In the past few weeks, Josh Kovensky of Talking Points Memo has deepened our understanding of the right-wing attempt to impose Christian nationalism on the United States through support for Trump and the MAGA movement.
YES we all, Non readers as well as us readers, have to flood all major media, NYT, Wash Post, Wall St Journal. Like I did a couple of weeks ago to the Supremes re my outrage about them putting off the Immunity case for 7 weeks! Yesterday I was outraged that as Palestinians are starving, the Settlers have identified 6 plots of land in Gaza designated as settllements to be populated by Settlers!!!!! OMGosh! So many atrocities worldwide. Don't get me started on Johnson and the Ukraine funding vote!!! (And I wrote the prior words b4 Marjorie Taylor Greene slipped the scrap of paper, regular motion warning, into the box. And now the outrage that Johnson has sent them home for 2 week without approving the Ukraine funding, AND DOING THEIR JOB, while Ukrainians are dying on the battlefield and bombs hit their electrical grids!! So many letters to be flooded!!!
Did you really mean Project 2525 (The World Speed Project: Bus Conversion)… or Project 2025, the presidential transitional project basically developed by the heritage foundation?
Yes. I also did see a headline about Biden's stutter getting attention. I hope it is good attention except of course from Treacherous-treasonous-traitor-Trump! I think that they are getting a lot of negative feedback from their readership. While I still have WaPo, I got rid of the NYT. It has just become a publication I cannot support.
It really highlights the symbiotic relationship between T-T-T-Trump and the White Nationalist Evangelicals. He is their charlatan charismatic preacher. All the people interviewed are Christians who do not see the beliefs being espoused in these megachurches as Christianity, just as ISIS does not represent Islam. It ties what Trump and the pastors are saying to the election of T-T-T-Trump, and the Jan 6 uprising. It is good to understand where these people are coming from, and see what we can do to give them another picture than the one that they are being brainwashed with. I am so glad that Shawn Fein is clearheaded. Let us hope that his membership listens to him. I can imagine that a lot will listen to their pastors over their union leadership. The ones raising fear.
Linda, thank you for this cite. If people have never heard the fundies talk, they have no idea about how their "Christianity" penetrates their lives. Everything they do is ordained by God. They can't imagine or hear about any life beyond that bubble. I do have an ex-student who is a pastor who does speak out against death star as he told me, he is not a Christofascist. I hope he has influenced others.
This is the Rob Reiner documentary I've been hearing about - sounds like there is lots of backlash from right wingers. As there should be!! Truth is hard to hear.
I would like to think educators hate seeing American education dumbed downed and fictionalized. How are we suppose to learn (at least a little bit) from our mistakes? It would be interesting to know how many teachers support the idea that slavery was a good thing and other such stuff. I realize every country white washes their history. Russia and China must have bought out the supply of bleach.
I've also noticed a shift in reporting since just before the end of the year and see it continuing to improve. Even Fox has been reporting things that seem to gall them but they are reporting bits of trump's fall, the gop's failures and Biden's economy successes in drips and drabs. Not good enough but better. I am very hopeful that if Biden's economic efforts continue to show up in people's lives, the momentum will grow. We'll continue to hear more hopeful news if viewers embrace hope. I don't believe the polls and I find it hard to believe that trump will win the election. But I have also learned to take nothing for granted. But I thought 2024 was going to be awful, and while much of it is, I also see reason for hope under Biden's leadership.
I was just thinking the same thing Jon. I believe that Biden’s vigor and his on-target SOTU speech made a lot of voters re-think the “too old” trope. Plus his savvy, full on state-to-state campaigning.
Yes, and so have many Substack writers, as well as a bit of MSM. The SOTU was a slam dunk and the NYT and WaPo shut the f... up, for a few days, but leave it to pinhead Aaron Blake and others, well, thy have to justify their salaries and when you are as smart as a box of rocks, you go with the easy meme.
Biden's age is irrelevant and it's discrimination to label someone because of their age. Biden has done an remarkable job with the economy and creative thousands of jobs. The Stock Market is up and interests rates will start to go down.
This is the beauty of 40 years experience of serving your country.
Hell , in the house , we have Republicans that are have his age that don't know their right hand from the left hand in governing and serving the people of this country. It's disgraceful.
At 90 I consider Biden a rather young whipper snapper, though I admire his character and his dedication to the United States of America.
In sharp contrast I consider Trump an Antichrist whose enchantment with himself has already rendered him the worst president in America’s long history.
Professor Richardson. You often hit home runs, but today you hit another grand slam. It may not be the bottom of the ninth with two outs, but it sure feels like it on most day.s
Thank you so much for informing us about the neferious plans of the magas and white faux-Christian nationalists and their history.
And "faux-Christian" is definitely the right term! These people use religion as a cudgel to deny the rights of women, minorities, and just about anyone else who isn't a white Anglo-Saxon (Aryan??) male. It sickens me.
The challenge for me is that Faux-Christian is actually based on those "laws" of Christian churches (Catholic, Evangelical, Mormon among others) that have little relationship to the actual teachings of Jesus. These laws, disguised as paths to holiness, were actually created to support power structures within the organization - funny how many of them were about sex and/or affected women: no women priests, no abortion, no sex outside of marriage, no birth control, no homosexuality and more).
There are those churches, for example the American Episcopal Church, that are making important changes, but there are others that are not. It's the main reason I am a non-denominational Christian. I follow the teachings of Jesus as best I can, but I resist those laws that have nothing to do with "Love God with your whole heart...and your neighbor as yourself."
Amen Chaplain Terry, I’ve often said that the rule makers who cherry pick from the Old Testament ignore the reason Jesus came to preach the new gospel of love and acceptance.
Not only cherry pick the laws, but misrepresent them. The Torah tells us to welcome the stranger - unconditionally - more times that it tells us to keep the Sabbath or love God. The true perversion of Sodom was that they did not give charity or welcome strangers.
Yes, lin! In fact in seminary, we learned to say "Hebrew Bible" so as no longer to ID those books only in relation to the "New."
Also, I forgot to mention that the original "love your neighbor" is from the book of Leviticus, Chapter 19, which includes, among many "rules," vs 18, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Which is why I am so fond of Presiding Bishop Curry's " The Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement".
Christianity sold out to Empire and rejected the teaching of Jesus when Paul started writing letters and John's gospel was rewriten to declare Jesus was the christ.
I love Bishop Curry - I heard him speak at Georgetown on a panel on Christian Nationalsim and he was wonderful!
Not sure what you mean by rejected the teachings of Jesus when Paul started writing letters. He used his letters to spread the teachings of Jesus along with his traveling thousands of miles to a variety of cities. Christians were persecuted in Rome until Constantine issued the edict of Milan in 313 making Christianity legal; then ten years later it was made the official religion of the empire. I have a lot more to learn, but it is my understanding that when this happened, Jesus' teachings got lost in the power struggles.
Yes, Gary, thanks to Heather. I have heard about the 2025 project, but was unaware of this men only group. I think many females today are unaware of how recently women gained the ability to do certain things like have credit cards in their own name. And the right to vote is also fairly recent. I read a lot of history and right now I am in early 17th century India in the Mungol Empire where the women of the palace were unseen in the harem. The author does have a chapter about how women had influence in the background. One of the members of the royal family is the man who would become Shah Jahan and build the Taj Mahal.
Thank you We get his emails which I often read, but it depends on what I have to do in the am. I have read about it, but somehow missed this all male group. As a woman, I find that very threatening.
Definitely agree. This is why I am greatful for independent writers like Heather and other's to inform us about the truth of what is really going on in this country.
We ourselves have an responsibility to inform others of what we learned. Especially the voters who are undecided.
I only read the special sections like science and well and i do the crossword. I like the Palmer Report which makes no secret that it is liberal and often castigates the MSM. I do warn people, should they look this up, the terrible and inaccurate description of it, I think, on Wiki. It does have hyperbolic headlines, but the essays, especially those by Harrington and Palmer, are pretty good and to the point as what we can to do to help Ds win including a list of where to donate in swing districts and make your money matter.
A Republican friend of mine and I were talking yesterday about the pre-cable news information we were fed by CBS, NBC, ABC and the print media. The 30 minutes of evening national news covered the same stories whether it was delivered by Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, Walter Cronkite or Frank Reynolds. And it all seemed to be driven by what the New York Times reported in the morning paper. Or maybe the AP or UPI and possibly the WAPO.
But today, we are bombarded 24/7 with "breaking news" which rarely is, and too often it is something sensation that TFFG has said or one of his sycophants. The Sulbergerger era of The NY Times doesn't seem to wield the same influence the paper did in the 1960's in my opinion. When the lead story day after day is Trump Trump Trump, it seems like they are more interested in the almighty dollar than fairly reporting the news.
I follow Paul Krugman and I just can't drop the NYTimes, but if he retired, I would rely on You and others here to reprint the important stories from the NYT.
I cancelled NYT and WAPO. I miss some columnists too. I bought a year subscription to WAPO a few weeks ago for 29$. It has gotten so bad I have hardly looked at it.
Substack and few trusted writers is a great news source today.
While he doesn't' cover everything, many of us here check out YouTube for "Beau of the Fifth Column" daily, and his "Roads with Beau" on Thursdays/Sundays.
Marj I have not subscribed to a print newspaper for nearly three years. I get the digital NYT and WAPO. In addition to Heather, I faithfully read on line The Guardian (some of its American investigative reporting matches ProPublica) and The Economist. The Atlantic has some daily postings that I consider must reads.
I am amazed by how many ‘top substantive stories’ are simply a one or two day flash in the NYT and WAPO. For days, a few weeks ago, there was nothing on the budget shenanigans in the House.
I can’t speak to PBS, since I do not watch daily TV/cable news shows.
The MacNeil Lehrer report on PBS was excellent when they were both involved, but then MacNeil retired and then Lehrer and after that it wasn't as good in my opinion.
Why not drop the NYT? I did two years ago and I've never felt better. It's shocking how one sided their reporting is. It seems to me that newspaper lives in another universe than I do. Especially since I read multiple versions of the same story. NYTs was always tipped to the right.
When I stopped my subscription, they asked why. I told them their reporting is prejudicial ...I'm sure it made no difference.
There is an effort at non-profit local reporting. This is something we should all fund for every small town. The cost of entry is the recruiting of local labor and IT support services. It is essential to engender these local journalists with the ideals of freedom and diversity so they can color the reporting to show both the strengths and weaknesses of our people. Is there someone out there who knows how to do such a thing? Perhaps the new news sources "the 19th" or "the Baltimore Banner". It is the loss of local journalism that allowed the train of progress we were making to jump the tracks. Let's bring them back.
We require local reporting so the city commission cannot vote to steal all the money with no public or newspeople in the room. All of us need to find a way to be sure the local newspeople are always in the room when the pie of resources is being cut.
I subscribe to the NYT, WAPO and LATIMES, which is hardly a paper anymore. I’m spending a small fortune and thinking of canceling all. I’ve subscribed to the NYT for 30 years and it’s not what it used to be. MSNBC is all Trump all the time and CNN is also all Trump, but in their effort to be “balanced” they elevate right wingers and their talking points. The town hall with Trump by Kaitlyn Collins was a disaster and it should never have happened.
Jen I find some of the comments on the digital NYT worth reading. Of course their editorial standards for posting are dreadful—they permit me to post comments at least seven times weekly on a range of subjects, from ‘don’t be a senior sucker’ to Netanyahu’s Armageddon and Trump’s/Johnson’s traitorous NYETs on Ukraine aid.
Jen A sign of your desperation? Starved for any news?
I am reminded of the jester who the king had sentenced to death because of his dreadful puns. At the last minute he relented. The jester responded: “No noose is good news.” KERPLUNK!
Jen You keep NYT Cooking, while I am appalled how the NYT have savaged other sections. At one time they had robust coverage of NY area sports teams. Now they have ‘homogenized’ their sports writers (either reassigned or terminated?) and imposed The Athlete, which provides no continuous coverage of NY area teams. I believe that access to The Athlete can also be purchased separately. AWWWK!
I skip all the sports coverage, "culture" which seems mostly about people I've never heard of and care nothing about. And all the buying or remodeling a really ridiculously expensive home stuff.
They used to do serious coverage. I'm thinking of the expose on drumpf financial fraud from a few years back. And maybe they will again. But I find little of use, and my favorite voices on comments seem maybe to have cancelled their subscriptions too.
Exactly why we stopped looking at the national broadcasts years ago. After the local news (WABI) ends, I hit the button and go and make dinner. A much better use of my time.
Mark, we often tune out the national news although I do like Lester Holt. Sometimes there are a few stories, usually nonpolitical we want to see. I am old enough to remember Cronkite.
Yeah, I know I'm missing a few things here and there (the same can be said for NPR, which I also dumped several years ago due to their incredibly weak both-sides coverage) but I've grown pretty much allergic to the harried, overly-dramatic presentation. That includes the bombastic music at the start, just before they report on how this, that, or the other thing is about to destroy us all. Oh, and how it's bad for Joe Biden.
I totally remember Cronkite. I remember my family having the news on during the Viet Nam war and worrying about the body counts, worrying if I had to go. I was only 9.
We used to listen to NPR while we were getting ready to go to work. We haven't listened to them in years. Now we have on all classical in Portland, Oregon, a wonderful soundtrack to the day.
In the 1960s New York was the center of the universe; "everyone" knew it. All television news agreed and was carefully prepared each evening to support the idea that the US was the best of all possible nations and New York was its center.
As others have said, thank you again, Heather for your wonderful, in depth news of the day! I sleep badly these days and often check my phone about 3 AM to see if your daily letter has hit yet. You are my sustenance!!
Cable news, like CNN, report more about polls than about what people need to know about how to vote. Trump is always in trouble and Biden is always losing. Nothings about if you want to keep affording healthcare or having to work until you’re 70. Next, women’s right to vote will be gone, but it won’t show up in a poll.
I worry about those of us who are only reading what they agree with—on either side. The main seam media may be annoying, but we need to know what others are reading. If we don’t, we become as insular as they are.
True, Susan, and this is why I so much appreciate Substack, writer's such as Dr. Richardson, Professor Reich, Dan Rather, Elliot Kirchner, TC in LA, and many many others give you an accurate and documented account of what is coming from both sides and they fact check. We also have writers from other countries like Graham Vincent, Edwin Ngetich, a whole bunch from the British Isles, Germany, and France who give us a world view, not just our own perspective. This May will be one year since, in a fit of temper with CNN, I had my cable disconnected. Guess what? I haven't missed a thing
I could not agree more. I am so sick of hearing the word "trump" that I don't even watch the morning news anymore. I could care less about the in's and out's of the foolish rants. Let's have some real news - that is news.
I can't listen to his voice or see his face without a whole body reaction that is not good. I read most of my news online so at least that eliminates having to hear his voice. I mostly rely on substack and the many true professionals whose thoughts are made available to us every day. It was suggested to me the other day that I should be watching Newsmax and I nearly flipped out on the person.
Virginia, my ability to sift through “the news” has greatly increased over the past several years. Of all the major networks that I receive through my minimal cable hook-up and my smart devices, NPR and PBS are the best of the lot. My Substack subscriptions are awesome!
Have you tried MSNBC? If it’s in your cable hookup, and laws, lawyers, and judges interest you, in these days, give it a try. Rachel Maddow does Monday nights and election nights, Jen Psaki is another bright one, past White House person (I forget her title).
Watching the recent PBS program on Dante and The Divine Comedy (which was EXCELLENT, btw!), it occurred to me that T***p really does represent the personification of all nine circles of the Inferno . . . gluttony, pride, lust, fraud, etc. the LOT. He fits in ALL of them.
If only they really did worry about fair and balanced, The breadth and depth of what is reported would expand dramatically. The balance they primarily serve is remote and kept at the bank.
Likely, their claim to "fair and balanced" is cover for trying to appeal to the broadest readership—read: money—as they discard their Fourth Estate responsibility.
I work with university students who believe a scholarly article is “biased” if it does not present opposing viewpoints as equally credible. When I ask them to find the evidence to support opposing viewpoints, they return to the argument that it should have been included in the article.
The April 2024 edition of Harper's Magazine has a brilliant discussion among seven participants entitled "Crime and Punishment." In fact, it reveals in a way that I never realized how we got to where we are politically and how our neighborhoods got segregated. Who would have ever thought that the construction of the Interstate Highway System played a role? I am going to re-read it today with marking pencil.
Thank you for recommending, 'Crime and Punishment' by Ras Baraka, Rosa Brooks, Barry Friedman, Christy E. Lopez, Tracey L. Meares, Brian O’Hara, Patrick Sharkey (my tip of the hat to Fyodor Dostoevsky) in the April, 2024 issue of Harper's Magazine..
Thank you for this, Fern. And, speaking of "Crime and Punishment," perhaps this is the year. It looks as though the Manhattan D.A. case against TFG will go in mid-April.
In my overestimation of the 'Rule of Law' as it has been touted in the US, I thought the abusive, creepy, lying, crook would be caught soon have taking the presidency with less votes than Hillary Clinton. There's a bit of a crook in our system, don't you think?
Our system is flawed, to be sure. There are things that the Founding Fathers simply could not have ever conceived, such as a nation of fifty states, stretching across the continent and across the seas, vast disparities in the populations of the states, instant electronic mass communications, and more. Will the primary problems (Electoral College and Filibuster) bring down the unity because of the unfairness? Perhaps. Aside from racism, what is the biggest problem? IMO, Christian Nationalism. Hopefully, historians will be able to report that what we're going through presently was the last gasp of each, white supremacy and Christian nationalism.
Richard, I believe that you have pinpointed what has been at the root of our mixed-identity, and I would add the modern twist in communication, the ability to talk together. The demise of local journalism and the domination of social media, the hub of propaganda, has logjammed the facts from the ground up.
Send them the news in undeniable numbers! I post to Fox and Newsmax to set the record straight, sharing facts that can't be denied, but I also post to the center and left leaning outlets too.
His rants and policies he's outlined are sonata-human all of our voters need to be aware of his horrid attitudes. The election season is in it's beginning stage. Voters will be informed of Biden's Policies, our economic recovery from # 45's tax gift's to industry and the upper 1% of our economy. Stephen Miller one of Trumps speechwritere's use of Goebble's characterization of Jews and other people as "vermin", "evil", cannot be forgotten.
Foolish and loud rants by a rich white man who inherited his positon and wealth make a lot more money for all media than the quiet, yet considerable accomplishments of the scion of immigrant white people. For the most part, all media need to be ignored as the handservants of rich white men that they are.
The problem is sensationalism. Biden is slow and steady and substance - no flash and drama.Also a problem is “fair and balanced “ at the expense of accuracy and unglamorous gritty laborious hard work.
The thing is that trumpers only see the prices at the grocery stores and at the gas pumps. Government budgets, gross national product, numbers on unemployment (unless they are unemployed), price capping on medicines (unless you use insulin or need an epi pen) mean nothing to them. Too abstract. It would be interesting to see ( in a worse case scenario) when they have their social security cut and have to work until they are 70 to get full benefits.
Thank you for telling us about Hinton Helper and how his book showed that the slavery oligarchy’s actions only benefited the plantation owners, not the slave or common man. It seems that the play book of the top 1% hasn’t changed in 150 degrees—work to maintain power by convincing the working class to fight among themselves.
Biden is smart to change part of the Democrat playbook—rather than letting jobs go overseas unfettered and adding to the social safety net to aid those whose jobs have disappeared, he’s proposed legislation to create well-paying jobs here. He’s fighting the problem at the beginning, not the end.
This Letter was as an ode to America, an ode to spring in America, an ode to the American people's good sense to take the road to democracy, and an ode to Joe Biden, our President, who has been paving the way. Thank you, Heather Cox Richardson, and to this assembly of fine, caring Americans who believe in freedom, equality, justice and solidarity. Thank you, Mary Hart, for also ringing democracy's bell this morning.
Yes, I agree. I don't know about everyone else but I do not want to move backward to an ante-bellum Southern economic style which is where we are going with the huge divide in wealth in this country. I am thanking Heather for once again giving us the historical perspective about what is going on now and how it correlates to what was going on then.
There's so much history that has not been taught in schools. As time passes, there's more history to teach, but no more time in which to do it. In my college freshman history class, Reconstruction -the present, my instructor got bogged down in Reconstruction (his area of specialty) and we stayed there for 3 months. His comment about the present was to give that day's date. Students get taught American mythology; factual events might be too upsetting because the ways in which the rich have mistreated the poor are horrendous.
I went to school in the American Education of the 50s and that was not a high point in Education!
American Education was scrambling to find teachers and classrooms for the huge influx of us Boomers. We attended elementary school in buildings that had been condemned but patched up while new buildings were being built. We were given teachers who should have been retired; they may have had years of experience, but no actual education in education. The rest were kids who had graduated from college but were not teaching the subjects they had majored in.
No. The myth of quality education in the 1950s is of a piece with all the other myths about the 1950s: it was a great time if you were a WASP man born with a silver spoon.
I went to a poor public school in much the situation you describe, and had teachers who had liberal arts degrees or normal school degrees and knew their subjects. Learned in 1952 as a college freshman, that the 25% of SAT takers with the lowest scores were majoring in Education, so vowed never to take an education course, taught successfully in universities using what I remembered of my best teachers. Although I support public schools and public school teachers, nothing has led me to believe that education courses will make a teacher of anyone who doesn’t love the subject or subjects that person is teaching. I’m sorry that you were a victim of poor teaching.
The NC school I knew (UNC-CH) back in the day when NC was as purple as anywhere and the university was “a hotbed of liberals” according to some, and faculty processions (do they exist any more) showed a lot of Harvard red (which stood out so much that I had trouble learning other hoods), I cannot imagine being taught mythology except in Greek or comp lit class. (I read in The New Yorker about Art Pope, “friend of Kochs” taking over NC education, then saw “Starving the Beast” and the unseating of the UNC president.)
NC woman here who grew up in the “liberal” bastion of Asheville and who went on to marry two UNC grads(different times obviously). Both of my husbands were huge UNC sports fans and I just loved the university and all it offered. As a consequence, I paid attention to what was going on in the university system as a whole but how education was being funded and post integration, messed with by Raleigh as time passed. Both of my boys went to UNC schools but eventually dropped out when they realized they could do better with an education of a different kind and have both succeeded in their chosen fields of tech. In my advanced years, I’ve decided that formal education is wasted on the young and it seems to me that by getting out into this world, meeting others and working can one eventually gain a better understanding of the world they are living in. Politics can always screw up a good thing.
As a scholar with a long view of history I’m not certain how one can swim intelligently in this world without a broad understanding of what preceded it. Tech is only one aspect of the complexities we live in. I too follow UNC sports and am horrified at the influence of Art Pope, friend of Kochs’ on NC universities, which have become primarily job training schools instead of places where liberal arts flourish.
No, education courses will not make a teacher out of anyone who doesn't feel called to be a teacher. Yes, the very best teachers are the ones who feel called to teach. Why else would someone get a degree to take a low paying job where you are disrespected?
It’s time to pay teachers! My husband was not in favor of teachers’ unions. After his death I learned from his best friend that, before I knew him, he had formed the first teachers’ union in the high school where he was choral director. I had to laugh because it was so like him to try to solve problems whenever and wherever he could.
“….. work to maintain power by convincing the working class to fight among themselves.”
yup and unfortunately their propaganda has worked quite well to achieve this.
How do we “un-dupe” those who have been duped to see their fellow working class brothers and sisters are not the enemy, not the source of their ire? I wish there were a simple answer…
Professor, thank you for this very good reminder that while Trump must go, because he has the audacity to run for President again, he is just the most visible head of a Hydra with many equally venomous heads and long talons.
Claire...I used to say this too, but then one day I realized that my parents aren't educated. They didn't vote for tfg or any republican. So, I've stopped. Something to think about should you make the comment out loud in front of people you don't know.
In fact, I know college-educated people who are followers of the orange man. It's more about those who carry grievances. Glass half empty types. The teacher isn't fair, the boss isn't fair, the coach isn't fair...IMHO
Faux Noise and right-wing radio talking heads are the worst. But no one is forcing them to watch/listen. They choose to. Why? I'm sorry to say it's because it resonates with them. Why does it resonate with them and not you? I keep wondering about this myself.
I have two siblings, one college degreed and one not, who voted for tfg twice. They are good people who are easily influenced by others. They have never expressed regret, so I can only assume they will vote for him again. Expressions of regret would go a long way to healing our country.
In 2016, I was dealing with breast cancer. I was on the ACA- Obamacare. I spoke to everyone in my family and begged them not to vote R, that it was literally life or death for me and millions of others. My pleas fell on deaf ears. ...but her emails, but abortion, but I just like him better (!!)...
Uneducated does not mean lack of an “education” rather it means those who, for a variety of reasons, are not INFORMED! People who are working jobs, taking care of their families—just trying to get through their day—just aren’t getting correct information about the policies and people who are affecting them. That’s the real problem!
I think it's because a lot of them are just like him and he makes them feel good about themselves for being that way. It blows my mind when I speak to well educated people who are all for him. Maybe it's their greedy minds, thinking they'll get better financial breaks from that horrible man.
Yes Jeanne...there is that too. What he says and does resonates with them. Not only does it not resonate with me, but I am appalled by him. That's not a political divide.
MK, thank you for this response. I know plenty of educated people who follow #45. Saying that only the uneducated support him is not a fair representation.
"The power to tax is the power to destroy". I do not remember who said that. I don't believe it was Reagan. It is time to tax those who aim to destroy us and our nation. We must do all we can to regain the Congressional majority to do so. Nothing will happen in that regard until we do so.
The US economy was pumping in the 1950s. The tax rate was near 80% .
Thank you Heather for revealing the forces afoot. Perhaps taxing the politically active churches will put them out of business, and therfore, politics. As for Biden's "Fair Share", the percentage must be significantly greater because the physical and educational infrastructure is what gave the corporate oligarchy the abiliy to create great wealth. Our taxes pay for all of that.Their taxes must reimburse the nation.
Taxes, by definition, come from profits. Profits themselves are taxes we pay with every purchase. When taxes, i.e. profits, are paid to the government, instead of hoarded by the wealthy, it is our own money flowing back to us. We must stop thinking of profits as someone else's money. They are everyone's money. In a democracy, the people decide how to use their money. That's why fascists, or slavers, or Republicans detest democracy.
Remember though that the excessive profits are the problem. These profits are responsible for driving up prices on everything. I think HCR’s statement about 50 BILLION dollars of wealth moving to the top 10% since 1980 is just staggering.
Er, make that TRILLION; and yes, staggering. What might US society and the world look like today without the "Reagan Revolution" and the folly that supported it? And still do? Reagan made anti-environmentalism a key "Republican" goal. Think about that if it gets extra hot this summer? (And even if it doesn't. The long-term trend is unmistakable).
Easy to make. Both numbers are staggering. Yet Musk paid 40 billion to take over Twitter just because he was miffed and because he could. I don't know that all billionaires are emotional infants, but a lot of them seem be involved in urination contests.
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desart. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
U.S. billionaires are doing to America what Russian oligarchs did to people there.
Once those former nomenklatura got western finance, and secured all public assets for themselves, they killed the formerly good state health system, oversaw the sweep of tuberculosis and alcoholism over the working classes, arranged for the former secret police to take over all universities, and let life expectancy fall drastically, especially for middle-aged men.
You know all too well, Judi, the U.S. billionaires arranged similar scourges across the American working classes, from killing humanities in the schools to replacing them with regimes of onerous standardized testing, from offshoring millions of jobs out of the U.S. to making sure the millions thus abandoned had desperate times getting health care, with prescriptions only at usuriously inflated rates.
Yes, Heather's facts are staggering, as you say. But U.S. elites with the Powell memo back in 1971 set all this in motion for their own selfish vulgarity. It was just a coincidence that the same U.S. vulgar could also invest in similar predations by their similarly cynical plus more outright murderous Russian partners.
I'm in the process of watching a PBS series on Dante's Divine Comedy. In it, he states that greed is the worst human sin, and was the one that troubled him most. To overcome his greed, Dante had to travel from hell to heaven, because trying to face it directly would have consumed him. I think our culture may be a such a moment, if we are brave, creative, and pragmatic enough to face it.
The Finns, more than a decade ago, faced mediocrity in their K-12 -- and they turned it around, by turning all power over to the teachers.
Of course, they also put new, urgent priorities in hiring only the best as teachers. But once they had them, admin, politicians, preachers, bureaucrats, and standardized testers were all out, totally out.
And once teachers -- the best -- were at the top, the schools of Finland became the best in the world. (And Finland, ranked happiest of all the world's countries.)
In my view, kindergarten teachers need more far extensive teacher's training than high school teachers do. School can can have bearing on all aspects of life. Fortune favors the prepared mind.
Though Finland has a troublesome neighbor. Here we pay little attention to nations doing things our pundits claim are impossible. Every society has pros and cons (Finland is pretty cold). Do you know the Moomin books for kids? The storybooks are better than the comic strips. Largely gentle and playfully adventures into human nature.
Steve, I think we need to create the ways to communicate with one another; to breakthrough social media's LOGJAM of PROPAGANDA. Reawaking local journalism -- using technology for our benefit - building solidarity with the facts as Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, is doing. Revitalizing our schools, our school boards and strengthening our support for teachers and librarians. Working locally as well as nationally is a key to knowing the facts from the ground up, including state government; building respect and solidarity for we the people.
In the last 34 years it is more like $50 TRILLION. Since the Trump Tax Cuts, Elon Musk alone went from 20.4 Billion to $270 Billion by Sep 2023 (so his increase was 5 times as much as much of what is already a hard enough number to grasp).
From today's letter:
"...At the same time, it continues to push an economic system that has moved as much as $50 trillion from the bottom 90% to the top 10% since 1981 while exploding the annual budget deficit and the national debt..."
"...Using Forbes wealth data, the progressive advocacy group Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) calculated that the combined wealth of the nation's 748 billionaires exceeded $5 trillion this month—up 77%, or $2.2 trillion, since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act took effect in 2017.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk saw the biggest wealth increase of all U.S. billionaires, surging from $20.4 billion in December 2017 to nearly $270 billion in September 2023—a 1,222.8% boost..."
I should have looked a bit further before replying. The true costs since Reagan started his campaign, though, are so hard to grasp, it is an easy mistake to underestimate them.
From HCR: At the same time, it continues to push an economic system that has moved as much as $50 trillion from the bottom 90% to the top 10% since 1981 while exploding the annual budget deficit and the national deb
In this cult of richness for its own sake, the cultural idea has been heavily promoted for us to assume that profit taken to extremes is somehow a sign of success of the persons owning the profit. What is frequently true however is that 'small' businesses around the country at least in the past have been the backbone of business and community success, creating a healthy middle class which is necessary for a healthy nation economically and in other ways.
We saw this working after World War II and for the next 30 years or so. Then the greed merchants began to use their national media we call the MSM now, to convince us that greater (gross) profit would trickle down to the rest of us. This has proved to be an absolute falsehood and a great unbalancer to our economics, our physical health, our educational system and certainly our political one. The tax percentage rate for the richest has fallen abysmally low to the point where we average citizens pay a higher rate than those companies, that Heather points out, and is completely unsustainable. What the large monopolistic companies have done because we have allowed them to is to raise prices on goods and services that we pay for, claiming that even the minimal taxes we force them to pay ‘forces’ them to raise prices. This is utterly ridiculous and obscene as the figures show and does nothing but make piles of money that are basically unearned in this lopsided system. So our paying of higher prices is actually a kind of tax on us and not on them. Does that make sense to you? The way that really works out is that we have come to believe so often that the person making more money is somehow superior either inherently or acquired. This does not a democracy make.
“In 2022, the CEO-to-worker compensationl ratio in the United States was estimated to be 344.3, meaning that CEOs received more than 344 times the annual average salary of production and nonsupervisory workers in their firm's key industry. “
Well put Robin. Compared to your sage comments this is rather trite, but I recall the hat with the phrase, "he who dies with the most toys wins."
Jeff Bezos's yacht cost him $500 million in 2023 and Nancy Walton's $250 million. TFFG loves to surround himself with trustifarians that have accomplished nothing in their lives except being born. Amazon has had years where they paid zero in Federal taxes. And no Robin, this does not make sense to me.
For years, I have muddled around in my little brain, the possibility of a maximum income rate. It would be some factor of the lowest paid employee. E.G 100 times $20,000/year. or $2,000,000 a year. Stock options would be deferred until the CEO was no longer an employee of the company.
Is this socialism? Perhaps, but when someone's net worth is more than many small countries, that is grossly unfair.
It has a formal definition, but basically I see it in the border sense of promoting the common good, the "commonwealth". E Pluribus Unum; "we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." Individualism is posited as it's polar opposite, but that's true only in extreme and unbalanced forms. I think that on inspection, we all have a unique individual and a social nature. Most of us are taught to work toward "independence" but not to be excessively uncooperative. "Plays well with others".
The Constitution is a social contract which details certain social duties as well as unalienable individual rights. In the end, they are not in opposition; A "free society" is free only when we accept and protect the rights of one another. That's the duty part. What's not social about:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
I worry less about CEO compensation packages than about workers getting liveable wages and fair treatment, about society having the means to provide an environment in which the lowest earning of us can reasonably expect to thrive and improve their situations, and about the environment improving in spite of profits. Economic reality is that it's not a zero sum game. We can all thrive with some combination of free enterprise and collective action. Lately, the pendulum has swung too far towards glorifying profits over all else, and it needs to swing back. I personally want it to stop swinging as it comes to the middle.
Yes "middle" as in balanced, but dynamically balanced, like a "mobile" of suspended objects, hung with varying weights and balance points in any array of balances within balances. As much as it takes for beneficial and just results. Halfway measures between oil industry profits and climate tipping points probably won't make it. Cutting the baby in half won't serve justice.
But yes, there are demonstrable ways to make compensation for workers much fairer than handing the wealthiest impunity. Been there and done that with absolute monarchs and emperors, and it sucked. The answers come from wise and just formulations and applications of "the rules of the game"; the rules that are supposed to be by and for "the people".
Gary, I like putting a great big idea into biteable size, so thank you for your perspective!
This whole 'ism' thing is, can be, and often becomes a mind trap, an idea trap for which a great number of people are not at all educated to understand in its origins or in its applications. People in groups opposing each other sling isms around like baseball bats as if sheer brute force will somehow accomplish something desired, like the defeat of everything one doesn't like, even though actual understanding is lacking. The emotional brain wants what the emotional brain wants.
The isms do actually represent ideas to be put into actions and the devil is always always in the details as well as the direction. Socialism comes in many forms and its intent is to *gasp* feed every body, house every body, clothe every body. Because all of that is a social good. Any argument against this is heavily weighted by personal senses like selfishness, isolation, preformed ideas of who is 'worthy' or not as if humans were in a position to make that judgment.
The super rich have been putting out fear like a great wet blanket my whole entire life which is coming up on 89 shortly. I've gotten a fairly close up look at it, family-wise. It is a crock and unworthy of respect of any kind to wield socialism as a club against people who can just about keep body and soul together. We are looking at the ultimate selfishness of the rich-impaired who have the resources and the means to misinform us, to their own guarded ends. We cannot afford these people and it is we who are subsidizing them, let's get that clear. Trickle where?
So an idea as an ism is at least a useful pivot point as long as we're educated to understand what we're looking at and the effects and the meaning of it in everyday life and the way we structure/employ our government and other institutions that affect us. (Whew! That was fun…)
Very interesting Robin and well put. I like how you describe the intent of socialism. JL quoted this from the US Constitution. "establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity"
Seems like Socialism to me. Does "Promote the general Welfare" mean "feed every body, house every body and clothe every body.?" It seems the super rich have hijacked this belief and only care about enriching themselves even further.
The other day Professor Richardson wrote about the Kleptocracy and today as well to some degree. That whole concept seems opposed to Socialism and the words of the US Constitution.
Thanks again for your well considered thoughts Robin.
It's possibly far worse. The present court could, if asked, over-rule all kinds of taxation, including proposed taxation of capital. A disaster waiting in the wings. I fully believe that the oligarchs are geared up for this fight, and we are not.
The oligarchs have been well organized for over 40 years, while we, as a society, seem less together. We still have collective leverage, if we are sufficiently motivated to use it. In concert.
During my visit to Cuba in 1970 I found out that top salaries could not be more than six times the workers average. No doubt one of the many motivators for American industrialists pushing for a blockade of all things Cuban.
Emil, I'm copying my reply to Jerry Helfand. Thank you for your comment.
No, I am not suggesting that 'all' profits should be turned over to the government. The profit system is vital to human survival, physically and emotionally. It 'brings good things to life', as they used to say. I consider Marx's final judgement about capitalism and the impossible and fatal option of 'communism' to be completely wrong. What I am saying is that the great economic engine includes the labor and efforts of every person (even the ones who are disabled or just have a bad year). That engine is vast, larger then anyone can imagine. It cannot be totally regulated (real and lasting wage and price controls are not viable). I am rebutting the common impression that wealth is entirely 'earned'. Dividends, interest, and capital gains are essentially the result of the collective efforts of others, for example. They are rents, not wages. So the result is that society has needs and desires of all kinds that must be provided by our communal efforts: taxes. Taxes come from profits. They originate as eveyone's money (labor, consumption, etc.) and remain so. That distinction, I believe, can help clear away the confusion that one is paying taxes out of one's 'own' money, and that concept applies to everyone. As Joyce Vance says, we're in this together. I totally agree with you on the need for more progressive taxation and business regulation.
For sure, Marx was brilliant (so was Lenin). But that didn't guarantee a lucid understanding of human nature and basic fairness. The 'good' that you might find in Marx has to be weighed against reality and common sense. Good government is neither radical idealism nor rocket science. Idealism gets us into the most trouble, whether communism or Objectivism, neither of which can rid the world of bad actors, wars, and chaos. Common sense, one day at a time, is the best we can do.
It helps a lot to read Stephanie Keltons The Deficit Myth. It took me three times for it to soak in, as even the less indoctrinated among us has lafferism in there somewhere.
James, while on some level, yes, profits are the result of collective efforts, your words tell me you believe that all profits should be shared with the public. Did I read that right? I find that notion scary, because if it comes to pass, we will get a pre-Russia Soviet economic system. While I do believe that the tax system needs to be more progressive that it currently is, and that regulation of business activities is needed to protect workers, the environment and shareholders, what I think you're implying is extreme and destructive.
No, I am not suggesting that 'all' profits should be turned over to the government. The profit system is vital to human survival, physically and emotionally. It 'brings good things to life', as they used to say. I consider Marx's final judgement about capitalism and the impossible and fatal option of 'communism' to be completely wrong. What I am saying is that the great economic engine includes the labor and efforts of every person (even the ones who are disabled or just have a bad year). That engine is vast, larger than anyone can imagine. It cannot be totally regulated (real and lasting wage and price controls are not viable). I am rebutting the common impression that wealth is entirely 'earned'. Dividends, interest, and capital gains are essentially the result of the collective efforts of others, for example. They are rents, not wages. So the result is that society has needs and desires of all kinds that must be provided by our communal efforts: taxes. Taxes come from profits. They originate as eveyone's money (labor, consumption, etc.) and remain so. That distinction, I believe, can help clear away the confusion that one is paying taxes out of one's 'own' money, and that concept applies to everyone. As Joyce Vance says, we're in this together. I totally agree with you on the need for more progressive taxation and business regulation.
Taxing the churches seems like a logical act but who would have the balls to start the ball rolling toward that end? Democrats know that preaching politics from the pulpit is against the law but they do nothing to stop it. Wonder why? Republicans defy our democracy right out in the open yet suffer very few consequences. When Lev Parnas, in the halls of Congress, called out Senator Ron Johnson and Rep Pete Sessions for doing the Russian’s bidding, no one batted an eye. They get away with their crap, they get wealthier and the nation suffers. Will it ever end?
It would take balls the size of the Goodyear blimp. Sorely lacking because the “church ladies and their rulers” would never stop with the self-righteous crap.
Ransom Rideout; Absolutely right about taxing politically active churches. I don’t want to give churches that spew this right wing nonsense one cent of my tax dollars. To get these benefits they have to agree not to participate in politics and they violate that agreement. Enough!
I went to such a place before a Baptist song leader identified Obama as the socialist anti- Christ. Glad I left, my UU church doesn’t preach, just lives love…
When you understand that mainstream media is a monopoly controlled by a handful of families, it is easy to understand why they black out Biden's activism in starting to again take an active role in the responsibility of a government serious about " ...to promote the general welfare...." It is governments' responsibility to regulate corporations to curtail abusive behavior and prevent monopolies. The federal government has been M.I.A. through several administrations.
Interestingly enough, the church created in the 1850s on the belief that slavery was "God's Will", has been the church through which the modern Confederacy has pushed their reactionary politics. I speak of the Southern Baptist Church, the leading purveyors of the religion of Fundamentalism and the one "church" for which "freedom of religion" shouldn't apply as they get sued to lose their tax-exempt status as the political operation they are.
And if the Confederate scum want to try and raise another insurrection this time after they lose again, we will hopefully deal with them more thoroughly than in 2021 and 1865.
Yes, about 13 centuries. Also marking the beginning of capitalist ways when we see how the Catholic Church created a hell that you could be saved from by buying into whatever the church had to sell and forced you to buy.
The conservtive takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention served as the model for the conservative takeover of the Republican party, congress, and the courts. They eliminated seminary faculty who had more expansive and liberal ideas and replaced them with fundamentalists.
TC, my family is from MS and I had an uncle, a deacon in his Southern Baptist church. He was also in the KKK. How one countenances that with the teachings of Jesus (or John the Baptist) is beyond my logical mind. One of the many teachings of Jesus they ignore is his disdain of HYPOCRITES.
Is it not essential to follow far-right finance to source -- and publish the research results alongside the 2025 Project and other statements of intent?
Help the conspirators to be hoist of their own petard.
Having looked a little further at the doings in question, of which I was not aware, one does get the impression from the other side of the pond that, yes, you have a nice big country for sale over there, together with all that therein is.
After which, presumably, there'll be plenty of billion and trillionaire privateers out to arrange another Munich-style carve-up of Europe with that friendly gentleman in Moscow...
Alas, I missed my opportunities to sell the Colosseum and the Tower of London to suchlike...
Dare we hope. They say it out loud, yet it barely makes a ripple. I nearly had a hissy fit when I read that we should base our government on the Old Testament. What better way to screw the future. When will we look forward instead of back to the good old days before vaccines, before the robber barons were called out, before the Southern bigots and greedy bastards were vanquished, before the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses could see hope. When will we appreciate our hard-won freedoms, opportunities for all (well, most), the availability of medical advances, our ability to make choices about our life and our world. While nothing is perfect, so many have worked, fought, and died for the world that republicans are trying to destroy with every utterance and action. Time to fight back, before the fix is in…
Thank you for this uplifting post Dr Richardson. With the Unions back in business, we just might make out of the morass of fascism. You go Biden! The best President in too many years to count
We can't forget that this is all playing out against a future that will be very different to today due to climate change. The rebalancing of the economic system in favour of the "common wealth" will be necessary in order to build the resilient and strong local communities we need to adapt to the changes.
Stephen Thair's proposals are specific and down-to-earth.
Obviously, this will call for maximized networking and exchanges of practical information. In rather the same way as internet collaboration has enabled clinicians to take over much health research.
Unfortunately, the enemy has already taken much preemptive action that makes resilience, the task of local revival, adaptation and resistance, more uphill. (Of course, by robbing our common economic, social and infrastructural base, these people will in time bring down the house on all heads, including their own.)
I go back to Roger Revelle who was rather conservative wanting to take 10 to 15 years to see if Global Warming was a real long term trend. His interest in Oceanology went back to the 1930s before he worked for the Office of Naval Research (our satellite weather shop supporting the 6594th Test Group that caught the reconnaissance satellite film capsules as they descended by parachute supported one of ONR's research projects). He was a primary researcher in the 1957/58 International Geophysical Year Project and the most knowledgeable expert I could imagine looking back to the 70s and 80s. He had seen at least 10 years of the trend by 1991 when he passed away, and was convinced it was bad enough by then (but still probably underestimated how much worse it would prove to become).
No doubt about it -- Dems cannot sit back and just let the Republican clown shows all implode.
Can't just follow the old status quo, however good and vital it may be: knocking on doors, phoning people, lawn signs, post cards.
Dems have got to articulate the personal anecdotes the best ones have -- on real people, facing real situations, calling for real government programs needed humanly to help.
Dems have got to start calling up their wellsprings of American humanities -- Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen, Dr. Dre, movies like "Winter's Bone" and "The Florida Project," memoirs like Mary Karr's "The Liars Club" and Erin Gruwell's "The Freedom Writers Diary," and novels like Barbara Kingsolver's "Demon Copperhead" and many, many more Dem public figures must have read and still care about.
The billionaires are vicious, well-organized, and in cahoots with all the theocrat would-be dictators across America and in the Clarence court.
Biden and his pals have got to be intelligently human to take the initiative from all the predators Heather cites still dangerous today, even if the orange fat guy may be going down of his own arrogant foolishness.
After hearing interviews with Trumpers, I’m convinced that nothing will sway them. Our ONLY way out of this is for each of us to give as much as possible of our time and money, so that every Dem and Indie voter gets to the polls. We need every possible Senate seat, for sure, to save our judicial system. Lots of appointments to the federal courts are made at the circuit, district and appeals level. We need a Dem president and a Senate majority to accomplish that.
Hoping Dems run lots of Ads in Maryland to educate voters to keep this seat in Democratic hands. Former Gov "I'm so bipartisan" Hogan would not even deign to vote for Biden rather than Trump; instead he bragged about writing in dead Reagan's name, so clever.
Not only would Hogan swell the ranks of Senate Rs, he appears to be one without sufficient backbone to stand up against his caucus and vote for Biden policies.
Merely one example-- given the air in Maryland: Voting parents of plenty of asthmatic MD kids might be interested to learn what cannot be accomplished if the Senate loses its Democratic majority and cannot pass any upcoming climate & auto-emissions legislation (which might be necessary if the High Court decimates the EPA)
Yes Deb A...I am very worried about this. I know too many dems who voted for Hogan as Gov. I don't know how to convince them that their vote for Hogan for senator is a huge mistake.
I would feel a lot better if the “liberal”media would talk more about Biden’s accomplishments and less about Trump’s foolish rants.
Or Biden's age.
Biden's statement on his budget versus MAGAt's says it all. If that statement is from one who is too old then being too old is a good thing.
Maybe if we each send that quote or HCR’s whole letter to 3 media outlets it will get on a front page someplace.
YES we all, Non readers as well as us readers, have to flood all major media, NYT, Wash Post, Wall St Journal. Like I did a couple of weeks ago to the Supremes re my outrage about them putting off the Immunity case for 7 weeks! Yesterday I was outraged that as Palestinians are starving, the Settlers have identified 6 plots of land in Gaza designated as settllements to be populated by Settlers!!!!! OMGosh! So many atrocities worldwide. Don't get me started on Johnson and the Ukraine funding vote!!! (And I wrote the prior words b4 Marjorie Taylor Greene slipped the scrap of paper, regular motion warning, into the box. And now the outrage that Johnson has sent them home for 2 week without approving the Ukraine funding, AND DOING THEIR JOB, while Ukrainians are dying on the battlefield and bombs hit their electrical grids!! So many letters to be flooded!!!
Good Idea!👍🏼
And I’m hoping people will report back on their results.
Thanks, for the shot in the arm, I'm starting to feel too old, maybe it IS a good thing! I mean I do feel more aware & maybe even a bit wiser!
With age comes wisdom, knowledge and experience.
Certainly we thought that about our grandparents.
Not sure if NPR will pay attention to my email about not yet covering project 2525 in-depth. Will keep trying.
NPR works quietly till they have their fact straight and ducks in a row, then they hit the mat like Ali!
Unless they don't. Not a spotless record.
Agree. No one has a spotless record.
Compared to Fox, Newsmax, and to a recent extent, CNN, I'll take NPR for accuracy and fairness.
Thank you…as a sustainer I will add my voice to that 👏🫶
Did you really mean Project 2525 (The World Speed Project: Bus Conversion)… or Project 2025, the presidential transitional project basically developed by the heritage foundation?
2025
You may have noticed that since March 7th we’ve heard a lot less about Biden’s age and a lot more about Trump’s divorce from reality.
Yes. I also did see a headline about Biden's stutter getting attention. I hope it is good attention except of course from Treacherous-treasonous-traitor-Trump! I think that they are getting a lot of negative feedback from their readership. While I still have WaPo, I got rid of the NYT. It has just become a publication I cannot support.
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Last night I watched a movie that a friend rented last night. It is called God and Country. You can rent the film for $5 here: https://watch.eventive.org/godandcountry/play/65e601a2a2d7070041c33efd
It really highlights the symbiotic relationship between T-T-T-Trump and the White Nationalist Evangelicals. He is their charlatan charismatic preacher. All the people interviewed are Christians who do not see the beliefs being espoused in these megachurches as Christianity, just as ISIS does not represent Islam. It ties what Trump and the pastors are saying to the election of T-T-T-Trump, and the Jan 6 uprising. It is good to understand where these people are coming from, and see what we can do to give them another picture than the one that they are being brainwashed with. I am so glad that Shawn Fein is clearheaded. Let us hope that his membership listens to him. I can imagine that a lot will listen to their pastors over their union leadership. The ones raising fear.
Linda, thank you for this cite. If people have never heard the fundies talk, they have no idea about how their "Christianity" penetrates their lives. Everything they do is ordained by God. They can't imagine or hear about any life beyond that bubble. I do have an ex-student who is a pastor who does speak out against death star as he told me, he is not a Christofascist. I hope he has influenced others.
This is the Rob Reiner documentary I've been hearing about - sounds like there is lots of backlash from right wingers. As there should be!! Truth is hard to hear.
Lets hope a lot of the unions vote blue.
I know the teacher's union will. Also, more and more graduate students are unionizing. I assume they will vote blue too.
I would like to think educators hate seeing American education dumbed downed and fictionalized. How are we suppose to learn (at least a little bit) from our mistakes? It would be interesting to know how many teachers support the idea that slavery was a good thing and other such stuff. I realize every country white washes their history. Russia and China must have bought out the supply of bleach.
Thanks. I'll check that out. "God and Country" is also available through YouTube and Amazon Prime Video and possibly elsewhere.
I've also noticed a shift in reporting since just before the end of the year and see it continuing to improve. Even Fox has been reporting things that seem to gall them but they are reporting bits of trump's fall, the gop's failures and Biden's economy successes in drips and drabs. Not good enough but better. I am very hopeful that if Biden's economic efforts continue to show up in people's lives, the momentum will grow. We'll continue to hear more hopeful news if viewers embrace hope. I don't believe the polls and I find it hard to believe that trump will win the election. But I have also learned to take nothing for granted. But I thought 2024 was going to be awful, and while much of it is, I also see reason for hope under Biden's leadership.
I was just thinking the same thing Jon. I believe that Biden’s vigor and his on-target SOTU speech made a lot of voters re-think the “too old” trope. Plus his savvy, full on state-to-state campaigning.
Would like a divorce from the US by tRump!
Dee, if it violates the terms of our pre-nup, and he has to pay bigly, yesssssssss!!!!
Gladly accept a divorce from the orange magat with pre-nups +
Fani Willis and Leticia James are already working on it. 👍🏻
I would too, but please don't conflate the worst president ever with what is an attractive secondary sex characteristic in both genders.
Yes, and so have many Substack writers, as well as a bit of MSM. The SOTU was a slam dunk and the NYT and WaPo shut the f... up, for a few days, but leave it to pinhead Aaron Blake and others, well, thy have to justify their salaries and when you are as smart as a box of rocks, you go with the easy meme.
Good!!!
Biden's age is irrelevant and it's discrimination to label someone because of their age. Biden has done an remarkable job with the economy and creative thousands of jobs. The Stock Market is up and interests rates will start to go down.
This is the beauty of 40 years experience of serving your country.
Hell , in the house , we have Republicans that are have his age that don't know their right hand from the left hand in governing and serving the people of this country. It's disgraceful.
Are you trying to tell me something?
At 90 I consider Biden a rather young whipper snapper, though I admire his character and his dedication to the United States of America.
In sharp contrast I consider Trump an Antichrist whose enchantment with himself has already rendered him the worst president in America’s long history.
I understand completely Keith. I just sent you a message. I appreciate clear comments on mine.
Professor Richardson. You often hit home runs, but today you hit another grand slam. It may not be the bottom of the ninth with two outs, but it sure feels like it on most day.s
Thank you so much for informing us about the neferious plans of the magas and white faux-Christian nationalists and their history.
And "faux-Christian" is definitely the right term! These people use religion as a cudgel to deny the rights of women, minorities, and just about anyone else who isn't a white Anglo-Saxon (Aryan??) male. It sickens me.
The challenge for me is that Faux-Christian is actually based on those "laws" of Christian churches (Catholic, Evangelical, Mormon among others) that have little relationship to the actual teachings of Jesus. These laws, disguised as paths to holiness, were actually created to support power structures within the organization - funny how many of them were about sex and/or affected women: no women priests, no abortion, no sex outside of marriage, no birth control, no homosexuality and more).
There are those churches, for example the American Episcopal Church, that are making important changes, but there are others that are not. It's the main reason I am a non-denominational Christian. I follow the teachings of Jesus as best I can, but I resist those laws that have nothing to do with "Love God with your whole heart...and your neighbor as yourself."
Amen Chaplain Terry, I’ve often said that the rule makers who cherry pick from the Old Testament ignore the reason Jesus came to preach the new gospel of love and acceptance.
Not only cherry pick the laws, but misrepresent them. The Torah tells us to welcome the stranger - unconditionally - more times that it tells us to keep the Sabbath or love God. The true perversion of Sodom was that they did not give charity or welcome strangers.
Yes, lin! In fact in seminary, we learned to say "Hebrew Bible" so as no longer to ID those books only in relation to the "New."
Also, I forgot to mention that the original "love your neighbor" is from the book of Leviticus, Chapter 19, which includes, among many "rules," vs 18, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Thank you Ned,
You've inspired a few more thoughts which I have added to my response to lin below.
Which is why I am so fond of Presiding Bishop Curry's " The Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement".
Christianity sold out to Empire and rejected the teaching of Jesus when Paul started writing letters and John's gospel was rewriten to declare Jesus was the christ.
I love Bishop Curry - I heard him speak at Georgetown on a panel on Christian Nationalsim and he was wonderful!
Not sure what you mean by rejected the teachings of Jesus when Paul started writing letters. He used his letters to spread the teachings of Jesus along with his traveling thousands of miles to a variety of cities. Christians were persecuted in Rome until Constantine issued the edict of Milan in 313 making Christianity legal; then ten years later it was made the official religion of the empire. I have a lot more to learn, but it is my understanding that when this happened, Jesus' teachings got lost in the power struggles.
Amen!!
I agree.
Yes, Gary, thanks to Heather. I have heard about the 2025 project, but was unaware of this men only group. I think many females today are unaware of how recently women gained the ability to do certain things like have credit cards in their own name. And the right to vote is also fairly recent. I read a lot of history and right now I am in early 17th century India in the Mungol Empire where the women of the palace were unseen in the harem. The author does have a chapter about how women had influence in the background. One of the members of the royal family is the man who would become Shah Jahan and build the Taj Mahal.
Michele, Greg Olear from Prevail has an excellent post about Project 2025. Here's the link: https://gregolear.substack.com/p/project-2025-the-cowboy-catholic.
Thank you We get his emails which I often read, but it depends on what I have to do in the am. I have read about it, but somehow missed this all male group. As a woman, I find that very threatening.
Yes, part of Heather's newsletter was a great historical read.
What liberal media?
The ‘liberal’ media. Another made up scary monster brought to you by thr forces of darkness.
The media are all owned by massive corporate interests. None of whom, I can assure you, are even remotely liberal. It’s bad for the bottom line.
Marla, I've been saying just that for years! Their interest is solely in paying the lower taxes that every Republican since Reagan has offered.
Definitely agree. This is why I am greatful for independent writers like Heather and other's to inform us about the truth of what is really going on in this country.
We ourselves have an responsibility to inform others of what we learned. Especially the voters who are undecided.
I only read the special sections like science and well and i do the crossword. I like the Palmer Report which makes no secret that it is liberal and often castigates the MSM. I do warn people, should they look this up, the terrible and inaccurate description of it, I think, on Wiki. It does have hyperbolic headlines, but the essays, especially those by Harrington and Palmer, are pretty good and to the point as what we can to do to help Ds win including a list of where to donate in swing districts and make your money matter.
Heather will have an event soon to provide additions to other lists: and where to volunteer:
https://www.mobilize.us/volunteerblue/event/610650/
Agreed
A Republican friend of mine and I were talking yesterday about the pre-cable news information we were fed by CBS, NBC, ABC and the print media. The 30 minutes of evening national news covered the same stories whether it was delivered by Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, Walter Cronkite or Frank Reynolds. And it all seemed to be driven by what the New York Times reported in the morning paper. Or maybe the AP or UPI and possibly the WAPO.
But today, we are bombarded 24/7 with "breaking news" which rarely is, and too often it is something sensation that TFFG has said or one of his sycophants. The Sulbergerger era of The NY Times doesn't seem to wield the same influence the paper did in the 1960's in my opinion. When the lead story day after day is Trump Trump Trump, it seems like they are more interested in the almighty dollar than fairly reporting the news.
I follow Paul Krugman and I just can't drop the NYTimes, but if he retired, I would rely on You and others here to reprint the important stories from the NYT.
Thanks Faye for keeping us informed.
I cancelled NYT and WAPO. I miss some columnists too. I bought a year subscription to WAPO a few weeks ago for 29$. It has gotten so bad I have hardly looked at it.
Substack and few trusted writers is a great news source today.
I subscribe to Apple News and get access to WaPo, Politico, and other publications. Lots cheaper than my subscription was just to WaPo.
While he doesn't' cover everything, many of us here check out YouTube for "Beau of the Fifth Column" daily, and his "Roads with Beau" on Thursdays/Sundays.
Marj I have not subscribed to a print newspaper for nearly three years. I get the digital NYT and WAPO. In addition to Heather, I faithfully read on line The Guardian (some of its American investigative reporting matches ProPublica) and The Economist. The Atlantic has some daily postings that I consider must reads.
I am amazed by how many ‘top substantive stories’ are simply a one or two day flash in the NYT and WAPO. For days, a few weeks ago, there was nothing on the budget shenanigans in the House.
I can’t speak to PBS, since I do not watch daily TV/cable news shows.
The MacNeil Lehrer report on PBS was excellent when they were both involved, but then MacNeil retired and then Lehrer and after that it wasn't as good in my opinion.
Gary Agreed! It seemed to become less and less substantive.
Why not drop the NYT? I did two years ago and I've never felt better. It's shocking how one sided their reporting is. It seems to me that newspaper lives in another universe than I do. Especially since I read multiple versions of the same story. NYTs was always tipped to the right.
When I stopped my subscription, they asked why. I told them their reporting is prejudicial ...I'm sure it made no difference.
There is an effort at non-profit local reporting. This is something we should all fund for every small town. The cost of entry is the recruiting of local labor and IT support services. It is essential to engender these local journalists with the ideals of freedom and diversity so they can color the reporting to show both the strengths and weaknesses of our people. Is there someone out there who knows how to do such a thing? Perhaps the new news sources "the 19th" or "the Baltimore Banner". It is the loss of local journalism that allowed the train of progress we were making to jump the tracks. Let's bring them back.
We require local reporting so the city commission cannot vote to steal all the money with no public or newspeople in the room. All of us need to find a way to be sure the local newspeople are always in the room when the pie of resources is being cut.
We have a few local online only news sources. We keep the local rag online to read the obits. We also subscribe to the Oregonian online.
I find less and less to read in the NYT. Except the comments, which seem to also be less and less.
I keep thinking I'll drop it and just keep Cooking.
I subscribe to the NYT, WAPO and LATIMES, which is hardly a paper anymore. I’m spending a small fortune and thinking of canceling all. I’ve subscribed to the NYT for 30 years and it’s not what it used to be. MSNBC is all Trump all the time and CNN is also all Trump, but in their effort to be “balanced” they elevate right wingers and their talking points. The town hall with Trump by Kaitlyn Collins was a disaster and it should never have happened.
Cant stand Kaitlyn Collins.
They're their own worst enemies
Jen I find some of the comments on the digital NYT worth reading. Of course their editorial standards for posting are dreadful—they permit me to post comments at least seven times weekly on a range of subjects, from ‘don’t be a senior sucker’ to Netanyahu’s Armageddon and Trump’s/Johnson’s traitorous NYETs on Ukraine aid.
I usually read yours
Jen A sign of your desperation? Starved for any news?
I am reminded of the jester who the king had sentenced to death because of his dreadful puns. At the last minute he relented. The jester responded: “No noose is good news.” KERPLUNK!
Jen You keep NYT Cooking, while I am appalled how the NYT have savaged other sections. At one time they had robust coverage of NY area sports teams. Now they have ‘homogenized’ their sports writers (either reassigned or terminated?) and imposed The Athlete, which provides no continuous coverage of NY area teams. I believe that access to The Athlete can also be purchased separately. AWWWK!
Perhaps it's because other outlets cover it?
I skip all the sports coverage, "culture" which seems mostly about people I've never heard of and care nothing about. And all the buying or remodeling a really ridiculously expensive home stuff.
They used to do serious coverage. I'm thinking of the expose on drumpf financial fraud from a few years back. And maybe they will again. But I find little of use, and my favorite voices on comments seem maybe to have cancelled their subscriptions too.
Cooking is all I have and I am very happy with it.
Exactly why we stopped looking at the national broadcasts years ago. After the local news (WABI) ends, I hit the button and go and make dinner. A much better use of my time.
Mark, we often tune out the national news although I do like Lester Holt. Sometimes there are a few stories, usually nonpolitical we want to see. I am old enough to remember Cronkite.
Yeah, I know I'm missing a few things here and there (the same can be said for NPR, which I also dumped several years ago due to their incredibly weak both-sides coverage) but I've grown pretty much allergic to the harried, overly-dramatic presentation. That includes the bombastic music at the start, just before they report on how this, that, or the other thing is about to destroy us all. Oh, and how it's bad for Joe Biden.
I totally remember Cronkite. I remember my family having the news on during the Viet Nam war and worrying about the body counts, worrying if I had to go. I was only 9.
We used to listen to NPR while we were getting ready to go to work. We haven't listened to them in years. Now we have on all classical in Portland, Oregon, a wonderful soundtrack to the day.
In the 1960s New York was the center of the universe; "everyone" knew it. All television news agreed and was carefully prepared each evening to support the idea that the US was the best of all possible nations and New York was its center.
Unfortunately, Vietnam.
As others have said, thank you again, Heather for your wonderful, in depth news of the day! I sleep badly these days and often check my phone about 3 AM to see if your daily letter has hit yet. You are my sustenance!!
follow the money--- So many wonderful Substack writers----- one place where TRUTH can be found------supported by citizens !
Cable news, like CNN, report more about polls than about what people need to know about how to vote. Trump is always in trouble and Biden is always losing. Nothings about if you want to keep affording healthcare or having to work until you’re 70. Next, women’s right to vote will be gone, but it won’t show up in a poll.
You can't always depend on cable news. I don't believe in polls because they have a tendency to change from day to day.
I worry about those of us who are only reading what they agree with—on either side. The main seam media may be annoying, but we need to know what others are reading. If we don’t, we become as insular as they are.
True, Susan, and this is why I so much appreciate Substack, writer's such as Dr. Richardson, Professor Reich, Dan Rather, Elliot Kirchner, TC in LA, and many many others give you an accurate and documented account of what is coming from both sides and they fact check. We also have writers from other countries like Graham Vincent, Edwin Ngetich, a whole bunch from the British Isles, Germany, and France who give us a world view, not just our own perspective. This May will be one year since, in a fit of temper with CNN, I had my cable disconnected. Guess what? I haven't missed a thing
Might want to take a look at Tangle which looks at many sides of an issue. Substack I believe.
I think Judith was using the phrase ironically--at least that's how I understood her.
I could not agree more. I am so sick of hearing the word "trump" that I don't even watch the morning news anymore. I could care less about the in's and out's of the foolish rants. Let's have some real news - that is news.
I can't listen to his voice or see his face without a whole body reaction that is not good. I read most of my news online so at least that eliminates having to hear his voice. I mostly rely on substack and the many true professionals whose thoughts are made available to us every day. It was suggested to me the other day that I should be watching Newsmax and I nearly flipped out on the person.
" Newsmax?!" In what alternate universe is that considered " news?"
Reminds me of the time, years ago, that a friend of mine told me that if I would watch Fox I would know "the truth".
Jeanne, I am in that place with you!!!
Penny, I couldn’t agree more about the morning news. When I do listen to it (on NPR) and I hear his name,
I hope against hope that his eating habits, etc. have put him on the “stairway to heaven” or wherever he might be heading.
Having supported NPR for years, I quit them when they started giving equal time to **** (word choice up to the reader).
Virginia, my ability to sift through “the news” has greatly increased over the past several years. Of all the major networks that I receive through my minimal cable hook-up and my smart devices, NPR and PBS are the best of the lot. My Substack subscriptions are awesome!
Have you tried MSNBC? If it’s in your cable hookup, and laws, lawyers, and judges interest you, in these days, give it a try. Rachel Maddow does Monday nights and election nights, Jen Psaki is another bright one, past White House person (I forget her title).
I listen to MSNBC in the car on Sirius/XM and switch to Progressive Radio (channel 127) during commercials.
John Fugelsang on Progressive Radio is in Rachel Maddow's league in my opinion. He also does pod casts and live shows around the country.
Not to heaven., Sara....hopefully headed to burning in hell.
Watching the recent PBS program on Dante and The Divine Comedy (which was EXCELLENT, btw!), it occurred to me that T***p really does represent the personification of all nine circles of the Inferno . . . gluttony, pride, lust, fraud, etc. the LOT. He fits in ALL of them.
I was thinking that he would.
Michele, as a non-believer let me just say I envision him in the golf course next to Ivana in perpetuity.😉
My thoughts to a "t"...
I agree. I can’t even stand to see trump’s picture everywhere!
Exactly!!
Exactly. They worry about being 'fair and balanced' a little too much. (wasn't that Fox 'News' former motto??)
If only they really did worry about fair and balanced, The breadth and depth of what is reported would expand dramatically. The balance they primarily serve is remote and kept at the bank.
Likely, their claim to "fair and balanced" is cover for trying to appeal to the broadest readership—read: money—as they discard their Fourth Estate responsibility.
The joke that wasn’t
I work with university students who believe a scholarly article is “biased” if it does not present opposing viewpoints as equally credible. When I ask them to find the evidence to support opposing viewpoints, they return to the argument that it should have been included in the article.
Yesterday, I heard them talking about the stock market and the retirement fund gains that middle-class Americans are reaping.
Green reporters may be liberal, but editors less so and media executives not at all.
We really need both. People need to see how insane Trump's rantings are! They also need to be more aware of Biden's successes for them.
The MANNER of reporting is important. We need to SEE Biden live, not just hear others say he is fine.
We need context and fact-checking in real time with Trump.
I could not agree more. Trump needs to be exposed, and Biden needs to be revealed, for who they really are and what they do.
The April 2024 edition of Harper's Magazine has a brilliant discussion among seven participants entitled "Crime and Punishment." In fact, it reveals in a way that I never realized how we got to where we are politically and how our neighborhoods got segregated. Who would have ever thought that the construction of the Interstate Highway System played a role? I am going to re-read it today with marking pencil.
Thank you for recommending, 'Crime and Punishment' by Ras Baraka, Rosa Brooks, Barry Friedman, Christy E. Lopez, Tracey L. Meares, Brian O’Hara, Patrick Sharkey (my tip of the hat to Fyodor Dostoevsky) in the April, 2024 issue of Harper's Magazine..
A link to the article is below.
https://harpers.org/archive/2024/04/crime-and-punishment-5/
Thank you for this, Fern. And, speaking of "Crime and Punishment," perhaps this is the year. It looks as though the Manhattan D.A. case against TFG will go in mid-April.
In my overestimation of the 'Rule of Law' as it has been touted in the US, I thought the abusive, creepy, lying, crook would be caught soon have taking the presidency with less votes than Hillary Clinton. There's a bit of a crook in our system, don't you think?
Our system is flawed, to be sure. There are things that the Founding Fathers simply could not have ever conceived, such as a nation of fifty states, stretching across the continent and across the seas, vast disparities in the populations of the states, instant electronic mass communications, and more. Will the primary problems (Electoral College and Filibuster) bring down the unity because of the unfairness? Perhaps. Aside from racism, what is the biggest problem? IMO, Christian Nationalism. Hopefully, historians will be able to report that what we're going through presently was the last gasp of each, white supremacy and Christian nationalism.
Richard, I believe that you have pinpointed what has been at the root of our mixed-identity, and I would add the modern twist in communication, the ability to talk together. The demise of local journalism and the domination of social media, the hub of propaganda, has logjammed the facts from the ground up.
Send them the news in undeniable numbers! I post to Fox and Newsmax to set the record straight, sharing facts that can't be denied, but I also post to the center and left leaning outlets too.
Hammer it home at EVERY opportunity!
His rants and policies he's outlined are sonata-human all of our voters need to be aware of his horrid attitudes. The election season is in it's beginning stage. Voters will be informed of Biden's Policies, our economic recovery from # 45's tax gift's to industry and the upper 1% of our economy. Stephen Miller one of Trumps speechwritere's use of Goebble's characterization of Jews and other people as "vermin", "evil", cannot be forgotten.
Foolish and loud rants by a rich white man who inherited his positon and wealth make a lot more money for all media than the quiet, yet considerable accomplishments of the scion of immigrant white people. For the most part, all media need to be ignored as the handservants of rich white men that they are.
The problem is sensationalism. Biden is slow and steady and substance - no flash and drama.Also a problem is “fair and balanced “ at the expense of accuracy and unglamorous gritty laborious hard work.
Yes, I would to. This is a major problem for Biden. It's all about ratings. Which is wrong.
The thing is that trumpers only see the prices at the grocery stores and at the gas pumps. Government budgets, gross national product, numbers on unemployment (unless they are unemployed), price capping on medicines (unless you use insulin or need an epi pen) mean nothing to them. Too abstract. It would be interesting to see ( in a worse case scenario) when they have their social security cut and have to work until they are 70 to get full benefits.
Both?
Thank you for telling us about Hinton Helper and how his book showed that the slavery oligarchy’s actions only benefited the plantation owners, not the slave or common man. It seems that the play book of the top 1% hasn’t changed in 150 degrees—work to maintain power by convincing the working class to fight among themselves.
Biden is smart to change part of the Democrat playbook—rather than letting jobs go overseas unfettered and adding to the social safety net to aid those whose jobs have disappeared, he’s proposed legislation to create well-paying jobs here. He’s fighting the problem at the beginning, not the end.
This Letter was as an ode to America, an ode to spring in America, an ode to the American people's good sense to take the road to democracy, and an ode to Joe Biden, our President, who has been paving the way. Thank you, Heather Cox Richardson, and to this assembly of fine, caring Americans who believe in freedom, equality, justice and solidarity. Thank you, Mary Hart, for also ringing democracy's bell this morning.
Well said, Fern; it is excellent prose.
Yes, I agree. I don't know about everyone else but I do not want to move backward to an ante-bellum Southern economic style which is where we are going with the huge divide in wealth in this country. I am thanking Heather for once again giving us the historical perspective about what is going on now and how it correlates to what was going on then.
It’s a slow slog, made slower by the opposition and interference of the greedy bastards and the worshippers of idols with clay feet…
Why haven’t all of US heard about Hinton Helper in history class?
There's so much history that has not been taught in schools. As time passes, there's more history to teach, but no more time in which to do it. In my college freshman history class, Reconstruction -the present, my instructor got bogged down in Reconstruction (his area of specialty) and we stayed there for 3 months. His comment about the present was to give that day's date. Students get taught American mythology; factual events might be too upsetting because the ways in which the rich have mistreated the poor are horrendous.
Thank you for this comment. Trump would be impossible without the downward slide of American education since the 1950's.
I went to school in the American Education of the 50s and that was not a high point in Education!
American Education was scrambling to find teachers and classrooms for the huge influx of us Boomers. We attended elementary school in buildings that had been condemned but patched up while new buildings were being built. We were given teachers who should have been retired; they may have had years of experience, but no actual education in education. The rest were kids who had graduated from college but were not teaching the subjects they had majored in.
No. The myth of quality education in the 1950s is of a piece with all the other myths about the 1950s: it was a great time if you were a WASP man born with a silver spoon.
I went to a poor public school in much the situation you describe, and had teachers who had liberal arts degrees or normal school degrees and knew their subjects. Learned in 1952 as a college freshman, that the 25% of SAT takers with the lowest scores were majoring in Education, so vowed never to take an education course, taught successfully in universities using what I remembered of my best teachers. Although I support public schools and public school teachers, nothing has led me to believe that education courses will make a teacher of anyone who doesn’t love the subject or subjects that person is teaching. I’m sorry that you were a victim of poor teaching.
The NC school I knew (UNC-CH) back in the day when NC was as purple as anywhere and the university was “a hotbed of liberals” according to some, and faculty processions (do they exist any more) showed a lot of Harvard red (which stood out so much that I had trouble learning other hoods), I cannot imagine being taught mythology except in Greek or comp lit class. (I read in The New Yorker about Art Pope, “friend of Kochs” taking over NC education, then saw “Starving the Beast” and the unseating of the UNC president.)
NC woman here who grew up in the “liberal” bastion of Asheville and who went on to marry two UNC grads(different times obviously). Both of my husbands were huge UNC sports fans and I just loved the university and all it offered. As a consequence, I paid attention to what was going on in the university system as a whole but how education was being funded and post integration, messed with by Raleigh as time passed. Both of my boys went to UNC schools but eventually dropped out when they realized they could do better with an education of a different kind and have both succeeded in their chosen fields of tech. In my advanced years, I’ve decided that formal education is wasted on the young and it seems to me that by getting out into this world, meeting others and working can one eventually gain a better understanding of the world they are living in. Politics can always screw up a good thing.
As a scholar with a long view of history I’m not certain how one can swim intelligently in this world without a broad understanding of what preceded it. Tech is only one aspect of the complexities we live in. I too follow UNC sports and am horrified at the influence of Art Pope, friend of Kochs’ on NC universities, which have become primarily job training schools instead of places where liberal arts flourish.
What the republican legislature has done since their takeover in 2010 is nothing short of criminal.
Same here. Entered 1965, one of very few women at that “liberal” place. My greater family was appalled.
Haven’t checked the proportion of women lately, but when I was there most of us were housed in three dorms.
No, education courses will not make a teacher out of anyone who doesn't feel called to be a teacher. Yes, the very best teachers are the ones who feel called to teach. Why else would someone get a degree to take a low paying job where you are disrespected?
It’s time to pay teachers! My husband was not in favor of teachers’ unions. After his death I learned from his best friend that, before I knew him, he had formed the first teachers’ union in the high school where he was choral director. I had to laugh because it was so like him to try to solve problems whenever and wherever he could.
Seriously, I never had even heard of that book.
“….. work to maintain power by convincing the working class to fight among themselves.”
yup and unfortunately their propaganda has worked quite well to achieve this.
How do we “un-dupe” those who have been duped to see their fellow working class brothers and sisters are not the enemy, not the source of their ire? I wish there were a simple answer…
Professor, thank you for this very good reminder that while Trump must go, because he has the audacity to run for President again, he is just the most visible head of a Hydra with many equally venomous heads and long talons.
And as with slavery, roots in the 1%.
Useful idiot.
A society that is precluded from learning actual history is doomed to repeat it.
That's why the right likes the uneducated.
Claire...I used to say this too, but then one day I realized that my parents aren't educated. They didn't vote for tfg or any republican. So, I've stopped. Something to think about should you make the comment out loud in front of people you don't know.
In fact, I know college-educated people who are followers of the orange man. It's more about those who carry grievances. Glass half empty types. The teacher isn't fair, the boss isn't fair, the coach isn't fair...IMHO
My siblings all have college degrees. I graduated high school and the school of Hard Knocks.
They vote R. I don't.
I'm here. They're not.
They watch Faux Noise.
I don't.
Faux Noise and right-wing radio talking heads are the worst. But no one is forcing them to watch/listen. They choose to. Why? I'm sorry to say it's because it resonates with them. Why does it resonate with them and not you? I keep wondering about this myself.
I have two siblings, one college degreed and one not, who voted for tfg twice. They are good people who are easily influenced by others. They have never expressed regret, so I can only assume they will vote for him again. Expressions of regret would go a long way to healing our country.
In 2016, I was dealing with breast cancer. I was on the ACA- Obamacare. I spoke to everyone in my family and begged them not to vote R, that it was literally life or death for me and millions of others. My pleas fell on deaf ears. ...but her emails, but abortion, but I just like him better (!!)...
I still struggle with forgiveness on that one.
I am so very sorry. I hope you are ok now.
Uneducated does not mean lack of an “education” rather it means those who, for a variety of reasons, are not INFORMED! People who are working jobs, taking care of their families—just trying to get through their day—just aren’t getting correct information about the policies and people who are affecting them. That’s the real problem!
I think it's because a lot of them are just like him and he makes them feel good about themselves for being that way. It blows my mind when I speak to well educated people who are all for him. Maybe it's their greedy minds, thinking they'll get better financial breaks from that horrible man.
Yes Jeanne...there is that too. What he says and does resonates with them. Not only does it not resonate with me, but I am appalled by him. That's not a political divide.
For Sure, It’s Greed!
George Santayana thanks you.
Very very true George!!
MK, thank you for this response. I know plenty of educated people who follow #45. Saying that only the uneducated support him is not a fair representation.
Look at the statistics.
"The power to tax is the power to destroy". I do not remember who said that. I don't believe it was Reagan. It is time to tax those who aim to destroy us and our nation. We must do all we can to regain the Congressional majority to do so. Nothing will happen in that regard until we do so.
The US economy was pumping in the 1950s. The tax rate was near 80% .
Thank you Heather for revealing the forces afoot. Perhaps taxing the politically active churches will put them out of business, and therfore, politics. As for Biden's "Fair Share", the percentage must be significantly greater because the physical and educational infrastructure is what gave the corporate oligarchy the abiliy to create great wealth. Our taxes pay for all of that.Their taxes must reimburse the nation.
Taxes, by definition, come from profits. Profits themselves are taxes we pay with every purchase. When taxes, i.e. profits, are paid to the government, instead of hoarded by the wealthy, it is our own money flowing back to us. We must stop thinking of profits as someone else's money. They are everyone's money. In a democracy, the people decide how to use their money. That's why fascists, or slavers, or Republicans detest democracy.
Remember though that the excessive profits are the problem. These profits are responsible for driving up prices on everything. I think HCR’s statement about 50 BILLION dollars of wealth moving to the top 10% since 1980 is just staggering.
Er, make that TRILLION; and yes, staggering. What might US society and the world look like today without the "Reagan Revolution" and the folly that supported it? And still do? Reagan made anti-environmentalism a key "Republican" goal. Think about that if it gets extra hot this summer? (And even if it doesn't. The long-term trend is unmistakable).
Thanks for noticing my error.
Easy to make. Both numbers are staggering. Yet Musk paid 40 billion to take over Twitter just because he was miffed and because he could. I don't know that all billionaires are emotional infants, but a lot of them seem be involved in urination contests.
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desart. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
No thing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
- Shelly
U.S. billionaires are doing to America what Russian oligarchs did to people there.
Once those former nomenklatura got western finance, and secured all public assets for themselves, they killed the formerly good state health system, oversaw the sweep of tuberculosis and alcoholism over the working classes, arranged for the former secret police to take over all universities, and let life expectancy fall drastically, especially for middle-aged men.
You know all too well, Judi, the U.S. billionaires arranged similar scourges across the American working classes, from killing humanities in the schools to replacing them with regimes of onerous standardized testing, from offshoring millions of jobs out of the U.S. to making sure the millions thus abandoned had desperate times getting health care, with prescriptions only at usuriously inflated rates.
Yes, Heather's facts are staggering, as you say. But U.S. elites with the Powell memo back in 1971 set all this in motion for their own selfish vulgarity. It was just a coincidence that the same U.S. vulgar could also invest in similar predations by their similarly cynical plus more outright murderous Russian partners.
I'm in the process of watching a PBS series on Dante's Divine Comedy. In it, he states that greed is the worst human sin, and was the one that troubled him most. To overcome his greed, Dante had to travel from hell to heaven, because trying to face it directly would have consumed him. I think our culture may be a such a moment, if we are brave, creative, and pragmatic enough to face it.
The schools, Steve.
The Finns, more than a decade ago, faced mediocrity in their K-12 -- and they turned it around, by turning all power over to the teachers.
Of course, they also put new, urgent priorities in hiring only the best as teachers. But once they had them, admin, politicians, preachers, bureaucrats, and standardized testers were all out, totally out.
And once teachers -- the best -- were at the top, the schools of Finland became the best in the world. (And Finland, ranked happiest of all the world's countries.)
In my view, kindergarten teachers need more far extensive teacher's training than high school teachers do. School can can have bearing on all aspects of life. Fortune favors the prepared mind.
Though Finland has a troublesome neighbor. Here we pay little attention to nations doing things our pundits claim are impossible. Every society has pros and cons (Finland is pretty cold). Do you know the Moomin books for kids? The storybooks are better than the comic strips. Largely gentle and playfully adventures into human nature.
Steve, I think we need to create the ways to communicate with one another; to breakthrough social media's LOGJAM of PROPAGANDA. Reawaking local journalism -- using technology for our benefit - building solidarity with the facts as Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, is doing. Revitalizing our schools, our school boards and strengthening our support for teachers and librarians. Working locally as well as nationally is a key to knowing the facts from the ground up, including state government; building respect and solidarity for we the people.
Next on my list. Thank you
I wish it were only $50 BILLION.
In the last 34 years it is more like $50 TRILLION. Since the Trump Tax Cuts, Elon Musk alone went from 20.4 Billion to $270 Billion by Sep 2023 (so his increase was 5 times as much as much of what is already a hard enough number to grasp).
From today's letter:
"...At the same time, it continues to push an economic system that has moved as much as $50 trillion from the bottom 90% to the top 10% since 1981 while exploding the annual budget deficit and the national debt..."
See https://www.commondreams.org/news/billionaires-trump-tax-cuts
"...Using Forbes wealth data, the progressive advocacy group Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) calculated that the combined wealth of the nation's 748 billionaires exceeded $5 trillion this month—up 77%, or $2.2 trillion, since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act took effect in 2017.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk saw the biggest wealth increase of all U.S. billionaires, surging from $20.4 billion in December 2017 to nearly $270 billion in September 2023—a 1,222.8% boost..."
I should have looked a bit further before replying. The true costs since Reagan started his campaign, though, are so hard to grasp, it is an easy mistake to underestimate them.
Thanks for correction!
Sickening.
Not Billion.....$50 TRILLION
Thanks.
From HCR: At the same time, it continues to push an economic system that has moved as much as $50 trillion from the bottom 90% to the top 10% since 1981 while exploding the annual budget deficit and the national deb
Sorry for my error
Trillion
Correction: 50 TRILLION.
“Profits themselves are taxes we pay with every purchase… We must stop thinking of profits as someone else's money. They are everyone's money.”
Please say a few more words, James. I’m struggling with this.
In this cult of richness for its own sake, the cultural idea has been heavily promoted for us to assume that profit taken to extremes is somehow a sign of success of the persons owning the profit. What is frequently true however is that 'small' businesses around the country at least in the past have been the backbone of business and community success, creating a healthy middle class which is necessary for a healthy nation economically and in other ways.
We saw this working after World War II and for the next 30 years or so. Then the greed merchants began to use their national media we call the MSM now, to convince us that greater (gross) profit would trickle down to the rest of us. This has proved to be an absolute falsehood and a great unbalancer to our economics, our physical health, our educational system and certainly our political one. The tax percentage rate for the richest has fallen abysmally low to the point where we average citizens pay a higher rate than those companies, that Heather points out, and is completely unsustainable. What the large monopolistic companies have done because we have allowed them to is to raise prices on goods and services that we pay for, claiming that even the minimal taxes we force them to pay ‘forces’ them to raise prices. This is utterly ridiculous and obscene as the figures show and does nothing but make piles of money that are basically unearned in this lopsided system. So our paying of higher prices is actually a kind of tax on us and not on them. Does that make sense to you? The way that really works out is that we have come to believe so often that the person making more money is somehow superior either inherently or acquired. This does not a democracy make.
“In 2022, the CEO-to-worker compensationl ratio in the United States was estimated to be 344.3, meaning that CEOs received more than 344 times the annual average salary of production and nonsupervisory workers in their firm's key industry. “
L
Well put Robin. Compared to your sage comments this is rather trite, but I recall the hat with the phrase, "he who dies with the most toys wins."
Jeff Bezos's yacht cost him $500 million in 2023 and Nancy Walton's $250 million. TFFG loves to surround himself with trustifarians that have accomplished nothing in their lives except being born. Amazon has had years where they paid zero in Federal taxes. And no Robin, this does not make sense to me.
For years, I have muddled around in my little brain, the possibility of a maximum income rate. It would be some factor of the lowest paid employee. E.G 100 times $20,000/year. or $2,000,000 a year. Stock options would be deferred until the CEO was no longer an employee of the company.
Is this socialism? Perhaps, but when someone's net worth is more than many small countries, that is grossly unfair.
Socialism is just a word they use when they don't like something.
It has a formal definition, but basically I see it in the border sense of promoting the common good, the "commonwealth". E Pluribus Unum; "we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." Individualism is posited as it's polar opposite, but that's true only in extreme and unbalanced forms. I think that on inspection, we all have a unique individual and a social nature. Most of us are taught to work toward "independence" but not to be excessively uncooperative. "Plays well with others".
The Constitution is a social contract which details certain social duties as well as unalienable individual rights. In the end, they are not in opposition; A "free society" is free only when we accept and protect the rights of one another. That's the duty part. What's not social about:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
?
I worry less about CEO compensation packages than about workers getting liveable wages and fair treatment, about society having the means to provide an environment in which the lowest earning of us can reasonably expect to thrive and improve their situations, and about the environment improving in spite of profits. Economic reality is that it's not a zero sum game. We can all thrive with some combination of free enterprise and collective action. Lately, the pendulum has swung too far towards glorifying profits over all else, and it needs to swing back. I personally want it to stop swinging as it comes to the middle.
Yes "middle" as in balanced, but dynamically balanced, like a "mobile" of suspended objects, hung with varying weights and balance points in any array of balances within balances. As much as it takes for beneficial and just results. Halfway measures between oil industry profits and climate tipping points probably won't make it. Cutting the baby in half won't serve justice.
But yes, there are demonstrable ways to make compensation for workers much fairer than handing the wealthiest impunity. Been there and done that with absolute monarchs and emperors, and it sucked. The answers come from wise and just formulations and applications of "the rules of the game"; the rules that are supposed to be by and for "the people".
Gary, I like putting a great big idea into biteable size, so thank you for your perspective!
This whole 'ism' thing is, can be, and often becomes a mind trap, an idea trap for which a great number of people are not at all educated to understand in its origins or in its applications. People in groups opposing each other sling isms around like baseball bats as if sheer brute force will somehow accomplish something desired, like the defeat of everything one doesn't like, even though actual understanding is lacking. The emotional brain wants what the emotional brain wants.
The isms do actually represent ideas to be put into actions and the devil is always always in the details as well as the direction. Socialism comes in many forms and its intent is to *gasp* feed every body, house every body, clothe every body. Because all of that is a social good. Any argument against this is heavily weighted by personal senses like selfishness, isolation, preformed ideas of who is 'worthy' or not as if humans were in a position to make that judgment.
The super rich have been putting out fear like a great wet blanket my whole entire life which is coming up on 89 shortly. I've gotten a fairly close up look at it, family-wise. It is a crock and unworthy of respect of any kind to wield socialism as a club against people who can just about keep body and soul together. We are looking at the ultimate selfishness of the rich-impaired who have the resources and the means to misinform us, to their own guarded ends. We cannot afford these people and it is we who are subsidizing them, let's get that clear. Trickle where?
So an idea as an ism is at least a useful pivot point as long as we're educated to understand what we're looking at and the effects and the meaning of it in everyday life and the way we structure/employ our government and other institutions that affect us. (Whew! That was fun…)
Very interesting Robin and well put. I like how you describe the intent of socialism. JL quoted this from the US Constitution. "establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity"
Seems like Socialism to me. Does "Promote the general Welfare" mean "feed every body, house every body and clothe every body.?" It seems the super rich have hijacked this belief and only care about enriching themselves even further.
The other day Professor Richardson wrote about the Kleptocracy and today as well to some degree. That whole concept seems opposed to Socialism and the words of the US Constitution.
Thanks again for your well considered thoughts Robin.
Let's not forget the Supremely Corrupt Courts guilt in all this.
It's possibly far worse. The present court could, if asked, over-rule all kinds of taxation, including proposed taxation of capital. A disaster waiting in the wings. I fully believe that the oligarchs are geared up for this fight, and we are not.
The oligarchs have been well organized for over 40 years, while we, as a society, seem less together. We still have collective leverage, if we are sufficiently motivated to use it. In concert.
Precisely.
During my visit to Cuba in 1970 I found out that top salaries could not be more than six times the workers average. No doubt one of the many motivators for American industrialists pushing for a blockade of all things Cuban.
Emil, I'm copying my reply to Jerry Helfand. Thank you for your comment.
No, I am not suggesting that 'all' profits should be turned over to the government. The profit system is vital to human survival, physically and emotionally. It 'brings good things to life', as they used to say. I consider Marx's final judgement about capitalism and the impossible and fatal option of 'communism' to be completely wrong. What I am saying is that the great economic engine includes the labor and efforts of every person (even the ones who are disabled or just have a bad year). That engine is vast, larger then anyone can imagine. It cannot be totally regulated (real and lasting wage and price controls are not viable). I am rebutting the common impression that wealth is entirely 'earned'. Dividends, interest, and capital gains are essentially the result of the collective efforts of others, for example. They are rents, not wages. So the result is that society has needs and desires of all kinds that must be provided by our communal efforts: taxes. Taxes come from profits. They originate as eveyone's money (labor, consumption, etc.) and remain so. That distinction, I believe, can help clear away the confusion that one is paying taxes out of one's 'own' money, and that concept applies to everyone. As Joyce Vance says, we're in this together. I totally agree with you on the need for more progressive taxation and business regulation.
I think Marx's diagnosis was spot on. But his solution failed, on a practical scale. we need something different.
For sure, Marx was brilliant (so was Lenin). But that didn't guarantee a lucid understanding of human nature and basic fairness. The 'good' that you might find in Marx has to be weighed against reality and common sense. Good government is neither radical idealism nor rocket science. Idealism gets us into the most trouble, whether communism or Objectivism, neither of which can rid the world of bad actors, wars, and chaos. Common sense, one day at a time, is the best we can do.
I did not say I thought Marx was good. I think his writings on the problem of capitalism were correct. Not the solution.
It helps a lot to read Stephanie Keltons The Deficit Myth. It took me three times for it to soak in, as even the less indoctrinated among us has lafferism in there somewhere.
Yes, of coure.
James, while on some level, yes, profits are the result of collective efforts, your words tell me you believe that all profits should be shared with the public. Did I read that right? I find that notion scary, because if it comes to pass, we will get a pre-Russia Soviet economic system. While I do believe that the tax system needs to be more progressive that it currently is, and that regulation of business activities is needed to protect workers, the environment and shareholders, what I think you're implying is extreme and destructive.
No, I am not suggesting that 'all' profits should be turned over to the government. The profit system is vital to human survival, physically and emotionally. It 'brings good things to life', as they used to say. I consider Marx's final judgement about capitalism and the impossible and fatal option of 'communism' to be completely wrong. What I am saying is that the great economic engine includes the labor and efforts of every person (even the ones who are disabled or just have a bad year). That engine is vast, larger than anyone can imagine. It cannot be totally regulated (real and lasting wage and price controls are not viable). I am rebutting the common impression that wealth is entirely 'earned'. Dividends, interest, and capital gains are essentially the result of the collective efforts of others, for example. They are rents, not wages. So the result is that society has needs and desires of all kinds that must be provided by our communal efforts: taxes. Taxes come from profits. They originate as eveyone's money (labor, consumption, etc.) and remain so. That distinction, I believe, can help clear away the confusion that one is paying taxes out of one's 'own' money, and that concept applies to everyone. As Joyce Vance says, we're in this together. I totally agree with you on the need for more progressive taxation and business regulation.
Very well said. I love it when someone gives me a different angle. Copying this and sending to myself and friends.
Very much appreciated, Jen.
Way past time to tax the political gospel coming from many churches. The scam has grown to monumental proportIons
Taxing the churches seems like a logical act but who would have the balls to start the ball rolling toward that end? Democrats know that preaching politics from the pulpit is against the law but they do nothing to stop it. Wonder why? Republicans defy our democracy right out in the open yet suffer very few consequences. When Lev Parnas, in the halls of Congress, called out Senator Ron Johnson and Rep Pete Sessions for doing the Russian’s bidding, no one batted an eye. They get away with their crap, they get wealthier and the nation suffers. Will it ever end?
It needs to be done first in one of the "heathen" New England states where church attendance in hovering around 20%.
It would take balls the size of the Goodyear blimp. Sorely lacking because the “church ladies and their rulers” would never stop with the self-righteous crap.
And the elite schools with bazillions in endowments.
Ransom Rideout; Absolutely right about taxing politically active churches. I don’t want to give churches that spew this right wing nonsense one cent of my tax dollars. To get these benefits they have to agree not to participate in politics and they violate that agreement. Enough!
I went to such a place before a Baptist song leader identified Obama as the socialist anti- Christ. Glad I left, my UU church doesn’t preach, just lives love…
Of course the 80% rate was reserved for those making train-loads of money. They still managed to be exceptionally wealthy.
Heather, add to your reference list.
Matt Stoller is a first-rate investigative journalist when it comes to understanding monopolies.
https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/why-the-apple-antitrust-suit-matters?r=rdp7
When you understand that mainstream media is a monopoly controlled by a handful of families, it is easy to understand why they black out Biden's activism in starting to again take an active role in the responsibility of a government serious about " ...to promote the general welfare...." It is governments' responsibility to regulate corporations to curtail abusive behavior and prevent monopolies. The federal government has been M.I.A. through several administrations.
Support independent investigative journalism.
Seems the owner of WaPo in the 70’s supported investigative journalism.
So did the NYT.
I read Matt Stoller as well. He is also educational.
Thank you Professor for ll the work you do to keep us informed.
May Joe Biden live to 120 in good health. A big thank you to Judge Engoran for restoring what we need the most: Hope!
Interestingly enough, the church created in the 1850s on the belief that slavery was "God's Will", has been the church through which the modern Confederacy has pushed their reactionary politics. I speak of the Southern Baptist Church, the leading purveyors of the religion of Fundamentalism and the one "church" for which "freedom of religion" shouldn't apply as they get sued to lose their tax-exempt status as the political operation they are.
And if the Confederate scum want to try and raise another insurrection this time after they lose again, we will hopefully deal with them more thoroughly than in 2021 and 1865.
"God's will" is one of the greatest blanket excuses in history. (And I'm going back centuries).
Yes, about 13 centuries. Also marking the beginning of capitalist ways when we see how the Catholic Church created a hell that you could be saved from by buying into whatever the church had to sell and forced you to buy.
Martin Luther didn't like that system.
The conservtive takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention served as the model for the conservative takeover of the Republican party, congress, and the courts. They eliminated seminary faculty who had more expansive and liberal ideas and replaced them with fundamentalists.
Exactly right.
TC, my family is from MS and I had an uncle, a deacon in his Southern Baptist church. He was also in the KKK. How one countenances that with the teachings of Jesus (or John the Baptist) is beyond my logical mind. One of the many teachings of Jesus they ignore is his disdain of HYPOCRITES.
So true.
Spot on TC. "...deal with them more thoroughly..." indeed.
This is definitely true TC in LA!!!
TC; Love this comment!
I find the RSC dangerous and scary, especially with dark money and billionaires supporting these GOP nationalists.
Is it not essential to follow far-right finance to source -- and publish the research results alongside the 2025 Project and other statements of intent?
Help the conspirators to be hoist of their own petard.
Haven’t heard anymore about the 1.6 billion from Seid to Leo. Seems worthy to know who is buying what…
"Seid"?
Barre Seid
Yep, Barre, an OLD dude who got a big piece of the pie
Right. I get it. Another 000 000 000 000 nutter...
Having looked a little further at the doings in question, of which I was not aware, one does get the impression from the other side of the pond that, yes, you have a nice big country for sale over there, together with all that therein is.
After which, presumably, there'll be plenty of billion and trillionaire privateers out to arrange another Munich-style carve-up of Europe with that friendly gentleman in Moscow...
Alas, I missed my opportunities to sell the Colosseum and the Tower of London to suchlike...
The money is speaking loud and clear, and the greedy bastards are tuned in. So should we be
Dare we hope. They say it out loud, yet it barely makes a ripple. I nearly had a hissy fit when I read that we should base our government on the Old Testament. What better way to screw the future. When will we look forward instead of back to the good old days before vaccines, before the robber barons were called out, before the Southern bigots and greedy bastards were vanquished, before the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses could see hope. When will we appreciate our hard-won freedoms, opportunities for all (well, most), the availability of medical advances, our ability to make choices about our life and our world. While nothing is perfect, so many have worked, fought, and died for the world that republicans are trying to destroy with every utterance and action. Time to fight back, before the fix is in…
To "base our government on the Old Testament. What better way to screw the future"
LOL, Jeri!
Wonder if they have read it? I started on it, but seemed irrelevant to a sane world.
I think capitalism, the class struggle between the employer and employers is the root of our problems.
Wonderful post, Jeri! I completely agree.
Thank you for this uplifting post Dr Richardson. With the Unions back in business, we just might make out of the morass of fascism. You go Biden! The best President in too many years to count
We can't forget that this is all playing out against a future that will be very different to today due to climate change. The rebalancing of the economic system in favour of the "common wealth" will be necessary in order to build the resilient and strong local communities we need to adapt to the changes.
My thoughts here https://open.substack.com/pub/stephenthair/p/what-if-the-trumpists-really-believe?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=wxx11
Stephen Thair's proposals are specific and down-to-earth.
Obviously, this will call for maximized networking and exchanges of practical information. In rather the same way as internet collaboration has enabled clinicians to take over much health research.
Unfortunately, the enemy has already taken much preemptive action that makes resilience, the task of local revival, adaptation and resistance, more uphill. (Of course, by robbing our common economic, social and infrastructural base, these people will in time bring down the house on all heads, including their own.)
Idiots.
Beggar-my-Neighbor idiots...
I go back to Roger Revelle who was rather conservative wanting to take 10 to 15 years to see if Global Warming was a real long term trend. His interest in Oceanology went back to the 1930s before he worked for the Office of Naval Research (our satellite weather shop supporting the 6594th Test Group that caught the reconnaissance satellite film capsules as they descended by parachute supported one of ONR's research projects). He was a primary researcher in the 1957/58 International Geophysical Year Project and the most knowledgeable expert I could imagine looking back to the 70s and 80s. He had seen at least 10 years of the trend by 1991 when he passed away, and was convinced it was bad enough by then (but still probably underestimated how much worse it would prove to become).
The world was deceived, though the real author of the 1991 Cosmos Paper "What to do about Greenhouse Warming: Look Before You Leap." I firmly believe the truth is well expressed at: https://ossfoundation.org/projects/environment/global-warming/myths/revelle-gore-singer-lindzen/
They've had Britain for the last 12 years (without the religious bit and the fascist bit)
The result is widespread poverty, unusable roads full of potholes and a collapsed health service.
Good luck folks.
Britain's "Reagan" was Maggie Thatcher.
No doubt about it -- Dems cannot sit back and just let the Republican clown shows all implode.
Can't just follow the old status quo, however good and vital it may be: knocking on doors, phoning people, lawn signs, post cards.
Dems have got to articulate the personal anecdotes the best ones have -- on real people, facing real situations, calling for real government programs needed humanly to help.
Dems have got to start calling up their wellsprings of American humanities -- Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen, Dr. Dre, movies like "Winter's Bone" and "The Florida Project," memoirs like Mary Karr's "The Liars Club" and Erin Gruwell's "The Freedom Writers Diary," and novels like Barbara Kingsolver's "Demon Copperhead" and many, many more Dem public figures must have read and still care about.
The billionaires are vicious, well-organized, and in cahoots with all the theocrat would-be dictators across America and in the Clarence court.
Biden and his pals have got to be intelligently human to take the initiative from all the predators Heather cites still dangerous today, even if the orange fat guy may be going down of his own arrogant foolishness.
Thank you for uncovering the facts and history for us. It gives me hope even now.
Particularly the closing paragraphs.
I have a sense today that Trump is weakening.
After hearing interviews with Trumpers, I’m convinced that nothing will sway them. Our ONLY way out of this is for each of us to give as much as possible of our time and money, so that every Dem and Indie voter gets to the polls. We need every possible Senate seat, for sure, to save our judicial system. Lots of appointments to the federal courts are made at the circuit, district and appeals level. We need a Dem president and a Senate majority to accomplish that.
Hoping Dems run lots of Ads in Maryland to educate voters to keep this seat in Democratic hands. Former Gov "I'm so bipartisan" Hogan would not even deign to vote for Biden rather than Trump; instead he bragged about writing in dead Reagan's name, so clever.
Not only would Hogan swell the ranks of Senate Rs, he appears to be one without sufficient backbone to stand up against his caucus and vote for Biden policies.
Merely one example-- given the air in Maryland: Voting parents of plenty of asthmatic MD kids might be interested to learn what cannot be accomplished if the Senate loses its Democratic majority and cannot pass any upcoming climate & auto-emissions legislation (which might be necessary if the High Court decimates the EPA)
Yes Deb A...I am very worried about this. I know too many dems who voted for Hogan as Gov. I don't know how to convince them that their vote for Hogan for senator is a huge mistake.
Ach.
Larger Senate R caucus
--Increases poss of a Natl abortion ban?
-- Increases poss of rollbacks in pollution legislation?
-- rollback in Rx price caps?
(That scary Republican Wish List could get enacted, yikes!)
(sigh)
*heart* to you MK.
Conman conned.