can, dump site or pollution source for lies and conspiracy theories. How can we fix this?
Hi David - We might consider restoring the FCC Fairness Doctrine. I learned a bit this morning from reading the wikipedia entry linked below and following up one of its references to a 2005 fair.org review ("How we lost it, and why we need it back"). Note that this could help with the "air waves" but not necessarily the cable networks. Thanks for your question.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCC_fairness_doctrine
https://fair.org/extra/the-fairness-doctrine/
I believe it’s doubtful that the fairness doctrine or other regulatory measure is the answer… at least not by itself. But there are things all of us and the rest of the Biden/Harris (majority) can do right now.
“It’s the money, stupid.”
Fox rakes in a lot of its money through media and cable bundling fees, and arguably they make more from Biden/Harris voters than trump voters because there are more of us. But we (most of us) continue to pay Xfinity, Sling and other bundles our monthly fees and Fox continues to rake in a handful of our dollars every month while we fret and bitch about Hannity and Carlson.
Everyone of us should stop today, examine what we pay for and unsubscribe from any bundle that includes Fox News (one America newsmax and others). That may mean affecting other ambulance chasing outlets, CNN, MSNBC. (but to they don’t abide by a fairness doctrine either). Our media world has changed a lot since Reagan’s 2nd term so let’s stop pretending we can just turn back the clock. Regulation comes and goes, but money always counts.
Good reminder to act on our cable providers. Thank you!
Thank you ❤️🤍💙
What would count for fairness? A Biden/Harris supporter on one side, maybe, or a Bernie Sanders or Eizabeth Warren supporter. But who on the right? Cruz? Cotton? McCarthy? Scalise? Someone else who also bought into the big lie? Do you give patently false claptrap equal time with views based in verifiable evidence?
Good question, I was hoping Mike Bloomberg would make Rupert a deal he couldn’t refuse with a non compete agreement and shut the whole thing down, just think how much the nation would benefit from that.
I believe it’s doubtful that the fairness doctrine or other regulatory measure is the answer… at least not by itself. But there are things all of us and the rest of the Biden/Harris (majority) can do right now.
“It’s the money, stupid.”
Fox rakes in a lot of its money through media and cable bundling fees, and arguably they make more from Biden/Harris voters than trump voters because there are more of us. But we (most of us) continue to pay Xfinity, Sling and other bundles our monthly fees and Fox continues to rake in a handful of our dollars every month while we fret and bitch about Hannity and Carlson.
Everyone of us should stop today, examine what we pay for and unsubscribe from any bundle that includes Fox News (one America newsmax and others). That may mean affecting other ambulance chasing outlets, CNN, MSNBC. (but to they don’t abide by a fairness doctrine either). Our media world has changed a lot since Reagan’s 2nd term so let’s stop pretending we can just turn back the clock. Regulation comes and goes, but money always counts.
DavidfromMissouri, bachelors of journalism, University of Missouri School of Journalism, 1979.