Possibly the biggest story today in terms of its impact on most Americans’ lives is that as part of its war on junk fees, the Biden administration announced an $8 cap on late fees charged by credit card issuers that have more than a million accounts.
As Rachel Maddow and the MSNBC election team spelled out clearly, the coming election might be our last… should TFG win. And quoting the serial psychopathic narcissist insecure pathological liar, members of the MSNBC network team suggested what they and others might do to avoid Orwellian tyranny and loss of our democracy and our basic freedoms.. this is not dress rehearsal. It’s game on
Yes, Rachel and MSNBC did an great job telling people about Trump's disasters and if, he would win, he would destroy this country and our Democracy. Then they talked about President Biden's accomplishments and the outstanding job he's doing governing this country since he was elected.
And therein lies the problem, there is no "cross-pollination." The Fox News, OAN, News Max and Alex Jones crowd get no outside info. Frankly, that isn't surprising. What religion believer wants to hear arguments that their beliefs have no foundation in facts or science? It appears that most of TFFG's base is composed of Christian Nationalists with a mix of racism and misogyny thrown in. Speaking of misogyny, that is one that I just don't get: why this urge and practice among some to reduce females to mere chattels?
Richard, for most of history and until quite recently women were mere chattels. And in many ways we are reminded of our second class status. I can't tell you how many times my opinion has been ignored or challenged because I am a woman. Last time we were over to our neighbors, he contradicted everything, and I mean everything i said, including a chiropractic technique that works for my particular problem. I have said repeatedly that I refuse to make predictions, especially political ones and I am treated always to the doom and gloom scenario. I know how bad things are and how they could be even worse because for one thing, I read Heather. And I know what problems we have with the climate, so i don't need to be instructed about that either. I am a history person and read a lot about all sorts of times and places, so nothing that happens now surprises me. I also read a lot of science and I stand in awe of the women and men who do this work....despite the fact that many times women have had their ideas stolen or have been given no credit. And speaking of credit, my mother-in-law was the first woman to have a credit card in her own name at a local department store. I can't even begin to tell you what happened when I coached girls basketball. It's better now, but a long way to go.
Michele -- your story about your mother-in-law reminds me of my own story! In about 1962 or 3, when I was 27 or 28, having just moved to San Francisco from Denver, I received an American Express credit card! A woman, young, with no significant work history receiving this card? And I was not asked for any "favors" to receive it!
Can a guy chip in with full agreement and support? I credit my mother for my attitudes in regard to women's and human rights across the board (Dad was cool too). I don't understand all the resistance to equality. I am farther to the left than she was, but the best of my foundation came largely from her. Our relationship was pretty rocky too, but mostly, "Thanks Mom!"
Kudos and of course you can. I do understand the resistance because inequality is the way things were and often are and people do not want to give that up.
In the early 2000's, I was on the board at our church. I found when I made a suggestion about something, the men pooh-poohed it. But maybe 10 minutes later, another man would suggest the same thing! I was torn between "why didn't my suggestion get approval?" and "maybe I put the idea in his head so that's a good thing?". This happened several times so I thought it was just me. But then it happened to another lady. That's when I thought to myself - It's not me. I'm through. When they asked me to sign on for another two years, I said "No". Just that - so no arguing with the reasons. It was my first eye-opener how men discount women's opinions, etc. In all my working years, I never had that.
What happened to you has happened to many, many women. My husband can say something and the neighbor thinks it's terrific. If I say it, I will hear mansplaining or I will just be contradicted. Too many men think women can only talk about recipes
I used that to convince my husband to do things he might not otherwise have done . I'd say, "You know, I've been think about that idea of if yours, and at first I didn't think much about it, but since so-and-so did such-and-such, I've decide d you were right, so let's go ahead and do it."
Hed say, "I never said that." And then I'd have to "remind" him where and when he said it, and thank him for his idea... It works. They'll do it if they think it was their idea.
I think a lot of younger women take things for granted. I have an ex-student and basketball player who is a fundamentalist. She had a right fit over the first women's march and ranted on and on about how it wasn't needed. I did message her to say that she had no idea of what i put up with so that she could play basketball. She is also rural, so probably saw the march as somehow liberal urban. I would say that her first serious boy friend used her. She was then married to a felon. The last guy was nice to her and they agreed on politics. They had and she has a farm....he has passed away and she was very angry when told that there was no help for him although that had been obvious for a long time. She is also not well, so needs a lot of help. Her dad was a county sheriff and once again a shot gun marriage which did not go well. He fell in love with his therapist and so married her.
Also, Michele, the GOP leadership is so worried about the falling level of procreation that they are trying to eliminate not only abortion but also birth control. More babies and a simultaneous effort to abolish prohibitions on child labor. After all, they have jobs to fill and don’t want to increase immigration (thus, as my mother said, cutting off their noses to spite their faces). And you all thought it was a religious thing? And oh yeah, get those women back into their kitchens and coach them on their Little-Girl, breathy, whispery, submissive voices!
So true. Saw somewhere that Science has the last word on nothing, and religion has the last word on everything. My UU church is proud to encourage exploration and eschew dogma. No judgment, no where
I visited UU church a couple of times, and liked the people. ( It's my second choice after Quaker silent meetings for worship, because it's so unstructured). Living in a Catholic culture is weird.
"Love is the doctrine of this church." And they mean it. I went to a great United Methodist Church before they latched onto the Obama hatred. Ran me off. I like the doctrine of the UU church better than the Nicene Creed anyway. Both did programs for helping the poor. It's just that color wasn't/isn't an issue with UU. I almost signed on the Catholicism years ago, but I just couldn't do it.
Only thing that keeps me sane. I need my bubble as much as the MAGAts do. But there was a time when the world was not bat-Schitt crazy and I wasn’t so desperate for a taste of normal. The Golden Rule has been schatt-upon…
I think it's most important that women have a choice. The main problem I see with staying home forgoing paid work is being economically dependent on someone else.
Dependent my Mom was, and hated it although she always worked. I gave her a car at age 58 because she wanted to learn to drive. My 14-year-old brother wrecked it. Dreams crushed.
I wonder what per centage of women really like that role. I didn't, but I wanted a life partner, so there were trade offs: he didn't want me to work; but I wanted to have my own money, and he didn't mind my financial help. Some women really are good at raising children and some think their son is Jesus Christ and they are Mary, mother of God. We all fit into the spectrum somewhere
My Mom sure felt that, although she was a looper at a hosiery mill for most of her life, while raising eight children. Even had a looper installed in our house so she could nurse a baby. She felt the chains but we never knew that she did. Not content, but took her responsibility seriously.
Richard, females, to them, are more than mere chattel. They are baby vessels, when conception happens the good old-fashioned way. Give them some credit, Richard.
Women these.days are better educated, get better paying jobs, have more freedom and independence, etc. which is hard on men's tender ego, to paint with a broad brush, and men are wired to use force to solve problems, not words. Nothing has changed, except women don't need men except to make babies, and who wants to raise babies that the industrial military complex will draft for Cannon fodder? There, I've solved the mystery, but solving the problem will have to wait until I get to Heaven and can have a conversation with God about testosterone.
Wow, Susan! I definitely don't want to inadvertently bump into you in a dark alley somewhere. At my age I'm kinda defenseless. You make some excellent points. I think that we can agree that our task right now is to preserve and protect our democracy and the rights of females in this country. Both are under serious attack.
Don't worry, I don't frequent dark alleys😉. And I had a long, joyful, happy marriage with the best husband in the world, so when I over generalize, I should always start with, "there are many exceptions, of course".
Looking at Jen Psaki's stunning report (about the supreme court) at novoteleft behindpac:
“The American people might not know if they are casting their ballots for a convicted criminal on Election Day… We cannot bet on the justice system protecting us from the ‘Day One dictator.’”
I don't usually find ridiculing opposition useful but it does inspire me to think about rearranging the "Day One Dictator" to "Dictator On Day One" or "the DODO candidate"
He will keep extending the term limits until he dies or his supporters figure out he IS too old and malignant. Just like the Chinese dictator and Putin.
He will keep extending the term limits until he dies or his supporters figure out he IS too old and malignant. Just like the Chinese dictator and Putin.
I said the same thing. If you don’t know by now that tRump is the wrong and absolute worst person for the job, you need to get your head out of the sand..
After his disastrous four years, I can't fathom another four years (for starters). Even with Fox master propaganda, his evil was front and center every single day.
Regarding women having credit cards, here is some history on that.
Although the Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963 requiring men and women to be paid equally when doing the same work, it wasn’t until the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) was passed in 1974 that women were able to get their own credit cards in their own name. The ECOA was originally introduced in 1973 by Representative Bella Abzug (D-NY) and was signed into law by President Gerald Ford on October 28, 1974.
I’m registered Independent (or no party preference)but by no means am I undecided nor am I shy about my opinion. I’ve donated to many causes to advance the Democratic causes. I vote the candidate and the cause
I am curious about the candidate and/or the cause that would have you vote Republican. I was once a Republican but Reagan and the attack on the Middle Class ended that relationship. Remember the mentally ill being turned out, many living in cardboard boxes and sleeping in the underpasses? The attack on the Middle Class, firing the Air Traffic Controllers? The massive tax breaks for the wealthy in 1986? Tripling the national debt?
There is nothing imaginable - the R’s can not be trusted. It’s not necessarily the individual but the party philosophy is a bridge too far. I remember all of that too well
What's left of the Republican Party has morphed into MAGA which is 21st century KKK which has adopted extremist points of view toward females. It's insane. I call them the American Taliban, which is even worse than the Roman Catholic Church's treatment of females.
But the people who need to hear the message don’t watch Rachel Maddow. And that’s part of the problem. The Dems needed to be paying grass roots people to go out and share the information directly in communities that need to hear it. If they don’t do that now, the they don’t really want to win
R’s are as about as willing to hear Rachel as they were Hillary.
When one wishes to connect with R voters one doesn’t lead off with the diatribe that was most popular in these comments.
One does get out of the echo chambers and listens to Rs, sympathizes, then connects one brief fact they may not know to their concern. Then one listens some more. Rinse. Repeat.
Unfortunately it is a small fraction who vote based on information instead of fear and anger.
In most cases, doubt facts help as much as therapy/ ministry/ friendship- not often in our own skill set. But things are not helped by a candidate who is not bringing his case to the people effectively.
I will vote against tfg no matter who dems nominate. But Dems will get more youth votes by far if it is someone much younger than tfg, and more youth & middle aged votes with someone not connected to Gaza and less connected to the fist-bump, since Saudis will raise oil prices to help tfg, as will Putin...
Retail politics. Knock on doors—dangerous as that can be—card tables with info and cookies at street fairs and near/on high school and college campuses, etc.
They have to keep hammering this home every single day until the election. I agree with Heather, so much of the country is not engaged and no one can afford to sit this one out. Magas think Trump loves them as they love him but they are in for a rude awakening should he win. I believe voting is not enough, unfortunately. We have to stay completely engaged right up until Election Day. People are so exhausted from Trump and his bs but we have to focus our energies and time. For those of us who don’t have time, let’s get real: we ALL can take 15 minutes a day to write post cards, phone bank, help people to register to vote, etc. I’m going overseas to be with my family for an extended time. I’m taking postcards with me to mail when I return home. Same with letters I’ll write for Vote Forward.
I doubt Biden will be able to give his SOTU tomorrow without hecklers who behave worse than the last time. They should be removed from the chamber in short order.
The warnings of a trump win sounds alarmist, as it was in Germany until it was too late. There is no choice in this election - period! It doesn’t matter whether you like Biden or not, if you give one hoot about this country you will vote for Biden whether you like him or not! I would support Biden against any GOP! For my money he has been great. Fussing about his age is silly, his age has been an advantage.
HCR thought it significant to report that Taylor Swift urged her fans to "vote who most represents YOU into power." Thinking of Taylor and creepy Joe Biden, "We are never, ever getting back together!"
Um, just in case you haven't noticed, Taylor Swift has become a political football, with Bidenistas like HCR hoping to paint her as a Biden supporter and Trumpists fantasizing that she is a psy op being groomed to pump the vote for Biden.
That is to say, like it or not, she has become part of the political landscape to the point that HCR tries to indirectly spin her as a Biden supporter.
Perhaps YOU'RE the one who's weird about Taylor Swift? Obsessing vulgarly about her without anything to add to the political discussion?
Why are you compulsing on 2 sentences from this post.
What's creepy to me is your seeming obsession with Taylor Swift.
Thousands of talking heads on TV talk about politics.
Like it or not Taylor has an opinion and is incredibly popular. Many people want to hear what she has to say.
I'm an old Deadhead. I'm not a fan of Taylor's music, but I respect the fact that so many others do. I don't let it fog my mind or color my opinion of her as a successful, thoughtful woman and artist with a devoted following.
My underlying point is that HCR routinely slips Bidenista propaganda into her letters. I've ben collecting examples for months as part of my substack notes:
p.s. I could have added youtube links to the other Grateful Dead songs I listed, but I didn't. That link to "Eyes of the World" is easily my favorite rendition.
The video of Biden snuggling up to the back of Ash Carter's wife during Carter's incoming speech as Defense Secretary, especially the part where she flinched, which got cut out of the slow-motion replay to "prove" that Biden didn't molest her in public.
As I've posted several times and will again, the words of Emma Watson who is also "talented, young and comely"--"Fuck the patriarchy."
Look at the leadership of most corrupt organizations and countries, they are run by men and they have very few, if any women in positions of influence and power. The Catholic Church, CPAC, the Republicans in Congress, the Senate and SCTOUS, the former Trump administration, Russia and so on.
I hope all women in the US come to realize that most Republicans are misogynists (and xenophobes) that believe they are here to SERVE him and his male friends. And SCOTUS is no different or even the Senate.
However, we do not hear that on lamestreet media and I and probably millions more people cannot afford cable news outlets. Xfinity has the market tied up and they keep raising the price. Gouging of all kind should be cleaned up just not late charges fees on credit cards.
Lowering credit card fees to $ 8.00 is a huge deal for millions of people who are in credit card debt. No other president in the 21st century has done this . I heard Walmart will be lowering their prices on food and merchandise. However, they couldn't confirm when.
May I recommend National Public Radio and PBS News Hour? We have never had cable TV. When we have seen it when traveling, we have not been inspired to get it for ourselves.
Listening to the stories about people standing line for food getting killed, I'm not sure I condone Israel's behavior even though the Hamas started the fight. I know very little about the area except that there are a lot of rabid religious militants who want to govern. We fought the Taliban for years. The planes hadn't even left and they had taken over. Is there a reason we are there except for the commercial significance of the Red Sea for commerce? Is Israel really an ally?
A: Hamas did not start the fight. The "fight" had been going on for decades with Israel always winning..more territory, more power over Palestinians. Way less territory or safety for Palestinians. The IDF is like a bunch of Nazis bullying, beating, imprisoning.... Gaza is an open air prison with severe restrictions on everything. Gaza has a long border to the Mediterranean sea. They are not allowed to boat into it and nothing can come in through there. Israel has been getting away with murder. Oct 7 was a big shock; who could guess that Hamas could get away with all that? They had expected it to be a suicide mission given all the press about the superior IDF and surveillance. Israel was humiliated and, I am sure, thrilled to use this as an excuse to wipe out as many of those "filthy rats" as possible. Now I am seeing on youtube many talks by hostages about how awful it was. Israeli propaganda, Of course, it wasn't luxury accommodations but I believe Hamas tried to keep those hostages alive and fed as well as possible under those circumstances. Israel did not care about those hostages and started bombing on Oct 7. Did they know where the hostages were? Or, care? see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_Directive
In a nutshell: if there is an Israeli citizen being taken, kill them, because negotiating for their release is a real problem. The hostage's families have to know this and have never trusted their government to get them released.......Israel has "bigger fish to fry".
It's a very complicated mess for the USA and for the next election. It's not just that some people are living in a hell of death, disease and starvation but it involves Israel. No one wants to be labeled antisemitic and they are using that to the hilt.
I wondered why the Palestinians have nowhere to go. Here is a quote from a commentator in Quora:
"Palestinians
Why is Egypt so adamantly opposed to allowing refugees from Gaza to escape the city, I thought they cared about the Palestinians?
They care about the Palestinians in theory, as Muslim neighbours, but Egypt isn’t going to let that blind them to reality.
Unlike seemingly everyone on this site, Egypt bothered to pick up a history book.
Jordan allowed Palestinian refugees. They tried to set up a state-within-a-state, attempted to assassinate the King, and got kicked back out.
Lebanon accepted the Palestinian refugees that had just been kicked out of Jordan, Those same refugees started a ten-year civil war.
Kuwait accepted Palestinian refugees. They then helped Saddam Hussain take over.
Egypt has no desire to be next on the list of countries dealing with open rebellion or terrorism after letting in refugees from Palestine, especially if they risk Hamas sneaking in with them.
,................
How can Palestinians children be helped....
Stop working with and employing Hamas people. Fire all the Hamas members working for UNRWA.
Create an international oversight committee to prevent Hamas AND the PA from using donated money for incitement, terror activities and particularly the “Pay for Slay” program of the PA.
Replace all textbooks and all school activities that demonize Israel and/or encourage children to become “martyrs”.
Convince the PA to hold elections and abide by the results, no matter what the outcome.
Teach human rights in schools and in adult classes.
Build factories, farms, power plants for electricity, desalination plants for drinking water and sewage treatment plants so that raw sewage isn’t dumped directly into the Mediterranean.
Rebuild the infrastructure that Hamas has ruined (replacing lampposts and water lines used for making rockets, but with pipes that are incompatible for use in making rockets).
These are just a few of the things that the UN COULD do, but won’t, basically because as a whole, the UN couldn’t give less of a crap to end the lucrative business of dedicated agencies and departments solely for the Palestinians (UNRWA and the Palestinian Department of OCHA come to mind at the head of the list).
Those who put children on display like this:
(Photo: Child with AK rifle)
The children should be removed from the parent’s homes and placed with appropriate Arab foster families outside of the Palestinian territories.
I can think of many other things the UN COULD do, but won’t."
"filthy rats" It seems to be the fashionable terms for undesirables. trump used it in a speech to encourage the riddance of vermin. I believe Hitler used it, too.
Unfortunately, Israel is an ally. We store weapons there we don’t trust Qatar or Turkey to store for us. The Israeli chip industry is bigger than the US and not in a communist country. And, until October 7th, their intelligence in the region exceeded ours or anyone else’s.
Thanks. It just seem like they were pulling a Russian move by putting settlers in the West Bank and then claiming it was theirs. At least that is my interpretation. Could be totally wrong.
Like drumpf, he's desperate to stay in power, not prison. If you know any Israelis, you might urge them to vote him immunity so he'll get the hell out.
A very depressing list. Let's talk about something more pleasant: climate change, pollution, plastic, endocrine disrupters, dangers of AI, mental health crisis, species extinctions,... . Did I forget anything?
I try to ignore the US politics. I just want TFFG dead. I have concentrated on the Gaza situation from day one. Oct7. It's a new disaster involving Jews. It's a BIG deal. Probably unsolvable. About 20 years ago, I said, probably to myself, that Israel will be the cause of WW3. It had to come from some remote part of my brain.... "instinct"?
Biden has done incredibly good things domestically and holding our own through Ukraine against Putin. However, Biden is losing a huge percentage of the young vote because of his support of genocide in Gaza. I am 78 years old and I don't know that I can vote for a person who is complicit in months of genocide that is highly recognized as genocide, no controversy except political. I know we shouldn't be one issue voters and I will probably vote with great reluctance for Biden only because of his opposition. His war crimes are very heinous and I will vote with a sad heart.
First, horrible as what is happening in Gaza is, it is not genocide. Words have meaning, they should be used carefully, particularly when they are inflammatory. Then remember that Israel is not a colony, but an ally. We can try to influence Israelis, but we can’t control what will happen there. And the administration has been more and more clear that it disagrees very strongly with the policy of the present Israeli regime. But for all of its faults and failures, Israel remains the only (albeit highly imperfect) democracy in the region.
"First, horrible as what is happening in Gaza is, it is not genocide. Words have meaning, they should be used carefully, particularly when they are inflammatory."
John Without using the word ‘genocide,’ what Netanyahu and the Israeli Defense Forces have been doing in Gaza is horrific:
1) Sustained bombing that has demolished or damaged about half of Gazan structures;
2) Killed/wounded over 100,000 (mostly women/children) of 2 million civilians;
3) Severely blocked the delivery of food/water/medical supplies causing likely starvation and medical deaths for a significant number of Gazans;
4) Forced the desperate relocation of the great majority of Gazans with no apparent ‘safe havens;’
5). No clear long-term policy that doesn’t include Israeli domination/control of Gaza.
Whatever the terminology. As a former Foreign Service Officer who lunched with David Ben-Gurion in August, 1954 and lived in the Middle East for years(visited Palestinian refugees in Gaza in 1953) I am appalled that, until very recently, President Biden was complicit in much of what I record above.
Biden could have:
1) not surreptitiously sent replacement armaments to Israel; and
2) Declared that the US would sent and distribute $$$$ of humanitarian aid to the 2 million Gazans.
I agree with almost all you said, and where I don't it's because I don't have the knowledge to opine. But I also think that we're going to need to wait a while (I hope we live long enough to see it) until we find out what's really been happening between the US and Israel since October 7th. And here in America there needs to be a lot more attention paid to the way that Hamas continues to embed its fighters among civilians knowing--and intending--that they will be killed and maimed, the immense cruelty of holding the hostages, and the fact that it constructed 450 miles of tunnels in the tiny Gaza Strip, but let civilians use none of them--not one foot--for air raid shelters. Why does that get no press?
I agree that's what's happening in Gaza is horrible, whether you call it genocide or not. I'm not sure I agree that sending armaments to Israel was a secret. Also. I question the logistics of the U S distributing aid to Gaza against Israel opposition. Would that take an invasion?
A tRUmp election victory will mean genocide here in the States! At least Pres. Biden, SOS Anthony Blinken & SOD Lloyd Austin are employing available resources to stop Netanyahu’s and, equally clearly Hamas attempts at genocide!
Genocide is 12 million in Nazi death camps and killing squads prelminary to a policy of mass starvation of 20 million or so to make room for Germans. Horrific as 30 thousand dead (more like 40 in reality) in Gaza is, that isn't genocide, even if there are Israelis who might wish it so.
It might not be “genocide” in your eyes but in the eyes of the UN and other organizations it certainly is more than merely war crimes. Israel has been ignoring UN orders since the Seven Day War. With our help on the Security Council as backup. But a more interesting question is why the surrounding Arab states, with the same ethnicity as the Palestinians, are closing their gates against any Palestinian migration and safety. Eygpt as a prime example. Why are they not complicit in “genocide” ? It is way more complicated than slogans and protests but I think Joe Biden regrets that impulsive Netanyahu hug.
According to Rashid Khalidi, The Hundred Years War on Palestine (he's a Palestinian-American, prof. of history at Columbia), the Arab countries neighboring Palestine have, for their own reasons, long given lip service and a cold shoulder to the Palestinians, both before and after the establishment of Israel. It's a very complicated history. However that may be, and whether or not it's "officially" genocide, the Israeli response to Oct. 7 is horrific. But this is a long conversation.
I didn't say it wasn't bad. 40000 works out to abt 2% of the Gazan population, Hamas and civilians alike, who actually are all part of the same population - by and large Hamas fighters are from the general population, including rapists and torturers and murderers of 1200 Israeli civilians young and old alike. That is not genocide, whatever the rhetoric internationally is. I suspect Hamas could have been occupied without the mass destruction and death, and a slow squeeze put on Hamas with limited warfare. Maybe. Here's one columnist https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/01/12/israel-gaza-hamas-genocide-netanyahu-response/
Well, Israel will not survive with The String ignored. Jews are the conscience of man, agnostic and atheist alike, they need not but the myths, faith in the almighty and all that, they are Survivors… hoping for the best, and the rest of us. To tolerance, to the answer to prejudice: eliminate ignorance and fear.
Perhaps it is well to remember that Israeli settler extremists in the West Bank are terrorists, and therefore Israel, funding the settlers and giving them guns, is a state sponsor of terrorism.
See “France Calls West Bank Israeli Settler Violence a ‘Policy of Terror’”
1. Israel faces an existential crisis as soon as the U.S. "aid spigot" gets cut off for whatever reason (including possible American political or economic crisis).
2. Any viable solution must enable Israel to be secure without constant infusions of American aid.
3. This requires peace with Israel’s neighbors, including Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
4. This requires undoing the Nakba terrorist atrocity and withdrawing to the U.N.-mandated pre-1948 borders.
5. This can only be done in the context of peaceful economic integration throughout the region, for the benefit of all. A lasting peace must be guaranteed individually by each permanent member of the U.N. Security council, and endorsed by Israel’s neighbors.
6. The recent Hamas atrocities were sparked by provocations (yet again) at the Dome of the Rock. The dream of rebuilding the Temple of Herod must be given up and replaced by the will to rebuild the Temple of Solomon in its correct location.
Eventually the world will see, reluctantly, that the only solution is the total destruction, down to the foundation, of religion. Religion is supposed to civilize us, to appeal to our better instincts, but it has ever done that imperfectly at best, and it is now becoming an existential threat to humankind.
There have always been peaceful minority religions, but they have always been shoved aside while the dominant religions “ride the beast” of politics to have the power and wealth of the world.
Enough! How long before this solution becomes unavoidable?
We step to stop, to break the String, and Hamas must go. Palestinians support their bestial masters, Iran sits atop the pile leading to Moscow’s Big Man… and The String.
How do you force another sovereign nation do what you want?
Those screaming “stop the military aid” don’t realize the aid money = profits for US military vendors. Stopping the aid money hurts US workers. The U.S. long ago sacrificed any principles or values on the alter of The God of Mammon.
The Russian Federation, Hungary, and Iran have elections. Just as the captured US Supreme Court hears arguments and hands down decisions. And Republican legislators vote in Congress.
The point is to institute antidemocratic policy through nominally democratic procedures.
It is clear that we already have an illiberal, anti-democracy, pro-Trump court. In this last decision they decided that they could rewrite the Constitution. I fear they will help sabotage this election.
Exactly. He will institute a two governmental system. The overt system that is a 'democracy' in name only and a shadow/covert system of a fascist regime pulling the strings of the 'in name only democracy'. The overt 'democracy' will be used to cover-up and explain the string-pulling fascism.
Chaos will become the norm and we will be told it is the rule of law.
We will witness the ultimate example of national gaslighting.
My favorite example is how Biden stole the Democratic nomination from Bernie Sanders.
A close second is how the 2008 North Carolina primary got stolen from Hillary. We have not-quite-fake elections where the totals get trimmed one way or another, depending on who's counting votes at the county and state levels.
There is a strong taboo against discussing the evidence of routine, entrenched computerized vote fraud. The book "Votescam: The Stealing of America” gives the example of the 1992 New Hampshire Republican primary, featuring George H.W. Bush versus Patrick Buchanan, in which the results were "impossibly" at odds with pre-vote polls.
The 2020 Massachusetts Democratic primary featured an "impossible" brace of four-percent skews from the EXIT polls (at the expense of both Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren), giving Biden a hair-thin win.
This comes from the same source that showed that the results for the 2020 Alabama Senate race were heavily skewed in favor of Tommy Tuberville. Computerized vote fraud is a bipartisan problem.
There is a bogus "fact check" article that dishonestly debunks the above-linked analysis of the 2020 Massachusetts primary:
In the 2008 primary race, it was do-or-die for Hillary in the North Carolina primary. I remembered, from "Votescam: The Stealing of America," the story of how "the computers crashed" late at night and eventually came back up with skewed numbers.
I planned to stay up late as results came in from North Carolina, and the same thing happened. Hillary and Obama were neck-and-neck when, around 11:00, the computers crashed. I stayed up to see the reported results the moment they re-started. Sure enough, somewhere around 3:00 in the morning, the first new result came in with Hillary's total flat and a big jump for Obama, putting both the primary and the nomination out of reach for Hillary.
For a couple days there was some speculation that Hillary would challenge the results, but she didn't. The North Carolina Attorney General Ray Cooper went on to become Governor, and North Carolina was gifted the next Democratic convention.
I voted for Hillary in the California primary, and for Obama in the general election.
Hillary went on, as Secretary of State, to become the Butcher of Libya, pressuring a reluctant Obama to go far beyond the United Nations mandate and effect regime change in Libya, turning that country into a festering failed state.
In the 2020 primary race, I supported Tulsi Gabbard , who aptly called Hillary the "corrupt queen of the war-mongers." The Democratic Party has lost its soul.
Question: How many people died suddenly when they were about to testify against Bill and Hillary Clinton?
John, I agree with a lot of what you say, like the Democrats weren’t democratic when they dumped Bernie. But try not to be insulting to the folks here. It just angers them and feeds division.I got blocked from HCR’s facebook chat because I said it is a cruel lie to say my vote for RFKJR is a vote for Trump. She doesn’t tolerate opinions that divert from hers.
Ann, I actually believe that's not entirely accurate -- I believe there are many Never Trumpers who will also never vote for Biden. RFK jr may suit them. Those votes basically get washed out (John Daigle and others will disagree), leaving trompy's base against the much wider base of Dem voters plus independents who cannot fathom another red-hatted admin.
I'm certainly no political scientist, but this is how I see it.
A vote for RFKJR is just that. And now that he is on the Nevada ballot, he is appealing to the college students there , as well as the blacks.Go Bobby!
She read my comment in her February 13 chat and called me out for it by name saying I only have 2 followers and post nothing but my picture.That’s when I got blocked , no explanation , no response to my inquiry.
When the mass deportations begin the morning of day one, how will that affect the mental health of a nation? How does it affect people today?
He just gave local cops an order to break the law and arrest people however and whomever they “feel” like. The candidate just gave the order for the law to act with lawlessness, dropped due process, drop Miranda and it’s not a lead story in the news! WTF AMERICA! Where is the outrage???
Dont underestimate how much damage the evil orange clown is causing everyday in his vile communications with the people. The “purge” is what he wants and doesn’t care. The Republican Party has failed America, broken the trust with the People,
Then economically, how will mass deportations affect industries that rely on that labor? How can any economy thrive in a state of lawlessness, chaos, and no due process. Rat on your neighbor, pay off the police, lie about everything. Consider Dr Bandy Lee. Imagine a mass firing of progressive professors across the nation. Mass firings of the good journalists.
Should he not win, what then? We think J6 and fake electors were bad? Expect a whole lot more mass violence, in DC, at the state houses, at the county the county level, expect deviant administrative schemes, and a protectionist SCOTUS giving credibility to each bogus claim. I feel that is where we could be headed this November. Shame on the Republicans for letting an oath breaking insurrectionists seditionist run in the first place. Do not understand a malignant narcissist sociopath who is cornered financially and legally with no way out but to win back the highest power in the world.
Hope for the best. Manage for the worst possible outcome. It can happen here. Vote like the future of democracy depends on it. Hope. Vote. Prepare.
S.B. Lewis: Orwellian Tyranny . . . Orange-Swampcreature is a figure conjured by George Orwell.
But it seems like the Democratic Party treats this election as too routine. I LOVE Rachel Maddow, Alex Wagner, and the whole Night Crew.
During the Depression, we had the sonorous, humane Franklin Delano Roosevelt -- who spoke slowly and pronounced each word clearly and always with a ring of humor and joy, and no Republican could touch him.
A living memory to me (I was 12) was the run of John Fitzgerald Kennedy and (to this innocent, star-struck 12-year-old) WONDERFUL Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy's culture and grace won my admiration and love. Jack Kennedy's Lincolnesque rhetoric captured my imagination. If Jack Kennedy said it, it was interesting and attractive.
In all of America, we don't have a JFK or FDR to electrify the populace?
Americans are left with "The Apprentice" whose chief accomplishment is to utter, "You're FIRED!"
And HE is going to be the Dictator.
And what Heather Cox Richardson points out is this:
"Just as voters don’t appear to know much about what the administration has done to make their lives better, a recent study from a Democratic pollster suggests that voters don’t seem to know much about Trump’s statements attacking democracy. When informed of them, their opinion of Trump falls."
Where is THE FIGHT in the American People to avert the avalanche into Tyranny?!
The finding about the voter is that the American populace is apathetic towards its own decline into dictatorship.
We, as a people, have become a country of snowflakes, told we should be outraged at inconsequential things, ignoring the disintegration of the norms in all branches of our government and society. Religion in the court? Religion in the House? and at a time when a minority of the populous attend a church. We should be outraged at the "Christian" takeover of our government, local, state, and federal. Let's not forget that religious organizations pay no taxes. All that tax-free money to invest in your favorite politician, all they have to do is toe the Christine line.
We all need to vote and spread the word to get religion out of our government,NOW.
Heather, you say this well. We, as a people, have been dumbed down, lost critical thinking skills, and have become enamoured with social media that tells us how to think and what to wear, and what we should watch and listen to.
Heather Kirk, Ally House (Oregon): CONCUR on all counts.
Orange-GRIFT would bring America a Victor-Orban/Hungarian ILLIBERAL Democracy.
In other words, Democratic forms, oligarchic or dictator in reality.
When after Sulla, Marius, Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great), Julius Caesar, the continuous civil wars, when Octavian finally defeated Mark Anthony on the side of Cleopatra, the former Octavian, now dubbed with the honorific, "Augustus" or even "Augustus Caesar", the proud and stable, freedom-loving ROMAN REPUBLIC fell to the Imperial CAESAR.
The difference was Augustus Caesar had reverence for Roman History and was careful to retain THE FORMS of the Roman Republic, even as he declared himself, "First Among Equals" -- the "Principes" -- from which we derive, "Prince."
And under Augustus Caesar, Rome attained its cultural height: Ovid, Vergil, Livy . . .
Instead, well, we would have, writ large on our TV Screens: "The APPRENTICE!"
And what I really cannot get over: "The immigrants are POISONING our blood". Republicans really are offended, if we point out that the Third Reich used this rhetoric.
When most judges on SCOTUS are Catholic and two are sexual predators it is unsurprising that they are releasing theocratic decisions. For some reason, since the Catholic Church has always relegated women, children and people of color to non-management roles, they feel no need to mete out equal justice in spite of what the US Constitution says.
Definitely!Our democracy is threatened by Dumpster Trumpster and his MAGA Minnions!!He’s best friends with PUTTIE who is a dictator- this is not a good picture!!We need to make sure we keep our democracy intact!!
And why hasn't Melania been charged for any crimes yet? Same with Mark Meadows wife who committed voter fraud in both NC and SC. We've seen their joint tax returns--obviously fraudulent. Prosecute her! We know that she doesn't have Presidential immunity.
That’s where I’m at. Prosecute Melania, Ginni and Mrs John Roberts. You may not prosecute the SCOTUS judges and the TFFG, but criminal wives are fair game. Hey! Coming this fall, if you liked Criminal Minds and CSI, you’re gonna love FOX’s new true crime show, “Criminal Wives”! They know waaay more than you thought 🧐🤨🥸
He wants to get rid of people who don’t speak as we do. Like Melania, her father and their son Barron. I bet they all talk about Trump in Slovenian so he doesn’t know how they are planning to get his money. They’re going to have to wait in line 🤣
Hmmm. Does ANYONE speak (or misspea) like Donald Trump? This from Newsweek.
Donald Trump has been criticized for making a string of gaffes during two weekend campaign speeches.
The Republican presidential candidate addressed crowds on Saturday in Richmond, Virginia, and Greensboro, North Carolina, ahead of Super Tuesday, when more than a dozen states will vote in Republican primaries.
Ron Filipkowski, a Trump critic and the editor-in-chief of the independent news network MeidasTouch, posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, that compiled 32 incidents in both speeches in which, Filipkowski said, the Republican "mispronounced words, got confused, mixed up names, forgot names, and babbled insane nonsense."
The video shows Trump appearing to slur his words and misspeak on several occasions, including by mispronouncing Venezuela and calling Argentina a "great guy."
One said: "THIS man has a decent shot at becoming president of the United States again. Is that really a sign of greatness?"
Another wrote: "Send this to any MAGA folks you speak to that have any possibility of being turned or anyone you might know on the fence please."
Another user commented: "It's so awful that anyone thinks he's presidential material."
The 77-year-old has long been criticized for making errors, such as recently appearing to confuse Nikki Haley, his GOP 2024 presidential nomination rival, with former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and frequently appearing to confuse President Joe Biden with former President Barack Obama.
Trump has defended himself, saying on more than one occasion that he has "aced" cognitive tests.
Everything that comes out of trump’s mouth is a threat or a lie. Every threat is projected onto democrats. Every lie makes him the darling of Christian nationalists and racist bigot!
C'mon Janet.., She, "I Really Don't Care"., could give a crap less, besides He, probably isn't getting any of "IT". His little Atty (Haleena Habeana)is handy. And, she is kinda sweet/Swift-like innocent, no? Then there's always Kari Lake just outside the door. We've had it too good in this country for too long. When numb-nutz gets back in, the joy-ride down the hill will feel like fun. Blowhards like Hannity will 'clearly'explain how Democrats are to blame for 'anything' & 'everything' costing more. The DO"T" (Trump) not "J" (Justice) will take care of the ner-do-wells. Putin will lay-waste to all those darker countries where grift-is-king. China will solve the Taiwan issue without further delay. There will be many other great-appearing happenings explained to us by the Nuevo Koch-Faux News "Authority" (NKFNA). Sometime, around 2029, numb-nutz will fuck himself to death, hand the baton to "Lara" who will have been given the secret handshake. We'll be in bad shape economically by then, party-ing on-the-rocks, staring at those fallen signposts (mostly) down-south "Jesus Saves". Yup. Can I get an 'amen'? Huh...
Heather's last sentence tonight, "People had better start paying attention," should galvanize all of us. It's time to get the message out, time to write letters to the editor, time to talk matter-of-factly to friends and family about just one little thing or another that maybe they haven't paid attention to but that might be important to them. The tactic has acquired a name, "relational organizing," but it's something that many of us have been doing for decades. Non-confrontational and informative, and always in digestible amounts to get people thinking without inundating them. Try it--you'll like it.
Specifically, VOTE for Biden. You're right, fascism is deadly and I never have been able to get my head around how anyone could pull the lever for the criminally insane, profoundly evil trump. Never, never, never vote republican at any level of government.
Janet, as nearly as I can figure, what he did was give the white Christian nationalists permission to be angry and hateful, and he fed their amygdalae with the suggestions theat they were "rightful place in society" was being taken over by BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and women. The ones I know lap that up like kittens lap milk.
Hi, Ally, 'hope you're doing well. As we all have been doing, I've long thought about how to reach the one's who are enspelled by Trump/Repub's odious techniques.
Which is why I was interested in this Guardian article:
Found it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjSpO2B6G4s Still so very relevant after all these years….sigh, I was just an 18 yr old hippie back in 1967…and so the memories swirl. This time is more dire, critically so.
Just listened ---made me think, where are the young voters --do they think Biden is too old? Hopefully they will back him so they can keep democracy alive and in their future.
I had my hippie period as well. Hippiness manifested in a diverse array of forms, but I noticed a fair portion of "hippie" oriented people I knew gravitated toward underpaid "helping" professions, not MBAs. Certainly it was a time of social ferment with black and female movements for social equality. It was not really "the good old days" but certainly a mixed bag, but I think there was a more common belief that things were getting better. " Ooh child, things are going to be easier.... " But of course there was also social discord, which Republicans stoked and used as an excuse to substitute plutocracy for democracy.
I have identified with the Democratic Party life-long, but I do think Democrats have repeatedly dropped the ball in hearing, responding to, and engaging younger voters, yet we profoundly affect their lives, and in more ways than the terrifying climate crisis they will inherit. I don't think Democrats ever quite recovered from the 1968 Democratic Convention, in which the antiwar candidates who had led in the primaries were replaced by fiat in a heavy-handed way. That imperious dismissal of the concerns of youth, who were required to fight in a war with no compellingly obvious purpose, was a strategic disaster, irrespective of Humphrey's fitness as the nominee. To me it seems the pressing concerns of the young have been given only peripheral attention every since, and while moves to address the giant ripoff of student loans are a worthy gesture, we somehow need more meaningful conversations across all divisions of American society, and acknowledge together that all hold a stake.
"What do you tell voters who are new to the process who say this makes them feel like it's all rigged?" Tapper asked the DNC chair.
"Unpledged delegates exist really to make sure that party leaders and elected officials don't have to be in a position where they are running against grassroots activists," Wasserman Schultz calmly explained.
Tapper did not press her on her response. "I'm not sure that that answer would satisfy an anxious young voter, but let's move on," he said, and dropped the issue just when it was getting hot.
Joleen, hopefully they ARE “watching what’s going down” and realize the Biden admin is actually much more progressive in real life than expected—many were likely Bernie supporters and he’s older than Joe! IMHO it is imperative that TFFG lose on a massive scale, or should I say “bigly”?
Key’s ’look around’ ant ‘what’s going down’ and note DAILY BARBARISM IN UKRAINE. For TWO YEARS NOW AND HEADING INTO A THIRD! Rape, kidnapping, murders, adults, children, hospitals, food supply, people wounded, children losing their parents and parents losing their children, everything that is happening in Palestine has been happening in Ukraine—all ONGOING FOR TWO YEARS!!! As soon as violence began in Palestine, Ukraine was forgotten—absolute silence. Is it violence that provokes this reaction, or an excuse to divert attention, so Ukraine can be destroyed without the world watching or caring?
Heather's last sentence is always a killer. You have to look at this one with eyes wide open: it's a drawing of a see-saw: one end is Very Good, the other end is Very Bad, and the fulcrum is called The Election. One end is Blue, the other end is Red.
My preference is to exercise my 1. Amendment rights. Why don't you increase your subscription payment as an optimistic alternative, Marj? Heather deserves it for what she does for us.
I don’t know what is wrong with the NYT - all the righties think it is super liberal, but I find their coverage of Trump and Biden is hopelessly skewed toward normalizing orangeness in our country and away from giving Biden his props for what he has accomplished. Instead, they keep nattering on about age and Gaza and this and that and pretty much give Trump a pass on his undemocratic dementia. WTAF, NYT?!?!?!
I agree Elizabeth. I was commenting on this again yesterday to a friend. Why would the venerable NYT (which I have cancelled, but can still read) do this. The only thing she could come up with, is: " maybe they are trying to scare us all into voting...". That just can't be though. The Spiegel (Germany) is doing something similar, only they keep hammering the President for being too old....crazy, it's never about his accomplishments, it's just about how old he is. Putin (or Pee Pee le Put as we call him) has an amazingly long reach.!
We must encounter this problem head on. Speak to folks in tones they will listen to and give them information they need. We ( our freedom) needs us to do this. This election is not Trump against Biden, it is Trump against freedom and Biden is the representative of freedom.
Tell folks to change the channel and find other outlets of information. Never hurts to get a second or third opinion or facts.
I looked all over yesterday and today's NYT (I get it online) and I couldn't find anything about Biden's capping the late fees to $8...until I dug into the business section on 3/5!! But on the front page - a story about how lonely Biden's supporters feel!!!!
Did I miss it?? How can voters make a good decision if the paper of record doesn't tell us what President Biden is doing for us?
Write an LTE--just send in what you wrote here, and let them know that you're not lonelu since you're part of a group of millions of Biden supporters. Here's a link about how to submit LTEs to the NYT: https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/115014925288-Submit-a-Letter-to-The-Editor. If lots of us submit one, maybe they'll get the idea. Maybe they'll even print one.
Thank you, Betsy, I will! And thanks for the link. I'm dyslexic and I got overwhelmed when I tried to find how to do this. You made it simple for me. Blessings,
I looked all over yesterday and today's NYT (I get it online) and I couldn't find anything about Biden's capping the credit card late fees to $8...until I dug into the business section on 3/5!! But on the front page - a story about how lonely Biden's supporters feel!
Did I miss it?? How can voters make a good decision if the paper of record doesn't tell us what President Biden is doing for us? BTW I'm not lonely! I'm one of millions of grassroots activists connected through substack, zoom el al, and we are committed to saving our democracy from a candidate who told us he wants to be a dictator.
One of the most effective small improvements that the Biden administration has recently made in the lives of millions of Americans is the reigning in of junk fees. We have all been unpleasantly surprised when an item we have purchased costs more than the advertised price because of added fees. Many of us have been unpleasantly surprised when our banks have charged monthly credit card fees. What good news it was to learn that there is now a maximum charge of $8.00, a reduction that will save Americans collectively $10 billion a year. This should have been front page news in your e-edition instead of being buried in the March 5 business section. The front page, in contrast, told me that I and my fellow Dems are lonely. You certainly didn't interview any of the activists I know, all of whom are engaged in collaborative work in support of the Biden administration and down-ballot candidates during this election season. We would all appreciate substantive front page coverage of developments like the reigning in of junk fees instead of fanciful speculation about our loneliness.
¿Wanna get people to pay attention? Well, the media could do more than pathologize American democracy for the sake of click-bait and ratings. Instead of focussing so much on Trump and the worst of his rants and short-comings, simply ignore him and drive home the crimes he has committed. Next, laugh the stupid stooge off the stage. Then, report, "Meanwhile, President Biden has taken on predatory credit card lenders, etc." https://youtu.be/FgAoGf84-3A
No single person possess freedom. Were you marooned on a desert island, no you could do whatever came to mind and freedom would not enter into it. Freedom is a attribute of a society. It is an environment of mutually acknowledge rights, equally choices, with minor accommodations, and equal protections shared by all, or it is not meaningfully freedom.
Lincoln was confronting literal slavery, but some will oppress you with a bull whip and some a fountain pen:
"As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy. " Does that principle not apply to any form of wanton domination?
Is it not exactly top-down monopolistic power, be it money, unaccountable office, or violence, that the bane of human history, and liberty and justice for ALL?
Could we possibly do it the other way around, so as to end with " and meanwhile, ex-president Trump . . .".? Start with the important stuff, which is not Trampler, except as a horrible example and warning. Of course, the media could alternate their approach so as to reach the maximum number of voters and potential voters - start with old Horrible Example for some. and with President Biden for others.
Unfortunately, the cognitive under-class, well educated as many of its members are (e.g., Speaker Mikey Mouse and Senator Shady J.D.), has always been around and, sadly, always be around. When Trump opened the gates of republican restraints, out they came -- the racists, the anti-Semites, the opportunists without moral rudders. We will move on from the day in the sun, though day is like a twenty-four hour solar eclipse. We (i.e., I) must hold onto our faith, frayed as it may be these days.
😢
General / President Grant -- a newly acquired hero and thank you, Dr Richardson and Mr Chernow -- said it all one hundred, fifty years ago: "If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition and ignorance on the other.”
😱
And, two hundred, seventy-five years ago, Baron Montesquieu -- thank you college French major -- also nailed it: "The deterioration of a government begins almost always by the decay of its principles."
Makes sense to me. The key point is to focus less on trumper tantrums and more on President Biden's accomplishments. EDIT: and to ridicule Trump -- make him a laughing stock among everyday Americans. That will blow his mind.
The media seem to be reporting this horse race as business as usual when it seems to me that everyone’s hair should be on fire given the incalculable number of ways Trump has upended our democratic systems( not to mention his incoherent speech!). I am at a loss to understand why the “experts” on the news just keep on yammering away as though Trump is just a normal candidate! This is scary.
My hair is on fire and about gone. The business as usual nonsense is burning me to the ground. His evil is well known to anybody paying attention, but the MSM just let’s it slide on by like snake oil.
Let's make sure Trump doesn't get back in. And let's keep Steve Garvey out of the Senate. I am going to miss Katie Porter and her white board in the House. I wish she were going to the Senate and taking it with her, but I'm sure she'll find ways to keep the greedy accountable.
Me too. Katie will be placed somewhere, I am sure of it. This was a hard race for us Dems in CA because all of the candidates are wonderful. Barbara Lee has dedicated her whole life for justice. I would like to see her in a role that really uses her expertise. Schiff will be good in the Senate.
I am sad that Katie will no longer be in the House. I think it was Lawrence O'Donnell who said "I'd like to see California get six Senators" last evening. I have to agree with him - the idea that a state as large and populous as California has the same two Senators as Rhode Island or Wyoming is just out of whack. It leads to elections that cost megabucks, and ensure only the rich (or those supported by the rich) can enter.
Barbara Lee, despite all of her bona fires, had two strikes against her. One, her power base is in NorCal, making her largely unknown to the more populated, southern part of the state. Two, she’s 78. We’ve had enough experience with an elderly Senator. No matter her position on the issues, I wouldn’t vote for her because of her age.
I am sad that, for the first time in many years, both CA Senators will be men.
Would Katie stay if she was written in for 2024? I really can't understand her decision to run for the Senate when we so desperately need excellent representation in the House.
Schiff was a jerk in how he circumvented having an honest election and by honest I mean an honest choice between Katie and him. I don’t respect him for that. Talk about creepy. Ew. What that says to me is he wants to be senator for him, not the best senator for the state.
I’m beyond pissed at her and Adam for their idiotic run for the same seat. I will miss her like I still miss Al. Dems need to stop with shooting themselves in their collective feet.
Really? I recall her announcing quite a while before Adan Schiff announced. Lack of coordination and communication, but maybe don’t always blame the woman here.
Oh, the irony for this strident feminist being told she's blaming the woman candidate! But I digress... I blame the Democratic Machine inside California--they decide. Kamala Harris was picked to replace Barbara Boxer long before Boxer announced she was retiring. Only someone on the outside wouldn't have understood --or thought it could be ignored--what the "blessing" of the Machine meant--that I fault Katie for.
The Machine would not risk losing a Democratic seat in the sea of red districts in Orange County. Her winning was nothing short of a miracle. That she was popular enough to get reelected despite a bazillion Republican dollars thrown against her made her even more valuable in that House seat.
Adam Schiff is an American hero for his efforts in both impeachments of Despicable Don. Yet he falls far from heroic status in his mind numbing, robotic statements in support of Israel in its ongoing genocidal endeavors in Gaza.
I understand that he conditionally joined the escalating calls for a cease fire tonight at his election night victory party, and I am glad to hear same.
As a Democrat from the democratic wing of the Democratic Party, to quote the late, great Paul Wellstone, I could live with any of the three Democratic candidates for US Senate. I voted for Barbara Lee, because of her long standing integrity on issues of war and peace, which separated her slightly from Reps. Porter and Schiff.
The Democratic Party must grasp that the long held, reflexive support for the State of Israel, irrespective of how many settlements are built upon stolen Palestinian land, how many indignities are perpetuated daily upon Palestinian people, and how many Palestinian lives are taken in the ongoing slaughter in Gaza, must come to a rapid end.
It can't. But it can certainly take a somewhat unified, clear position that the ongoing slaughter by the IDF is in stark violation of both American and international law, and must cease forthwith, upon the pain of cutting off the billions of dollars we provide to Israel.
I would like to think so, Susan, yet the indiscriminate, unceasing slaughter by the IDF under the orders of the ghastly Netanyahu seems to have a life of its own, does it not?
The point being of course, that as horrific as the events of October 7th were, they Israeli response, going on seven months on, is exponentially worse, barbaric and universally destructive
The protesters find the loss of life in Gaza ( 30,000 ) appalling and that is where their attention is focused. Trump needs more votes than he got in 2020. It doesn’t look like he will be able to do that. We hope.
Biden is TRYING to get countries around Israel to help get HAMAS out of Gaza, guarantee security for Israel AND Palestinians, and STOP THE KILLING IN Gaza. He needs to make that more clear to Americans. [Read up on the efforts — info is out there.] A huge part of the “aid” he wants now is for humanitarian aid to Gaza. His people are working night and day for a six-week {at least} cease fire, and time to work out solutions — Getting HAMAS on board is tough; getting Netanyahu on board is tough. The rest of the Middle East LIKES the plan. Let’s hope they can make it happen, push Bibi and Hamas to care about humanity.
Would Trump EVER do as much or work as hard, under such circumstances? Never!
"Let’s hope they can make it happen, push Bibi and Hamas to care about humanity."
Let's hope they can find a diplomatic path to sovereign and geographically autonomous Israeli and Palestinian states.
Let's hope Bibi and Hamas can see some benefit to themselves in it. It seems too much to hope they will ever care about an abstract humanity, when they have no care for actual human beings.
It won’t happen if nobody tries. Biden is trying. It’s what he keeps saying is happening with countries in the region negotiating RIGHT NOW. And my reading of regional peace activists say he is trying, and these are some of the only viable solutions to this nearly intractable problems. The talks include true Palestinian self-governance and development of an independent, autonomous Palestine, and Bibi can go pound sand.
This is nothing that Biden can change, I think. According to what I have been told, neither Palestinians nor Israelis, at their power base want the two State solution (this is not my personal hope, nor do I have direct access to either power base). I know this is not very helpful, but I feel that we will all appreciate the veracity as this situation unfolds. Unfortunately many still live with the history very much in the forefront of their cultures and aspirations where new solutions seem to have no place.
Biden is trying? He could have stopped this war by not funding the weapons. You can’t say stop it but here the weapons to keep it going. Here is some aid, which is too little too late. Of course Trump would be horrible too but what Biden has done and has not done is getting out there and the uncommitted vote in Michigan is evidence. Biden is not listening to the people as Michael Moore says.
I am looking for reports that the weapons systems under discussion since December have received final OK — I find lots of HEADLINES saying we’re sending them — but in the articles, they say shipments are under consideration and paused given the circumstances.— Articles dated mid-February.
Do you have more info? I’m serious. I’m looking for it. Maybe missing things.
It’s a little simplistic to say he could have stopped Bibi by not providing weapons, tho. Bibi has plenty of weapons. And other countries supplying them, too. Before this situation, we were supplying armament INTENDED to help Israel remain secure in a part of the world where it has much opposition.
That is all a long and complicated discussion, even so.
Israel does have a lot of other sources at well. And has its own munitions factories. They would not run out if we stopped sending them, unfortunately.
And, yes, aid for Gaza is far too little, and coming so late. We should have pressed for more much sooner. I wish the US president could tell Bibi what to do, but he cannot. But he should still press for doing the right thing, and press hard, with consequences.
I think the uncommitted votes are scary as hell, but if we want to hold people’s feet to the fire — get the ear of powerful Democrats — that’s an effective way to do it. Now, the Dems need to figure out how to listen to the people. They can’t only listen to some,, though, and lose others. They need to hear all sides, and convince us they are coming up with good policies to address what needs to be done.
I was hopeful to hear the US had joined the airdrop of food to Gaza then. realized it was 38,000 meals to 2,000,000 starving people. Also transportation of food and medical supplies in Gaza must be all but impossible. The attack on Israel was truly horrible. I wonder if Hamas realized what they would set in motion with their October massacre. The effort to stop this juggernaut also must be a colossal challenge.
Lately I’ve been wondering some strange things. Hamas surely knew what the Israeli response to October 7 would be. They set all that in motion themselves. But what they have also set in motion is a resurgence of anti-Semitism, vastly more support for the Palestinian cause than there was before, condemnation of Israel, and a giant wrench into the US presidential election, along with a new examination of the morality of our aid to Israel. Perhaps their 30,000 dead and counting were a price they were willing to pay for all of that. And perhaps, just perhaps, Putin saw it as an opportunity to stop US aid to Ukraine, and to injure Biden’s change of reelection, and supported it.
cameron, I think they knew EXACTLY what they were doing, and have gotten exactly what they wanted, with the price paid by all Palestinians, Hamas or not.
Hatred and intransigence reigns with Hamas and Bibi. Maybe Gantz can help. Maybe other Arab countries can exert influence. What a desperate, horrible situation…
I'm hoping Biden is more clever than the rest of us and has made it clear to Bibi that his time is running out. Of course 30,000+ dead Palestinians is an intollerabile price to pay, but general war breaking out in the middle east followed by someone deciding to fire off a nuke or two would be far worse
I think counting on Biden to do anything is quite optimistic. Even with so many people in Michigan and Minnesota voting uncommitted he does not listen to the push back on his support of Israel’s genocide. Instead he is reducing his appearances to avoid protesters.
Nuttyyahoo and Israel could help us start WWIII and the MAGA congress will do their part. Biden is trying to get a cease fire but his best tool is to cut off aid, weapons and ammunition to Israel, but he is not willing to go there. Otherwise things will likely get worse.
Kathy, what a pleasure to exchange comments with you! How are you doing?
I planted peas in early February and they are all about 3 inches tall. If we continue with night time temperatures above freezing I'll be harvesting beets in early April. At 500 meters there has been not a flake of snow to be seen this year, despite flooding and other weird stuff in the north. Our mountains are naked up to about 1500 m. but above that they look like the Himalaya. Global warming has its upside I guess. And today Claudia and I bought the house we have been renting for nearly 6 years. The "rogito" experience. Too bad the world is in such a mess.
Nora, did you see my note? I really am looking for info on what has been sent where and why, in regard to Israel. If you have some links, I’d love to see them. Thanks.
I can only find things up to the end of the year which was in the Reuters article. It is interesting that it is so difficult to find this info. I remember once hearing Jan Shakowsky saying and we don’t know what we don’t know. I think that is for a reason.
Yeah. I’ve written a lot of news articles and argued with a lot of editors and have taken exception to a lot of headlines that provide false impressions, if not outright false information. News outlets that write headlines for clickbait make me angry. People tend to read only headlines and not articles a LOT, so there’s a ton of misinformation out there based only on the headlines. Thank you for looking for that info, though. I’m not entirely sure the point I was making — that we ARE considering whether and when to send more weapons IS happening.
He already has a list of vetted toadies from The Heritage Society to salt the halls of government so Republicans can guarantee they win every election after this one, IF they win this one. Project 2025. It’s no secret, and it’s no joke.
He stoked the fires there for four years. Who was he playing to? He sucked up to Saudis. He sucked up to autocrats all over the world. He sucked up to Bibi and exacerbated the problems between Israel and Palestinians. This all must have made Putin happy.
This is what we’d get more of if he were elected again.
I don’t think we’ll survive ANY Republican president until they clean house of theocrats and oligarchs.
It is indeed appalling! I’m going to go out on a limb and say that trump would be fine with Netanyahu taking Gaza for Israel. Both of these guys are cut from the same cloth. Just like he said he would encourage Putin to do whatever the hell he wants. Further out on that limb…doing nothing to protect Taiwan.
It is not going out on a limb at all to say Trump would back the criminal Netanyahu regime's lebensraum policy towards Palestine. Although this policy violates the original intent of Zionism, the policy priorities of most Israelis, and international law. And is the greatest national threat to Israel itself, as the razing of Gaza and settler abuses on the West Bank are proving. The bromance of Bibi and the Don, is built on the appropriation of Zionism by racist right wing religious extremists - Jewish and Evangelical. Trump even has a settlement named after him in occupied territory.
You just reminded me, Lin — Oh, how could I have lost sight of this — YES, the Fundamentalist Christian need to have the Jewish temple rebuilt in Jerusalem, as the capitol of Israel, so to bring about the End Times!! There was a group that used to hold a vigil in the center of our little town in Massachusetts — Sharon — which has a very large Jewish population, probably more than half the residents of Sharon are Jewish. The town also incudes the Islamic Center of New England, and a lot of Christian congregations, and one UU. Also, some Asian representation — I remember celebrating Diwali. Very ecumenical. But the evangelical group that held the vigil every year was “supporting” Israel [they did not say they wanted the End Times, but that is their end goal. If they bring on the End Times, they get Raptured up to heaven, and everybody else gets to deal with Satan on Earth. When it’s all over, they figure Jews will have to “accept” Christ, or they’ll go to hell. All very Revelations Fever Dream stuff.
Yes, Evangelicals do want Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and the Temple rebuilt. They like Netanyahu for their own purposes, and he’s using their support for his.
ThankYou for spelling that out so succinctly! Yes. The in-gathering of the Jews is not necessarily 'good for the Jews.' You'd think AIPAC, Likud, the Kahane thugs et al might have figured that out. But their long term visions are somewhat different.
There are some lovely old Bollywood depictions of Diwali.
I think they remind him of his Dad, J L — or at least his father’s description of what a man has to be to succeed, A Killer, which meant willing to do whatever it takes “to win” That was the value and ethic that was drummed into Donnie, and that drove his older, kinder brother to alcoholism and an early death. [History. If you’re not aware of it, google it. That was Mary Trump’s dad.]
Why those protesters think they’re doing anything besides helping elect Trump I don’t know. The aid to Israel and Ukraine are jobs in the US, and make money for US military vendors. The US long ago sold its conscience to the God of Mammon when it comes to military aid
My thinking on this keeps moving. This situation is serious and Biden just can't afford to lose large blocks of voters. Consider this approach: Israel is, in several key respects, a client state of the United States. So let's be more responsible for the welfare and safety of the place. Send a large expeditionary force into Gaza, send the IDF home, and have American troops take on responsibility for securing the border, much like what happened in Germany in 1945. Make it safe for people on both sides of that border. Then initiate a Marshall Plan for Gaza, and rebuild it. That's all short term and doesn't deal with the longer term problem, but at least it would stop alienating the Palestinians here and abroad. Given that Israel has nukes and the Houthis backed by Iran are doing all they can to start a large war, Biden could just do it using a declaration of a state of emergency. Then let Congress catch-up. Politically, the timing could be great.
Other than putting it on the US to be the ones to go into Gaza, after getting the IDF out, that is close to what is being proposed.
Gershon Baskin wrote about it in The Times of Israel this week. The US and other states in the region helping to stabilize and rebuild Gaza, with Hamas OUT of there — a legitimate Palestinian authority in place, and the US and other Arab states signing an agreement to protect the security and self-determination of Israel AND a recognized Palestine…
Like a totally insane bit of final thought — Bibi is fighting it, and Hamas is fighting it, but the people in Israel and Arab states are in favor.
[I suspect it is part of what Gantz came to the US to talk about!!]
Craig Dupler, your idea is to send the UN away, occupy Gaza and make American troops responsible for Gazan security while American money rebuilds infrastructure there, because this will get Biden votes with Palestinians in the next election? Really?
UN troops in their bright blue helmets should be sent. Not US troops. Once they go in, it would be so hard to bring them home and raises the risk of WWIII, besides.
I would agree, but that would require a UN debate which would take forever. By the time they get a decision, the ethnic cleansing operation that is in progress will be complete. There is often a difference between how we would like the world to work and reality. Here the reality is that a client state of the United States has used a horrific attack whose motivating conditions we and the Brits helped create, to then expanded a reasonable response into an all out ethnic cleansing operation. There are no good solutions here in the short term, only a long list of awful ones. We have a history of wading into fights we should not have (e.g. Mexico, Cuba at least twice, the Philippines, Vietnam, Iraq, and several others), and not engaging when we should have, and not engaging when we're needed (how many times in Haiti - I can't count them, but we did prop up the Duvaliers). The IDF needs to have its collective butts kicked. And just as a reminder, there was the USS Liberty. Our relationship with Israel is long overdue for a reset.
This really chaps me. Can you think of one issue that people are currently upset about that the moronic fool wouldn’t make worse. Bet if he gets back in, repubs will try to resurrect the Biden immigration bill and claim it for their own. That is, til chump gets his sea legs. And snuggles up to his pal, Netanyahu.
It is always difficult to get credit for things that prevent worse problems or fix problems before they arise, or even dig out hidden issues. Biden lowering penalty fees or going after companies taking obscene profits by simply continuing high prices people got used to thinking of as due to shortages is hard for people to recognize. It's as if I addressed four out of five problems at my work or wash half the dishes - all anyone's going to see are the problems (or dishes) that remain.
These powerful but quiet unseen and unseeable things are the kinds of things Biden does for us, while Trump made big visible flashy useless walls or waved flags at loud rallies. People need physical symbols and visible enemies or at least culprits. I hope that for every over blown profit there isn't just a quiet court case or penalty payment and price adjustment. I hope the names of the companies are loudly broadcast. I hope there are photographs of examples of things we all buy with before and after price tags. Touching daily lives isn't enough if it's done by removing a touchstone of discontent without drawing attention to it (and the removal) rather than allowing Americans' free-floating discontent to simply rove on to the next target.
I was taught in school that monopolies (and Nazis) were bad things, and we were glad that they were gone for good. Then Republicans began telling us monopolies were the fount of all good things. I just think monopolies are thieves of choice and power.
Fighting downward spirals take solidarity and solidarity takes focus. Empowering leadership, elected and grass roots, helps individuals and communities to focus; not only on the often slighted significant details, but on the overall picture.
People have gotten such short attention spans that if you can't deliver information in less than 10 seconds, they cannot follow it. If they can follow it, and it doesn't excite them, they cannot follow or remember it.
Found that out from my granddaughter this morning. I thought she was more aware of the situation we are in. Just busy with school and work. Lordy, hope I scared her.
Judging from Trump’s lie-filled but sleep-walking victory ramblings, he may not make it to Election Day. When will the media start hammering on his rapidly declining mental health and increasingly outlandish lies?
Agreed, Biden is a great president. Probably the greatest in 60 years. I don't know if they are actually running a bad campaign or not. Or is it that the so called news media is working against him in the ratings game? They continue to broadcast trumps "entertaining"(?) insanity while stirring folks up with horrifying tales of Biden's imaginary ineptitude.
This evening, Haley is doing far better than the polls suggested. Donald appears to be in big trouble. I don't know for sure what's going on, but I'll be glued to my reliable news sources tomorrow to find out. But at the moment, I'm kinda giddy!
What’s surprising to me is how poorly TFG is actually doing WRT to the actual vote totals. The margins of victory should be much larger than they actually are. He’s not doing all that well. Yes, he’s racking up victories, gaining delegates, but losing the vote in the suburbs, among college-educated voters and women. And this is among Republicans. Widen this out to the general election, where TFG has to convince Independents and Democrats to vote for him.
Really?!? How different from Trump is Hailey beyond the obvious distinction in gender, style and the fact that she can speak in complete sentences. Her policies are nearly identical to Trump's save for her admirable support for Ukraine.
I don’t expect her to win the nomination but I do like the fact that she has stayed in the race. Trump needs to realize that he is just not the only game in town.
She's already a factor, in using her platform to address Trump's failures and shortcomings, and likely drawing a minority of Republicans, how big primaries don't really tell, away from Maga, either dropping out or voting Dem and Biden.
I’d say she’s a factor simply because she is getting the message of Trump’s failure to the people that might have voted for him. And maybe they will turn away
That's why I appreciated her staying in the race. Since I made my comment last night, I have heard that she "suspended" her candidacy. If she really cared about the country, she'd continue to speak out against tfg. I'm not holding my breath.
If the VP was offered, her ambitions would probably "require" her to accept.
This election is the Democrat’s to lose, and I fear President Biden is doing just that. As Ezra Klein observed a few days ago, “The presidency is a performance. You are not just making decisions, you are also acting out the things people want to believe about their president — that the president is in command…” (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/16/opinion/ezra-klein-biden-audio-essay.html) President Biden is not doing well in this regard. Jonathan Last admits in a counter-piece (https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/03/case-biden/677591/ ) that President Biden wears his age—his appearance of diminishing alacrity—like a rack of antlers. In every public appearance, these antlers are there for all to see. If he wants people to believe that he still has the emotional vitality and mental acuity necessary for another term, he has to demonstrate it everyday. If he wants to counter TFG, he must focus on issues, particularly those that are bringing him down.
President Biden must explain not only his vision but why what he’s doing is what needs to be done—why his strategies make sense. Drill down into some specifics, cite some data. Address head-on those very issues that concern TFG supporters. In this, his SOTU address Thursday evening in all likelihood is a make-or-break event for him.
You needn’t take my word for it. Look at the polls. Be as skeptical as you want, there are two things to consider when looking at them over the past several months: When it comes to President Biden’s approval ratings overall and on major issues and his standing vis-a-vis TFG, the polls have been consistent and they are trending downward.
Think what you will about the age thing, it’s a major concern out there. If he wants to change minds about it, he has to perform everyday. If he wants to win votes, he has to convince people that his vision is best for the country and his strategies will achieve it. If he doesn’t, get ready for a TFG second term.
I lost any respect I had about Ezra when he made the statement about Biden’s age. It is a very small factor in comparison to the many things he has accomplished. And for that matter, is Kamala chopped liver? No, she isn’t. She is fully capable of taking over the reins should something happen to Joe.
The Dems are running a horrible campaign and Biden is a horrible candidate. He can’t remember what country he is talking about. He is a warmonger and always has been. People are tired of war and the military industrial complex and the pentagon budget. If we really want to help people we fund people and infrastructure not war and the military industrial complex.
Big Fox fan? Try checking out some honest sources. And spend some time considering what Trump would do as president. Sounds like he is planning a large role for the military industrial complex.
I rarely check out Fox or any cable news, no one would call my a Fox fan I loath it. I watch Democracy Now, and many other sources on Substack such as Useful Idiots, Chris Hedges and other online sources such as the GreyZone and Naked Capitalism. Because they say you should not just read and watch sources that you agree with I subscribe to HCR who I find to be mainly PR for the Dems and Biden. She does not say anything negative about Biden and she avoids discussion of the genocide in Gaza and the failing proxy war. I believe I follow many honest sources.
And now he is asking Musk for $$$$. What is he promising: dissolving the FTC, doing away with regulations (those still around after SCOTUS guts the federal agencies' regulations abilities!).
Wow, I didn't know about that! Musk will probably oblige the way he is going into the abyss. Maybe the Tesla board will give Musk a ridiculous compensation package like he has asked for to control Tesla, and then he'll forward on $500 million to Trump. With corruption it could happen if Trump wins.
We think Europe and the Middle East are the be-all and end-all. There is a bigger world out there, and we have a large footprint on it.
This shows how the current administration is trying to address mass migration from Central and South America by dealing with WHY people are showing up at our border….
Our country is struggling with outrageous pressures caused by migration, and SOME of what is going on is a result of policies our country has fostered - economic and political policies — that have impacted the lives of people who live to our south ….
We must not be so arrogant as to think that people from Central and South America flock here just because it’s such a cake walk to “come to America.”
The trek here is fraught with danger, crossing the border is fraught with danger, and the real possibility of being caught and sent back is a constant danger.
Why do they come? Because life in their own countries has been degraded, economically and socially {It has gotten so we hear the word “gangs,” and we don’t react. So what is new?}. And they need to find a safe place where families can LIVE.
OUR country’s policies over the years impacted the quality of their lives in their own countries, foisting corruption on them, suppressing their democracies in the service of our corporate interests.
And their countries are heating up in large part due to our decades and decades of dependence on and encouragement of using fossil fuels that have overheated the world’s atmosphere and oceans..
We have had a hand in making their countries inhospitable to their own people.
IF WE WANT THEM TO STOP COMING HERE, we maybe should have a hand in helping them put their own countries back together again??? I’m sure most people would LIKE to stay in the country of their birth, if it is a livable place.
Like this article talks about?
Years of US policy has been unfair to these countries.
Someone IS trying to solve the border crisis AND do the right thing. This is an eample of the Biden administration doing the right thing, and infuencing the world to do the right thing.
You think Trump would try to make the situation at the border better by actually HELPING a country, instead of stringing razor wire? You think he’d bother to support democracy? Not just shove people in jail or send them back to gang-lands? In a pig’s eye, he would.
"What constitutes the bulwark of our own liberty and independence? It is not our frowning battlements, our bristling sea coasts, the guns of our war steamers, or the strength our gallant and disciplined army? These are not our reliance against a resumption of tyranny in our fair land. All of those may be turned against our liberties, without making us weaker or stronger for the struggle. Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in our bosoms. Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit, and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors. Familiarize yourselves with the chains of bondage and you are preparing your own limbs to wear them. Accustomed to trample on the rights of those around you, you have lost the genius of your own independence, and become the fit subjects of the first cunning tyrant who rises." - Lincoln
Do you know the speeches U.S. retired Marine Corps General Smedley Butler was giving?
This, Pat, was in the early 1930s after he retired, then in the mid-1930s with his book then.
In all of that he lamented how often he and his fellow marines were called upon by the worst rich people in the U.S. to cover for their thuggery in Central America and elsewhere.
50 years after that, the U.S. was providing training in military thuggery to the far-right war lords and dictators and their militia across Central America -- training regularly given them at the School of the Americas, adjacent to Ft. Benning, Georgia.
Yes, I know those things. That’s why I say we owe them a hand making their countries livable again, not just environmentally,,but politically. And I think Biden would be there for us, if we keep him in place. I know he’s not a pacifist. I know he’s not perfect. I know we have too many military bases and nuclear weapons. But all that would get WORSE under a Republican administration. LOOK at what the Cheney administration did!
But, Cheney administration? Dick Cheney, with his blind shotgun view of the world?
So many of these blind, craven, predator Republicans, in service to the fossil view enablers of murderous dictators everywhere, so many in service to the hate-filled theocrat Rapture fantasists, so many sucking up to the Putin mass-murderous, the Saudi royal murderous, the Trump stochastic murderous, so many so eager to funnel more money, more yacht and private plane vacations to such depraved corrupt as Clarence.
Beggars me to come up with one adjective for labeling such an a-historic mass of pure evil.
Loved Smedley and glad his story is getting notice. But he knew who the worms were, we get confused if we think Joe is one. Not perfect but not a worm.
Thank you. It would be nice if the brainless mass media paid at least a little attention the real story of “Super Tuesday”, which is that a very large number of GOP voters did NOT vote for Cheetolini.
On Sunday, Trump met with GOP big money donors. And Elon Musk, who like Trump is worth more on paper than cash in hand - on a scale Trump only schemes of - but even then, Musk has proven how much damage he can do on a whim. And democracy is not to his taste.
In all my years of knocking on doors - and buttonholing folks on the street in between doors - the toughest moment was GOTV for Kerry in Ohio. I approached a woman in a parked car in a lot I was cutting through. I assumed she was waiting for someone, but having lost her job and home, she was living in her car. She was interested in talking and asked how voting would help - if she even could vote although she was registered and usually voted. The best I could come up with was that Democratic administrations were better on social safety net issues. But it seemed arrogant to say even that. Let alone talk of democracy, which we didn't much in those days.
And democracy. It is a hard sell to people who want change with simple answers, even when the answers are lies. And especially when irrational habits of mind (religious or ideological) have taken hold, feeding on an immediate gratification preference for blowing things up (whether as apocalypse or revolution) to working them out. Biden is all about working things out.
"Sad, and it's a lot more common today to find people living in cars."
I thought so too but a quick google (with the caveat that the numbers are difficult to determine*) suggests 2007 had the highest number of unhoused.
Since then it seems to have varied within the 600 thousands.
The most significant increase was from roughly 100,000 people in 1980 to 600,000 in 1987. Largely due to deep cuts in federal housing and welfare programs, increasing numbers of people began finding themselves without a place to live. Ronald Reagan was president from 1981-1989. Some reports suggest a 2007 peak came towards the end of GW Bush's two terms.
This is what Republican 'small government' looks like.
Footnote: In the 1980s, in NYC, the Trumps were known for moving violent criminals in, to drive tenants out of rent stabilized buildings. In one case claiming he was 'offering homeless people apartments with a beautiful view because he did not like to see people living on the streets.' This was not an unusual landlord tactic at the time. It happened to my mother in the Brooklyn apartment building we'd lived in since the 1950s. As we in NYC said of landlords: They are not the lords of the land but the scum of the earth.
"Direct methods of counting the number of individuals experiencing homelessness include a single-night count or census of the homeless where contact is made with each homeless person."
"People had better start paying attention". That is for sure, but those already paying attention have solid sources of information. Reaching the others is what the rest of us are responsible for. GOTV, Phone bank. Post cards. Follow Jessica Craven and others for what and who to connect with. It is up to US!
The inevitability of a Trump second term seems to be fading ever so slightly and rather slowly. I dare to hope that it will pick up momentum and Biden wii get a second term to complete the work he's done for the American people. Fervently hoping so!
And, in other news, the Ukrainians reported sinking another piece of the Russian Black Sea fleet. We dare not forget our allies who still need Congress to act and who are accomplishing more than is reported.
And if I could, I would arrest Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) for dereliction of duty and crimes against humanity for his blocking of that Congressional action so sorely needed.
As Rachel Maddow and the MSNBC election team spelled out clearly, the coming election might be our last… should TFG win. And quoting the serial psychopathic narcissist insecure pathological liar, members of the MSNBC network team suggested what they and others might do to avoid Orwellian tyranny and loss of our democracy and our basic freedoms.. this is not dress rehearsal. It’s game on
Yes, Rachel and MSNBC did an great job telling people about Trump's disasters and if, he would win, he would destroy this country and our Democracy. Then they talked about President Biden's accomplishments and the outstanding job he's doing governing this country since he was elected.
Did any independents watch. Can’t even imagine an “undecided” at this point.
And therein lies the problem, there is no "cross-pollination." The Fox News, OAN, News Max and Alex Jones crowd get no outside info. Frankly, that isn't surprising. What religion believer wants to hear arguments that their beliefs have no foundation in facts or science? It appears that most of TFFG's base is composed of Christian Nationalists with a mix of racism and misogyny thrown in. Speaking of misogyny, that is one that I just don't get: why this urge and practice among some to reduce females to mere chattels?
Richard, for most of history and until quite recently women were mere chattels. And in many ways we are reminded of our second class status. I can't tell you how many times my opinion has been ignored or challenged because I am a woman. Last time we were over to our neighbors, he contradicted everything, and I mean everything i said, including a chiropractic technique that works for my particular problem. I have said repeatedly that I refuse to make predictions, especially political ones and I am treated always to the doom and gloom scenario. I know how bad things are and how they could be even worse because for one thing, I read Heather. And I know what problems we have with the climate, so i don't need to be instructed about that either. I am a history person and read a lot about all sorts of times and places, so nothing that happens now surprises me. I also read a lot of science and I stand in awe of the women and men who do this work....despite the fact that many times women have had their ideas stolen or have been given no credit. And speaking of credit, my mother-in-law was the first woman to have a credit card in her own name at a local department store. I can't even begin to tell you what happened when I coached girls basketball. It's better now, but a long way to go.
Michele -- your story about your mother-in-law reminds me of my own story! In about 1962 or 3, when I was 27 or 28, having just moved to San Francisco from Denver, I received an American Express credit card! A woman, young, with no significant work history receiving this card? And I was not asked for any "favors" to receive it!
Possibly a rare thing then. I think my mother-in-law got hers in the early 70s, but I may be wrong.
Can a guy chip in with full agreement and support? I credit my mother for my attitudes in regard to women's and human rights across the board (Dad was cool too). I don't understand all the resistance to equality. I am farther to the left than she was, but the best of my foundation came largely from her. Our relationship was pretty rocky too, but mostly, "Thanks Mom!"
Kudos and of course you can. I do understand the resistance because inequality is the way things were and often are and people do not want to give that up.
In the early 2000's, I was on the board at our church. I found when I made a suggestion about something, the men pooh-poohed it. But maybe 10 minutes later, another man would suggest the same thing! I was torn between "why didn't my suggestion get approval?" and "maybe I put the idea in his head so that's a good thing?". This happened several times so I thought it was just me. But then it happened to another lady. That's when I thought to myself - It's not me. I'm through. When they asked me to sign on for another two years, I said "No". Just that - so no arguing with the reasons. It was my first eye-opener how men discount women's opinions, etc. In all my working years, I never had that.
What happened to you has happened to many, many women. My husband can say something and the neighbor thinks it's terrific. If I say it, I will hear mansplaining or I will just be contradicted. Too many men think women can only talk about recipes
I used that to convince my husband to do things he might not otherwise have done . I'd say, "You know, I've been think about that idea of if yours, and at first I didn't think much about it, but since so-and-so did such-and-such, I've decide d you were right, so let's go ahead and do it."
Hed say, "I never said that." And then I'd have to "remind" him where and when he said it, and thank him for his idea... It works. They'll do it if they think it was their idea.
Fat heads!
It was common in the eighties. Drove me nuts.
Thank You Michele, for telling it like it is. Just finished telling a 38 year old women what it was like before Roe. She was shocked.
I think a lot of younger women take things for granted. I have an ex-student and basketball player who is a fundamentalist. She had a right fit over the first women's march and ranted on and on about how it wasn't needed. I did message her to say that she had no idea of what i put up with so that she could play basketball. She is also rural, so probably saw the march as somehow liberal urban. I would say that her first serious boy friend used her. She was then married to a felon. The last guy was nice to her and they agreed on politics. They had and she has a farm....he has passed away and she was very angry when told that there was no help for him although that had been obvious for a long time. She is also not well, so needs a lot of help. Her dad was a county sheriff and once again a shot gun marriage which did not go well. He fell in love with his therapist and so married her.
Also, Michele, the GOP leadership is so worried about the falling level of procreation that they are trying to eliminate not only abortion but also birth control. More babies and a simultaneous effort to abolish prohibitions on child labor. After all, they have jobs to fill and don’t want to increase immigration (thus, as my mother said, cutting off their noses to spite their faces). And you all thought it was a religious thing? And oh yeah, get those women back into their kitchens and coach them on their Little-Girl, breathy, whispery, submissive voices!
So true. Saw somewhere that Science has the last word on nothing, and religion has the last word on everything. My UU church is proud to encourage exploration and eschew dogma. No judgment, no where
Jeri, as I pondered the matter further after playing golf with two MAGA men this morning. There are two principal issues on the ballot this November:
1) Saving our democracy, and
2) Saving the lives and health of our daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, grandmothers and more.
This election is for those two: democracy and female rights. Those are the two dominating issues. Everything else is secondary.
I agree but the border rules the Texas fools. Abbott;s insanity has metastasized.
I visited UU church a couple of times, and liked the people. ( It's my second choice after Quaker silent meetings for worship, because it's so unstructured). Living in a Catholic culture is weird.
"Love is the doctrine of this church." And they mean it. I went to a great United Methodist Church before they latched onto the Obama hatred. Ran me off. I like the doctrine of the UU church better than the Nicene Creed anyway. Both did programs for helping the poor. It's just that color wasn't/isn't an issue with UU. I almost signed on the Catholicism years ago, but I just couldn't do it.
Wish we UU’s could get our values out into the world more.
Only thing that keeps me sane. I need my bubble as much as the MAGAts do. But there was a time when the world was not bat-Schitt crazy and I wasn’t so desperate for a taste of normal. The Golden Rule has been schatt-upon…
It doesn't help women's cause when some of them are content with being chattel needed for house cleaning and bearing children.
I think it's most important that women have a choice. The main problem I see with staying home forgoing paid work is being economically dependent on someone else.
Dependent my Mom was, and hated it although she always worked. I gave her a car at age 58 because she wanted to learn to drive. My 14-year-old brother wrecked it. Dreams crushed.
I wonder what per centage of women really like that role. I didn't, but I wanted a life partner, so there were trade offs: he didn't want me to work; but I wanted to have my own money, and he didn't mind my financial help. Some women really are good at raising children and some think their son is Jesus Christ and they are Mary, mother of God. We all fit into the spectrum somewhere
Boy, did I meet a few of those moms when I worked at junior high...
My Mom sure felt that, although she was a looper at a hosiery mill for most of her life, while raising eight children. Even had a looper installed in our house so she could nurse a baby. She felt the chains but we never knew that she did. Not content, but took her responsibility seriously.
What is a looper? It sounds like a lower end business executive who feels that he HAS to take home his work.
Labels like “chattel” aren’t helpful. Pro choice doesn’t apply just to abortion.
Richard, females, to them, are more than mere chattel. They are baby vessels, when conception happens the good old-fashioned way. Give them some credit, Richard.
Women these.days are better educated, get better paying jobs, have more freedom and independence, etc. which is hard on men's tender ego, to paint with a broad brush, and men are wired to use force to solve problems, not words. Nothing has changed, except women don't need men except to make babies, and who wants to raise babies that the industrial military complex will draft for Cannon fodder? There, I've solved the mystery, but solving the problem will have to wait until I get to Heaven and can have a conversation with God about testosterone.
Wow, Susan! I definitely don't want to inadvertently bump into you in a dark alley somewhere. At my age I'm kinda defenseless. You make some excellent points. I think that we can agree that our task right now is to preserve and protect our democracy and the rights of females in this country. Both are under serious attack.
Don't worry, I don't frequent dark alleys😉. And I had a long, joyful, happy marriage with the best husband in the world, so when I over generalize, I should always start with, "there are many exceptions, of course".
Looking at Jen Psaki's stunning report (about the supreme court) at novoteleft behindpac:
“The American people might not know if they are casting their ballots for a convicted criminal on Election Day… We cannot bet on the justice system protecting us from the ‘Day One dictator.’”
I don't usually find ridiculing opposition useful but it does inspire me to think about rearranging the "Day One Dictator" to "Dictator On Day One" or "the DODO candidate"
He will keep extending the term limits until he dies or his supporters figure out he IS too old and malignant. Just like the Chinese dictator and Putin.
He will keep extending the term limits until he dies or his supporters figure out he IS too old and malignant. Just like the Chinese dictator and Putin.
I said the same thing. If you don’t know by now that tRump is the wrong and absolute worst person for the job, you need to get your head out of the sand..
After his disastrous four years, I can't fathom another four years (for starters). Even with Fox master propaganda, his evil was front and center every single day.
Regarding women having credit cards, here is some history on that.
Although the Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963 requiring men and women to be paid equally when doing the same work, it wasn’t until the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) was passed in 1974 that women were able to get their own credit cards in their own name. The ECOA was originally introduced in 1973 by Representative Bella Abzug (D-NY) and was signed into law by President Gerald Ford on October 28, 1974.
Bella Abzug was a force of nature.
Thanks
I recall it being in mid to late 60’s. I was long gone and back to school by 1974
I’m registered Independent (or no party preference)but by no means am I undecided nor am I shy about my opinion. I’ve donated to many causes to advance the Democratic causes. I vote the candidate and the cause
I am curious about the candidate and/or the cause that would have you vote Republican. I was once a Republican but Reagan and the attack on the Middle Class ended that relationship. Remember the mentally ill being turned out, many living in cardboard boxes and sleeping in the underpasses? The attack on the Middle Class, firing the Air Traffic Controllers? The massive tax breaks for the wealthy in 1986? Tripling the national debt?
There is nothing imaginable - the R’s can not be trusted. It’s not necessarily the individual but the party philosophy is a bridge too far. I remember all of that too well
What's left of the Republican Party has morphed into MAGA which is 21st century KKK which has adopted extremist points of view toward females. It's insane. I call them the American Taliban, which is even worse than the Roman Catholic Church's treatment of females.
That used to work for me, 2000 changed that
But the people who need to hear the message don’t watch Rachel Maddow. And that’s part of the problem. The Dems needed to be paying grass roots people to go out and share the information directly in communities that need to hear it. If they don’t do that now, the they don’t really want to win
R’s are as about as willing to hear Rachel as they were Hillary.
When one wishes to connect with R voters one doesn’t lead off with the diatribe that was most popular in these comments.
One does get out of the echo chambers and listens to Rs, sympathizes, then connects one brief fact they may not know to their concern. Then one listens some more. Rinse. Repeat.
Unfortunately it is a small fraction who vote based on information instead of fear and anger.
In most cases, doubt facts help as much as therapy/ ministry/ friendship- not often in our own skill set. But things are not helped by a candidate who is not bringing his case to the people effectively.
I will vote against tfg no matter who dems nominate. But Dems will get more youth votes by far if it is someone much younger than tfg, and more youth & middle aged votes with someone not connected to Gaza and less connected to the fist-bump, since Saudis will raise oil prices to help tfg, as will Putin...
Retail politics. Knock on doors—dangerous as that can be—card tables with info and cookies at street fairs and near/on high school and college campuses, etc.
Indeed!
Check out Simon Rosenberg’s “Hopium Chronicles” on Substack. Better yet, join and be active - any way you can
Amy’s a fine human being, but her bias is just as pronounced as Rachel Maddow’s or Sean Hannity’s.
They have to keep hammering this home every single day until the election. I agree with Heather, so much of the country is not engaged and no one can afford to sit this one out. Magas think Trump loves them as they love him but they are in for a rude awakening should he win. I believe voting is not enough, unfortunately. We have to stay completely engaged right up until Election Day. People are so exhausted from Trump and his bs but we have to focus our energies and time. For those of us who don’t have time, let’s get real: we ALL can take 15 minutes a day to write post cards, phone bank, help people to register to vote, etc. I’m going overseas to be with my family for an extended time. I’m taking postcards with me to mail when I return home. Same with letters I’ll write for Vote Forward.
I doubt Biden will be able to give his SOTU tomorrow without hecklers who behave worse than the last time. They should be removed from the chamber in short order.
The warnings of a trump win sounds alarmist, as it was in Germany until it was too late. There is no choice in this election - period! It doesn’t matter whether you like Biden or not, if you give one hoot about this country you will vote for Biden whether you like him or not! I would support Biden against any GOP! For my money he has been great. Fussing about his age is silly, his age has been an advantage.
HCR thought it significant to report that Taylor Swift urged her fans to "vote who most represents YOU into power." Thinking of Taylor and creepy Joe Biden, "We are never, ever getting back together!"
https://youtu.be/WA4iX5D9Z64?si=A0eMd41UUe8ZCqrM
Maybe Taylor Swift will vote for Marianne Williamson?
https://marianne2024.com/
Actually.. never mind.. who gives a fuck why guys like you are so weird about Taylor Swift..
Please don't respond to trolls.
Um, just in case you haven't noticed, Taylor Swift has become a political football, with Bidenistas like HCR hoping to paint her as a Biden supporter and Trumpists fantasizing that she is a psy op being groomed to pump the vote for Biden.
That is to say, like it or not, she has become part of the political landscape to the point that HCR tries to indirectly spin her as a Biden supporter.
Perhaps YOU'RE the one who's weird about Taylor Swift? Obsessing vulgarly about her without anything to add to the political discussion?
Cry more.
Please don't feed the troll.
Please do not enable the troll.
Is this all you got from the post today? I’m pretty sure people know where she stands. We really don’t need you to put your spin on it.
Please don't feed the troll.
Please do not enable the troill.
and trump can say vote republican and call people insulting names, and Taylor Swift can't say Vote as you see fit?
Karen Jacob,
You seem to be confused. I'm all for Taylor Swift saying "Vote as you see fit."
Hi John! Good to see you this morning! You always add a touch of humor to an otherwise ordinary morning. Thanks for your service!
😁😁😁😁
Please do not enable the troll.
...said the disabled troll.
Why are you compulsing on 2 sentences from this post.
What's creepy to me is your seeming obsession with Taylor Swift.
Thousands of talking heads on TV talk about politics.
Like it or not Taylor has an opinion and is incredibly popular. Many people want to hear what she has to say.
I'm an old Deadhead. I'm not a fan of Taylor's music, but I respect the fact that so many others do. I don't let it fog my mind or color my opinion of her as a successful, thoughtful woman and artist with a devoted following.
What Miselle said. Please ignore Schmeeckie.
The Appellate Courts in Hamilton County Tennessee have handled him well.
The evidence of routine judicial misconduct continues to pile up, begging for a federal civil rights lawsuit.
Don Just flush John.
please don't feed the troll
Please do not enable the troll.
...said the disabled troll.
thank you.
Your use of the word "compulsing" is a dishonest insult.
This song speaks to me:
"Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world..."
https://youtu.be/SEE_R4VIkR4?si=5CY6nJvVQXBBiYCS
Other likeable Dead songs:
Cassidy
Alabama Getaway
Brown-Eyed Women
Dark Hollow
Let it Grow
Miss. Half-Step Uptown Toodaloo
p.s. My point was that HCR was slickly, indirectly and dishonestly spinning what Taylor Swift said.
And then the local Bidenistas come out to insult me as a way of deflecting my point.
Slickly? Dishonestly?
Well done finding a Dead song on YouTube.
Please do not enable the troll.
My underlying point is that HCR routinely slips Bidenista propaganda into her letters. I've ben collecting examples for months as part of my substack notes:
https://substack.com/profile/85178460-john-schmeeckle/notes
p.s. I could have added youtube links to the other Grateful Dead songs I listed, but I didn't. That link to "Eyes of the World" is easily my favorite rendition.
John Schmeeckle: so, Never Get In a Pissing Fight With a Skunk, 🦨 Said my wise father.. and I recall those words reading yours.
Please do not enable the troll.
My father used to trap skunks using a... skunk trap.
I won't try to get into a pissing fight with you.
John, what do you mean when you call President Biden creepy? Don’t quote anything, just tell us what you think.
The video of Biden snuggling up to the back of Ash Carter's wife during Carter's incoming speech as Defense Secretary, especially the part where she flinched, which got cut out of the slow-motion replay to "prove" that Biden didn't molest her in public.
Successful, affluent and creative women are irrational threats to fragile male egos, especially when they are young and comely.
As I've posted several times and will again, the words of Emma Watson who is also "talented, young and comely"--"Fuck the patriarchy."
Look at the leadership of most corrupt organizations and countries, they are run by men and they have very few, if any women in positions of influence and power. The Catholic Church, CPAC, the Republicans in Congress, the Senate and SCTOUS, the former Trump administration, Russia and so on.
I hope all women in the US come to realize that most Republicans are misogynists (and xenophobes) that believe they are here to SERVE him and his male friends. And SCOTUS is no different or even the Senate.
Like incels, right? I can’t get her so I will destroy her. Their petulance and self loathing speak volumes, right???
Sadly, MSNBC is reaching the liberal educated listeners. We are great fans of MSNBC, particularly Ari Melber.❤️
They always do a great job of explaining why TFG is bad for the country. The problem is that the people who need to hear that are not listening!
Trump is just the head of the republican snake. For Putin, he's just a useful idiot.
However, we do not hear that on lamestreet media and I and probably millions more people cannot afford cable news outlets. Xfinity has the market tied up and they keep raising the price. Gouging of all kind should be cleaned up just not late charges fees on credit cards.
Lowering credit card fees to $ 8.00 is a huge deal for millions of people who are in credit card debt. No other president in the 21st century has done this . I heard Walmart will be lowering their prices on food and merchandise. However, they couldn't confirm when.
May I recommend National Public Radio and PBS News Hour? We have never had cable TV. When we have seen it when traveling, we have not been inspired to get it for ourselves.
I dropped them 20 years ago during bush's term. I do watch their nature, animal, universe programming
At least Biden and Harris are addressing the issues head on. With a tRump admin you can bet Netenyahoo will run strongarm forever.
“. . . With a tRump admin you can bet Netenyahoo will run strongarm forever.”
...."With a tRump admin you can bet Netenyahoo will run strongarm forever.”
Listening to the stories about people standing line for food getting killed, I'm not sure I condone Israel's behavior even though the Hamas started the fight. I know very little about the area except that there are a lot of rabid religious militants who want to govern. We fought the Taliban for years. The planes hadn't even left and they had taken over. Is there a reason we are there except for the commercial significance of the Red Sea for commerce? Is Israel really an ally?
A: Hamas did not start the fight. The "fight" had been going on for decades with Israel always winning..more territory, more power over Palestinians. Way less territory or safety for Palestinians. The IDF is like a bunch of Nazis bullying, beating, imprisoning.... Gaza is an open air prison with severe restrictions on everything. Gaza has a long border to the Mediterranean sea. They are not allowed to boat into it and nothing can come in through there. Israel has been getting away with murder. Oct 7 was a big shock; who could guess that Hamas could get away with all that? They had expected it to be a suicide mission given all the press about the superior IDF and surveillance. Israel was humiliated and, I am sure, thrilled to use this as an excuse to wipe out as many of those "filthy rats" as possible. Now I am seeing on youtube many talks by hostages about how awful it was. Israeli propaganda, Of course, it wasn't luxury accommodations but I believe Hamas tried to keep those hostages alive and fed as well as possible under those circumstances. Israel did not care about those hostages and started bombing on Oct 7. Did they know where the hostages were? Or, care? see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_Directive
In a nutshell: if there is an Israeli citizen being taken, kill them, because negotiating for their release is a real problem. The hostage's families have to know this and have never trusted their government to get them released.......Israel has "bigger fish to fry".
It's a very complicated mess for the USA and for the next election. It's not just that some people are living in a hell of death, disease and starvation but it involves Israel. No one wants to be labeled antisemitic and they are using that to the hilt.
I wondered why the Palestinians have nowhere to go. Here is a quote from a commentator in Quora:
"Palestinians
Why is Egypt so adamantly opposed to allowing refugees from Gaza to escape the city, I thought they cared about the Palestinians?
They care about the Palestinians in theory, as Muslim neighbours, but Egypt isn’t going to let that blind them to reality.
Unlike seemingly everyone on this site, Egypt bothered to pick up a history book.
Jordan allowed Palestinian refugees. They tried to set up a state-within-a-state, attempted to assassinate the King, and got kicked back out.
Lebanon accepted the Palestinian refugees that had just been kicked out of Jordan, Those same refugees started a ten-year civil war.
Kuwait accepted Palestinian refugees. They then helped Saddam Hussain take over.
Egypt has no desire to be next on the list of countries dealing with open rebellion or terrorism after letting in refugees from Palestine, especially if they risk Hamas sneaking in with them.
,................
How can Palestinians children be helped....
Stop working with and employing Hamas people. Fire all the Hamas members working for UNRWA.
Create an international oversight committee to prevent Hamas AND the PA from using donated money for incitement, terror activities and particularly the “Pay for Slay” program of the PA.
Replace all textbooks and all school activities that demonize Israel and/or encourage children to become “martyrs”.
Convince the PA to hold elections and abide by the results, no matter what the outcome.
Teach human rights in schools and in adult classes.
Build factories, farms, power plants for electricity, desalination plants for drinking water and sewage treatment plants so that raw sewage isn’t dumped directly into the Mediterranean.
Rebuild the infrastructure that Hamas has ruined (replacing lampposts and water lines used for making rockets, but with pipes that are incompatible for use in making rockets).
These are just a few of the things that the UN COULD do, but won’t, basically because as a whole, the UN couldn’t give less of a crap to end the lucrative business of dedicated agencies and departments solely for the Palestinians (UNRWA and the Palestinian Department of OCHA come to mind at the head of the list).
Those who put children on display like this:
(Photo: Child with AK rifle)
The children should be removed from the parent’s homes and placed with appropriate Arab foster families outside of the Palestinian territories.
I can think of many other things the UN COULD do, but won’t."
"filthy rats" It seems to be the fashionable terms for undesirables. trump used it in a speech to encourage the riddance of vermin. I believe Hitler used it, too.
Unfortunately, Israel is an ally. We store weapons there we don’t trust Qatar or Turkey to store for us. The Israeli chip industry is bigger than the US and not in a communist country. And, until October 7th, their intelligence in the region exceeded ours or anyone else’s.
Thanks. It just seem like they were pulling a Russian move by putting settlers in the West Bank and then claiming it was theirs. At least that is my interpretation. Could be totally wrong.
Start by voting for Biden and don’t succumb to rhetoric. It doesn’t help Gaza.
Dear Michelle
I do not agree with you.
Kind regards
Yeah that’s the way to get what you want…NOT!
Talk to Netanyahu.
Like drumpf, he's desperate to stay in power, not prison. If you know any Israelis, you might urge them to vote him immunity so he'll get the hell out.
Netanyahu would love drumpf to be back.
That has been his plan all along. Not to be dismissed, he dragged Biden in and ruined him in many demographics.
Yes. Birds of a feather, flock together… and die.
So… new new math, try string theory, poetry: Jews, Nazis, Hitler, Mussolini, fascism, Gaza, Hamas, rape, beheading, Hezbollah, Houthis, Iran, Putin, Ukraine, Kiev, Zelenskyy’s complaint, Israel, 🇮🇱 Bibi, Speaker Mike Johnson, President Trump, GOP, Kari Lake, Arizona, Gov. Abbott, Texas,
A very depressing list. Let's talk about something more pleasant: climate change, pollution, plastic, endocrine disrupters, dangers of AI, mental health crisis, species extinctions,... . Did I forget anything?
J. Horowitz, sadly… Yes, suicide by cop… daily. March 7th, think of October 7th, and damn Iran.
I try to ignore the US politics. I just want TFFG dead. I have concentrated on the Gaza situation from day one. Oct7. It's a new disaster involving Jews. It's a BIG deal. Probably unsolvable. About 20 years ago, I said, probably to myself, that Israel will be the cause of WW3. It had to come from some remote part of my brain.... "instinct"?
Wrong target. Aim at Hamas.
Biden has done incredibly good things domestically and holding our own through Ukraine against Putin. However, Biden is losing a huge percentage of the young vote because of his support of genocide in Gaza. I am 78 years old and I don't know that I can vote for a person who is complicit in months of genocide that is highly recognized as genocide, no controversy except political. I know we shouldn't be one issue voters and I will probably vote with great reluctance for Biden only because of his opposition. His war crimes are very heinous and I will vote with a sad heart.
First, horrible as what is happening in Gaza is, it is not genocide. Words have meaning, they should be used carefully, particularly when they are inflammatory. Then remember that Israel is not a colony, but an ally. We can try to influence Israelis, but we can’t control what will happen there. And the administration has been more and more clear that it disagrees very strongly with the policy of the present Israeli regime. But for all of its faults and failures, Israel remains the only (albeit highly imperfect) democracy in the region.
"First, horrible as what is happening in Gaza is, it is not genocide. Words have meaning, they should be used carefully, particularly when they are inflammatory."
John Without using the word ‘genocide,’ what Netanyahu and the Israeli Defense Forces have been doing in Gaza is horrific:
1) Sustained bombing that has demolished or damaged about half of Gazan structures;
2) Killed/wounded over 100,000 (mostly women/children) of 2 million civilians;
3) Severely blocked the delivery of food/water/medical supplies causing likely starvation and medical deaths for a significant number of Gazans;
4) Forced the desperate relocation of the great majority of Gazans with no apparent ‘safe havens;’
5). No clear long-term policy that doesn’t include Israeli domination/control of Gaza.
Whatever the terminology. As a former Foreign Service Officer who lunched with David Ben-Gurion in August, 1954 and lived in the Middle East for years(visited Palestinian refugees in Gaza in 1953) I am appalled that, until very recently, President Biden was complicit in much of what I record above.
Biden could have:
1) not surreptitiously sent replacement armaments to Israel; and
2) Declared that the US would sent and distribute $$$$ of humanitarian aid to the 2 million Gazans.
I agree with almost all you said, and where I don't it's because I don't have the knowledge to opine. But I also think that we're going to need to wait a while (I hope we live long enough to see it) until we find out what's really been happening between the US and Israel since October 7th. And here in America there needs to be a lot more attention paid to the way that Hamas continues to embed its fighters among civilians knowing--and intending--that they will be killed and maimed, the immense cruelty of holding the hostages, and the fact that it constructed 450 miles of tunnels in the tiny Gaza Strip, but let civilians use none of them--not one foot--for air raid shelters. Why does that get no press?
I agree that's what's happening in Gaza is horrible, whether you call it genocide or not. I'm not sure I agree that sending armaments to Israel was a secret. Also. I question the logistics of the U S distributing aid to Gaza against Israel opposition. Would that take an invasion?
Well said, Jon.
I agree Jon that it is not genocide.
But what do we label what Putin is doing to civilians in Ukraine?
And to hundreds of thousands of his own people that he is sending to Ukraine as cannon fodder?
It's damn close to genocide.
I suppose that next you will tell us that Israelis are clannish and have big noses.
A tRUmp election victory will mean genocide here in the States! At least Pres. Biden, SOS Anthony Blinken & SOD Lloyd Austin are employing available resources to stop Netanyahu’s and, equally clearly Hamas attempts at genocide!
Hamas rejects a cease fire. It's a middle East war. What do you suggest the US President to do?
Genocide is 12 million in Nazi death camps and killing squads prelminary to a policy of mass starvation of 20 million or so to make room for Germans. Horrific as 30 thousand dead (more like 40 in reality) in Gaza is, that isn't genocide, even if there are Israelis who might wish it so.
It might not be “genocide” in your eyes but in the eyes of the UN and other organizations it certainly is more than merely war crimes. Israel has been ignoring UN orders since the Seven Day War. With our help on the Security Council as backup. But a more interesting question is why the surrounding Arab states, with the same ethnicity as the Palestinians, are closing their gates against any Palestinian migration and safety. Eygpt as a prime example. Why are they not complicit in “genocide” ? It is way more complicated than slogans and protests but I think Joe Biden regrets that impulsive Netanyahu hug.
According to Rashid Khalidi, The Hundred Years War on Palestine (he's a Palestinian-American, prof. of history at Columbia), the Arab countries neighboring Palestine have, for their own reasons, long given lip service and a cold shoulder to the Palestinians, both before and after the establishment of Israel. It's a very complicated history. However that may be, and whether or not it's "officially" genocide, the Israeli response to Oct. 7 is horrific. But this is a long conversation.
I didn't say it wasn't bad. 40000 works out to abt 2% of the Gazan population, Hamas and civilians alike, who actually are all part of the same population - by and large Hamas fighters are from the general population, including rapists and torturers and murderers of 1200 Israeli civilians young and old alike. That is not genocide, whatever the rhetoric internationally is. I suspect Hamas could have been occupied without the mass destruction and death, and a slow squeeze put on Hamas with limited warfare. Maybe. Here's one columnist https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/01/12/israel-gaza-hamas-genocide-netanyahu-response/
Why? See my note above re a quote from a commentator in Quora
Well, Israel will not survive with The String ignored. Jews are the conscience of man, agnostic and atheist alike, they need not but the myths, faith in the almighty and all that, they are Survivors… hoping for the best, and the rest of us. To tolerance, to the answer to prejudice: eliminate ignorance and fear.
Perhaps it is well to remember that Israeli settler extremists in the West Bank are terrorists, and therefore Israel, funding the settlers and giving them guns, is a state sponsor of terrorism.
See “France Calls West Bank Israeli Settler Violence a ‘Policy of Terror’”
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/france-calls-west-bank-israeli-settler-violence-policy-terror-2023-11-16/
and
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-gaza-west-bank-settler-violence-palestinians-rcna123311
and "The Rise of Settler Terrorism" (published in Foreign Affairs)
https://www.jstor.org/stable/41720862
Here is my peace plan for the Middle East:
1. Israel faces an existential crisis as soon as the U.S. "aid spigot" gets cut off for whatever reason (including possible American political or economic crisis).
2. Any viable solution must enable Israel to be secure without constant infusions of American aid.
3. This requires peace with Israel’s neighbors, including Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
4. This requires undoing the Nakba terrorist atrocity and withdrawing to the U.N.-mandated pre-1948 borders.
5. This can only be done in the context of peaceful economic integration throughout the region, for the benefit of all. A lasting peace must be guaranteed individually by each permanent member of the U.N. Security council, and endorsed by Israel’s neighbors.
6. The recent Hamas atrocities were sparked by provocations (yet again) at the Dome of the Rock. The dream of rebuilding the Temple of Herod must be given up and replaced by the will to rebuild the Temple of Solomon in its correct location.
Eventually the world will see, reluctantly, that the only solution is the total destruction, down to the foundation, of religion. Religion is supposed to civilize us, to appeal to our better instincts, but it has ever done that imperfectly at best, and it is now becoming an existential threat to humankind.
There have always been peaceful minority religions, but they have always been shoved aside while the dominant religions “ride the beast” of politics to have the power and wealth of the world.
Enough! How long before this solution becomes unavoidable?
Are you naive about Islam and it's attitude towards any one who is not Muslim? Read the Koran:
2:191, 3:21, 5:33, 8:22, 8:60, 9:5, 9:23, 22:19, 47:4.
There was nothing going on at Al Asqa in October. No idiot Israeli was even caught praying there for a change.
That’s the Palestinian reason Every Time—every single time—they shoot rockets into Israel or commit car bombings.
Vote with great reluctance for Biden. As I will. What other choice is there?
What choice did/does Biden have? He had to support our "ally". And, the Jewish lobby is very strong. He's between that "rock and a hard place".
Genocide? Israel is deliberately trying to exterminate all the Palestinians. And why are you only blaming Israel but not Hamas?
At least Hamas is honest about declaring they want to deliberately exterminate all Jews.
Since Hamas won't agree to any cease fire. What are your suggestions to stop the war there?
Yes.PLEASE. We, the American taxpayers, are complicit in genocide and have been for several months now. How to stop it?
We step to stop, to break the String, and Hamas must go. Palestinians support their bestial masters, Iran sits atop the pile leading to Moscow’s Big Man… and The String.
No. Not so. Thanatos is at work. Eros is losing. See Civilization and Its Discontents, Sigmund Freud’s last.
How do you force another sovereign nation do what you want?
Those screaming “stop the military aid” don’t realize the aid money = profits for US military vendors. Stopping the aid money hurts US workers. The U.S. long ago sacrificed any principles or values on the alter of The God of Mammon.
Tell Hamas.
What do you think of Trump's proposal to Netanyahu, "Finish it"
Cannot finish a theory. Will not exterminate a people.
"the coming election might be our last"
The Russian Federation, Hungary, and Iran have elections. Just as the captured US Supreme Court hears arguments and hands down decisions. And Republican legislators vote in Congress.
The point is to institute antidemocratic policy through nominally democratic procedures.
Exactly, pretend democracy fools a lot of fools
It is clear that we already have an illiberal, anti-democracy, pro-Trump court. In this last decision they decided that they could rewrite the Constitution. I fear they will help sabotage this election.
Already have and they are not done yet.
Exactly. He will institute a two governmental system. The overt system that is a 'democracy' in name only and a shadow/covert system of a fascist regime pulling the strings of the 'in name only democracy'. The overt 'democracy' will be used to cover-up and explain the string-pulling fascism.
Chaos will become the norm and we will be told it is the rule of law.
We will witness the ultimate example of national gaslighting.
Yes. With Putin in charge… Trump laundering his money from the cartel based in Moscow… into his bankrupt company… that should do it.
Alas, Susan, creating the REAL “deep state” they keep whining about.
What ever the Republicans accuse the Democrats of, they are doing....right?
Yep, sure worked for the Nazis
My favorite example is how Biden stole the Democratic nomination from Bernie Sanders.
A close second is how the 2008 North Carolina primary got stolen from Hillary. We have not-quite-fake elections where the totals get trimmed one way or another, depending on who's counting votes at the county and state levels.
BS
Not exactly a rebuttal. I have more to say on this subject in my reply to Susan, here:
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/march-5-2024-tuesday/comment/51040435
Now that is an excellent example of masterful gaslighting. Congratulations.
Susan,
There is a strong taboo against discussing the evidence of routine, entrenched computerized vote fraud. The book "Votescam: The Stealing of America” gives the example of the 1992 New Hampshire Republican primary, featuring George H.W. Bush versus Patrick Buchanan, in which the results were "impossibly" at odds with pre-vote polls.
https://books.google.com/books/about/Votescam.html?id=ZxpZCgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1#v=onepage&q&f=false
The 2020 Massachusetts Democratic primary featured an "impossible" brace of four-percent skews from the EXIT polls (at the expense of both Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren), giving Biden a hair-thin win.
See https://tdmsresearch.com/2020/03/04/massachusetts-2020-democratic-party-primary/
This comes from the same source that showed that the results for the 2020 Alabama Senate race were heavily skewed in favor of Tommy Tuberville. Computerized vote fraud is a bipartisan problem.
There is a bogus "fact check" article that dishonestly debunks the above-linked analysis of the 2020 Massachusetts primary:
https://www.factcheck.org/2020/03/no-huge-red-flag-that-fraud-occurred-in-mass-primary/
In the 2008 primary race, it was do-or-die for Hillary in the North Carolina primary. I remembered, from "Votescam: The Stealing of America," the story of how "the computers crashed" late at night and eventually came back up with skewed numbers.
I planned to stay up late as results came in from North Carolina, and the same thing happened. Hillary and Obama were neck-and-neck when, around 11:00, the computers crashed. I stayed up to see the reported results the moment they re-started. Sure enough, somewhere around 3:00 in the morning, the first new result came in with Hillary's total flat and a big jump for Obama, putting both the primary and the nomination out of reach for Hillary.
For a couple days there was some speculation that Hillary would challenge the results, but she didn't. The North Carolina Attorney General Ray Cooper went on to become Governor, and North Carolina was gifted the next Democratic convention.
I voted for Hillary in the California primary, and for Obama in the general election.
Hillary went on, as Secretary of State, to become the Butcher of Libya, pressuring a reluctant Obama to go far beyond the United Nations mandate and effect regime change in Libya, turning that country into a festering failed state.
In the 2020 primary race, I supported Tulsi Gabbard , who aptly called Hillary the "corrupt queen of the war-mongers." The Democratic Party has lost its soul.
Question: How many people died suddenly when they were about to testify against Bill and Hillary Clinton?
Answer: Count 'em up for yourself:
https://whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/BODIES.php
John, I agree with a lot of what you say, like the Democrats weren’t democratic when they dumped Bernie. But try not to be insulting to the folks here. It just angers them and feeds division.I got blocked from HCR’s facebook chat because I said it is a cruel lie to say my vote for RFKJR is a vote for Trump. She doesn’t tolerate opinions that divert from hers.
And voting for RFKJr isn't a vote for Trump? Both are unqualified to be in the White House.
Ann, I actually believe that's not entirely accurate -- I believe there are many Never Trumpers who will also never vote for Biden. RFK jr may suit them. Those votes basically get washed out (John Daigle and others will disagree), leaving trompy's base against the much wider base of Dem voters plus independents who cannot fathom another red-hatted admin.
I'm certainly no political scientist, but this is how I see it.
Well, I hope you are correct (can't bring myself to say "right" these days).
A vote for RFKJR is just that. And now that he is on the Nevada ballot, he is appealing to the college students there , as well as the blacks.Go Bobby!
That’s an opinion, I believe he is very qualified and our only hope
Sure, the anti vaxxer and "Q" supporter is who we need.
Even his own family thinks he's nuts.
It's not an opinion it's a fact. If he's your only hope, YOU, you are hopeless.
And your post is an opinion also. What qualifies him?
Only hope for what? An Anti-science opportunists who will do what exactly if
A vote for JFKJr is a vote for Trump. It's no lie. It's reality.
Do you really know that is why you were blocked? I find this hard to believe.
She read my comment in her February 13 chat and called me out for it by name saying I only have 2 followers and post nothing but my picture.That’s when I got blocked , no explanation , no response to my inquiry.
Cry more and see my reply above.
You really need to relocate to another country or universe.
Please do not enable the troll.
Roy Wallace, your effort to intimidate is unworthy.
My reply to Susan goes for you, too:
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/march-5-2024-tuesday/comment/51040435
Cry more.
Poor Bernie boy has a sad.
Maybe Bernie should have run on his own.
Please do not enable the troll.
Good point.
When the mass deportations begin the morning of day one, how will that affect the mental health of a nation? How does it affect people today?
He just gave local cops an order to break the law and arrest people however and whomever they “feel” like. The candidate just gave the order for the law to act with lawlessness, dropped due process, drop Miranda and it’s not a lead story in the news! WTF AMERICA! Where is the outrage???
Dont underestimate how much damage the evil orange clown is causing everyday in his vile communications with the people. The “purge” is what he wants and doesn’t care. The Republican Party has failed America, broken the trust with the People,
Then economically, how will mass deportations affect industries that rely on that labor? How can any economy thrive in a state of lawlessness, chaos, and no due process. Rat on your neighbor, pay off the police, lie about everything. Consider Dr Bandy Lee. Imagine a mass firing of progressive professors across the nation. Mass firings of the good journalists.
Should he not win, what then? We think J6 and fake electors were bad? Expect a whole lot more mass violence, in DC, at the state houses, at the county the county level, expect deviant administrative schemes, and a protectionist SCOTUS giving credibility to each bogus claim. I feel that is where we could be headed this November. Shame on the Republicans for letting an oath breaking insurrectionists seditionist run in the first place. Do not understand a malignant narcissist sociopath who is cornered financially and legally with no way out but to win back the highest power in the world.
Hope for the best. Manage for the worst possible outcome. It can happen here. Vote like the future of democracy depends on it. Hope. Vote. Prepare.
Taylor Swift …. Are u listening?
The voting suppression/purge has begun:
https://open.substack.com/pub/thomhartmann/p/the-great-2024-voting-purge-has-begun-a1a?r=44kjm&utm_medium=ios
It’s Game On. Let’s Roll.
S.B. Lewis: Orwellian Tyranny . . . Orange-Swampcreature is a figure conjured by George Orwell.
But it seems like the Democratic Party treats this election as too routine. I LOVE Rachel Maddow, Alex Wagner, and the whole Night Crew.
During the Depression, we had the sonorous, humane Franklin Delano Roosevelt -- who spoke slowly and pronounced each word clearly and always with a ring of humor and joy, and no Republican could touch him.
A living memory to me (I was 12) was the run of John Fitzgerald Kennedy and (to this innocent, star-struck 12-year-old) WONDERFUL Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy's culture and grace won my admiration and love. Jack Kennedy's Lincolnesque rhetoric captured my imagination. If Jack Kennedy said it, it was interesting and attractive.
In all of America, we don't have a JFK or FDR to electrify the populace?
Americans are left with "The Apprentice" whose chief accomplishment is to utter, "You're FIRED!"
And HE is going to be the Dictator.
And what Heather Cox Richardson points out is this:
"Just as voters don’t appear to know much about what the administration has done to make their lives better, a recent study from a Democratic pollster suggests that voters don’t seem to know much about Trump’s statements attacking democracy. When informed of them, their opinion of Trump falls."
Where is THE FIGHT in the American People to avert the avalanche into Tyranny?!
The finding about the voter is that the American populace is apathetic towards its own decline into dictatorship.
Is THAT the end of the story?!
We, as a people, have become a country of snowflakes, told we should be outraged at inconsequential things, ignoring the disintegration of the norms in all branches of our government and society. Religion in the court? Religion in the House? and at a time when a minority of the populous attend a church. We should be outraged at the "Christian" takeover of our government, local, state, and federal. Let's not forget that religious organizations pay no taxes. All that tax-free money to invest in your favorite politician, all they have to do is toe the Christine line.
We all need to vote and spread the word to get religion out of our government,NOW.
Sorry, I just felt the need to vent.
Heather, you say this well. We, as a people, have been dumbed down, lost critical thinking skills, and have become enamoured with social media that tells us how to think and what to wear, and what we should watch and listen to.
Heather Kirk, Ally House (Oregon): CONCUR on all counts.
Orange-GRIFT would bring America a Victor-Orban/Hungarian ILLIBERAL Democracy.
In other words, Democratic forms, oligarchic or dictator in reality.
When after Sulla, Marius, Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great), Julius Caesar, the continuous civil wars, when Octavian finally defeated Mark Anthony on the side of Cleopatra, the former Octavian, now dubbed with the honorific, "Augustus" or even "Augustus Caesar", the proud and stable, freedom-loving ROMAN REPUBLIC fell to the Imperial CAESAR.
The difference was Augustus Caesar had reverence for Roman History and was careful to retain THE FORMS of the Roman Republic, even as he declared himself, "First Among Equals" -- the "Principes" -- from which we derive, "Prince."
And under Augustus Caesar, Rome attained its cultural height: Ovid, Vergil, Livy . . .
Instead, well, we would have, writ large on our TV Screens: "The APPRENTICE!"
And what I really cannot get over: "The immigrants are POISONING our blood". Republicans really are offended, if we point out that the Third Reich used this rhetoric.
I feel the same Heather.
When most judges on SCOTUS are Catholic and two are sexual predators it is unsurprising that they are releasing theocratic decisions. For some reason, since the Catholic Church has always relegated women, children and people of color to non-management roles, they feel no need to mete out equal justice in spite of what the US Constitution says.
Sure seems like that.
Shall we thank Leonard Leo? There's such a long list.
Relaity doesn't play games.
Definitely!Our democracy is threatened by Dumpster Trumpster and his MAGA Minnions!!He’s best friends with PUTTIE who is a dictator- this is not a good picture!!We need to make sure we keep our democracy intact!!
Me thinks he protests too much: Trump is worried about money! So, does the mass deportation of US citizens include his wife?
That would be my first question ... Melania on top of his list?
No alimony!
Pre-Nuptial with an NDA.
I would think that someone like her being married to a major criminal would put her in the deportation category.
And why hasn't Melania been charged for any crimes yet? Same with Mark Meadows wife who committed voter fraud in both NC and SC. We've seen their joint tax returns--obviously fraudulent. Prosecute her! We know that she doesn't have Presidential immunity.
That’s where I’m at. Prosecute Melania, Ginni and Mrs John Roberts. You may not prosecute the SCOTUS judges and the TFFG, but criminal wives are fair game. Hey! Coming this fall, if you liked Criminal Minds and CSI, you’re gonna love FOX’s new true crime show, “Criminal Wives”! They know waaay more than you thought 🧐🤨🥸
Oh no, she's not one of the "bad" ones. Is she?
All of his people eventually get thrown under the bus.
and her father.
I bet Melanie would welcome that deal. Free, free at last.
No more than Justice Thomas' views on "historically recognized marriage" include Ginni, his wife.
EXCUSE ME! Who is talking about deporting US CITIZENS!
Donald Trump is — first, he wants to cancel their citizenship.
Trump wants to deport immigrants and naturalized citizens.
And give the police back their "immunity". Maybe he will have them all vaccinated.
I hope Rupert Murdoch and Elon Musk are at the top of that list.
It would be the next step. After getting rid of all the undocumented, they just might keep going and going.
Their blood is poison I tell you, it's poison.
(Apologies to It's a Wonderful Life)
He wants to get rid of people who don’t speak as we do. Like Melania, her father and their son Barron. I bet they all talk about Trump in Slovenian so he doesn’t know how they are planning to get his money. They’re going to have to wait in line 🤣
Hmmm. Does ANYONE speak (or misspea) like Donald Trump? This from Newsweek.
Donald Trump has been criticized for making a string of gaffes during two weekend campaign speeches.
The Republican presidential candidate addressed crowds on Saturday in Richmond, Virginia, and Greensboro, North Carolina, ahead of Super Tuesday, when more than a dozen states will vote in Republican primaries.
Ron Filipkowski, a Trump critic and the editor-in-chief of the independent news network MeidasTouch, posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, that compiled 32 incidents in both speeches in which, Filipkowski said, the Republican "mispronounced words, got confused, mixed up names, forgot names, and babbled insane nonsense."
The video shows Trump appearing to slur his words and misspeak on several occasions, including by mispronouncing Venezuela and calling Argentina a "great guy."
One said: "THIS man has a decent shot at becoming president of the United States again. Is that really a sign of greatness?"
Another wrote: "Send this to any MAGA folks you speak to that have any possibility of being turned or anyone you might know on the fence please."
Another user commented: "It's so awful that anyone thinks he's presidential material."
The 77-year-old has long been criticized for making errors, such as recently appearing to confuse Nikki Haley, his GOP 2024 presidential nomination rival, with former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and frequently appearing to confuse President Joe Biden with former President Barack Obama.
Trump has defended himself, saying on more than one occasion that he has "aced" cognitive tests.
It’s more than that. He will use deportation and local police immunity to send anyone out of the country. It won’t be just “illegals”.
All that money she gets for staying married to him.
What money?
Prime example of Trump trodding over lawful, legal citizens and ignoring our U.S. Constitution.
Everything that comes out of trump’s mouth is a threat or a lie. Every threat is projected onto democrats. Every lie makes him the darling of Christian nationalists and racist bigot!
C'mon Janet.., She, "I Really Don't Care"., could give a crap less, besides He, probably isn't getting any of "IT". His little Atty (Haleena Habeana)is handy. And, she is kinda sweet/Swift-like innocent, no? Then there's always Kari Lake just outside the door. We've had it too good in this country for too long. When numb-nutz gets back in, the joy-ride down the hill will feel like fun. Blowhards like Hannity will 'clearly'explain how Democrats are to blame for 'anything' & 'everything' costing more. The DO"T" (Trump) not "J" (Justice) will take care of the ner-do-wells. Putin will lay-waste to all those darker countries where grift-is-king. China will solve the Taiwan issue without further delay. There will be many other great-appearing happenings explained to us by the Nuevo Koch-Faux News "Authority" (NKFNA). Sometime, around 2029, numb-nutz will fuck himself to death, hand the baton to "Lara" who will have been given the secret handshake. We'll be in bad shape economically by then, party-ing on-the-rocks, staring at those fallen signposts (mostly) down-south "Jesus Saves". Yup. Can I get an 'amen'? Huh...
😎
Heather's last sentence tonight, "People had better start paying attention," should galvanize all of us. It's time to get the message out, time to write letters to the editor, time to talk matter-of-factly to friends and family about just one little thing or another that maybe they haven't paid attention to but that might be important to them. The tactic has acquired a name, "relational organizing," but it's something that many of us have been doing for decades. Non-confrontational and informative, and always in digestible amounts to get people thinking without inundating them. Try it--you'll like it.
VOTE VOTE VOTE … and drive the neighborhood to do the same. Get 90% participation. Do not leave this to chance. Fascism is deadly stuff.
Yes! Vote like your vote depends on it. Because it does.
Vote like your LIFE depends on it. Because it does.
Indeed!!
Specifically, VOTE for Biden. You're right, fascism is deadly and I never have been able to get my head around how anyone could pull the lever for the criminally insane, profoundly evil trump. Never, never, never vote republican at any level of government.
Janet, as nearly as I can figure, what he did was give the white Christian nationalists permission to be angry and hateful, and he fed their amygdalae with the suggestions theat they were "rightful place in society" was being taken over by BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and women. The ones I know lap that up like kittens lap milk.
Hi, Ally, 'hope you're doing well. As we all have been doing, I've long thought about how to reach the one's who are enspelled by Trump/Repub's odious techniques.
Which is why I was interested in this Guardian article:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/mar/02/the-man-who-tricked-nazi-germany-lessons-from-the-past-on-how-to-beat-disinformation
Thanks for the link!
It time we stop, hey what's that sound. Everybody look what's going down.
"What a Field Day for the Heat"
"Into your life they will creep".
Stop hey what’s that sound
“Signs sayin hooray for our side”
Found it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjSpO2B6G4s Still so very relevant after all these years….sigh, I was just an 18 yr old hippie back in 1967…and so the memories swirl. This time is more dire, critically so.
Just listened ---made me think, where are the young voters --do they think Biden is too old? Hopefully they will back him so they can keep democracy alive and in their future.
In the last month I have been greatly encouraged by the behavior of ZOOMERS -- diverse & less hangups.
That is exactly what I was thinking. Where are the young people today?!
I had my hippie period as well. Hippiness manifested in a diverse array of forms, but I noticed a fair portion of "hippie" oriented people I knew gravitated toward underpaid "helping" professions, not MBAs. Certainly it was a time of social ferment with black and female movements for social equality. It was not really "the good old days" but certainly a mixed bag, but I think there was a more common belief that things were getting better. " Ooh child, things are going to be easier.... " But of course there was also social discord, which Republicans stoked and used as an excuse to substitute plutocracy for democracy.
I have identified with the Democratic Party life-long, but I do think Democrats have repeatedly dropped the ball in hearing, responding to, and engaging younger voters, yet we profoundly affect their lives, and in more ways than the terrifying climate crisis they will inherit. I don't think Democrats ever quite recovered from the 1968 Democratic Convention, in which the antiwar candidates who had led in the primaries were replaced by fiat in a heavy-handed way. That imperious dismissal of the concerns of youth, who were required to fight in a war with no compellingly obvious purpose, was a strategic disaster, irrespective of Humphrey's fitness as the nominee. To me it seems the pressing concerns of the young have been given only peripheral attention every since, and while moves to address the giant ripoff of student loans are a worthy gesture, we somehow need more meaningful conversations across all divisions of American society, and acknowledge together that all hold a stake.
"What do you tell voters who are new to the process who say this makes them feel like it's all rigged?" Tapper asked the DNC chair.
"Unpledged delegates exist really to make sure that party leaders and elected officials don't have to be in a position where they are running against grassroots activists," Wasserman Schultz calmly explained.
Tapper did not press her on her response. "I'm not sure that that answer would satisfy an anxious young voter, but let's move on," he said, and dropped the issue just when it was getting hot.
https://www.salon.com/2016/02/13/un_democratic_party_dnc_chair_says_superdelegates_ensure_elites_dont_have_to_run_against_grassroots_activists/
I've had that song in my head for days as well!.
Joleen, hopefully they ARE “watching what’s going down” and realize the Biden admin is actually much more progressive in real life than expected—many were likely Bernie supporters and he’s older than Joe! IMHO it is imperative that TFFG lose on a massive scale, or should I say “bigly”?
Key’s ’look around’ ant ‘what’s going down’ and note DAILY BARBARISM IN UKRAINE. For TWO YEARS NOW AND HEADING INTO A THIRD! Rape, kidnapping, murders, adults, children, hospitals, food supply, people wounded, children losing their parents and parents losing their children, everything that is happening in Palestine has been happening in Ukraine—all ONGOING FOR TWO YEARS!!! As soon as violence began in Palestine, Ukraine was forgotten—absolute silence. Is it violence that provokes this reaction, or an excuse to divert attention, so Ukraine can be destroyed without the world watching or caring?
Heather's last sentence is always a killer. You have to look at this one with eyes wide open: it's a drawing of a see-saw: one end is Very Good, the other end is Very Bad, and the fulcrum is called The Election. One end is Blue, the other end is Red.
The editor of the NYT doesn't give a hoot!
cancel your subscription
My preference is to exercise my 1. Amendment rights. Why don't you increase your subscription payment as an optimistic alternative, Marj? Heather deserves it for what she does for us.
I don’t know what is wrong with the NYT - all the righties think it is super liberal, but I find their coverage of Trump and Biden is hopelessly skewed toward normalizing orangeness in our country and away from giving Biden his props for what he has accomplished. Instead, they keep nattering on about age and Gaza and this and that and pretty much give Trump a pass on his undemocratic dementia. WTAF, NYT?!?!?!
I agree Elizabeth. I was commenting on this again yesterday to a friend. Why would the venerable NYT (which I have cancelled, but can still read) do this. The only thing she could come up with, is: " maybe they are trying to scare us all into voting...". That just can't be though. The Spiegel (Germany) is doing something similar, only they keep hammering the President for being too old....crazy, it's never about his accomplishments, it's just about how old he is. Putin (or Pee Pee le Put as we call him) has an amazingly long reach.!
Pee Pee le Put! Perfect! 🤣🤣
We must encounter this problem head on. Speak to folks in tones they will listen to and give them information they need. We ( our freedom) needs us to do this. This election is not Trump against Biden, it is Trump against freedom and Biden is the representative of freedom.
Tell folks to change the channel and find other outlets of information. Never hurts to get a second or third opinion or facts.
Yesterday I asked my 25 yo tenant if she voted. She asked me 'for waht'?
Oh, I see a gentle project for you...
"non-confrontational and informative"... that's pure Joyce Vance these days. Minds can be changed. So right on Heather's clarion call.
In some places, that is a Herculean task. Polarization makes normal a whole new ball game.
I looked all over yesterday and today's NYT (I get it online) and I couldn't find anything about Biden's capping the late fees to $8...until I dug into the business section on 3/5!! But on the front page - a story about how lonely Biden's supporters feel!!!!
Did I miss it?? How can voters make a good decision if the paper of record doesn't tell us what President Biden is doing for us?
Write an LTE--just send in what you wrote here, and let them know that you're not lonelu since you're part of a group of millions of Biden supporters. Here's a link about how to submit LTEs to the NYT: https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/115014925288-Submit-a-Letter-to-The-Editor. If lots of us submit one, maybe they'll get the idea. Maybe they'll even print one.
Thank you, Betsy, I will! And thanks for the link. I'm dyslexic and I got overwhelmed when I tried to find how to do this. You made it simple for me. Blessings,
Any time. We Dems are not lonely; we are not disconnected; we have no problem asking for help; we are delighted to provide help. Hugs.
Hugs back! Here's what I said - in 115 words!
Dear Letters Editor:
I looked all over yesterday and today's NYT (I get it online) and I couldn't find anything about Biden's capping the credit card late fees to $8...until I dug into the business section on 3/5!! But on the front page - a story about how lonely Biden's supporters feel!
Did I miss it?? How can voters make a good decision if the paper of record doesn't tell us what President Biden is doing for us? BTW I'm not lonely! I'm one of millions of grassroots activists connected through substack, zoom el al, and we are committed to saving our democracy from a candidate who told us he wants to be a dictator.
Thank you!
You inspired me. This is what I just sent:
To the Editor:
One of the most effective small improvements that the Biden administration has recently made in the lives of millions of Americans is the reigning in of junk fees. We have all been unpleasantly surprised when an item we have purchased costs more than the advertised price because of added fees. Many of us have been unpleasantly surprised when our banks have charged monthly credit card fees. What good news it was to learn that there is now a maximum charge of $8.00, a reduction that will save Americans collectively $10 billion a year. This should have been front page news in your e-edition instead of being buried in the March 5 business section. The front page, in contrast, told me that I and my fellow Dems are lonely. You certainly didn't interview any of the activists I know, all of whom are engaged in collaborative work in support of the Biden administration and down-ballot candidates during this election season. We would all appreciate substantive front page coverage of developments like the reigning in of junk fees instead of fanciful speculation about our loneliness.
¿Wanna get people to pay attention? Well, the media could do more than pathologize American democracy for the sake of click-bait and ratings. Instead of focussing so much on Trump and the worst of his rants and short-comings, simply ignore him and drive home the crimes he has committed. Next, laugh the stupid stooge off the stage. Then, report, "Meanwhile, President Biden has taken on predatory credit card lenders, etc." https://youtu.be/FgAoGf84-3A
Humph! What's happening to freedom to gouge??
Yes, such an assault on the American way! 🙂
Or "The American Way" according to St. Reagan. A world ruled by wealth, not the governance of we the people.
Classic freedom, not a right.
No single person possess freedom. Were you marooned on a desert island, no you could do whatever came to mind and freedom would not enter into it. Freedom is a attribute of a society. It is an environment of mutually acknowledge rights, equally choices, with minor accommodations, and equal protections shared by all, or it is not meaningfully freedom.
Lincoln was confronting literal slavery, but some will oppress you with a bull whip and some a fountain pen:
"As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy. " Does that principle not apply to any form of wanton domination?
Is it not exactly top-down monopolistic power, be it money, unaccountable office, or violence, that the bane of human history, and liberty and justice for ALL?
"Freedom is a attribute of a society. " I dont think Americans get this
An eloquent reminder. Thanks, J L.
Could we possibly do it the other way around, so as to end with " and meanwhile, ex-president Trump . . .".? Start with the important stuff, which is not Trampler, except as a horrible example and warning. Of course, the media could alternate their approach so as to reach the maximum number of voters and potential voters - start with old Horrible Example for some. and with President Biden for others.
Compare and contrast. Reportedly General Milley has said of Jan 6th “This is a Reichstag moment,”
"These are the same people we fought in World War II,”
Unfortunately, the cognitive under-class, well educated as many of its members are (e.g., Speaker Mikey Mouse and Senator Shady J.D.), has always been around and, sadly, always be around. When Trump opened the gates of republican restraints, out they came -- the racists, the anti-Semites, the opportunists without moral rudders. We will move on from the day in the sun, though day is like a twenty-four hour solar eclipse. We (i.e., I) must hold onto our faith, frayed as it may be these days.
😢
General / President Grant -- a newly acquired hero and thank you, Dr Richardson and Mr Chernow -- said it all one hundred, fifty years ago: "If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition and ignorance on the other.”
😱
And, two hundred, seventy-five years ago, Baron Montesquieu -- thank you college French major -- also nailed it: "The deterioration of a government begins almost always by the decay of its principles."
Makes sense to me. The key point is to focus less on trumper tantrums and more on President Biden's accomplishments. EDIT: and to ridicule Trump -- make him a laughing stock among everyday Americans. That will blow his mind.
what there is of it.
The media seem to be reporting this horse race as business as usual when it seems to me that everyone’s hair should be on fire given the incalculable number of ways Trump has upended our democratic systems( not to mention his incoherent speech!). I am at a loss to understand why the “experts” on the news just keep on yammering away as though Trump is just a normal candidate! This is scary.
My hair is on fire and about gone. The business as usual nonsense is burning me to the ground. His evil is well known to anybody paying attention, but the MSM just let’s it slide on by like snake oil.
Remember who owns the media.
Here in SoCal, “cease fire” protestors interrupted Adam Schiff’s speech.
They’re going to love life if trump gets back in.
Let's make sure Trump doesn't get back in. And let's keep Steve Garvey out of the Senate. I am going to miss Katie Porter and her white board in the House. I wish she were going to the Senate and taking it with her, but I'm sure she'll find ways to keep the greedy accountable.
Me too. Katie will be placed somewhere, I am sure of it. This was a hard race for us Dems in CA because all of the candidates are wonderful. Barbara Lee has dedicated her whole life for justice. I would like to see her in a role that really uses her expertise. Schiff will be good in the Senate.
Every time I saw the three of them, I realized there would be some sacrifice of two good people in the House. Unfortunate.
Exactly so.
I am sad that Katie will no longer be in the House. I think it was Lawrence O'Donnell who said "I'd like to see California get six Senators" last evening. I have to agree with him - the idea that a state as large and populous as California has the same two Senators as Rhode Island or Wyoming is just out of whack. It leads to elections that cost megabucks, and ensure only the rich (or those supported by the rich) can enter.
Barbara Lee, despite all of her bona fires, had two strikes against her. One, her power base is in NorCal, making her largely unknown to the more populated, southern part of the state. Two, she’s 78. We’ve had enough experience with an elderly Senator. No matter her position on the issues, I wouldn’t vote for her because of her age.
I am sad that, for the first time in many years, both CA Senators will be men.
We’re certainly hoping a spot for Katie will be found. She’s too valuable to sit it out for two years.
Why did they do that, flat out stupid
That was my question. I hope Katie Porter runs for the House again in two years...
I am so upset about that. Why didn't she stay put. She is desperately needed in the House.
I think her role in the House is better for her...
Nobody said our system of government could not, on occasion, be stupid.
Plenty of proof of that...
Would Katie stay if she was written in for 2024? I really can't understand her decision to run for the Senate when we so desperately need excellent representation in the House.
Schiff was a jerk in how he circumvented having an honest election and by honest I mean an honest choice between Katie and him. I don’t respect him for that. Talk about creepy. Ew. What that says to me is he wants to be senator for him, not the best senator for the state.
Claire McCaskell did that same thing in her state when she ran many years ago. It’s nothing new and who says politics isn’t dirty? Always has been.
I’m beyond pissed at her and Adam for their idiotic run for the same seat. I will miss her like I still miss Al. Dems need to stop with shooting themselves in their collective feet.
Love Katie, but she handed her seat to a Republican after the Democratic machine inside CA had already declared for Schiff. Pure ego
Idiotic
Really? I recall her announcing quite a while before Adan Schiff announced. Lack of coordination and communication, but maybe don’t always blame the woman here.
Oh, the irony for this strident feminist being told she's blaming the woman candidate! But I digress... I blame the Democratic Machine inside California--they decide. Kamala Harris was picked to replace Barbara Boxer long before Boxer announced she was retiring. Only someone on the outside wouldn't have understood --or thought it could be ignored--what the "blessing" of the Machine meant--that I fault Katie for.
The Machine would not risk losing a Democratic seat in the sea of red districts in Orange County. Her winning was nothing short of a miracle. That she was popular enough to get reelected despite a bazillion Republican dollars thrown against her made her even more valuable in that House seat.
Adam Schiff is an American hero for his efforts in both impeachments of Despicable Don. Yet he falls far from heroic status in his mind numbing, robotic statements in support of Israel in its ongoing genocidal endeavors in Gaza.
I understand that he conditionally joined the escalating calls for a cease fire tonight at his election night victory party, and I am glad to hear same.
As a Democrat from the democratic wing of the Democratic Party, to quote the late, great Paul Wellstone, I could live with any of the three Democratic candidates for US Senate. I voted for Barbara Lee, because of her long standing integrity on issues of war and peace, which separated her slightly from Reps. Porter and Schiff.
The Democratic Party must grasp that the long held, reflexive support for the State of Israel, irrespective of how many settlements are built upon stolen Palestinian land, how many indignities are perpetuated daily upon Palestinian people, and how many Palestinian lives are taken in the ongoing slaughter in Gaza, must come to a rapid end.
How can the Democratic party tell another country how to govern?
It can't. But it can certainly take a somewhat unified, clear position that the ongoing slaughter by the IDF is in stark violation of both American and international law, and must cease forthwith, upon the pain of cutting off the billions of dollars we provide to Israel.
If Hamas turned over the Israeli hostages, the IDF would stop.
I would like to think so, Susan, yet the indiscriminate, unceasing slaughter by the IDF under the orders of the ghastly Netanyahu seems to have a life of its own, does it not?
The point being of course, that as horrific as the events of October 7th were, they Israeli response, going on seven months on, is exponentially worse, barbaric and universally destructive
The Koran reads: 2:191, 3:21, 5:33, 8:22, 8:60, 9:5, 9:23, hey 22:19, 47:4.
And the neighboring Muslim countries have had bad experiences with Palestinians and won't accept them anymore. They are owned by Hamas
The protesters find the loss of life in Gaza ( 30,000 ) appalling and that is where their attention is focused. Trump needs more votes than he got in 2020. It doesn’t look like he will be able to do that. We hope.
Biden is TRYING to get countries around Israel to help get HAMAS out of Gaza, guarantee security for Israel AND Palestinians, and STOP THE KILLING IN Gaza. He needs to make that more clear to Americans. [Read up on the efforts — info is out there.] A huge part of the “aid” he wants now is for humanitarian aid to Gaza. His people are working night and day for a six-week {at least} cease fire, and time to work out solutions — Getting HAMAS on board is tough; getting Netanyahu on board is tough. The rest of the Middle East LIKES the plan. Let’s hope they can make it happen, push Bibi and Hamas to care about humanity.
Would Trump EVER do as much or work as hard, under such circumstances? Never!
"Let’s hope they can make it happen, push Bibi and Hamas to care about humanity."
Let's hope they can find a diplomatic path to sovereign and geographically autonomous Israeli and Palestinian states.
Let's hope Bibi and Hamas can see some benefit to themselves in it. It seems too much to hope they will ever care about an abstract humanity, when they have no care for actual human beings.
Yes, Lin.
Yes to all you said.
Very true, lin.
Me thinks your hope is a tease. They have shown us who they are. Believe it
good luck with that!
It won’t happen if nobody tries. Biden is trying. It’s what he keeps saying is happening with countries in the region negotiating RIGHT NOW. And my reading of regional peace activists say he is trying, and these are some of the only viable solutions to this nearly intractable problems. The talks include true Palestinian self-governance and development of an independent, autonomous Palestine, and Bibi can go pound sand.
This is nothing that Biden can change, I think. According to what I have been told, neither Palestinians nor Israelis, at their power base want the two State solution (this is not my personal hope, nor do I have direct access to either power base). I know this is not very helpful, but I feel that we will all appreciate the veracity as this situation unfolds. Unfortunately many still live with the history very much in the forefront of their cultures and aspirations where new solutions seem to have no place.
May I assume you are being sincere?
You may lin. I am literally repeating what I am told, with no embellishment, and my personal preference is stated also.
I hope I'm wrong.
No, he certainly would not
Biden is trying? He could have stopped this war by not funding the weapons. You can’t say stop it but here the weapons to keep it going. Here is some aid, which is too little too late. Of course Trump would be horrible too but what Biden has done and has not done is getting out there and the uncommitted vote in Michigan is evidence. Biden is not listening to the people as Michael Moore says.
I am looking for reports that the weapons systems under discussion since December have received final OK — I find lots of HEADLINES saying we’re sending them — but in the articles, they say shipments are under consideration and paused given the circumstances.— Articles dated mid-February.
Do you have more info? I’m serious. I’m looking for it. Maybe missing things.
<https://www.reuters.com/world/us-plans-send-weapons-israel-even-biden-pushes-ceasefire-wsj-reports-2024-02-17/>
It’s a little simplistic to say he could have stopped Bibi by not providing weapons, tho. Bibi has plenty of weapons. And other countries supplying them, too. Before this situation, we were supplying armament INTENDED to help Israel remain secure in a part of the world where it has much opposition.
That is all a long and complicated discussion, even so.
Israel does have a lot of other sources at well. And has its own munitions factories. They would not run out if we stopped sending them, unfortunately.
And, yes, aid for Gaza is far too little, and coming so late. We should have pressed for more much sooner. I wish the US president could tell Bibi what to do, but he cannot. But he should still press for doing the right thing, and press hard, with consequences.
I think the uncommitted votes are scary as hell, but if we want to hold people’s feet to the fire — get the ear of powerful Democrats — that’s an effective way to do it. Now, the Dems need to figure out how to listen to the people. They can’t only listen to some,, though, and lose others. They need to hear all sides, and convince us they are coming up with good policies to address what needs to be done.
Let’s hope they do.
I was hopeful to hear the US had joined the airdrop of food to Gaza then. realized it was 38,000 meals to 2,000,000 starving people. Also transportation of food and medical supplies in Gaza must be all but impossible. The attack on Israel was truly horrible. I wonder if Hamas realized what they would set in motion with their October massacre. The effort to stop this juggernaut also must be a colossal challenge.
Lately I’ve been wondering some strange things. Hamas surely knew what the Israeli response to October 7 would be. They set all that in motion themselves. But what they have also set in motion is a resurgence of anti-Semitism, vastly more support for the Palestinian cause than there was before, condemnation of Israel, and a giant wrench into the US presidential election, along with a new examination of the morality of our aid to Israel. Perhaps their 30,000 dead and counting were a price they were willing to pay for all of that. And perhaps, just perhaps, Putin saw it as an opportunity to stop US aid to Ukraine, and to injure Biden’s change of reelection, and supported it.
cameron, I think they knew EXACTLY what they were doing, and have gotten exactly what they wanted, with the price paid by all Palestinians, Hamas or not.
Of course Hamas did.
What do Bibi and Hamas care about?
Hatred and intransigence reigns with Hamas and Bibi. Maybe Gantz can help. Maybe other Arab countries can exert influence. What a desperate, horrible situation…
I'm hoping Biden is more clever than the rest of us and has made it clear to Bibi that his time is running out. Of course 30,000+ dead Palestinians is an intollerabile price to pay, but general war breaking out in the middle east followed by someone deciding to fire off a nuke or two would be far worse
I think counting on Biden to do anything is quite optimistic. Even with so many people in Michigan and Minnesota voting uncommitted he does not listen to the push back on his support of Israel’s genocide. Instead he is reducing his appearances to avoid protesters.
Nuttyyahoo and Israel could help us start WWIII and the MAGA congress will do their part. Biden is trying to get a cease fire but his best tool is to cut off aid, weapons and ammunition to Israel, but he is not willing to go there. Otherwise things will likely get worse.
I like your Italian autocorrect, David! Any peas this spring? My forsythia bloomed this morning and is glowing yellow in the drizzle.
Kathy, what a pleasure to exchange comments with you! How are you doing?
I planted peas in early February and they are all about 3 inches tall. If we continue with night time temperatures above freezing I'll be harvesting beets in early April. At 500 meters there has been not a flake of snow to be seen this year, despite flooding and other weird stuff in the north. Our mountains are naked up to about 1500 m. but above that they look like the Himalaya. Global warming has its upside I guess. And today Claudia and I bought the house we have been renting for nearly 6 years. The "rogito" experience. Too bad the world is in such a mess.
The number of Gazan dead is likely more like 40k, or more... uncounted dead at least 10k, according to some sources.
Yes, scary, every day
Nora, did you see my note? I really am looking for info on what has been sent where and why, in regard to Israel. If you have some links, I’d love to see them. Thanks.
I can only find things up to the end of the year which was in the Reuters article. It is interesting that it is so difficult to find this info. I remember once hearing Jan Shakowsky saying and we don’t know what we don’t know. I think that is for a reason.
Yeah. I’ve written a lot of news articles and argued with a lot of editors and have taken exception to a lot of headlines that provide false impressions, if not outright false information. News outlets that write headlines for clickbait make me angry. People tend to read only headlines and not articles a LOT, so there’s a ton of misinformation out there based only on the headlines. Thank you for looking for that info, though. I’m not entirely sure the point I was making — that we ARE considering whether and when to send more weapons IS happening.
But, hell, who knows.
His last cabinet was a revolving door; his new one would be worse. So, definitely he and his "staff" would not work as hard.
He already has a list of vetted toadies from The Heritage Society to salt the halls of government so Republicans can guarantee they win every election after this one, IF they win this one. Project 2025. It’s no secret, and it’s no joke.
Never, but he would have “peace” as he capitulates to any and all real dictators
Yes, that would be Trump 47
Puke
Absolutely correct.
And the hostages........sigh.
That would be NEVER!
Trump's latest to Israelis: "Get it done"
He stoked the fires there for four years. Who was he playing to? He sucked up to Saudis. He sucked up to autocrats all over the world. He sucked up to Bibi and exacerbated the problems between Israel and Palestinians. This all must have made Putin happy.
This is what we’d get more of if he were elected again.
I don’t think we’ll survive ANY Republican president until they clean house of theocrats and oligarchs.
It is indeed appalling! I’m going to go out on a limb and say that trump would be fine with Netanyahu taking Gaza for Israel. Both of these guys are cut from the same cloth. Just like he said he would encourage Putin to do whatever the hell he wants. Further out on that limb…doing nothing to protect Taiwan.
It is not going out on a limb at all to say Trump would back the criminal Netanyahu regime's lebensraum policy towards Palestine. Although this policy violates the original intent of Zionism, the policy priorities of most Israelis, and international law. And is the greatest national threat to Israel itself, as the razing of Gaza and settler abuses on the West Bank are proving. The bromance of Bibi and the Don, is built on the appropriation of Zionism by racist right wing religious extremists - Jewish and Evangelical. Trump even has a settlement named after him in occupied territory.
Gag. He wouldn't last long among that crew, though.
And the protest is against the guy who is trying to go against Netanyahu
You just reminded me, Lin — Oh, how could I have lost sight of this — YES, the Fundamentalist Christian need to have the Jewish temple rebuilt in Jerusalem, as the capitol of Israel, so to bring about the End Times!! There was a group that used to hold a vigil in the center of our little town in Massachusetts — Sharon — which has a very large Jewish population, probably more than half the residents of Sharon are Jewish. The town also incudes the Islamic Center of New England, and a lot of Christian congregations, and one UU. Also, some Asian representation — I remember celebrating Diwali. Very ecumenical. But the evangelical group that held the vigil every year was “supporting” Israel [they did not say they wanted the End Times, but that is their end goal. If they bring on the End Times, they get Raptured up to heaven, and everybody else gets to deal with Satan on Earth. When it’s all over, they figure Jews will have to “accept” Christ, or they’ll go to hell. All very Revelations Fever Dream stuff.
Yes, Evangelicals do want Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and the Temple rebuilt. They like Netanyahu for their own purposes, and he’s using their support for his.
ThankYou for spelling that out so succinctly! Yes. The in-gathering of the Jews is not necessarily 'good for the Jews.' You'd think AIPAC, Likud, the Kahane thugs et al might have figured that out. But their long term visions are somewhat different.
There are some lovely old Bollywood depictions of Diwali.
https://youtu.be/lncPnSMKSvc?si=MufcDRcE5Gm0dbg6
https://youtu.be/rSRPU_yXOx4?si=VcpWeNVZDC_Cl0oL
I think there’s a mutual exploitation society going with the Kahane wing and the Fundamentalists, lin. Each thinks it is using the other.
The rest of the world gets the repercussions.
The former guy would be fine with Netanyahu as long as there is something in it for himself.
Always!! Always transactional.
Tyrants seem to be the only people self-absorbed Trump kinda admires.
"Tyrants seem to be the only people self-absorbed Trump kinda admires."
Kinda? Admires?
Absolutely worships.
Ah, but compared to Half-wit Hitler's love of self?
I think they remind him of his Dad, J L — or at least his father’s description of what a man has to be to succeed, A Killer, which meant willing to do whatever it takes “to win” That was the value and ethic that was drummed into Donnie, and that drove his older, kinder brother to alcoholism and an early death. [History. If you’re not aware of it, google it. That was Mary Trump’s dad.]
Oh he absolutely would! And you are correct about China-Taiwan, and Russia as well.
It’s really sad, and unbelievable, that this is where we are!
Yesterday (I think it was), he said "Israel should 'finish the job.'"
I believe, Evelyn, that those are some of the biggest fears on the world stage regarding a second Trump term.
You are so right, just hang on and all will be well, in Putin land.
Why those protesters think they’re doing anything besides helping elect Trump I don’t know. The aid to Israel and Ukraine are jobs in the US, and make money for US military vendors. The US long ago sold its conscience to the God of Mammon when it comes to military aid
True, and chump will sell out any decent thing we have tried to do. He says it out loud, and people just shrug.
My thinking on this keeps moving. This situation is serious and Biden just can't afford to lose large blocks of voters. Consider this approach: Israel is, in several key respects, a client state of the United States. So let's be more responsible for the welfare and safety of the place. Send a large expeditionary force into Gaza, send the IDF home, and have American troops take on responsibility for securing the border, much like what happened in Germany in 1945. Make it safe for people on both sides of that border. Then initiate a Marshall Plan for Gaza, and rebuild it. That's all short term and doesn't deal with the longer term problem, but at least it would stop alienating the Palestinians here and abroad. Given that Israel has nukes and the Houthis backed by Iran are doing all they can to start a large war, Biden could just do it using a declaration of a state of emergency. Then let Congress catch-up. Politically, the timing could be great.
US troops in Gaza? Are you nuts?
James, see my comment below — NO US TROOPS IN ISRAEL, but a peace plan that secures Israel AND Palestine into the future.
As much as I loved the Marshall plan, it’s a tad premature. Israel isn’t a colony. Be careful what you wish for.
Other than putting it on the US to be the ones to go into Gaza, after getting the IDF out, that is close to what is being proposed.
Gershon Baskin wrote about it in The Times of Israel this week. The US and other states in the region helping to stabilize and rebuild Gaza, with Hamas OUT of there — a legitimate Palestinian authority in place, and the US and other Arab states signing an agreement to protect the security and self-determination of Israel AND a recognized Palestine…
Like a totally insane bit of final thought — Bibi is fighting it, and Hamas is fighting it, but the people in Israel and Arab states are in favor.
[I suspect it is part of what Gantz came to the US to talk about!!]
Craig Dupler, your idea is to send the UN away, occupy Gaza and make American troops responsible for Gazan security while American money rebuilds infrastructure there, because this will get Biden votes with Palestinians in the next election? Really?
UN troops in their bright blue helmets should be sent. Not US troops. Once they go in, it would be so hard to bring them home and raises the risk of WWIII, besides.
I would agree, but that would require a UN debate which would take forever. By the time they get a decision, the ethnic cleansing operation that is in progress will be complete. There is often a difference between how we would like the world to work and reality. Here the reality is that a client state of the United States has used a horrific attack whose motivating conditions we and the Brits helped create, to then expanded a reasonable response into an all out ethnic cleansing operation. There are no good solutions here in the short term, only a long list of awful ones. We have a history of wading into fights we should not have (e.g. Mexico, Cuba at least twice, the Philippines, Vietnam, Iraq, and several others), and not engaging when we should have, and not engaging when we're needed (how many times in Haiti - I can't count them, but we did prop up the Duvaliers). The IDF needs to have its collective butts kicked. And just as a reminder, there was the USS Liberty. Our relationship with Israel is long overdue for a reset.
Um, we can't even secure our own border.
How do you know this?
Trump just announced his Gaza solution to the Israelis: "Get it done."
This really chaps me. Can you think of one issue that people are currently upset about that the moronic fool wouldn’t make worse. Bet if he gets back in, repubs will try to resurrect the Biden immigration bill and claim it for their own. That is, til chump gets his sea legs. And snuggles up to his pal, Netanyahu.
Um, I didn’t blow it. Did you see MY ballot?
It is always difficult to get credit for things that prevent worse problems or fix problems before they arise, or even dig out hidden issues. Biden lowering penalty fees or going after companies taking obscene profits by simply continuing high prices people got used to thinking of as due to shortages is hard for people to recognize. It's as if I addressed four out of five problems at my work or wash half the dishes - all anyone's going to see are the problems (or dishes) that remain.
These powerful but quiet unseen and unseeable things are the kinds of things Biden does for us, while Trump made big visible flashy useless walls or waved flags at loud rallies. People need physical symbols and visible enemies or at least culprits. I hope that for every over blown profit there isn't just a quiet court case or penalty payment and price adjustment. I hope the names of the companies are loudly broadcast. I hope there are photographs of examples of things we all buy with before and after price tags. Touching daily lives isn't enough if it's done by removing a touchstone of discontent without drawing attention to it (and the removal) rather than allowing Americans' free-floating discontent to simply rove on to the next target.
I was taught in school that monopolies (and Nazis) were bad things, and we were glad that they were gone for good. Then Republicans began telling us monopolies were the fount of all good things. I just think monopolies are thieves of choice and power.
Fighting downward spirals take solidarity and solidarity takes focus. Empowering leadership, elected and grass roots, helps individuals and communities to focus; not only on the often slighted significant details, but on the overall picture.
Good points, why people think Biden is boring.
Personally, I'm grateful for "boring"....
Lord, I remember the days when government took care of business without me knowing much. These days one is loathe relax for a nanosecond.
People have gotten such short attention spans that if you can't deliver information in less than 10 seconds, they cannot follow it. If they can follow it, and it doesn't excite them, they cannot follow or remember it.
Found that out from my granddaughter this morning. I thought she was more aware of the situation we are in. Just busy with school and work. Lordy, hope I scared her.
😮
Shocking
You don't want to know what happened with the wall citizen trump was trying to build in AZ.
Oh gosh... when you put it that way, now I do! Blocked animal migrations? Used for parts like a junk yard? Became graffiti central?
Judging from Trump’s lie-filled but sleep-walking victory ramblings, he may not make it to Election Day. When will the media start hammering on his rapidly declining mental health and increasingly outlandish lies?
Mind-boggling and people laugh or shrug. Give this walking zombie the nuclear codes. The rest of the world is apoplectic, except Putin and Orban.
A fact checking chart next to his ramblings would help.
Soon, I hope.
The problem here is that Joe Biden is a great President who is running a bad campaign.
Agreed, Biden is a great president. Probably the greatest in 60 years. I don't know if they are actually running a bad campaign or not. Or is it that the so called news media is working against him in the ratings game? They continue to broadcast trumps "entertaining"(?) insanity while stirring folks up with horrifying tales of Biden's imaginary ineptitude.
This evening, Haley is doing far better than the polls suggested. Donald appears to be in big trouble. I don't know for sure what's going on, but I'll be glued to my reliable news sources tomorrow to find out. But at the moment, I'm kinda giddy!
What’s surprising to me is how poorly TFG is actually doing WRT to the actual vote totals. The margins of victory should be much larger than they actually are. He’s not doing all that well. Yes, he’s racking up victories, gaining delegates, but losing the vote in the suburbs, among college-educated voters and women. And this is among Republicans. Widen this out to the general election, where TFG has to convince Independents and Democrats to vote for him.
This is exactly where my tiny flame of hope lies. Well said.
She got defeated pretty handily by Trump here in Minnesota. I don't expect her to be a factor unless she goes independent.
She’s not going to win many states [she took Vermont], but she’s demonstrating a pretty strong “Never Trump” faction exists.
Really?!? How different from Trump is Hailey beyond the obvious distinction in gender, style and the fact that she can speak in complete sentences. Her policies are nearly identical to Trump's save for her admirable support for Ukraine.
And is she sticking to her vow that she'll pardon him if elected? Our TV broke, and it's a blessed relief.
It is a wonder they don't all break.
Thank you.
I don’t expect her to win the nomination but I do like the fact that she has stayed in the race. Trump needs to realize that he is just not the only game in town.
She's already a factor, in using her platform to address Trump's failures and shortcomings, and likely drawing a minority of Republicans, how big primaries don't really tell, away from Maga, either dropping out or voting Dem and Biden.
Now that she has dropped out will she become the GOP VP?
I’d say she’s a factor simply because she is getting the message of Trump’s failure to the people that might have voted for him. And maybe they will turn away
That's why I appreciated her staying in the race. Since I made my comment last night, I have heard that she "suspended" her candidacy. If she really cared about the country, she'd continue to speak out against tfg. I'm not holding my breath.
If the VP was offered, her ambitions would probably "require" her to accept.
This election is the Democrat’s to lose, and I fear President Biden is doing just that. As Ezra Klein observed a few days ago, “The presidency is a performance. You are not just making decisions, you are also acting out the things people want to believe about their president — that the president is in command…” (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/16/opinion/ezra-klein-biden-audio-essay.html) President Biden is not doing well in this regard. Jonathan Last admits in a counter-piece (https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/03/case-biden/677591/ ) that President Biden wears his age—his appearance of diminishing alacrity—like a rack of antlers. In every public appearance, these antlers are there for all to see. If he wants people to believe that he still has the emotional vitality and mental acuity necessary for another term, he has to demonstrate it everyday. If he wants to counter TFG, he must focus on issues, particularly those that are bringing him down.
President Biden must explain not only his vision but why what he’s doing is what needs to be done—why his strategies make sense. Drill down into some specifics, cite some data. Address head-on those very issues that concern TFG supporters. In this, his SOTU address Thursday evening in all likelihood is a make-or-break event for him.
You needn’t take my word for it. Look at the polls. Be as skeptical as you want, there are two things to consider when looking at them over the past several months: When it comes to President Biden’s approval ratings overall and on major issues and his standing vis-a-vis TFG, the polls have been consistent and they are trending downward.
Think what you will about the age thing, it’s a major concern out there. If he wants to change minds about it, he has to perform everyday. If he wants to win votes, he has to convince people that his vision is best for the country and his strategies will achieve it. If he doesn’t, get ready for a TFG second term.
I lost any respect I had about Ezra when he made the statement about Biden’s age. It is a very small factor in comparison to the many things he has accomplished. And for that matter, is Kamala chopped liver? No, she isn’t. She is fully capable of taking over the reins should something happen to Joe.
Ezra Klein is full of crap.
Straight up.
I lost whatever respect I had for him when he published that hit piece.
Why, oh, why, I ask over and over…
The Dems are running a horrible campaign and Biden is a horrible candidate. He can’t remember what country he is talking about. He is a warmonger and always has been. People are tired of war and the military industrial complex and the pentagon budget. If we really want to help people we fund people and infrastructure not war and the military industrial complex.
So, I guess you watch Fox all day. You just repeated all their headlines.
Big Fox fan? Try checking out some honest sources. And spend some time considering what Trump would do as president. Sounds like he is planning a large role for the military industrial complex.
I rarely check out Fox or any cable news, no one would call my a Fox fan I loath it. I watch Democracy Now, and many other sources on Substack such as Useful Idiots, Chris Hedges and other online sources such as the GreyZone and Naked Capitalism. Because they say you should not just read and watch sources that you agree with I subscribe to HCR who I find to be mainly PR for the Dems and Biden. She does not say anything negative about Biden and she avoids discussion of the genocide in Gaza and the failing proxy war. I believe I follow many honest sources.
“I don't worry about anything. I don't worry about the money. I don't worry about money.”
Money pouring in from Russia.
And now he is asking Musk for $$$$. What is he promising: dissolving the FTC, doing away with regulations (those still around after SCOTUS guts the federal agencies' regulations abilities!).
Wow, I didn't know about that! Musk will probably oblige the way he is going into the abyss. Maybe the Tesla board will give Musk a ridiculous compensation package like he has asked for to control Tesla, and then he'll forward on $500 million to Trump. With corruption it could happen if Trump wins.
Leo’s 1.6 billion could help chump a tad.
I read an article about this tonight in the digital NYT.
Don't you think he hit up Orban?
Yep
Whoever he convinces to bail him out will own him. And that is dangerous.
lol you just might be right. Likely elsewhere too as needed.
We think Europe and the Middle East are the be-all and end-all. There is a bigger world out there, and we have a large footprint on it.
This shows how the current administration is trying to address mass migration from Central and South America by dealing with WHY people are showing up at our border….
< https://www.thenation.com/article/world/americas-skewered-path-in-guatemala/>
Our country is struggling with outrageous pressures caused by migration, and SOME of what is going on is a result of policies our country has fostered - economic and political policies — that have impacted the lives of people who live to our south ….
We must not be so arrogant as to think that people from Central and South America flock here just because it’s such a cake walk to “come to America.”
The trek here is fraught with danger, crossing the border is fraught with danger, and the real possibility of being caught and sent back is a constant danger.
Why do they come? Because life in their own countries has been degraded, economically and socially {It has gotten so we hear the word “gangs,” and we don’t react. So what is new?}. And they need to find a safe place where families can LIVE.
OUR country’s policies over the years impacted the quality of their lives in their own countries, foisting corruption on them, suppressing their democracies in the service of our corporate interests.
And their countries are heating up in large part due to our decades and decades of dependence on and encouragement of using fossil fuels that have overheated the world’s atmosphere and oceans..
We have had a hand in making their countries inhospitable to their own people.
IF WE WANT THEM TO STOP COMING HERE, we maybe should have a hand in helping them put their own countries back together again??? I’m sure most people would LIKE to stay in the country of their birth, if it is a livable place.
Like this article talks about?
Years of US policy has been unfair to these countries.
Someone IS trying to solve the border crisis AND do the right thing. This is an eample of the Biden administration doing the right thing, and infuencing the world to do the right thing.
You think Trump would try to make the situation at the border better by actually HELPING a country, instead of stringing razor wire? You think he’d bother to support democracy? Not just shove people in jail or send them back to gang-lands? In a pig’s eye, he would.
"What constitutes the bulwark of our own liberty and independence? It is not our frowning battlements, our bristling sea coasts, the guns of our war steamers, or the strength our gallant and disciplined army? These are not our reliance against a resumption of tyranny in our fair land. All of those may be turned against our liberties, without making us weaker or stronger for the struggle. Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in our bosoms. Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit, and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors. Familiarize yourselves with the chains of bondage and you are preparing your own limbs to wear them. Accustomed to trample on the rights of those around you, you have lost the genius of your own independence, and become the fit subjects of the first cunning tyrant who rises." - Lincoln
Do you know the speeches U.S. retired Marine Corps General Smedley Butler was giving?
This, Pat, was in the early 1930s after he retired, then in the mid-1930s with his book then.
In all of that he lamented how often he and his fellow marines were called upon by the worst rich people in the U.S. to cover for their thuggery in Central America and elsewhere.
50 years after that, the U.S. was providing training in military thuggery to the far-right war lords and dictators and their militia across Central America -- training regularly given them at the School of the Americas, adjacent to Ft. Benning, Georgia.
Yes, I know those things. That’s why I say we owe them a hand making their countries livable again, not just environmentally,,but politically. And I think Biden would be there for us, if we keep him in place. I know he’s not a pacifist. I know he’s not perfect. I know we have too many military bases and nuclear weapons. But all that would get WORSE under a Republican administration. LOOK at what the Cheney administration did!
Good, Pat, good.
But, Cheney administration? Dick Cheney, with his blind shotgun view of the world?
So many of these blind, craven, predator Republicans, in service to the fossil view enablers of murderous dictators everywhere, so many in service to the hate-filled theocrat Rapture fantasists, so many sucking up to the Putin mass-murderous, the Saudi royal murderous, the Trump stochastic murderous, so many so eager to funnel more money, more yacht and private plane vacations to such depraved corrupt as Clarence.
Beggars me to come up with one adjective for labeling such an a-historic mass of pure evil.
I cannot argue with that. Your description holds.
{I never saw Dubya in charge during the Cheney administration.}
He was in charge of the chainsaw-at-the-woodpile, Pat, playing Texas boy rancher.
Loved Smedley and glad his story is getting notice. But he knew who the worms were, we get confused if we think Joe is one. Not perfect but not a worm.
Agreed, til you got to the part of chump actually helping. Don’t even dream.
He never helped anyone anywhere without a transaction that benefitted him. Donnie is one sick puppy.
Starting in toddlerhood, no doubt
That would be my guess, too, Jeri
Thank you. It would be nice if the brainless mass media paid at least a little attention the real story of “Super Tuesday”, which is that a very large number of GOP voters did NOT vote for Cheetolini.
On Sunday, Trump met with GOP big money donors. And Elon Musk, who like Trump is worth more on paper than cash in hand - on a scale Trump only schemes of - but even then, Musk has proven how much damage he can do on a whim. And democracy is not to his taste.
In all my years of knocking on doors - and buttonholing folks on the street in between doors - the toughest moment was GOTV for Kerry in Ohio. I approached a woman in a parked car in a lot I was cutting through. I assumed she was waiting for someone, but having lost her job and home, she was living in her car. She was interested in talking and asked how voting would help - if she even could vote although she was registered and usually voted. The best I could come up with was that Democratic administrations were better on social safety net issues. But it seemed arrogant to say even that. Let alone talk of democracy, which we didn't much in those days.
And democracy. It is a hard sell to people who want change with simple answers, even when the answers are lies. And especially when irrational habits of mind (religious or ideological) have taken hold, feeding on an immediate gratification preference for blowing things up (whether as apocalypse or revolution) to working them out. Biden is all about working things out.
Sad, and it's a lot more common today to find people living in cars.
"Sad, and it's a lot more common today to find people living in cars."
I thought so too but a quick google (with the caveat that the numbers are difficult to determine*) suggests 2007 had the highest number of unhoused.
Since then it seems to have varied within the 600 thousands.
The most significant increase was from roughly 100,000 people in 1980 to 600,000 in 1987. Largely due to deep cuts in federal housing and welfare programs, increasing numbers of people began finding themselves without a place to live. Ronald Reagan was president from 1981-1989. Some reports suggest a 2007 peak came towards the end of GW Bush's two terms.
This is what Republican 'small government' looks like.
Footnote: In the 1980s, in NYC, the Trumps were known for moving violent criminals in, to drive tenants out of rent stabilized buildings. In one case claiming he was 'offering homeless people apartments with a beautiful view because he did not like to see people living on the streets.' This was not an unusual landlord tactic at the time. It happened to my mother in the Brooklyn apartment building we'd lived in since the 1950s. As we in NYC said of landlords: They are not the lords of the land but the scum of the earth.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519584/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/20/homeless-unhoused-houseless-term-history
*Unhoused? Chronically unhoused? Unsheltered? Numbers vary. Counting varies.
"Direct methods of counting the number of individuals experiencing homelessness include a single-night count or census of the homeless where contact is made with each homeless person."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519593/
And was 2007-08 the housing bubble/Great Recession?
"People had better start paying attention". That is for sure, but those already paying attention have solid sources of information. Reaching the others is what the rest of us are responsible for. GOTV, Phone bank. Post cards. Follow Jessica Craven and others for what and who to connect with. It is up to US!
The inevitability of a Trump second term seems to be fading ever so slightly and rather slowly. I dare to hope that it will pick up momentum and Biden wii get a second term to complete the work he's done for the American people. Fervently hoping so!
And, in other news, the Ukrainians reported sinking another piece of the Russian Black Sea fleet. We dare not forget our allies who still need Congress to act and who are accomplishing more than is reported.
And if I could, I would arrest Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) for dereliction of duty and crimes against humanity for his blocking of that Congressional action so sorely needed.
Needs to happen pronto