"The Supreme Court read that interpretation into law in the 2010 Citizens United decision, but the increasingly obvious links between money, politics, and national security suggest it might be worth revisiting." Here's the problem: The politicians who benefited from the Citizens United decision will not be willing to give up those benefi…
"The Supreme Court read that interpretation into law in the 2010 Citizens United decision, but the increasingly obvious links between money, politics, and national security suggest it might be worth revisiting."
Here's the problem: The politicians who benefited from the Citizens United decision will not be willing to give up those benefits. And let me know when those who benefited from Trump's tax cuts will vote to rescind those cuts. Revisiting may sound like a good idea, but don't hold your breath!
Sad but true. We now seem at a point where the criminals can write the laws to license their own crimes, stack the courts, and loot the country and even the planet to their hearts' content.
While "follow the money" is a common theme of investigative reporting, in these times it almost requires a hazmat suit to protect one from the toxic stench of corruption.
Hitler did the same crooked steps to become Dictator as Trump screwed up in his attempt.
The Nazi’s scuttled the Reichstag by denying Communist and other minor parties voting powers. With Goerring orchestrating the coups the Reichstag was last barrier to Hitler’s ambitions. All he had to do is let Hindenburg die and illegally seize his office.
Hitler and Trump used the same crooked strategies to dump elected government but here the system held. For now.
Mina, I write in response to your thoughts regarding Citizens United and the Trump tax cuts.
As for Citizens United, to repeal it, we would have to expand the Court, for which there are sound arguments. For example, when the number of justices was set at nine, there were nine U.S. Circuit Courts with one justice assigned to each. Today there are thirteen. In the interim, I would advise focusing on passing the Freedom to Vote Act, admittedly a significantly edited down version of H.R.1 For the People, which passed in the House in 2021. Nevertheless, it is legislation that would ensure all eligible votes were cast, counted correctly, and certified without interference and without their being diluted through partisan gerrymandering. While Freedom to Vote also would get some dark money out of politics, admittedly, it would not approximate the more aggressive provisions called for in For the People that regrettably won’t advance in the Senate without seating, say, three to four additional progressive Senators.
Regarding the Trump tax cuts, as with Freedom to Vote, if, in 24, we retake the House, seat at least fifty Senators receptive to modifying the filibuster to move legislation to the floor for debate and an up or down majority vote, and hold the Presidency, we can rescind at least part, if not all, of those cuts.
As a final point, I would note my overall premise is to focus on what can get done and then to continue building.
With Russian money flooding the Republican Party, and, DeSantis now obviously bought and paid for by Putin, it will be harder and harder to get real legislation written in our US Congress. That might even be a good thing given Republican kneeling at Putin's feet.
US Democracy's fundamental Achilles Heel is the fact that there are no laws against our representative in Congress being paid prostitutes for (anyone).
Also, I just listened to Rachel Madow's podcast "Ultra". Which outlines when a Nazi agent was paying 24 of our Congressional members to mail out millions of pro Nazi propaganda letters in order to keep the US out of WW II.
These guys were ALL part of something called the "America First" committee. Hah!
Mike, Last night Alex Wagner mentioned that the only person seemingly able to define “woke” is Ron DeSantis. She added that late last year, in court, DeSantis’s Communications Director had defined “woke” as “a slang term for progressive activism” also noting that DeSantis’s General Counsel had added that “woke is the belief that there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them.”
Regrettably, I’m not aware of anyone who has pressed DeSantis, with his staffers’ definition in hand, to explain his “anti-woke” platform. I expect he wouldn’t do much better than conservative commentator and author Bethany Mandel, who has studied “wokeism” and written, in her estimation, entire chapters on it. Still, when asked to define “woke” she stammered something to the effect “Woke is sort of the idea that…woke is something that’s very hard to define…it is sort of the understanding that we need to totally reimagine and redo society in order to create hierarchies of oppression.” ??????
My point is that we press far-right conservatives to explain what they think “anti-wokeism,” much less “wokeism,” means to ensure we’re on the same page, a train wreck I expect that will pave the way, at least for Democrats, to return to governing.
Here's the clip mentioned--it may have already showed up somewhere on here. I think it's safe to say the right defines "woke" as basically being against EVERYTHING Democrats/Progressives/Liberals/The Left are FOR, no matter what it is. If we're "fer it", they're "agin it".
I ran across this rather odd "mea culpa" in Newsweek from Bethany Mandel, the woman who became so flustered trying to define "woke." Odd in the sense that she doesn't clarify her beliefs about "wokeness," but instead just admits that she's a bit too emotionally fragile to deal with difficult questions like that. Perhaps I'm misinterpreting it or something...
Marj, While I agree that anyone maligning “woke” must be called upon to define it, in cases like DeSantis, wherein a staffer, in this instance his General Counsel, has provided a reasonable definition, I say, with Counsel’s definition in hand, someone ought to press DeSantis to explain his “anti-woke” platform.
Mike, Thank you for your reply. I merely would note, that be it “woke” or an “anti-woke” platform, when bad actors are called upon to explain themselves, they generally f#ck up.
Those riding the corruption gravy train will certainly resist being tossed off, but the integrity and ultimately the survival of our republic depends on ending governmental outcomes for sale. Little that needs to be done, certainly those things that desperately need to be done but can't get off the starting block, will not get done until as a society tenaciously demand an end to de facto bribery.
I just finished Rachel Madow's "Ultra" Podcast series. In that series she outlines a time in our history, right before and at the beginning of WW II, where 24 Congressmen were on the money take from a Nazi agent that was pushing Nazi propaganda on them AND they were mailing it out by the millions.
For money.
I think one of the challenges for Democracy in Capitalism will always be corruption. It may even be our downfall.
Spot on JL. Other resisters aside from the obvious as stated by Mina, will be those that 'had to' follow suit to compete; much like how NAFTA and other ill considered 'free trade agreements' work out in practice as opposed to all the economic splendor shared by all pipe dreams advanced by those who were peddling it and well prepared to financially benefit from the passages. Many U.S. industries and manufacturers did not race for the borders right away; many waited till their international and national competitors squeezed them / near strangled them into doing what they had to do to survive and run for the borders to do so.
I have never understood presidential pardons for people who have been charged with and convicted of a crime.
Trump’s pardon of Bannon was a profound, nauseating and, in my view, a criminal abuse of power and a slap in the face to all of us. The legal presidential pardon was a chance for Trump to display his bratty belief that he is above the law, not a champion of justice. The list of GOP insults and assaults to American decency, the real decency of those who never thought it was possible to game the entire US government, its laws and regulations, aside from the odd fudging of expenses in a tax return, have given us lessons in civics that public school educators have deemed irrelevant or perhaps simply boring (which it is until it isn’t) for decades. (The Citizens United decision put corporations above the law by redefining what we mean by “person”. A baseball team is an abstract person called It. It, aka “Baseball Team”, has the same individual rights as you. Whew!)
"I’m perplexed why the majority of people aren’t raging in the streets against a minority taking away their rights and forcing them to live under beliefs they don’t subscribe too. Citizens United - Nobody raged over that. Roe V Wade - nobody raged over that. I’m surprised the S Court didn’t have to be helicoptered back and forth to work. Russian funding trump. Where is everyone?"
I understand why, maybe. When I was working for a living, before "retirement", which, was actually being outsourced to India at age 60, I just did not have time to follow what the government was doing. Sometimes I miss those ignorant days where I had no idea how corrupt our government really is.
One thing our government is NOT doing is writing any laws that prevent a bunch of poor kids in India from trying to do what highly skilled Americans are actually capably doing here in the states under the broad moniker of "Outsourcing". Companies love outsourcing highly skilled Americans, collapsing a product and moving on to the next death zone.
Since my team was outsourced, the product platform that we previously developed and supported has collapsed and Xerox has stopped supporting or selling it.
BUT, the managers who made all the decisions got their bonuses, were promoted and then moved on to other companies to destroy.
I'm so sorry you were a victim of the vile practice of "outsourcing," perhaps better described as obscene profitmaking for those at the top at the expense of the American workers, including highly trained ones. My dad worked 25 years for a big steel company in Gary, IN https://www.seattletimes.com/business/economy/how-the-american-steel-industry-nearly-committed-suicide-and-not-from-trade/ and was prematurely retired at 59, pension and medical benefits whittled over time as well. The process you describe has been happening since at least the mid 70s, and it's legal but morally indefensible.
I have always felt it is by design to keep the masses poor. Keep us working 3 jobs, raising kids, caring for parents etc with hardly enough time to sleep and it is very unlikely we will have the time or inclination to start and see through the end of corruption in politics.
I disagree with some of what you've said. I 'raged' about all you grieved about - every bit of it and more ! In my lifetime, I've joined in some of the biggest demonstrations this nation has seen in my lifetime, and that has been many, dating back to the '60's. Yet, i am only small i. A lifelong small d democrat who the party poo bahs won't listen to - I've tried all that too. If I were so disposed, I'd wager I could cause some harm to some political office holders today, were I so inclined. The democrats were asleep at the wheel for decades. My apologies to those who think otherwise, but I'm certain my allegations are spot on. Where do we go from here to affect a real difference going forward ? I've had some ideas, but as I've said, i am just small i.
The far right has successfully demonized the word "woke" now.
So, I would describe you as kind, thoughtful, educated, willing to listen, willing to treat others as you wish to be treated, willing to ignore the color of a man's skin in favor of the color of his character.
Note, "woke", even before it was demonized, did not capture the essence of being a decent human being.
Which is a summary of who you are.
"Woke" just is not a good word for those people in the world who are truly helpful to others in society.
Like Mike S, in my prime years I was busy working, raising kids and dealing with ill, elderly parents/in laws.
Come about my 60s, I started following politics. I have written postcards as, like many here, I've been upset at the way my DNC contributions are utilized.
I haven't seen our young, frequent contributor "Will" in the last few days, perhaps I am on here too early. I'd like his input as to how to reach the young voters. Others here have mentioned how much of AM radio has been taken over by radical right-wing talk shows. The younger people I know tend to stream their radio, not sure they seek/listen to these types.
One bright point that I've been pushing the last week or so: a YouTube pundit, Brian Tyler Cohen, has started a Spanish speaking channel. Many of the Hispanic voters are being lured by the GOP. BYC is asking that people subscribe (it's free) to his YouTube channel and watch a few of the Spanish speaking ones to drive up the algorithms to get it noticed. I did.
And daily now, after watching his excellent clips, I will click on a few Spanish speaking ones. I don't speak Spanish, so I just turn down the sound and do other things at my desk. This small action doesn't cost anything and might help, so I'd ask readers here to do the same to help promote this.
"The Supreme Court read that interpretation into law in the 2010 Citizens United decision, but the increasingly obvious links between money, politics, and national security suggest it might be worth revisiting."
Here's the problem: The politicians who benefited from the Citizens United decision will not be willing to give up those benefits. And let me know when those who benefited from Trump's tax cuts will vote to rescind those cuts. Revisiting may sound like a good idea, but don't hold your breath!
Sad but true. We now seem at a point where the criminals can write the laws to license their own crimes, stack the courts, and loot the country and even the planet to their hearts' content.
While "follow the money" is a common theme of investigative reporting, in these times it almost requires a hazmat suit to protect one from the toxic stench of corruption.
Nothing Hitler did was illegal, Repub “lawmakers” on the same page…
Hitler did the same crooked steps to become Dictator as Trump screwed up in his attempt.
The Nazi’s scuttled the Reichstag by denying Communist and other minor parties voting powers. With Goerring orchestrating the coups the Reichstag was last barrier to Hitler’s ambitions. All he had to do is let Hindenburg die and illegally seize his office.
Hitler and Trump used the same crooked strategies to dump elected government but here the system held. For now.
Link is Russian propaganda dressed up as word salad satire. I think. Rather incomprehensible. Don't bother reading it.
Mina, I write in response to your thoughts regarding Citizens United and the Trump tax cuts.
As for Citizens United, to repeal it, we would have to expand the Court, for which there are sound arguments. For example, when the number of justices was set at nine, there were nine U.S. Circuit Courts with one justice assigned to each. Today there are thirteen. In the interim, I would advise focusing on passing the Freedom to Vote Act, admittedly a significantly edited down version of H.R.1 For the People, which passed in the House in 2021. Nevertheless, it is legislation that would ensure all eligible votes were cast, counted correctly, and certified without interference and without their being diluted through partisan gerrymandering. While Freedom to Vote also would get some dark money out of politics, admittedly, it would not approximate the more aggressive provisions called for in For the People that regrettably won’t advance in the Senate without seating, say, three to four additional progressive Senators.
Regarding the Trump tax cuts, as with Freedom to Vote, if, in 24, we retake the House, seat at least fifty Senators receptive to modifying the filibuster to move legislation to the floor for debate and an up or down majority vote, and hold the Presidency, we can rescind at least part, if not all, of those cuts.
As a final point, I would note my overall premise is to focus on what can get done and then to continue building.
Barbara Jo,
With Russian money flooding the Republican Party, and, DeSantis now obviously bought and paid for by Putin, it will be harder and harder to get real legislation written in our US Congress. That might even be a good thing given Republican kneeling at Putin's feet.
US Democracy's fundamental Achilles Heel is the fact that there are no laws against our representative in Congress being paid prostitutes for (anyone).
Also, I just listened to Rachel Madow's podcast "Ultra". Which outlines when a Nazi agent was paying 24 of our Congressional members to mail out millions of pro Nazi propaganda letters in order to keep the US out of WW II.
These guys were ALL part of something called the "America First" committee. Hah!
NONE of them went to jail.
Mike, Last night Alex Wagner mentioned that the only person seemingly able to define “woke” is Ron DeSantis. She added that late last year, in court, DeSantis’s Communications Director had defined “woke” as “a slang term for progressive activism” also noting that DeSantis’s General Counsel had added that “woke is the belief that there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them.”
Regrettably, I’m not aware of anyone who has pressed DeSantis, with his staffers’ definition in hand, to explain his “anti-woke” platform. I expect he wouldn’t do much better than conservative commentator and author Bethany Mandel, who has studied “wokeism” and written, in her estimation, entire chapters on it. Still, when asked to define “woke” she stammered something to the effect “Woke is sort of the idea that…woke is something that’s very hard to define…it is sort of the understanding that we need to totally reimagine and redo society in order to create hierarchies of oppression.” ??????
My point is that we press far-right conservatives to explain what they think “anti-wokeism,” much less “wokeism,” means to ensure we’re on the same page, a train wreck I expect that will pave the way, at least for Democrats, to return to governing.
When I watched the clip of her stammering I thought it brilliant that everyone with a mic ask the question 'define woke' and listen to the answers.
Here's the clip mentioned--it may have already showed up somewhere on here. I think it's safe to say the right defines "woke" as basically being against EVERYTHING Democrats/Progressives/Liberals/The Left are FOR, no matter what it is. If we're "fer it", they're "agin it".
https://twitter.com/vanguard_pod/status/1635749284355211264
I ran across this rather odd "mea culpa" in Newsweek from Bethany Mandel, the woman who became so flustered trying to define "woke." Odd in the sense that she doesn't clarify her beliefs about "wokeness," but instead just admits that she's a bit too emotionally fragile to deal with difficult questions like that. Perhaps I'm misinterpreting it or something...
https://www.newsweek.com/define-woke-bethany-mandel-conservative-book-1788538
Marj, While I agree that anyone maligning “woke” must be called upon to define it, in cases like DeSantis, wherein a staffer, in this instance his General Counsel, has provided a reasonable definition, I say, with Counsel’s definition in hand, someone ought to press DeSantis to explain his “anti-woke” platform.
Barbara Jo: thank you for the excellent short summary of “woke”.
As far as I know “woke” is some word Fox News invented to find a word that was easy enough for Republicans to spell.
Thereby enabling them to use it for demonization.
Mike, Thank you for your reply. I merely would note, that be it “woke” or an “anti-woke” platform, when bad actors are called upon to explain themselves, they generally f#ck up.
Those riding the corruption gravy train will certainly resist being tossed off, but the integrity and ultimately the survival of our republic depends on ending governmental outcomes for sale. Little that needs to be done, certainly those things that desperately need to be done but can't get off the starting block, will not get done until as a society tenaciously demand an end to de facto bribery.
JL,
I just finished Rachel Madow's "Ultra" Podcast series. In that series she outlines a time in our history, right before and at the beginning of WW II, where 24 Congressmen were on the money take from a Nazi agent that was pushing Nazi propaganda on them AND they were mailing it out by the millions.
For money.
I think one of the challenges for Democracy in Capitalism will always be corruption. It may even be our downfall.
Spot on JL. Other resisters aside from the obvious as stated by Mina, will be those that 'had to' follow suit to compete; much like how NAFTA and other ill considered 'free trade agreements' work out in practice as opposed to all the economic splendor shared by all pipe dreams advanced by those who were peddling it and well prepared to financially benefit from the passages. Many U.S. industries and manufacturers did not race for the borders right away; many waited till their international and national competitors squeezed them / near strangled them into doing what they had to do to survive and run for the borders to do so.
I have never understood presidential pardons for people who have been charged with and convicted of a crime.
Trump’s pardon of Bannon was a profound, nauseating and, in my view, a criminal abuse of power and a slap in the face to all of us. The legal presidential pardon was a chance for Trump to display his bratty belief that he is above the law, not a champion of justice. The list of GOP insults and assaults to American decency, the real decency of those who never thought it was possible to game the entire US government, its laws and regulations, aside from the odd fudging of expenses in a tax return, have given us lessons in civics that public school educators have deemed irrelevant or perhaps simply boring (which it is until it isn’t) for decades. (The Citizens United decision put corporations above the law by redefining what we mean by “person”. A baseball team is an abstract person called It. It, aka “Baseball Team”, has the same individual rights as you. Whew!)
Trump was a pseudo-president. "Pardons" were more meaningful as applied to Thanksgiving turkeys.
Yah. A politician being corrupted is like a cucumber being pickled, and it's really hard to unpickle a pickle.
"I’m perplexed why the majority of people aren’t raging in the streets against a minority taking away their rights and forcing them to live under beliefs they don’t subscribe too. Citizens United - Nobody raged over that. Roe V Wade - nobody raged over that. I’m surprised the S Court didn’t have to be helicoptered back and forth to work. Russian funding trump. Where is everyone?"
I understand why, maybe. When I was working for a living, before "retirement", which, was actually being outsourced to India at age 60, I just did not have time to follow what the government was doing. Sometimes I miss those ignorant days where I had no idea how corrupt our government really is.
One thing our government is NOT doing is writing any laws that prevent a bunch of poor kids in India from trying to do what highly skilled Americans are actually capably doing here in the states under the broad moniker of "Outsourcing". Companies love outsourcing highly skilled Americans, collapsing a product and moving on to the next death zone.
Since my team was outsourced, the product platform that we previously developed and supported has collapsed and Xerox has stopped supporting or selling it.
BUT, the managers who made all the decisions got their bonuses, were promoted and then moved on to other companies to destroy.
I'm so sorry you were a victim of the vile practice of "outsourcing," perhaps better described as obscene profitmaking for those at the top at the expense of the American workers, including highly trained ones. My dad worked 25 years for a big steel company in Gary, IN https://www.seattletimes.com/business/economy/how-the-american-steel-industry-nearly-committed-suicide-and-not-from-trade/ and was prematurely retired at 59, pension and medical benefits whittled over time as well. The process you describe has been happening since at least the mid 70s, and it's legal but morally indefensible.
Thanks Maureen.
I have always felt it is by design to keep the masses poor. Keep us working 3 jobs, raising kids, caring for parents etc with hardly enough time to sleep and it is very unlikely we will have the time or inclination to start and see through the end of corruption in politics.
I disagree with some of what you've said. I 'raged' about all you grieved about - every bit of it and more ! In my lifetime, I've joined in some of the biggest demonstrations this nation has seen in my lifetime, and that has been many, dating back to the '60's. Yet, i am only small i. A lifelong small d democrat who the party poo bahs won't listen to - I've tried all that too. If I were so disposed, I'd wager I could cause some harm to some political office holders today, were I so inclined. The democrats were asleep at the wheel for decades. My apologies to those who think otherwise, but I'm certain my allegations are spot on. Where do we go from here to affect a real difference going forward ? I've had some ideas, but as I've said, i am just small i.
I’ve been “woke” and distressed for decades. Dem leaders should be woke and proud as they kick arse, go Raskin and a few who get it
Jeri,
The far right has successfully demonized the word "woke" now.
So, I would describe you as kind, thoughtful, educated, willing to listen, willing to treat others as you wish to be treated, willing to ignore the color of a man's skin in favor of the color of his character.
Note, "woke", even before it was demonized, did not capture the essence of being a decent human being.
Which is a summary of who you are.
"Woke" just is not a good word for those people in the world who are truly helpful to others in society.
By "woke'" I hope you are meaning AWARE!
Like Mike S, in my prime years I was busy working, raising kids and dealing with ill, elderly parents/in laws.
Come about my 60s, I started following politics. I have written postcards as, like many here, I've been upset at the way my DNC contributions are utilized.
I haven't seen our young, frequent contributor "Will" in the last few days, perhaps I am on here too early. I'd like his input as to how to reach the young voters. Others here have mentioned how much of AM radio has been taken over by radical right-wing talk shows. The younger people I know tend to stream their radio, not sure they seek/listen to these types.
One bright point that I've been pushing the last week or so: a YouTube pundit, Brian Tyler Cohen, has started a Spanish speaking channel. Many of the Hispanic voters are being lured by the GOP. BYC is asking that people subscribe (it's free) to his YouTube channel and watch a few of the Spanish speaking ones to drive up the algorithms to get it noticed. I did.
And daily now, after watching his excellent clips, I will click on a few Spanish speaking ones. I don't speak Spanish, so I just turn down the sound and do other things at my desk. This small action doesn't cost anything and might help, so I'd ask readers here to do the same to help promote this.
Keep it up Miselle!
What are your ideas?
https://youtu.be/AAE49hPgjJo
Instead of supporting candidates, Democrats need to spread ideology.