For all the predictions about what would happen when the Title 42 emergency health authority that prohibited most immigration ended just before midnight yesterday, the reality turned out to be pretty…unremarkable.
The Republicans think they can use the debt ceiling to control the entire government, the way they used a handful of votes in the House to make McCarthy their puppet Speaker. I sincerely hope they fail.
Joan, please excuse my tagging onto your comment. Mine was superimposed on yours and I cannot send it. I don't know why that happened.
I wanted to say thanks to HCR for her gentle reminder that the sky did not fall. I hope so much a peaceful transition continues. In a sterner mood, I read Diane Francis' substack yesterday which is scathing toward Mexico and its passive-aggressive complicity in immigration difficulties. Marching migrants have become a source of business for Mexico to the extent they are encouraged and exploited by traffickers and coyotes. They are given misinformation about entrance to the States. For a price, they are dropping unaccompanied children, even toddlers off at the border. They have no remorse if migrants die as the result of their ill advised journey. Compound that with drug cartels who traffic drugs into the US sometimes via immigrants, and the thousands of citizens who go missing at their hands, it behooves us to look into the corruption of our southern neighbor and its complicity with border insecurity.
While I agree, another pathway to at least reducing the numbers of people fleeing their own countries is for the US to change it's drug policies. Our insistence on making substance use and abuse criminal behavior instead of being a public health crisis is a major reason the cartels remain in business. There is no way to win a drug war, since it always causes an escalation between both sides, as any kind of war does. And innocents pay the price for this. Using mood altering substances has always been part of the human condition, so finding a humane way to integrate this into a society, instead of shaming and criminalizing the behavior would help not only those who are struggling with addiction, but also probably change the "immigration crisis". It's time we make the potential impact of policies on our neighbors part of the decision making.
We lost “the war on drugs” decades ago. Yet, certain people are making money on it. These include police departments, private prisons, gun manufacturers, and of course drug dealers from many nations. It has always been a good way to put Black people in jail.
Sadly, this is so. It's another major reason to stop voting for Republicans, who support the "get tough" on drug use as a solution myth. They to seem to want punishment to not only change behavior (it's the worst, least effective way to do this) but also as a means to make money for those in charge. Heartless. Capitalism again using sacrifice of those most vulnerable to enrich already rich white people. Capitalism = exploitation.
It’s time we recognize “addiction” is a preference for a change in one’s mental state. Many “alcoholics” choose not not drink that day, or the next, or right now, as with “addictions “ in general. As a medicinal chemist, I understand that of course there are (reversible) biochemical effects of compounds like opiates, but one has to consider why an altered state is preferred.
As long as we label substance abuse as “addiction”, we deny the fact people have the power to choose. And that’s the avenue to fix this, not the shame and blame legal system and the posturing of the self righteous.
But there is a lot of money to be made from “rehab”, and it almost never works. So it’s a perpetual source of income. Look to that industry to understand why a certain group really does not want the problem fixed.
I worked in Substance Abuse for several years, as a therapist, outpatient, inpatient and residential. The chemical changes in the brain are often "in charge" rather than the person who is trying to deal with that brain. Cravings are produced through brain functioning and they are a major reason for people to "pick up". Indeed the way to stay drug free is to not "pick up" but most people trying to make this change need social supports to remain sober. We are a social species and we are very sensitive to environmental "triggers" so it's much more than willing oneself not to use. If you or anyone has ever tried to change a behavior that they didn't like engaging in, it's often very frustrating to find oneself repeatedly doing the very thing one wants to stop doing.
Jen, repeated admissions for detox and rehab are the norm. That is the nature of recovery. It does not mean the centers are money grubbing. It means the disease is deeply entrenched.
Indeed, if the centers were so lucrative, I daresay there would be one in every community.
Part of the issue with addictions is the lack of treatment, not its failure. Such issues as homelessness, poor nutrition, poverty, et al are like a revolving door which are contributors also.
Don't get me started on health care! Of thirteen industrial nations ours is the only one without comprehensive health care.
J. Nol , your post hit me! If only...... And Oldandintheway.......Money/greed/selfishness......and I dont think this is what being Christian means.....
Of course not. It was pretty well established by then. And the lines between organized crime and organized business continue to get fainter and fainter.
Of course, but they no longer dealt in a major way with alcohol. Decriminalizing all the human behavior that is "unacceptable" and instead treating it as public health issues, might go a long way toward reducing the reach of these thugs. They would probably then focus on internet-based crime instead of those human frailties that many in our culture sit in judgement of.
Poverty and crime. Time to reread Victor Hugo “Les Misérables.” If you’ve seen the musical version, forget it. Hugo’s book, like his “Last Day of a Condemned Man” may be why both social contract and capital punishment have taken hold in Europe. An Italian wrote a treatise in the 15th century that capital punishment does not deter crime that predated Hugo.
The war on drugs became a war against accidental overdose deaths since Fentanyl on the black market surfaced. The rapid increase in rate of deaths due to Fentanyl has changed the landscape of illegal drug use harm drastically, creating an urgency for policy to address it.
The problem:
“The rate of overdose deaths among U.S. teenagers nearly doubled in 2020, the first year of the COVID pandemic, and rose another 20% in the first half of 2021 compared with the 10 years before the pandemic, even as drug use remained generally stable during the same period, according to new UCLA research.
This is the first time in recorded history that the teen drug death rate has seen an exponential rise, said lead author Joseph Friedman, an addiction researcher and M.D. and Ph.D. candidate at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. It is due to drug use becoming not more common, but more dangerous, he said.
The increases are almost entirely due to illicit fentanyls, which are increasingly found in counterfeit pills,” Friedman said. “These counterfeit pills are spreading across the nation, and teens may not realize they are dangerous.”
“he Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Operation Blue Lotus, a new and robust surge operation, launched on March 13th to target illicit fentanyl. Led by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and working with federal, state, tribal and local partners, DHS is investing additional personnel, technology, and other resources along the southwest border to detect and seize illicit fentanyl at and between ports of entry. In its first week, Operation Blue Lotus stopped more than 900 pounds of illicit fentanyl from coming into the United States.”
I am a "retired" teacher (I am still teaching as a tutor 4 days a week) the highest cause of death of teenagers in Texas ( where I teach) is gun violence. Our "representatives " posture with fake concern with their thoughts and prayers while the NRA , far right "Christian " cell phone Patriot mobile lines their back pocket with massive donations- a mispelling of the word BRIBE. I fear for my students and fellow teachers lives.
Meanwhile these hateful zealots are claiming trans and gay kids are the enemy.
All the while we see insecure hate fed misinformed white terrorists committing murder in some sick sense of Christian retribution.
I have looked long and hard for the scripture that states blessed are the hateful, blessed are they that murder for my name's sake,
I am shell shocked to hear the term "Christian virtues"
while violating most of the Ten Commandments at every turn.
But I was raised with the mindset of "the sermon on the mount".
You’ve laid it out extremely well, Jennifer. I so appreciate your perseverance in working for good in the world despite the personal risks and challenges. ❤️
Texas does feel like the front line of the zealots declared civil war (which is nothing but cowardly terrorist attacks on innocents). Safety and strength to you 🙏🤞🏼
Of course, when speaking of addiction, the human issue, public health policy and treatment are imperative. The fentanyl issue is not one of just addiction. Synthetic opioids are lethal. Kids are experimenting and dying. Addiction is desperate for attention and action, but as others have said Democrats have tried to address root causes and the GOP tries to exacerbate them. Elect more Democrats.
Biden’s policies are excellent. I hope people are familiar with them and support them.
I also hope we hear the advice of TSnyder and “defend our institutions”. The fascists want nothing more then for us to join their carnival barking attacks on our institutions.
And once again, a thread is born that confounds Mexican immigrants with America's drug problem. Again and again we learn that most of the migrants, whether legal or undocumented, are seeking safer conditions for themselves and their families, and again and again we are told that most drugs come in bulk by sea or via the legal entry points, disguised as something else. Yet again and again, people fail to make the connection and go off on a tangent about drugs. Here we are again.
So talk about that in context, instead of linking it with migrants who are seeking relief from a number of factors which have nothing to do directly with drugs. Drought, poverty, failed crops, literally no water. The US has these issues too: look for upcoming migration from parts of the USA.
The violence didn't begin with drug cartels, btw. I agree the problem begins with America's demand driven market, and should be addressed here. Close down one source and the market shifts to another because what is available will do.
Fentenyl is big right now. Ask yourself where it comes from and how it is being distributed. Then ask yourself why you think stopping immigration is so important in spite of the facts. While you are at it, figure out how to fix the problems in the countries people are coming from. In the process, you might realize that many of those problems originate, not with drugs, but with mega-corporations (esp mining and agriculture) and US policy.
I was just using that as an example of US policies affecting our neighbors to the south. Of course US corporations have been exploiting South and Central American countries' resources forever. We through our corporations have viewed all other countries, especially those still developing as fair game for whatever we want to take or do to them. I wouldn't be surprised as climate change worsens, that we will act as if their water is free for the taking as well. The reality is that some of us have our retirement invested in many of these corporations and our economy is structured now to encourage this kind of exploitation, including our tolerance for many CEOs being sociopaths.
I agree and the book The New Jim Crow makes obvious some of the bad consequences of our drug policies. I do believe that Heather reported earlier this week that VP Harris has been working with some of these other countries. Btw, other primates have been observed using mood altering substances.
It's hard to tell sometimes if it's deliberate or accidental in animals, but there have been some studies indicating certain species go back repeatedly to imbibe in the fermented fruit. Indeed, it's been clearly shown in monkeys and some dogs.
After Sen. Kennedy went off on a rant about Mexico eating cat food if it were not for the US it lead me to look for how much aid we send. $68billion/yr. That is a rather low amount considering there are over 55 other countries getting substantially more. But it also said that the Cartels contribute about $10-$30Billion to the economy which was about 1%-3% of the GDP of Mexico. hmmm... Turns out that about 1/10 the economy of Mexico gets exports of Autos, imports of remittances and ....wait for it...TOURISM. If we want to make a statement to Mexico about getting the drug cartels out of the picture we actually have a real economic avenue to boycott them and get their attention. What Mexico earns from tourism, remittances and auto exports can be our lever. And as far as using US military force to get to the Cartels ask the vets from Afghanistan where we spent 20 years patrolling how the government looked the other way for all the Opium poppy cultivation. We didn't even put a tiny dent in that.
It's a universal human issue- every country had people struggling with drug addiction. A major reason it's become such a problem in the US is because it's been criminalized.
No, the sky did not fall, but you wouldn't think so listening to the news (NBC) last night. It was clear to me that the opportunistic are taking advantage of this situation. And of course, lots of nonsense from Rs. And are we surprised that the loathsome zombie, Miller, refers to these unfortunates as illegal aliens rather than undocumented people. This isn't going to be an easy problem to solve, partly because certain people do not want to solve it. What I did note on the news was when asked, even under rather dire circumstances, the migrants all smiled and said they were glad to have a chance because their home countries are a mess, partly aided and abetted in the past by us.
By " a mess," you mean "failed states" in which repression, by governments or by violent criminal gangs the bribery-ridden gov'ts are unable to control, leaves little rational choice but to attempt to flee in order to "have a chance" -- to *survive*. "[P]artly aided and abetted in the past by us": by "us," you mean the US gov't, acting in all our names but *on behalf of* US-multinational corporations, and by "in the past" you mean for 150 years and counting. Oh, and by "partly aided and abetted" you mean effected by US-trained military torturers and US-financed RW death squads and economic sabotage and oligarchs who (for a price) allow free expatriation of profits from their countries to the US corporations -- failed states by design.
Yes, that's what I mean. Up early and needing to get ready to go the Saturday Market early. I would go back further in years if us means Europeans of any ilk. Thank you for filling in the details. Btw, I had this week a long unpleasant "discussion" on this blog with someone who disagreed with me on a number of things including this. I am too negative because I maintain that history does matter and I base my optimism or pessimism on that and what is currently happening.
And sadly, if VP Harris has made any progress in those countries, we have not heard about it...and you can believe her opponents are banging the drums about it.
‘during the potato famine, they came from Ireland in unseaworthy ships because they were desperate.’
‘Millions of immigrants came from Eastern Europe because they desperately sought a better life.’
‘Jews escaping Russian pogroms fled for their lives to the United States.’
It’s not so different with folks from Africa, Central America, and elsewhere who are desperately seeking safety and a new life in Europe or the United States. Regarding Central America, I believe that the United States has some responsibility for historically supporting dictators and the United Fruit Company against possibly more representative alternatives.
There are no ‘solutions’ to the tsunami of immigrants seeking a better life. Many millions will continue to risk danger and death to go to Europe or the United States.
Absent ‘solutions,’ I wonder what might be the ‘least worst amelioration?’ Certainly neither Europe nor the United States seek to permit entry of countless millions of less-skilled and less-educated immigrants. This will be a never ending challenge.
Selectivity requires harsh judgments and political compromises. As a nation of immigrants, the United States depends on a continuing ingress of immigrants. A portion of these will be highly skilled. In recent decades, such immigrants have contributed massively to our economic development.
We also require an inflow of less skilled individuals who will occupy essential jobs that most Americans refuse to do. The past American immigration pattern is that a wave of relatively unskilled immigrants faced difficult years and that their children rapidly integrated into American society. [A recent book by two Princetonian professors affirms this process that was clearly identified in the 1952 Pulitzer-winning THE UPROOTED.
I have no politically acceptable ‘solutions’ to this immigration dilemma. Indeed, so far we are unable to offer citizenship to about 1.6 million Dreamers who have been carefully vetted.
I do know that this immigration issue will not simply disappear.
“WE” have not been able to provide citizenship to 1.6 million dreamers; you really mean Republicans in Congress have refused to permit citizenship to these genuine innocents who were brought here illegally decades ago as babies and young teens. This is another example of the cruelty of the Republicans in Congress who are afraid to lose their so-called job instead of voting for once for justice! We will have another chance to right the score in 18 months but, please, EVERYONE on this SubStack will have to give up a bit of time, money and energy to help make it happen, won’t we?
The Rs are quite simply the party of death. They don't care about what happens to the less fortunate unless they are a fetus. One of the books I recommended to my optimistic "debater" was The Legacy of Violence about the British Empire which he claimed did some good things....and we have done some good things for Native Americans according to him. Trying to think of what those things might have been.
Thank you Joan. More specifically, it is not "use of the debt ceiling", the Reupblican tactics are 'APE', Accounts Payable Extortion something like, "If you don't maga, I will not pay the gas & electric bill."
“Dems” want to keep democracy vibrant. Hardball is more typically the means of authoritarians, which can make the battle seem uneven. Democracy needs thoughtful, informed and engaged voters. Autocracy requires bullies, thugs and violence, and is why they attack our democratic institutions of voting, education, investigative journalism and laws and justice.
True that hardball is more typical of authoritarians, but hardball can also be abiding by the rules, yet USING the power you legitimately have, and THAT is what Dems seem to shy away from.
I would agree to an extent that Dems could tighten up adherence to laws in areas, but I see way too much blaming of Dems for problems they legitimately cannot fix without more Dems, and voters have not been willing to give them that.
I agree with you, but we only have a few Dems who really speak up on important issues. And I would really appreciate it if Senator Schumer were less congenial to Republicans' bs. I get it that he wants to win at least a few over to pass at least a few bills, but he comes across as pretty milquetoast most of the time.
I think he "comes across as" the Senator from Wall Street -- which he is. How many Dem senators are willing to risk electrocution by the political third rail of supporting *raising taxes*, even with the increase confined to incomes over 250K or 400K? Only a few.
WE have seen how the R Party since Reagan, or I guess Nixon, has not had policy to win on and thus turned to the culture wars surrounding education, investigative journalism, and attacked institutions, including unions.
Perhaps Biden and the Democrats should go on a media blitz to make certain the public understands that raising the debt ceiling is necessary to pay for debts already incurred. Keep reminding the public the many ways Republicans overspent and the debt went up because they gave the wealthiest among us huge tax breaks.
Make sure the public understands the debt ceiling is not a new budget. Remind everyone how the Republicans are willing to destroy our economy and world standing in order to get their irrelevant demands met. The debt ceiling should not be open for negotiation.
They better do it quick. What has to happen at this point is for 5 sane, less fascist house republicans to step up and do what is good for the country. Certainly there are 5 who haven’t drunk the Kool-aid and can see the light of day?
Five doesn't seem to be an extraordinary number. But then they look at Liz Cheney, who approved almost all Republican legislation, but spoke the truth about the January 6 insurrection. The Republicans made sure she lost her standing and her job. Sadly, too many Repubs are more interested in keeping their jobs than serving their constituents.
...and that’s why House members power rests almost solely on their ability to raise money. And fund raising is where the majority of House members spend their time. Be sure to thank the Disgraced Roberts Court for this perversity.
Elise Stefanik is racking in the cash....she is "high" on power....who needs integrity....she is a member of the Republican Party...."NO INTEGRTY REQUIRED".
And wouldn’t that same number have been needed to keep the MAGA puppet, McCarthy, from assuming the Speakership? I don’t have much hope for finding one let alone five
Perhaps a coalition from each district making up the people of the district that their reps must answer to. Each category must be filled ie; Native American, Hispanic, drug addict and alcohol treatment center rep, Black , Gay, Jewish, Christian, Trans, etc......
I dont know.....feeling depressed about all this......
Perhaps term limits would solve that problem? I’ve seen VERY few who really brought the salt in over such as ‘a lengthy political career’. Bernie take a bow. There are SOME others..feel free to name...
I can’t keep track of ‘the problems’ honestly .
The level of repetitious Republican slanderings by ads/news clips/talking heads ALL elude to some part of the lie(s) or conspiratorial bs...wears everyone out ...it’s an insidiously clever tactic. I even hear it on what I consider good news sites, repeating the same by asking about it and giving a known MAGA politician a mic!
I thought NOT giving it oxygen/a platform/more audience ..was an effective solution.
A thorough list of which party did the best is ample evidence AND there WERE some really good Republicans.
I do wonder whether there are still 5 Repubs who actually understand the severity of the situation that would result if the US defaults. MTG and her ilk are so ignorant that despite their malignancy, I don't think they even have a clue to the damage their stupid "let's own the libs by defaulting" strategy would cause.
Sometimes ignorance is even more dangerous than evil intent!
The Dems CANNOT crumble on this! If they do, it's over. The Banana Republicans will do it again and again.
If necessary, I think Biden must go the 14th Amendment, Section 4 route. "The validity of the public debt of the United States . . . shall not be questioned."
We cannot let the fascist worms eat away at out democracy.
I can't answer that definitively, but I think that if the Repubs refuse to raise the debt ceiling and we are on the verge of default, President Biden should ho ahead with it anyway. Let the Repubs try to bring suit against it. You KNOW that the Repubs would do that! If there is any possibility of a challenge, Dems usually demur while Repubs go right ahead and worry about challenges after the fact. Dems need to take action!
Wikipedia ~ "Demosthenes grew interested in politics during his time as a logographer, and in 354 BC he gave his first public political speeches. He went on to devote his most productive years to opposing Macedon's expansion. He idealized his city and strove throughout his life to restore Athens' supremacy and motivate his compatriots against Philip II of Macedon. He sought to preserve his city's freedom and to establish an alliance against Macedon, in an unsuccessful attempt to impede Philip's plans to expand his influence southward, conquering all the other Greek states.
After Philip's death, Demosthenes played a leading part in his city's uprising against the new king of Macedonia, Alexander the Great. However, his efforts failed, and the revolt was met with a harsh Macedonian reaction. To prevent a similar revolt against his own rule, Alexander's successor in this region, Antipater, sent his men to track Demosthenes down. Demosthenes killed himself to avoid being arrested by Archias of Thurii, Antipater's confidant."
They have. The problem lies with the fact that the far right reads/listens to only what they want to hear. I know a lot of what I take in is like "preaching to the choir" and it holds true for most. I believe it has been made perfectly clear what will happen to the economy, US standing, and how the negotiation process belongs in budget talks, not holding the debt ceiling hostage. Maybe the media could play a more responsible role
Jan F, I keep waiting for the media to play a more responsible role, to no avail. I've begun to think the GOP is deep into magical thinking. Even those whose brains grasp the dire situation have convinced themselves that somehow, some Superman is going to swoop in and save the day. Heck, that doesn't even happen in the movies anymore. Well, maybe the Avenger movies................
Those who think they are victims attach themselves to anyone (anything) they think will support their cause. Since Reagan, trillions of dollars of middle class (98% of pop ) money has flowed into the hands of the top 1%. There is maybe a reason for the GOP base to feel victimized, but talk radio and cable have blamed the Democrats. Maybe Clinton and NAFTA are a little to blame, but Clinton did balance the budget.
Well, the Dems have never had a media outlet to blitz their messages the way the cult has - for 40 plus years. The Fox propaganda network has done a masterful job, not only of spewing bull Schitt, but of showing the other outlets that bull Schitt pays big bucks. The news is what the rich owners of media outlets say it is. I have watched this happen for half of my long life, with a very heavy heart
That is a problem the Democrats chronically have. They assume most people are smart and understand their big complcated words about finance and foreign affairs. The Repubs only understand and spout propganda based on lies and myths. Lies and myths are easier to understand.
That, plus what constitutional law professor Lawrence Tribe said: the law creating the debt ceiling is not only unconstitutional due to violating the 14th Amendment, it is contradicted and superseded by all the unbalanced budgets passed by Congress since then. The President’s constitutional duty to faithfully execute the law applies to all the budget laws passed by Congress. If he has to choose between the budgets and the unconstitutional debt ceiling, the budgets win.
The whole R extortion is based on the idea that because the President is obligated to follow the law, without raising the debt ceiling the country has to go into default because there is no explicit authorization to borrow more money. Among other problems, that idea ignores the President's obligation to faithfully execute all the laws that direct spending money on all the things the government does. If Pres.Biden were to direct Treasury to default for lack of a debt ceiling increase, he would be in violation of all the laws that direct spending money on government programs. The choice is not 'obey the law or not', it's actually 'obey one law or obey all the others [about spending].' In addition, the debt ceiling process has always been in violation of the 14th Amendment provision that the full faith and credit of the United States shall not be questioned.
What I am saying here comes from constitutional law professor Lawrence Tribe. Here is a link to the original, with no paywall: https://tinyurl.com/mue56mkj
If you prefer the longer, original link, here it is:
Yes, a media blitz will probably help. I also believe that McCarthy needs an “off-ramp,” and Biden is savvy enough to find one for him. This won’t please the “Recalcitrant MAGAReds,”but a smooth “off-ramp” can allow five (or more) sane folks to vote yes.
Also, if McCarthy is willing to drive off a cliff and force a financial disaster is imminent, let’s find out where he’s gonna stash his cash.
They have, but someone is still sucking all the oxygen from the room. Between E. Jean Carroll, pending indictments, and that appalling CNN town hall, the media is still breathless and absorbed with him.
The biggest problem with the Dem’s is they are terrible at messaging! They need to blanket the airways with all of what Biden is doing to move our country forward and counter the R’s lies and misinformation with truth and reality. I feel this is a national emergency and there is real danger lurking among the alt conservatives, esp those sho are pulling the elected R’s strings, ie the Koch’s, Leo Leonard, the NRA, etc.
Ive been saying and praying this for a very long time......media seems controlled as, I can Chanel surf the news and seems each station reports the same stories, almost verbatim
Stick to this issue. Don't make it a one day news event. Shout it from the rooftops and ask Jamie Harrison, Chair of the National Committee, to make it a central issue for Democrats.
Democrats appear to be sitting on their hands, hoping for the best.
"Miller is an adherent of the “great replacement theory,” a white nationalist belief that nonwhite immigration threatens the traditional culture of the nation. "
Stephen Miller and Leomard Leo are on my list of the those posing the biggest risks to our democracy. They are masters at fomenting fear and turning it into hate.
Over decades Leo has been fantastically successful in repurposing our democratic republic as a clerical fascist state. Primarily through corrupting the courts. But scratch the surface of any antidemocratic initiative and you'll find a connection to Leo's network of shell companies funneling Koch Mercer Corkery et al money.
Miller? In his dreams.
ps Last summer, on Mt. Desert Island, Maine, Leo orchestrated the arrest of a young man who shouted F* You at him out the window of a moving car. Leo had him charged on an unusual interpretation and unique application of a Disorderly Conduct law. Today we learned that the DA has dismissed the case. Whew.
It should not have taken so long, but I guess that's the power of money; at least in a corrupted state. That said, thank goodness the case was dropped. Trump has bragged about suing someone, knowing he could not win, but just to persecute them out of pettiness. He was very proud of being rich enough to do such things.
Source: Bent to the Earth (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2006)
'Born in Tijuana, Mexico, Blas Manuel De Luna worked alongside his parents and siblings in California’s agricultural fields while he was growing up in Madera, California. His first book, Bent To Earth, a 2006 National Book Critics Circle finalist, reflects on those experiences. Claire Dederer in Poetry noted, “The immigrant labor experience permeates De Luna’s spare, forthright poetry, from his depictions of border crossings and INS beatings to his evocation of ‘bitter dust’ and carefully tended tomato plants.” With “home” and “its life of rural, working poverty” as his major themes, Dederer observes that De Luna “lays bare the dear costs and secret truths of such poverty, often in just a few sharp images.”
'A writer of both fiction and poetry, De Luna earned a BA and MA from California State University, Fresno, and an MFA from the University of Washington. He was the Ruth and Jay C. Halls Poetry Fellow at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His poems have been anthologized in How Much Earth: An Anthology of Fresno Poets (2001) and Highway 99: A Literary Journey Through California’s Great Central Valley (1996). A 1998 Artist Trust / Washington State Art Commission Literature Fellow, he teaches high school English in California.'
The phrase I have often heard applied to these field workers is "stoop labor". Can you imagine the painful back muscles that result from day after day stooping (bending) to pick produce?
One thing about tomato plants: they exude a skin irritant that causes a painful rash after a few hours of exposure - such as picking tomatoes from day break to dusk.
Steve, I never realized that. Even more of a reason to buy them when I can at the farmers market or pick my own. (Trying to grow my own has not gone well :( )
Thank you for reading his poem, Mary Hart, and, hopefully, more. BLAS MANUEL DE LUNA writes vividly of the border crossings, INS beatings and poverty 'in the dust'.
Fern, thank you!!!! My daughter in law is Mexican. I have two beautiful, amazing Mexican grandchildren! My grandson attends an excellent school with fantastic teachers. My daughter-in-law is from an amazing and gifted family of doctors, dentists, surgeons, teachers, superintendants and landowners on the coast and in the mountains.
People who come to the US looking for a chance to WORK for a better life experience violence and hatred just because they are from somewhere else and are vulnerable. They are often subject to disrespect and experience physical abuse.
When I worked as a church secretary, we supported missionaries in Mexico. We served in Mexico with Mexican pastors. We invited men who were Pastors as well as men and women who were professionals , ex: architects to attend seminaries here. They would then return to become Pastors and leaders for their communities. These men came from successful families. One's father owned a manufacturing business, one's father was a commissioner in the city in which they lived. One called himself in his fun-loving way "a German Shepherd" due to his German heritage and his position as a Pastor. He also shared a part of his pastoral training during a sermon, he presented at our church. He recounted "The best hospitality I have ever received". During seminary in Mexico students were assigned families to visit, in order to observe "hospitality". Jorge was assigned a family that lived under a freeway bridge, From the time he came until the time he left, he was given the best of what they had to offer. He said the love, kindness, and hospitality he received would never be equaled.
I am angry and overwhelmed at how over fed, overpaid, ignorant voted in to serve persons speak of those who are just trying to survive....who are willing to work for so little under terrible conditions because ,what they came from what was worse!
America is a big country! Most of us came here to find hope, to find hopportunity. We are wasting time and money, when we could just put aside our prejudices, open our hearts (for those who can find one) and help others who can if given an opportunity build a better, stronger, more compassionate world and nation. We are wasting time and money on pettiness!!!!
The Republicans think they can use the debt ceiling to control the entire government, the way they used a handful of votes in the House to make McCarthy their puppet Speaker. I sincerely hope they fail.
Joan, please excuse my tagging onto your comment. Mine was superimposed on yours and I cannot send it. I don't know why that happened.
I wanted to say thanks to HCR for her gentle reminder that the sky did not fall. I hope so much a peaceful transition continues. In a sterner mood, I read Diane Francis' substack yesterday which is scathing toward Mexico and its passive-aggressive complicity in immigration difficulties. Marching migrants have become a source of business for Mexico to the extent they are encouraged and exploited by traffickers and coyotes. They are given misinformation about entrance to the States. For a price, they are dropping unaccompanied children, even toddlers off at the border. They have no remorse if migrants die as the result of their ill advised journey. Compound that with drug cartels who traffic drugs into the US sometimes via immigrants, and the thousands of citizens who go missing at their hands, it behooves us to look into the corruption of our southern neighbor and its complicity with border insecurity.
While I agree, another pathway to at least reducing the numbers of people fleeing their own countries is for the US to change it's drug policies. Our insistence on making substance use and abuse criminal behavior instead of being a public health crisis is a major reason the cartels remain in business. There is no way to win a drug war, since it always causes an escalation between both sides, as any kind of war does. And innocents pay the price for this. Using mood altering substances has always been part of the human condition, so finding a humane way to integrate this into a society, instead of shaming and criminalizing the behavior would help not only those who are struggling with addiction, but also probably change the "immigration crisis". It's time we make the potential impact of policies on our neighbors part of the decision making.
We lost “the war on drugs” decades ago. Yet, certain people are making money on it. These include police departments, private prisons, gun manufacturers, and of course drug dealers from many nations. It has always been a good way to put Black people in jail.
Sadly, this is so. It's another major reason to stop voting for Republicans, who support the "get tough" on drug use as a solution myth. They to seem to want punishment to not only change behavior (it's the worst, least effective way to do this) but also as a means to make money for those in charge. Heartless. Capitalism again using sacrifice of those most vulnerable to enrich already rich white people. Capitalism = exploitation.
It’s time we recognize “addiction” is a preference for a change in one’s mental state. Many “alcoholics” choose not not drink that day, or the next, or right now, as with “addictions “ in general. As a medicinal chemist, I understand that of course there are (reversible) biochemical effects of compounds like opiates, but one has to consider why an altered state is preferred.
As long as we label substance abuse as “addiction”, we deny the fact people have the power to choose. And that’s the avenue to fix this, not the shame and blame legal system and the posturing of the self righteous.
But there is a lot of money to be made from “rehab”, and it almost never works. So it’s a perpetual source of income. Look to that industry to understand why a certain group really does not want the problem fixed.
I worked in Substance Abuse for several years, as a therapist, outpatient, inpatient and residential. The chemical changes in the brain are often "in charge" rather than the person who is trying to deal with that brain. Cravings are produced through brain functioning and they are a major reason for people to "pick up". Indeed the way to stay drug free is to not "pick up" but most people trying to make this change need social supports to remain sober. We are a social species and we are very sensitive to environmental "triggers" so it's much more than willing oneself not to use. If you or anyone has ever tried to change a behavior that they didn't like engaging in, it's often very frustrating to find oneself repeatedly doing the very thing one wants to stop doing.
We'd have less substance abuse if we had a solid social safety net.
Jen, repeated admissions for detox and rehab are the norm. That is the nature of recovery. It does not mean the centers are money grubbing. It means the disease is deeply entrenched.
Indeed, if the centers were so lucrative, I daresay there would be one in every community.
Part of the issue with addictions is the lack of treatment, not its failure. Such issues as homelessness, poor nutrition, poverty, et al are like a revolving door which are contributors also.
Don't get me started on health care! Of thirteen industrial nations ours is the only one without comprehensive health care.
good handle Old, one of my all time favorite albums with Garcia, Grisman, V. Clements, etc. It doesn't get much better!
Guns flow into Mexico for the cartels as drugs flow into the US to pay for them.
However, Mexican children are not massacred in school.
J. Nol , your post hit me! If only...... And Oldandintheway.......Money/greed/selfishness......and I dont think this is what being Christian means.....
Just to note that repealing Prohibition did not do away with organized crime.
Of course not. It was pretty well established by then. And the lines between organized crime and organized business continue to get fainter and fainter.
Of course, but they no longer dealt in a major way with alcohol. Decriminalizing all the human behavior that is "unacceptable" and instead treating it as public health issues, might go a long way toward reducing the reach of these thugs. They would probably then focus on internet-based crime instead of those human frailties that many in our culture sit in judgement of.
Poverty and crime. Time to reread Victor Hugo “Les Misérables.” If you’ve seen the musical version, forget it. Hugo’s book, like his “Last Day of a Condemned Man” may be why both social contract and capital punishment have taken hold in Europe. An Italian wrote a treatise in the 15th century that capital punishment does not deter crime that predated Hugo.
Virginia, thank you! Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables" is one of my favorite books and one well worth rereading.
The war on drugs became a war against accidental overdose deaths since Fentanyl on the black market surfaced. The rapid increase in rate of deaths due to Fentanyl has changed the landscape of illegal drug use harm drastically, creating an urgency for policy to address it.
The problem:
“The rate of overdose deaths among U.S. teenagers nearly doubled in 2020, the first year of the COVID pandemic, and rose another 20% in the first half of 2021 compared with the 10 years before the pandemic, even as drug use remained generally stable during the same period, according to new UCLA research.
This is the first time in recorded history that the teen drug death rate has seen an exponential rise, said lead author Joseph Friedman, an addiction researcher and M.D. and Ph.D. candidate at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. It is due to drug use becoming not more common, but more dangerous, he said.
The increases are almost entirely due to illicit fentanyls, which are increasingly found in counterfeit pills,” Friedman said. “These counterfeit pills are spreading across the nation, and teens may not realize they are dangerous.”
Biden admin new policy to address:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/04/11/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-strengthened-approach-to-crack-down-on-illicit-fentanyl-supply-chains/
With which I am impressed. For example:
“he Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Operation Blue Lotus, a new and robust surge operation, launched on March 13th to target illicit fentanyl. Led by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and working with federal, state, tribal and local partners, DHS is investing additional personnel, technology, and other resources along the southwest border to detect and seize illicit fentanyl at and between ports of entry. In its first week, Operation Blue Lotus stopped more than 900 pounds of illicit fentanyl from coming into the United States.”
Thank you Christy.
I am a "retired" teacher (I am still teaching as a tutor 4 days a week) the highest cause of death of teenagers in Texas ( where I teach) is gun violence. Our "representatives " posture with fake concern with their thoughts and prayers while the NRA , far right "Christian " cell phone Patriot mobile lines their back pocket with massive donations- a mispelling of the word BRIBE. I fear for my students and fellow teachers lives.
Meanwhile these hateful zealots are claiming trans and gay kids are the enemy.
All the while we see insecure hate fed misinformed white terrorists committing murder in some sick sense of Christian retribution.
I have looked long and hard for the scripture that states blessed are the hateful, blessed are they that murder for my name's sake,
I am shell shocked to hear the term "Christian virtues"
while violating most of the Ten Commandments at every turn.
But I was raised with the mindset of "the sermon on the mount".
No mention there of hating my neighbor.
You’ve laid it out extremely well, Jennifer. I so appreciate your perseverance in working for good in the world despite the personal risks and challenges. ❤️
Texas does feel like the front line of the zealots declared civil war (which is nothing but cowardly terrorist attacks on innocents). Safety and strength to you 🙏🤞🏼
Fentanyl is horrible but sadly, it is not the only issue....it is a human issue.
As long as we have some kind of "romance " with a drug, we are going to be used and we are going to misuse.
Our pharmacists and doctors who prescribe do a pretty "hopping" job as well.
There are too many human"insects" who don't mind sucking the life out of fellow humans for money.
Of course, when speaking of addiction, the human issue, public health policy and treatment are imperative. The fentanyl issue is not one of just addiction. Synthetic opioids are lethal. Kids are experimenting and dying. Addiction is desperate for attention and action, but as others have said Democrats have tried to address root causes and the GOP tries to exacerbate them. Elect more Democrats.
Biden’s policies are excellent. I hope people are familiar with them and support them.
I also hope we hear the advice of TSnyder and “defend our institutions”. The fascists want nothing more then for us to join their carnival barking attacks on our institutions.
And once again, a thread is born that confounds Mexican immigrants with America's drug problem. Again and again we learn that most of the migrants, whether legal or undocumented, are seeking safer conditions for themselves and their families, and again and again we are told that most drugs come in bulk by sea or via the legal entry points, disguised as something else. Yet again and again, people fail to make the connection and go off on a tangent about drugs. Here we are again.
But it's the drug cartels that make life unsafe for people so they often have no good options. If
drug use in the states was decriminalized and treated as a public health issue, the drug cartels would have a much reduced market in the states.
So talk about that in context, instead of linking it with migrants who are seeking relief from a number of factors which have nothing to do directly with drugs. Drought, poverty, failed crops, literally no water. The US has these issues too: look for upcoming migration from parts of the USA.
The violence didn't begin with drug cartels, btw. I agree the problem begins with America's demand driven market, and should be addressed here. Close down one source and the market shifts to another because what is available will do.
Fentenyl is big right now. Ask yourself where it comes from and how it is being distributed. Then ask yourself why you think stopping immigration is so important in spite of the facts. While you are at it, figure out how to fix the problems in the countries people are coming from. In the process, you might realize that many of those problems originate, not with drugs, but with mega-corporations (esp mining and agriculture) and US policy.
I was just using that as an example of US policies affecting our neighbors to the south. Of course US corporations have been exploiting South and Central American countries' resources forever. We through our corporations have viewed all other countries, especially those still developing as fair game for whatever we want to take or do to them. I wouldn't be surprised as climate change worsens, that we will act as if their water is free for the taking as well. The reality is that some of us have our retirement invested in many of these corporations and our economy is structured now to encourage this kind of exploitation, including our tolerance for many CEOs being sociopaths.
I agree and the book The New Jim Crow makes obvious some of the bad consequences of our drug policies. I do believe that Heather reported earlier this week that VP Harris has been working with some of these other countries. Btw, other primates have been observed using mood altering substances.
As do birds - eating fermented berries.
I wonder if it's just eating a berry and not a deliberate attempt at getting high. I believe reading years ago that it was deliberate with primates.
It's hard to tell sometimes if it's deliberate or accidental in animals, but there have been some studies indicating certain species go back repeatedly to imbibe in the fermented fruit. Indeed, it's been clearly shown in monkeys and some dogs.
After Sen. Kennedy went off on a rant about Mexico eating cat food if it were not for the US it lead me to look for how much aid we send. $68billion/yr. That is a rather low amount considering there are over 55 other countries getting substantially more. But it also said that the Cartels contribute about $10-$30Billion to the economy which was about 1%-3% of the GDP of Mexico. hmmm... Turns out that about 1/10 the economy of Mexico gets exports of Autos, imports of remittances and ....wait for it...TOURISM. If we want to make a statement to Mexico about getting the drug cartels out of the picture we actually have a real economic avenue to boycott them and get their attention. What Mexico earns from tourism, remittances and auto exports can be our lever. And as far as using US military force to get to the Cartels ask the vets from Afghanistan where we spent 20 years patrolling how the government looked the other way for all the Opium poppy cultivation. We didn't even put a tiny dent in that.
Drugs in the US is a US problem. Treatment and policy towards treatment is the answer. It may be a human condition but why so much in the US?
It's a universal human issue- every country had people struggling with drug addiction. A major reason it's become such a problem in the US is because it's been criminalized.
Agree!
No, the sky did not fall, but you wouldn't think so listening to the news (NBC) last night. It was clear to me that the opportunistic are taking advantage of this situation. And of course, lots of nonsense from Rs. And are we surprised that the loathsome zombie, Miller, refers to these unfortunates as illegal aliens rather than undocumented people. This isn't going to be an easy problem to solve, partly because certain people do not want to solve it. What I did note on the news was when asked, even under rather dire circumstances, the migrants all smiled and said they were glad to have a chance because their home countries are a mess, partly aided and abetted in the past by us.
By " a mess," you mean "failed states" in which repression, by governments or by violent criminal gangs the bribery-ridden gov'ts are unable to control, leaves little rational choice but to attempt to flee in order to "have a chance" -- to *survive*. "[P]artly aided and abetted in the past by us": by "us," you mean the US gov't, acting in all our names but *on behalf of* US-multinational corporations, and by "in the past" you mean for 150 years and counting. Oh, and by "partly aided and abetted" you mean effected by US-trained military torturers and US-financed RW death squads and economic sabotage and oligarchs who (for a price) allow free expatriation of profits from their countries to the US corporations -- failed states by design.
Yes, that's what I mean. Up early and needing to get ready to go the Saturday Market early. I would go back further in years if us means Europeans of any ilk. Thank you for filling in the details. Btw, I had this week a long unpleasant "discussion" on this blog with someone who disagreed with me on a number of things including this. I am too negative because I maintain that history does matter and I base my optimism or pessimism on that and what is currently happening.
Yes - history DOES matter - regardless of how Repubs want to play it! Good luck at the Market, Michele.
And sadly, if VP Harris has made any progress in those countries, we have not heard about it...and you can believe her opponents are banging the drums about it.
I didn't know about until I read about it, I think, here.
Joan A bit of history:
‘during the potato famine, they came from Ireland in unseaworthy ships because they were desperate.’
‘Millions of immigrants came from Eastern Europe because they desperately sought a better life.’
‘Jews escaping Russian pogroms fled for their lives to the United States.’
It’s not so different with folks from Africa, Central America, and elsewhere who are desperately seeking safety and a new life in Europe or the United States. Regarding Central America, I believe that the United States has some responsibility for historically supporting dictators and the United Fruit Company against possibly more representative alternatives.
There are no ‘solutions’ to the tsunami of immigrants seeking a better life. Many millions will continue to risk danger and death to go to Europe or the United States.
Absent ‘solutions,’ I wonder what might be the ‘least worst amelioration?’ Certainly neither Europe nor the United States seek to permit entry of countless millions of less-skilled and less-educated immigrants. This will be a never ending challenge.
Selectivity requires harsh judgments and political compromises. As a nation of immigrants, the United States depends on a continuing ingress of immigrants. A portion of these will be highly skilled. In recent decades, such immigrants have contributed massively to our economic development.
We also require an inflow of less skilled individuals who will occupy essential jobs that most Americans refuse to do. The past American immigration pattern is that a wave of relatively unskilled immigrants faced difficult years and that their children rapidly integrated into American society. [A recent book by two Princetonian professors affirms this process that was clearly identified in the 1952 Pulitzer-winning THE UPROOTED.
I have no politically acceptable ‘solutions’ to this immigration dilemma. Indeed, so far we are unable to offer citizenship to about 1.6 million Dreamers who have been carefully vetted.
I do know that this immigration issue will not simply disappear.
“WE” have not been able to provide citizenship to 1.6 million dreamers; you really mean Republicans in Congress have refused to permit citizenship to these genuine innocents who were brought here illegally decades ago as babies and young teens. This is another example of the cruelty of the Republicans in Congress who are afraid to lose their so-called job instead of voting for once for justice! We will have another chance to right the score in 18 months but, please, EVERYONE on this SubStack will have to give up a bit of time, money and energy to help make it happen, won’t we?
The Rs are quite simply the party of death. They don't care about what happens to the less fortunate unless they are a fetus. One of the books I recommended to my optimistic "debater" was The Legacy of Violence about the British Empire which he claimed did some good things....and we have done some good things for Native Americans according to him. Trying to think of what those things might have been.
Congress needs to address it, which it has been unable to do for the last 35 years, or has not wanted to because it feeds the R base.
If I was President of Mexico....
Nope. Can't even imagine that.
Thank you Joan. More specifically, it is not "use of the debt ceiling", the Reupblican tactics are 'APE', Accounts Payable Extortion something like, "If you don't maga, I will not pay the gas & electric bill."
pretty much the plan, and the Dems, of which I am one, are always fearful so do not ever play hardball
Hardball or we die and the inmates take over the asylum
I am not a stranger to hardball but , HCR has detailed the history of the 14th Amendment. Lovevthe subsections
“Dems” want to keep democracy vibrant. Hardball is more typically the means of authoritarians, which can make the battle seem uneven. Democracy needs thoughtful, informed and engaged voters. Autocracy requires bullies, thugs and violence, and is why they attack our democratic institutions of voting, education, investigative journalism and laws and justice.
True that hardball is more typical of authoritarians, but hardball can also be abiding by the rules, yet USING the power you legitimately have, and THAT is what Dems seem to shy away from.
I would agree to an extent that Dems could tighten up adherence to laws in areas, but I see way too much blaming of Dems for problems they legitimately cannot fix without more Dems, and voters have not been willing to give them that.
I agree with you, but we only have a few Dems who really speak up on important issues. And I would really appreciate it if Senator Schumer were less congenial to Republicans' bs. I get it that he wants to win at least a few over to pass at least a few bills, but he comes across as pretty milquetoast most of the time.
I think he "comes across as" the Senator from Wall Street -- which he is. How many Dem senators are willing to risk electrocution by the political third rail of supporting *raising taxes*, even with the increase confined to incomes over 250K or 400K? Only a few.
WE have seen how the R Party since Reagan, or I guess Nixon, has not had policy to win on and thus turned to the culture wars surrounding education, investigative journalism, and attacked institutions, including unions.
Perhaps Biden and the Democrats should go on a media blitz to make certain the public understands that raising the debt ceiling is necessary to pay for debts already incurred. Keep reminding the public the many ways Republicans overspent and the debt went up because they gave the wealthiest among us huge tax breaks.
Make sure the public understands the debt ceiling is not a new budget. Remind everyone how the Republicans are willing to destroy our economy and world standing in order to get their irrelevant demands met. The debt ceiling should not be open for negotiation.
They better do it quick. What has to happen at this point is for 5 sane, less fascist house republicans to step up and do what is good for the country. Certainly there are 5 who haven’t drunk the Kool-aid and can see the light of day?
Five doesn't seem to be an extraordinary number. But then they look at Liz Cheney, who approved almost all Republican legislation, but spoke the truth about the January 6 insurrection. The Republicans made sure she lost her standing and her job. Sadly, too many Repubs are more interested in keeping their jobs than serving their constituents.
...and that’s why House members power rests almost solely on their ability to raise money. And fund raising is where the majority of House members spend their time. Be sure to thank the Disgraced Roberts Court for this perversity.
I know our own Elise Stefanik 🤢 doesn’t have an ounce of integrity.
Elise Stefanik is racking in the cash....she is "high" on power....who needs integrity....she is a member of the Republican Party...."NO INTEGRTY REQUIRED".
I am so sorry you (and we!) got stuck with her!
Successful Gerrymandering by Republicans has made it largely unnecessary for representatives to truly represent their constituents.
And wouldn’t that same number have been needed to keep the MAGA puppet, McCarthy, from assuming the Speakership? I don’t have much hope for finding one let alone five
Perhaps a coalition from each district making up the people of the district that their reps must answer to. Each category must be filled ie; Native American, Hispanic, drug addict and alcohol treatment center rep, Black , Gay, Jewish, Christian, Trans, etc......
I dont know.....feeling depressed about all this......
Perhaps term limits would solve that problem? I’ve seen VERY few who really brought the salt in over such as ‘a lengthy political career’. Bernie take a bow. There are SOME others..feel free to name...
I can’t keep track of ‘the problems’ honestly .
The level of repetitious Republican slanderings by ads/news clips/talking heads ALL elude to some part of the lie(s) or conspiratorial bs...wears everyone out ...it’s an insidiously clever tactic. I even hear it on what I consider good news sites, repeating the same by asking about it and giving a known MAGA politician a mic!
I thought NOT giving it oxygen/a platform/more audience ..was an effective solution.
A thorough list of which party did the best is ample evidence AND there WERE some really good Republicans.
Where the hell are they now?
All we need is 5!
“5”...what a sad commentary!
Not if the RNC can help it.
I do wonder whether there are still 5 Repubs who actually understand the severity of the situation that would result if the US defaults. MTG and her ilk are so ignorant that despite their malignancy, I don't think they even have a clue to the damage their stupid "let's own the libs by defaulting" strategy would cause.
Sometimes ignorance is even more dangerous than evil intent!
I sure hope so!
The Dems CANNOT crumble on this! If they do, it's over. The Banana Republicans will do it again and again.
If necessary, I think Biden must go the 14th Amendment, Section 4 route. "The validity of the public debt of the United States . . . shall not be questioned."
We cannot let the fascist worms eat away at out democracy.
will there be extensive litigation if he does?
I can't answer that definitively, but I think that if the Repubs refuse to raise the debt ceiling and we are on the verge of default, President Biden should ho ahead with it anyway. Let the Repubs try to bring suit against it. You KNOW that the Repubs would do that! If there is any possibility of a challenge, Dems usually demur while Repubs go right ahead and worry about challenges after the fact. Dems need to take action!
There are not five, or 2 that risk their jobs in the face of Dark Money power
?
Think Demosthenes
Wikipedia ~ "Demosthenes grew interested in politics during his time as a logographer, and in 354 BC he gave his first public political speeches. He went on to devote his most productive years to opposing Macedon's expansion. He idealized his city and strove throughout his life to restore Athens' supremacy and motivate his compatriots against Philip II of Macedon. He sought to preserve his city's freedom and to establish an alliance against Macedon, in an unsuccessful attempt to impede Philip's plans to expand his influence southward, conquering all the other Greek states.
After Philip's death, Demosthenes played a leading part in his city's uprising against the new king of Macedonia, Alexander the Great. However, his efforts failed, and the revolt was met with a harsh Macedonian reaction. To prevent a similar revolt against his own rule, Alexander's successor in this region, Antipater, sent his men to track Demosthenes down. Demosthenes killed himself to avoid being arrested by Archias of Thurii, Antipater's confidant."
God, I would hope there were more than 5 decent humans in the Republican House.
Nah
They have. The problem lies with the fact that the far right reads/listens to only what they want to hear. I know a lot of what I take in is like "preaching to the choir" and it holds true for most. I believe it has been made perfectly clear what will happen to the economy, US standing, and how the negotiation process belongs in budget talks, not holding the debt ceiling hostage. Maybe the media could play a more responsible role
Laughed over that last sentence; after CNN has been taken over by another Rupert, not a chance.
Jan F, I keep waiting for the media to play a more responsible role, to no avail. I've begun to think the GOP is deep into magical thinking. Even those whose brains grasp the dire situation have convinced themselves that somehow, some Superman is going to swoop in and save the day. Heck, that doesn't even happen in the movies anymore. Well, maybe the Avenger movies................
Those who think they are victims attach themselves to anyone (anything) they think will support their cause. Since Reagan, trillions of dollars of middle class (98% of pop ) money has flowed into the hands of the top 1%. There is maybe a reason for the GOP base to feel victimized, but talk radio and cable have blamed the Democrats. Maybe Clinton and NAFTA are a little to blame, but Clinton did balance the budget.
Well, the Dems have never had a media outlet to blitz their messages the way the cult has - for 40 plus years. The Fox propaganda network has done a masterful job, not only of spewing bull Schitt, but of showing the other outlets that bull Schitt pays big bucks. The news is what the rich owners of media outlets say it is. I have watched this happen for half of my long life, with a very heavy heart
DId you see that CNN executives said the townhall would put CNN in the news.........they were making their own news, not reporting it.
That is a problem the Democrats chronically have. They assume most people are smart and understand their big complcated words about finance and foreign affairs. The Repubs only understand and spout propganda based on lies and myths. Lies and myths are easier to understand.
Exactly, an assumption that will tan our hide
And tax cuts, among other culture war issues.
That, plus what constitutional law professor Lawrence Tribe said: the law creating the debt ceiling is not only unconstitutional due to violating the 14th Amendment, it is contradicted and superseded by all the unbalanced budgets passed by Congress since then. The President’s constitutional duty to faithfully execute the law applies to all the budget laws passed by Congress. If he has to choose between the budgets and the unconstitutional debt ceiling, the budgets win.
Don't understand the last sentence.
The whole R extortion is based on the idea that because the President is obligated to follow the law, without raising the debt ceiling the country has to go into default because there is no explicit authorization to borrow more money. Among other problems, that idea ignores the President's obligation to faithfully execute all the laws that direct spending money on all the things the government does. If Pres.Biden were to direct Treasury to default for lack of a debt ceiling increase, he would be in violation of all the laws that direct spending money on government programs. The choice is not 'obey the law or not', it's actually 'obey one law or obey all the others [about spending].' In addition, the debt ceiling process has always been in violation of the 14th Amendment provision that the full faith and credit of the United States shall not be questioned.
What I am saying here comes from constitutional law professor Lawrence Tribe. Here is a link to the original, with no paywall: https://tinyurl.com/mue56mkj
If you prefer the longer, original link, here it is:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/07/opinion/debt-limit.html?unlocked_article_code=yoHKTZLEWXBXSx15GefIANFAaBZ6ntkJ_Sgml7lCf570iZdDXo1EwOsWQ41JaMJ1vteXBow9UVfjwZIMC3s9HtkGQ77PkdjdRCwlFNYCHATh0Zd0x9yn6VTI6pRPO-zD7xUgZfCY8ZlfatcYWGdk1a7uTOGqMDA_l0YfNKb6YWHb9FBYxnN1CpNUjj_QxBDqWzqCms68IToSa1hELt0qnhsAAGF_C1nkTDuUpi7Ue_NuRBUu02_YtGHFgyFRwZo5HxkEuHEcHOggr5RbiRKShPSr3p6iikIEfnQCenIoUp4hVLkofWr4GEFWPy7VyIQ6TlqS5w&smid=url-share
Yes, a media blitz will probably help. I also believe that McCarthy needs an “off-ramp,” and Biden is savvy enough to find one for him. This won’t please the “Recalcitrant MAGAReds,”but a smooth “off-ramp” can allow five (or more) sane folks to vote yes.
Also, if McCarthy is willing to drive off a cliff and force a financial disaster is imminent, let’s find out where he’s gonna stash his cash.
They have, but someone is still sucking all the oxygen from the room. Between E. Jean Carroll, pending indictments, and that appalling CNN town hall, the media is still breathless and absorbed with him.
The biggest problem with the Dem’s is they are terrible at messaging! They need to blanket the airways with all of what Biden is doing to move our country forward and counter the R’s lies and misinformation with truth and reality. I feel this is a national emergency and there is real danger lurking among the alt conservatives, esp those sho are pulling the elected R’s strings, ie the Koch’s, Leo Leonard, the NRA, etc.
Ive been saying and praying this for a very long time......media seems controlled as, I can Chanel surf the news and seems each station reports the same stories, almost verbatim
I have written my Congressmen to do more PR on these issues....either the media won't cover or they are not doing it...but I will keep trying.
Stick to this issue. Don't make it a one day news event. Shout it from the rooftops and ask Jamie Harrison, Chair of the National Committee, to make it a central issue for Democrats.
Democrats appear to be sitting on their hands, hoping for the best.
"Miller is an adherent of the “great replacement theory,” a white nationalist belief that nonwhite immigration threatens the traditional culture of the nation. "
Stephen Miller and Leomard Leo are on my list of the those posing the biggest risks to our democracy. They are masters at fomenting fear and turning it into hate.
Over decades Leo has been fantastically successful in repurposing our democratic republic as a clerical fascist state. Primarily through corrupting the courts. But scratch the surface of any antidemocratic initiative and you'll find a connection to Leo's network of shell companies funneling Koch Mercer Corkery et al money.
Miller? In his dreams.
ps Last summer, on Mt. Desert Island, Maine, Leo orchestrated the arrest of a young man who shouted F* You at him out the window of a moving car. Leo had him charged on an unusual interpretation and unique application of a Disorderly Conduct law. Today we learned that the DA has dismissed the case. Whew.
It should not have taken so long, but I guess that's the power of money; at least in a corrupted state. That said, thank goodness the case was dropped. Trump has bragged about suing someone, knowing he could not win, but just to persecute them out of pettiness. He was very proud of being rich enough to do such things.
Bent to the Earth
BY BLAS MANUEL DE LUNA
They had hit Ruben
with the high beams, had blinded
him so that the van
he was driving, full of Mexicans
going to pick tomatoes,
would have to stop. Ruben spun
the van into an irrigation ditch,
spun the five-year-old me awake
to immigration officers,
their batons already out,
already looking for the soft spots on the body,
to my mother being handcuffed
and dragged to a van, to my father
trying to show them our green cards.
They let us go. But Alvaro
was going back.
So was his brother Fernando.
So was their sister Sonia. Their mother
did not escape,
and so was going back. Their father
was somewhere in the field,
and was free. There were no great truths
revealed to me then. No wisdom
given to me by anyone. I was a child
who had seen what a piece of polished wood
could do to a face, who had seen his father
about to lose the one he loved, who had lost
some friends who would never return,
who, later that morning, bent
to the earth and went to work.
"Bent to the Earth" by Blas Manuel De Luna. From Bent to the Earth, © 2006 by Blas Manuel De Luna, published by Carnegie Mellon University Press.
Source: Bent to the Earth (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2006)
'Born in Tijuana, Mexico, Blas Manuel De Luna worked alongside his parents and siblings in California’s agricultural fields while he was growing up in Madera, California. His first book, Bent To Earth, a 2006 National Book Critics Circle finalist, reflects on those experiences. Claire Dederer in Poetry noted, “The immigrant labor experience permeates De Luna’s spare, forthright poetry, from his depictions of border crossings and INS beatings to his evocation of ‘bitter dust’ and carefully tended tomato plants.” With “home” and “its life of rural, working poverty” as his major themes, Dederer observes that De Luna “lays bare the dear costs and secret truths of such poverty, often in just a few sharp images.”
'A writer of both fiction and poetry, De Luna earned a BA and MA from California State University, Fresno, and an MFA from the University of Washington. He was the Ruth and Jay C. Halls Poetry Fellow at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His poems have been anthologized in How Much Earth: An Anthology of Fresno Poets (2001) and Highway 99: A Literary Journey Through California’s Great Central Valley (1996). A 1998 Artist Trust / Washington State Art Commission Literature Fellow, he teaches high school English in California.'
"Bent to the Earth." Powerful title, Fern. Had my eyes wide open upon reading.
Thank you for reading, Lynell. What does understanding mean without knowledge of the migrants' experiences and circumstances? Salud!
The phrase I have often heard applied to these field workers is "stoop labor". Can you imagine the painful back muscles that result from day after day stooping (bending) to pick produce?
One thing about tomato plants: they exude a skin irritant that causes a painful rash after a few hours of exposure - such as picking tomatoes from day break to dusk.
Steve, I never realized that. Even more of a reason to buy them when I can at the farmers market or pick my own. (Trying to grow my own has not gone well :( )
Fern, once again, thank you for sharing an author and writing that I wouldn’t have known about.
Thank you for reading his poem, Mary Hart, and, hopefully, more. BLAS MANUEL DE LUNA writes vividly of the border crossings, INS beatings and poverty 'in the dust'.
Beautiful, touching poem, Fern. I’ve added De Luna to my reading list. Thanks for sharing this!
Thank you for reading his poem, Rose, and following his strong work.
Fern, thank you!!!! My daughter in law is Mexican. I have two beautiful, amazing Mexican grandchildren! My grandson attends an excellent school with fantastic teachers. My daughter-in-law is from an amazing and gifted family of doctors, dentists, surgeons, teachers, superintendants and landowners on the coast and in the mountains.
People who come to the US looking for a chance to WORK for a better life experience violence and hatred just because they are from somewhere else and are vulnerable. They are often subject to disrespect and experience physical abuse.
When I worked as a church secretary, we supported missionaries in Mexico. We served in Mexico with Mexican pastors. We invited men who were Pastors as well as men and women who were professionals , ex: architects to attend seminaries here. They would then return to become Pastors and leaders for their communities. These men came from successful families. One's father owned a manufacturing business, one's father was a commissioner in the city in which they lived. One called himself in his fun-loving way "a German Shepherd" due to his German heritage and his position as a Pastor. He also shared a part of his pastoral training during a sermon, he presented at our church. He recounted "The best hospitality I have ever received". During seminary in Mexico students were assigned families to visit, in order to observe "hospitality". Jorge was assigned a family that lived under a freeway bridge, From the time he came until the time he left, he was given the best of what they had to offer. He said the love, kindness, and hospitality he received would never be equaled.
I am angry and overwhelmed at how over fed, overpaid, ignorant voted in to serve persons speak of those who are just trying to survive....who are willing to work for so little under terrible conditions because ,what they came from what was worse!
America is a big country! Most of us came here to find hope, to find hopportunity. We are wasting time and money, when we could just put aside our prejudices, open our hearts (for those who can find one) and help others who can if given an opportunity build a better, stronger, more compassionate world and nation. We are wasting time and money on pettiness!!!!