Just before midnight tonight, the Department of Justice filed a brief asking the Supreme Court to invalidate the Affordable Care Act-- also known as Obamacare—the health care law that has enabled millions of Americans to get health insurance.
I don't understand why in general, we continue to frequently call it Obamacare (and the ACA) and not only refer to it as the Affordable Care Act. It wasn't President Obama personally guaranteeing affordable health care it is the consequence of the Act being passed. Of course it was his initiative but he didn't name it Obamacare. It's like calling Social Security, Roosevelt Retirement Fund. I strongly believe the name we use makes a difference in how it is perceived.
Well sure. That was the whole point. The Republicans gave it that name, but as the ACA became popular I think pushback to the Obamacare moniker ceased as some Democrats believed it to be a badge. True Obamacare would have included the public option or just straight Medicare expansion, but the ACA ended up a screwy compromise courtesy of the private insurance lobby. But to this day, I think the name "Obamacare" polarizes. Progressives like it, conservatives hate it. But many middle-class Americans have come to value it in the face of ridiculously high medical costs. But regardless, Obamacare it is and will stay.
Every time you think these scum can't be as mendacious, malicious and malevolent as you see they are, not to mention as ignorant, unintelligent, and celebratory of their stupidity as they are, they say "Hold my Diet Coke" and do something as depraved, ignorant, malicious and malevolent as this.
With any luck, they'll set themselves up with this to be destroyed and discredited even more thoroughly than they were in 1932. The Confederate White People's Treason Party needs to be destroyed in detail.
And once this is over, I will NEVER forgive any of these scum for the choices they've made the past 5 years.
I took that to mean he was wearing that as a badge of honor. As in, only the right kind of person loves him , and the wrong sort of people don't love him.
My God, the depravity of this administration knows no limits. I hope The Lincoln Project takes note of this and creates their most searing ad to date. Thank you for the time, effort and brilliance you bring to your letters. I am beyond grateful for having this port in the storm. Just started listening to your new book. So it’s kinda HCR all day/every day here in deep red Louisiana. 😊
Just used that very expression - “port in the storm” to describe HCR and these letters to a friend who I purchased a gift subscription for 😊 I think this might be the only sane place on the internet.
Renee Lawhun, a majority of the money I set aside to donate monthly to political campaigns goes to the Lincoln Project. Their ads are great. I have suggested on their Facebook pages that they do a "In your gut, you know he's nuts" themed ad.
Oh Sharon, THANK YOU! I can’t believe I hadn’t thought to donate to the Lincoln Project. 🤦🏻♀️ Will do so as soon as I’m done here. And your “In your gut” slogan is so funny, yet profound. Because yes, many of them do know! I love It.
Thank you, but it's not my mine. When HCR was talking about Goldwater during one of her weekly lectures, she mentioned how Democrats countered Goldwater's 1964 Presidential campaign slogan "In Your Heart You Know He's Right" with the slogan "In Your Gut You Know He's Nuts". I loved it! You should check out whether your state has a Lincoln Project Facebook page. The Michigan group is great.
Renee, I’m with you on the non stop-no drop HCR! I’m reading “To Make Men Free”, listening to the video lessons and totally invested in this group. But wouldn’t you agree that it’s made us so much more knowledge about all of these issues and the historical perspectives?
Yes! The backdrop of history provided by “Letters from an American” and the videos sharpened the edges of current events for me. I have more clarity now. I can see the arc from “then” to “now”. So powerful.
"Republicans have vowed to get rid of the ACA since it became a law in 2010. Their opposition is based in their larger objection to an activist government that regulates business, provides a basic social safety net, and promotes infrastructure. Such a government, today’s Republicans argue, is essentially socialism: it prohibits an individual’s ability to control one’s business without government interference, and it redistributes wealth from the haves to the have-nots through taxes.
In 2014, Fox News Channel personality Bill O’Reilly explained: “Obamacare is a pure income redistribution play. That means President Obama and the Democratic Party want to put as much money into the hands of the poor and less affluent as they can and the healthcare subsidies are a great way to do just that. And of course, the funds for those subsidies are taken from businesses and affluent Americans who have the cash…. Income redistribution is a hallmark of socialism and we, in America, are now moving in that direction. That has angered the Republican Party and many conservative Americans who do not believe our capitalistic system was set up to provide cradle to grave entitlements…. Obamacare is much more than providing medical assets to the poor. It's about capitalism versus socialism.”
The only way I can explain this kind of thinking is that somehow Republicans have been raised to believe that people are basically bad and that life is a zero-sum game; therefore, they have to defend themselves in all things. They seem to have no belief in religious faith that emphasizes loving one's brother, nor in social science that shows that collaboration (working together to achieve common goals) builds a more effective society/economy than competing for everything. Competition, which can be useful in some things, has become their religion.... along with red herring causes like anti-abortion laws and anti-LGBTQ laws...... They put property and shareholders ahead of people/customers/employees.... it is a tragic sadness that so many of the most influential have bought into Ayn Rand, extreme overextension of Milton Friedman's work, and fundamentalist religions... regarding how to treat others....... Our Business Schools and law schools have perverted the thinking with false notions like corporations being solely responsible to shareholders.......... It seems very difficult to break through this kind of defensive thinking. My experience is that it requires affective learning even more than cognitive...and the problem is that Our Republican friends seem to be totally out of touch with their feelings and frightened to death of experiencing any feelings.....therefore they have cut themselves off from the very data they need to understand how people can thrive in effective collaborative enterprises...
When I read that book, every time I saw the name James McGill Buchanan, I was reminded of Ulysses Everett McGill, George Clooney's character in "O Brother Where Art Thou."
It seemed almost providential that MacLean was able to find and read that source documentation, since it was clear that the authors never wanted the public to see them. Amazing expose of the Right's plans for America.
Republicans -- the Republicans in the Senate now and Republicans at-large -- seem to harbor a persistent unacknowledged belief in (or default to) divine right and hierarchy that they refuse to see or take responsibility for. It is evident in their attitudes and their complete unwillingness to concede, even an iota, on any matter, and will stick to their tired recitations about socialism.
Ibram X. Kendi writes in his book Stamped From The Beginning about Richard Mathers and John Cotton who in 1630 gave the farewell sermon to hundreds of Puritan founders of New England communities, blessing their fulfillment of God’s prophetic vision. As dissenters from the Church of England, Puritans believed themselves to be God’s chosen piece of humanity, a special superior people, and New England , their Israel, was to be their exceptional land.
Thanks! I'm not aware of that book but will want to at least check it out soon. Then, rhetorically, how did that evolve in the south to include the (divine) right to hold others in bondage and later to include the words "manifest destiny?"
There is a strain of thought I've run across a few times now. It posits that white Europeans are in fact a favored race, as shown by their intelligence and industry in colonizing large swaths of the world, molding it and the native people they found to their will. Some claim this favor is bestowed by God, other's say it's biological. Generally followed by statements to the effect that allowing equivalent rights and opportunities to non-white people is a betrayal to whites' inherent ability to improve the world for everyone! I am not making this up, as much as I find it shocking and provably nonsense. Having Irish ancestry I'm quite aware that having light skin is no guarantee of acceptance by other "white" races. I think Jared Diamond did a good job explaining the quirks of history Europeans took advantage of to dominate the globe.
All this to say that yes, I think you are right about many Republicans' belief in their divine right to rule. Even Republicans of color can be covered under a slightly broader interpretation that those who are financially successful are in some way chosen by Providence, and have a responsibility to lead. I consider this philosophy self serving and based on fantasy, but it seems powerfully narcotic to those under it's sway.
Nicely observed and explained. Thanks for sharing these thoughts.
The only aspect that I think is missing from your observation is racism. I see it in every Republican I know personally (I live in a red State) and every one I see operating on the national and state stage. It colors (pun intended) everything they think, feel, and do. It drives their opinions and policies. Misogyny is a close second. These are ingrained attitudes that are very difficult to change, as we know. That's why out-numbering, out-voicing, and out-voting them is paramount at this time. And we must sustain our collective Democratic power once we regain it--we see what happens to citizens when Republicans are in charge during a crisis.
I don't watch Faux Noise, so I missed this: "In 2014, Fox News Channel personality Bill O’Reilly explained: 'Obamacare is a pure income redistribution play. ..."
After reading it, Bill O'Reilly has me sold on SOCIALISM. What's not to like about taking money from billionaires who have gotten obscenely rich from the working class toils and redistributing it to their benefit, like the civilized, industrial nations of Europe have managed to do.
Rob Boyle, I agree! This wealth disparity has gone on for too long. I was watching Madison Cawthorn on "The View" and he was going on about the ACA. He was in a very serious car accident when he was 18 and was paralyzed. He commented if he lived in Canada at the time of the accident he would have died. I call BS on that. I have a friend in Canada who was in a serious car accident and swears if he lived in the United States he would not be walking. And from what I know about the Healthcare system I have to agree. While I live in Michigan, I am seriously thinking about sending money to Madison Cawthorn's opponent who seems very qualified.
OK, don't judge, but I am stuck on the fact you watched Hannity last night. Way to take one for the team. Watching Hannity makes me physically ill. The rest of it I have no words. I lied! Going after ACA, AGAIN! What a boneheaded thing to do.
The timing of this is stunning. I fervently hope it provides the nail in his electoral coffin. The cruelty takes one’s breath away. I can’t imagine that the Republican Party will survive this. Botched pandemic+ensuing economic collapse+rip away the meager health care we’ve got=GOP’s funeral. It is sickening and mortifying at once.
“And he is going to be president because some people don’t love me, maybe. ....”
There is a tone of resignation, even certainty in his statement. I've learned not to put too much stock in what he says, but his bumbling response to Hannity's question about second term agenda said much, mostly for what it didn't say--he has no plan. He had to know the question would come up; Hannity traveled WITH him to Wisconsin. If that's the best he can offer in a friendly setting, just imagine the how debates will expose his failings--live before a large national audience.
Anxious to hear your thoughts on a Trump resignation, a prospect you've long held was a distinct possibility.
I think his psychopathy prevents him from ever resigning. Narcissistic Personality Disorder prevents him from EVER admitting to himself that he is wrong, stupid, incompetent or cruel.
This is perhaps a good thing, as he won't step down and allow Pence to pardon him. Then when he's out, we can cart him and his cronies (and family) off to jail.
It interests me that the Republicans who want this Act removed have constituents who only have healthcare because of this Act. Even more interesting will be what those same constituents will say if it is removed. How many times do people have to be stomped on before they stop singing the praises of a man who only cares about them for their vote and nothing more?
Jean McCarthy, it boogles the mind. Sometimes I wonder if they realize they are being stomped on. I have cousins who can't run two dimes together and they think Trump is God.
I have a friend from La who was baffled by her family’s support of Trump. Then she read, and so did I, “Strangers in Their Own Land” by Arlie Hochshild. I highly recommend it.
Let’s speak for a moment about the government subsidies that the rich get to keep them in business. Without them they would not be able to continue to amass wealth. Asking the wealthy to pay their fair share and not be subsidized never comes up. Hypocrisy as a defector from them robbing the rest of us.
The nerve of him to ask SCOTUS to invalidate what is still law. SCOTUS isn't there to make law, so by extension it cannot simply invalidate law. Isn't that the job of Congress? Shouldn't that be how SCOTUS should respond to Trump and Barr? Shouldn't SCOTUS respond that "We're not here to carry out your personal animus" for the whole country to hear?
Question: Where is all the money Mike Bloomberg said he was committing to getting Trump out of office? We need way more than the (exRepublicans) Lincoln Project. With the Coronavirus, many of us are not in a position to donate funds to political campaigns.... back to big money donors?
I think Pelosi's and Biden's comments are accurate but ineffective in influencing anyone -- remember that for many on the right, the cruelty is the point. They thrive on anger, hate, and fear. I have long held that this sort of messaging needs to be accompanied by a [planned, deliberate] "rogue" voice that calls it out as idiocy. In my view, humiliation and mockery (of the figures and policies at the top, not the lowly individuals) are the only things that can disrupt that mindset. Liberals may have higher EQs, but they are strangely and frustratingly inept when it comes to propaganda.
"Emancipation proclamation, No taxation without representation."
When I was a little girl, I didn't get bedtime stories. My mom gave me history lessons.
She prepared me for this day. It never hit me until recently what she taught me.
She would have me repeat "Emancipation proclamation, No taxation without representation."
She was pregnant with me in the summer of '67. Nixon was in office, we had race riots. She taught me that the slaves were not truly freed.
We are witnessing taxation without representation. Puerto Rico is a prime example.
They are taking away our rights. One spoonful at a time. We as Americans have allowed ourselves to become enslaved.
But the biggest and most IMPORTANT one is voter suppression. You know we are experiencing voter suppression. And that's what scares me the most.
They are also attempting to kill off the USPS. They have hackable voting machines tied to mirror servers. Where the tally counts can be changed with the click of a key.
There was one polling place in McConnel's state of KY. ONE place for for 600k voters. I can go on. This is why we need to vote by mail. My new motto is: Vote by mail! We need a paper trail!
Yes, I've been thinking recently that tRump's objection to voting by mail is more than his fear than everyone voting will mean he loses. Mail ballots are paper. Only old-fashioned tricks of 'losing' and miscounting them are available. His Russian buddies have no way to hack them, unlike the internet-attached "voterless voting machines" without paper trails used in too many states.
On another front is the effort to get DC established as the 51st state. It may take a while, but it seems inevitab.e The District is an interesting entity, and one I know little about, but would like to (hint Heather).
I don't understand why in general, we continue to frequently call it Obamacare (and the ACA) and not only refer to it as the Affordable Care Act. It wasn't President Obama personally guaranteeing affordable health care it is the consequence of the Act being passed. Of course it was his initiative but he didn't name it Obamacare. It's like calling Social Security, Roosevelt Retirement Fund. I strongly believe the name we use makes a difference in how it is perceived.
Well sure. That was the whole point. The Republicans gave it that name, but as the ACA became popular I think pushback to the Obamacare moniker ceased as some Democrats believed it to be a badge. True Obamacare would have included the public option or just straight Medicare expansion, but the ACA ended up a screwy compromise courtesy of the private insurance lobby. But to this day, I think the name "Obamacare" polarizes. Progressives like it, conservatives hate it. But many middle-class Americans have come to value it in the face of ridiculously high medical costs. But regardless, Obamacare it is and will stay.
Absolutely!!
Every time you think these scum can't be as mendacious, malicious and malevolent as you see they are, not to mention as ignorant, unintelligent, and celebratory of their stupidity as they are, they say "Hold my Diet Coke" and do something as depraved, ignorant, malicious and malevolent as this.
With any luck, they'll set themselves up with this to be destroyed and discredited even more thoroughly than they were in 1932. The Confederate White People's Treason Party needs to be destroyed in detail.
And once this is over, I will NEVER forgive any of these scum for the choices they've made the past 5 years.
I like your vocabulary. 😊
Marcy Meldahl, me too 😊
“Some people don’t love me.” One moment of self-awareness in his raging narcissism.
I took that to mean he was wearing that as a badge of honor. As in, only the right kind of person loves him , and the wrong sort of people don't love him.
And I read it as an expression of narcissistic victimhood. The man falls further every day.
My God, the depravity of this administration knows no limits. I hope The Lincoln Project takes note of this and creates their most searing ad to date. Thank you for the time, effort and brilliance you bring to your letters. I am beyond grateful for having this port in the storm. Just started listening to your new book. So it’s kinda HCR all day/every day here in deep red Louisiana. 😊
Just used that very expression - “port in the storm” to describe HCR and these letters to a friend who I purchased a gift subscription for 😊 I think this might be the only sane place on the internet.
Renee and Debbie, I agree! HCR is a "port in the storm". I learned so much from this community.
That’s exactly what It feel like to me, Debbie - the only sane place on the internet. 😊. And I needed that!
Renee Lawhun, a majority of the money I set aside to donate monthly to political campaigns goes to the Lincoln Project. Their ads are great. I have suggested on their Facebook pages that they do a "In your gut, you know he's nuts" themed ad.
Oh Sharon, THANK YOU! I can’t believe I hadn’t thought to donate to the Lincoln Project. 🤦🏻♀️ Will do so as soon as I’m done here. And your “In your gut” slogan is so funny, yet profound. Because yes, many of them do know! I love It.
i am on a conference call with the Lincoln Project. In the Q & A, I suggested an "In your gut..." ad
Thank you, but it's not my mine. When HCR was talking about Goldwater during one of her weekly lectures, she mentioned how Democrats countered Goldwater's 1964 Presidential campaign slogan "In Your Heart You Know He's Right" with the slogan "In Your Gut You Know He's Nuts". I loved it! You should check out whether your state has a Lincoln Project Facebook page. The Michigan group is great.
I’ll do that, Sharon! Thanks!
Renee, I’m with you on the non stop-no drop HCR! I’m reading “To Make Men Free”, listening to the video lessons and totally invested in this group. But wouldn’t you agree that it’s made us so much more knowledge about all of these issues and the historical perspectives?
Yes! The backdrop of history provided by “Letters from an American” and the videos sharpened the edges of current events for me. I have more clarity now. I can see the arc from “then” to “now”. So powerful.
Agree 100% - HCR is a real tonic for the times in which we are living.
I'm here in Louisiana, too, Renee. Some days it's all I can do to make coffee <sigh>.
I'm SO grateful for HCR! These posts are like an anchor of sanity to which I tie my little pirogue of despair!
I’m going to steal that phrase, Sylvia! “My little pirogue of despair.” Love It. I’m in Baton Rouge. You?
"Republicans have vowed to get rid of the ACA since it became a law in 2010. Their opposition is based in their larger objection to an activist government that regulates business, provides a basic social safety net, and promotes infrastructure. Such a government, today’s Republicans argue, is essentially socialism: it prohibits an individual’s ability to control one’s business without government interference, and it redistributes wealth from the haves to the have-nots through taxes.
In 2014, Fox News Channel personality Bill O’Reilly explained: “Obamacare is a pure income redistribution play. That means President Obama and the Democratic Party want to put as much money into the hands of the poor and less affluent as they can and the healthcare subsidies are a great way to do just that. And of course, the funds for those subsidies are taken from businesses and affluent Americans who have the cash…. Income redistribution is a hallmark of socialism and we, in America, are now moving in that direction. That has angered the Republican Party and many conservative Americans who do not believe our capitalistic system was set up to provide cradle to grave entitlements…. Obamacare is much more than providing medical assets to the poor. It's about capitalism versus socialism.”
The only way I can explain this kind of thinking is that somehow Republicans have been raised to believe that people are basically bad and that life is a zero-sum game; therefore, they have to defend themselves in all things. They seem to have no belief in religious faith that emphasizes loving one's brother, nor in social science that shows that collaboration (working together to achieve common goals) builds a more effective society/economy than competing for everything. Competition, which can be useful in some things, has become their religion.... along with red herring causes like anti-abortion laws and anti-LGBTQ laws...... They put property and shareholders ahead of people/customers/employees.... it is a tragic sadness that so many of the most influential have bought into Ayn Rand, extreme overextension of Milton Friedman's work, and fundamentalist religions... regarding how to treat others....... Our Business Schools and law schools have perverted the thinking with false notions like corporations being solely responsible to shareholders.......... It seems very difficult to break through this kind of defensive thinking. My experience is that it requires affective learning even more than cognitive...and the problem is that Our Republican friends seem to be totally out of touch with their feelings and frightened to death of experiencing any feelings.....therefore they have cut themselves off from the very data they need to understand how people can thrive in effective collaborative enterprises...
Nancy MacLean's book "Democracy in Chains" has a very interesting account of the ideology and machinations behind all of the above.
When I read that book, every time I saw the name James McGill Buchanan, I was reminded of Ulysses Everett McGill, George Clooney's character in "O Brother Where Art Thou."
It seemed almost providential that MacLean was able to find and read that source documentation, since it was clear that the authors never wanted the public to see them. Amazing expose of the Right's plans for America.
Thank you Joan!
It's on my reading list and nearing the top of the stack.
Republicans -- the Republicans in the Senate now and Republicans at-large -- seem to harbor a persistent unacknowledged belief in (or default to) divine right and hierarchy that they refuse to see or take responsibility for. It is evident in their attitudes and their complete unwillingness to concede, even an iota, on any matter, and will stick to their tired recitations about socialism.
Ibram X. Kendi writes in his book Stamped From The Beginning about Richard Mathers and John Cotton who in 1630 gave the farewell sermon to hundreds of Puritan founders of New England communities, blessing their fulfillment of God’s prophetic vision. As dissenters from the Church of England, Puritans believed themselves to be God’s chosen piece of humanity, a special superior people, and New England , their Israel, was to be their exceptional land.
Thanks! I'm not aware of that book but will want to at least check it out soon. Then, rhetorically, how did that evolve in the south to include the (divine) right to hold others in bondage and later to include the words "manifest destiny?"
There is a strain of thought I've run across a few times now. It posits that white Europeans are in fact a favored race, as shown by their intelligence and industry in colonizing large swaths of the world, molding it and the native people they found to their will. Some claim this favor is bestowed by God, other's say it's biological. Generally followed by statements to the effect that allowing equivalent rights and opportunities to non-white people is a betrayal to whites' inherent ability to improve the world for everyone! I am not making this up, as much as I find it shocking and provably nonsense. Having Irish ancestry I'm quite aware that having light skin is no guarantee of acceptance by other "white" races. I think Jared Diamond did a good job explaining the quirks of history Europeans took advantage of to dominate the globe.
All this to say that yes, I think you are right about many Republicans' belief in their divine right to rule. Even Republicans of color can be covered under a slightly broader interpretation that those who are financially successful are in some way chosen by Providence, and have a responsibility to lead. I consider this philosophy self serving and based on fantasy, but it seems powerfully narcotic to those under it's sway.
Nicely observed and explained. Thanks for sharing these thoughts.
The only aspect that I think is missing from your observation is racism. I see it in every Republican I know personally (I live in a red State) and every one I see operating on the national and state stage. It colors (pun intended) everything they think, feel, and do. It drives their opinions and policies. Misogyny is a close second. These are ingrained attitudes that are very difficult to change, as we know. That's why out-numbering, out-voicing, and out-voting them is paramount at this time. And we must sustain our collective Democratic power once we regain it--we see what happens to citizens when Republicans are in charge during a crisis.
James Buchanan and the Koch Brothers have brainwashed America!! And they are clearly racist and misogynistic!!
They certainly know about anger! It seems to have caused a "system overload" blocking out all other more positive emotions
I don't watch Faux Noise, so I missed this: "In 2014, Fox News Channel personality Bill O’Reilly explained: 'Obamacare is a pure income redistribution play. ..."
After reading it, Bill O'Reilly has me sold on SOCIALISM. What's not to like about taking money from billionaires who have gotten obscenely rich from the working class toils and redistributing it to their benefit, like the civilized, industrial nations of Europe have managed to do.
Rob Boyle, I agree! This wealth disparity has gone on for too long. I was watching Madison Cawthorn on "The View" and he was going on about the ACA. He was in a very serious car accident when he was 18 and was paralyzed. He commented if he lived in Canada at the time of the accident he would have died. I call BS on that. I have a friend in Canada who was in a serious car accident and swears if he lived in the United States he would not be walking. And from what I know about the Healthcare system I have to agree. While I live in Michigan, I am seriously thinking about sending money to Madison Cawthorn's opponent who seems very qualified.
OK, don't judge, but I am stuck on the fact you watched Hannity last night. Way to take one for the team. Watching Hannity makes me physically ill. The rest of it I have no words. I lied! Going after ACA, AGAIN! What a boneheaded thing to do.
Playing the golden oldies in desperation.
The timing of this is stunning. I fervently hope it provides the nail in his electoral coffin. The cruelty takes one’s breath away. I can’t imagine that the Republican Party will survive this. Botched pandemic+ensuing economic collapse+rip away the meager health care we’ve got=GOP’s funeral. It is sickening and mortifying at once.
“And he is going to be president because some people don’t love me, maybe. ....”
There is a tone of resignation, even certainty in his statement. I've learned not to put too much stock in what he says, but his bumbling response to Hannity's question about second term agenda said much, mostly for what it didn't say--he has no plan. He had to know the question would come up; Hannity traveled WITH him to Wisconsin. If that's the best he can offer in a friendly setting, just imagine the how debates will expose his failings--live before a large national audience.
Anxious to hear your thoughts on a Trump resignation, a prospect you've long held was a distinct possibility.
I think his psychopathy prevents him from ever resigning. Narcissistic Personality Disorder prevents him from EVER admitting to himself that he is wrong, stupid, incompetent or cruel.
This is perhaps a good thing, as he won't step down and allow Pence to pardon him. Then when he's out, we can cart him and his cronies (and family) off to jail.
It interests me that the Republicans who want this Act removed have constituents who only have healthcare because of this Act. Even more interesting will be what those same constituents will say if it is removed. How many times do people have to be stomped on before they stop singing the praises of a man who only cares about them for their vote and nothing more?
Jean McCarthy, it boogles the mind. Sometimes I wonder if they realize they are being stomped on. I have cousins who can't run two dimes together and they think Trump is God.
I have a friend from La who was baffled by her family’s support of Trump. Then she read, and so did I, “Strangers in Their Own Land” by Arlie Hochshild. I highly recommend it.
Thanks for the recommendation 👍. I will check it out
Let’s speak for a moment about the government subsidies that the rich get to keep them in business. Without them they would not be able to continue to amass wealth. Asking the wealthy to pay their fair share and not be subsidized never comes up. Hypocrisy as a defector from them robbing the rest of us.
The nerve of him to ask SCOTUS to invalidate what is still law. SCOTUS isn't there to make law, so by extension it cannot simply invalidate law. Isn't that the job of Congress? Shouldn't that be how SCOTUS should respond to Trump and Barr? Shouldn't SCOTUS respond that "We're not here to carry out your personal animus" for the whole country to hear?
Question: Where is all the money Mike Bloomberg said he was committing to getting Trump out of office? We need way more than the (exRepublicans) Lincoln Project. With the Coronavirus, many of us are not in a position to donate funds to political campaigns.... back to big money donors?
At last reporting Biden is now raising more money than Trump
That has been my question too.
I think Pelosi's and Biden's comments are accurate but ineffective in influencing anyone -- remember that for many on the right, the cruelty is the point. They thrive on anger, hate, and fear. I have long held that this sort of messaging needs to be accompanied by a [planned, deliberate] "rogue" voice that calls it out as idiocy. In my view, humiliation and mockery (of the figures and policies at the top, not the lowly individuals) are the only things that can disrupt that mindset. Liberals may have higher EQs, but they are strangely and frustratingly inept when it comes to propaganda.
"Emancipation proclamation, No taxation without representation."
When I was a little girl, I didn't get bedtime stories. My mom gave me history lessons.
She prepared me for this day. It never hit me until recently what she taught me.
She would have me repeat "Emancipation proclamation, No taxation without representation."
She was pregnant with me in the summer of '67. Nixon was in office, we had race riots. She taught me that the slaves were not truly freed.
We are witnessing taxation without representation. Puerto Rico is a prime example.
They are taking away our rights. One spoonful at a time. We as Americans have allowed ourselves to become enslaved.
But the biggest and most IMPORTANT one is voter suppression. You know we are experiencing voter suppression. And that's what scares me the most.
They are also attempting to kill off the USPS. They have hackable voting machines tied to mirror servers. Where the tally counts can be changed with the click of a key.
There was one polling place in McConnel's state of KY. ONE place for for 600k voters. I can go on. This is why we need to vote by mail. My new motto is: Vote by mail! We need a paper trail!
Yes, I've been thinking recently that tRump's objection to voting by mail is more than his fear than everyone voting will mean he loses. Mail ballots are paper. Only old-fashioned tricks of 'losing' and miscounting them are available. His Russian buddies have no way to hack them, unlike the internet-attached "voterless voting machines" without paper trails used in too many states.
Plus the more recent dirty tricks of disqualifying in various ways. But still, the paper trail is there.
On another front is the effort to get DC established as the 51st state. It may take a while, but it seems inevitab.e The District is an interesting entity, and one I know little about, but would like to (hint Heather).