Tonight, late on a Sunday night, the House Budget Committee passed what Republicans are calling their “Big, Beautiful Bill” to enact Trump’s agenda although it had failed on Friday when far-right Republicans voted against it, complaining it did not make deep enough cuts to social programs.
Indeed. Emboldened by the dark, hiding from town halls, armed with self-righteous bullshit fobbing itself off as concern for the budget, the goal of afflicting the already afflicted and comforting the ultra-comfortable is finally within their grasp.
Who will pick up the broken pieces of America once they've finished wrecking it?
Putin and his oligarchs already fit nicely with the U.S.'s rancid, treasonous, cynical billionaires. And his hate-filled eastern Orthodox priests fit nicely with the U.S.'s Rapture-awaiting evangelicals (as Netanyahu's far-right settlers do, too).
Things aren't going so well in Russia these days, though. Banks having issues with capital access. Inflation is high. Businesses can't borrow. Exports floundering. People leaving if they can. Wildfires going, well, wild. Even Russians might soon see the light of day in sufficient numbers to make changes.
The problem is the leaders never suffer financially and they don’t have to go to the front lines. They can sit in their palaces while the masses suffer and men are killed in their stupid wars.
It is the same with the leaders of this country. Everything they do is to benefit themselves. 80 hours a month for Medicaid is 20 hours a week. Fast food restaurants only give 12-16 hours a week. The same with many part-time jobs. But they will hide those cuts until after the next election which means they won’t be cutting the deficit at all.
In the Iowa town where I was born, there is a state facility which was founded as a Civil War orphanage. Ukraine is only one example. However, if we let Russia have it, we'll be off the hook for helping clean up the mess. Isn't that the regime's plan?
the American people need to be made aware that those cuts are coming, and who made them! Question: if Dems were to retake Congress, and/or the Presidency, could the bill be rolled back and the cuts rescinded?
I don't think so. I think Trump's Big UGLY Bill, if passed, remains law bc CONGRESS passed it. His stupid EO's can be rescinded, though!
Not that that will help change our National Debt for decades going forward. He's good at bankrupting things...he may just BK the USA! I think that is what Putin WANTS!
Well, they didn’t roll back the 2017 tax cuts for the wealthy so I can’t see them rolling anything back. But, Republicans are working very hard to roll back everything Biden did.
Putin is trying to drag things out because he doesn't want this out there. So much of the destruction is done with drones now, so whoever wins the drone war, wins. Sanctions need to be continued, and even tightened.
Barb, now, how do we get the word out that Putin's Russia is a failing state, so they won't be so willing to let Toddler-Trump and his minions look longingly toward Putin?
I doubt many think outside their boxes. There are clips on YouTube that show this stuff, and, with algorhythms being what they are, once you look at one, more pop up. I've learned to understand more of the economics of what goes on in world trade, shipping vessel charts in real time, drought monitors, trends in real estate, among others. You have to want to find the information. I also read a lot of books, as I'm retired and finally have the time. I only read non-fiction. I recommend titles when appropriate. I've never had much success in convincing others that there is more than meets the eye on an issue and that it's so beneficial to be truly forward thinking while knowing the history as well. Posting comments and referencing sources is about the best I can do. I wish I had a better way.
I wonder if a drone-lift of information packets could be used to shower Moscow with leaflets, fluttering down in the breezes? Launced from Ukraine, they might also be released above towns an villages all over Russia.
We may have to go back to this method of spreading the news if they manage to shut down the Internet. They've already made SIGNIFICANT inroads into rewriting many, many Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) pages posted online! I was shocked when I went looking for specific events.
We can only hope. Unfortunately, when the leader is creating the narrative and silencing all opposition, it is easy to convince the masses to blame someone or something else (in America, its immigrants and transgenders) for their troubles, while those in power continue to pick their pockets!
It's not a stretch to say that evangelicals hate everyone who's not them. In many cases, evangelicals hate each other. For proof, one needs only to consider the long-standing dispute between charismatic and non-charismatic evangelicals, not to mention both those groups' disdain for the snake-handlers.
Both our children chose Catholic schools through high school feeling the teachers and students were more serious at the ones we chose as we paid more than what some colleges charged for most of those years (including anonymous donations for other students when their families faced hardships).
We never wanted government funds for the schools but did want their education to include everything possible in public schools to qualify them for any colleges they wanted to attend. The only thing we had to pay for that was free in public schools was Driver Education (that was manual transmission from the start and has lasted through to the EVs and Hybrids included in what they now use).
We could have kept more money and lived more comfortably but the investments were well worth the degrees they received, the productive lives they lead, including what a PhD, Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude finish for our son's education enabled. (He contributed most in the over the 10 years it took as he served in the military and activated National Guard for much of it.)
I love the tone and texture of the new pope, the last pope, too. But Catholics historically have a lot to answer for. I went to Catholic schools. I was raped, beaten, locked in closets... I give credit where credit is due, but I would NEVER elect to send a child to a religious school of ANY denomination.
Amusing, since they’re all Southern Baptists at heart. Or Puritans, so aptly named as no one is. Look at Pope Leo. He’s from Chicago, home of Al Capone! 🤣
Being human means just that which is why the Constitution is so important. Like the Magna Carta copy (real) discovered at Harvard, it points out that we humans are all equal. That’s the wonder and basis of all moral judgments about us humans. Money does not perfect; it blinds those who do not share.
Magna Carta is the basis of Common Law from which American jurisprudence evolved. But it does not declare that that humans are equal. It limited the authority of King John to imprison the English nobility. Of course, much later the rights in Magna Carta were extended to all in our due process.
Kimberley, isn't that so Christian of those evangelicals, hating everyone who is not believing just as they do? At least, they might not want to bow to Russia no matter what their Baby Donnie wants them to support.
Hiro, what are you talking about! Putin has his hand in most things going on politically, all over the place. It provides work for the guys who might actually stand against Putin and gives them another target for their hacking, propaganda, and BS skills. I'm sure it pays well and is a good distraction from watching their neighbors try to make ends meet.
That is the question, what to do now? This from a Texas cousin who voted for Trump: What would you have a Trump supporter do if they regret their vote? This was my response: Charles, you ask the absolutely correct question: what does one do? The answer: work like hell to save our republic. I don't know how fair and open the elections later this year and next will be, but for sure vote the Republican politicians who support Trump out of office. We are on the verge of losing our democracy. After that, votes don't matter, as in Russia. Stephen Miller tells us that the White House is considering suspending the writ of habeas corpus. What does this mean? It means full-blown dictatorship.
Perhaps the common sense, no hyperbole "Belle" explaining the Walmart situation will widen the cracks in the MAGA brain. Tell Charles to forward it to his MAGA friends. Get people to start looking behind the curtain. Belle is a worthy YouTuber to watch. She is brief and on point, releasing 3 clips a day.
There is nothing that fills the GOP with fear more than MAGA. Outwardly they buckle; inwardly they vomit. Make them vomit with fear. Show up at their local offices, get on the news. Tell them how stupid and cruel they are, that they don't have his support any more. Let them know that. Be out. Be ugly. Be loud. Threaten (not with violence of course).
They already know the Dems don't like what they are doing. When it's MAGA or Rep voters who call and tell them, that will make a difference. 5Calls app makes it easy to contact them. Do it. Every day.
Business experts are saying that entitlements are the largest item in our budget. They also claimed that when social security was enacted people did not live as long as we do today. HOWEVER, taking away health care (nursing care, etc.) from poor people, while giving the very rich a tax break, is the height of immorality and lack of humanity. And the business experts are saying as much. This is another window into our unraveling. And when states face budget shortfalls, they automatically slash social assistance programs. The rich make money without regard to human life and the social good and the Republicans are eager to serve them. This is the pathological pursuit of profit and power..............and their incapacity to experience guilt over their largesse.....
It is true that people didn't live as long as we do today. It's also true that some very basic adjustments to the Social Security tax (removing the cap) would go a long way toward restoring solvency. It's even more true that if you keep terrifying working people now by threatening their future Social Security, they'll start retiring faster to be sure there's something left for them (as is happening now). It's the same principle as investors fleeing US Treasuries (as is happening now).
If we elect illiterate imbeciles and contemptible wealthy jerks who don't understand the point of having a social contract, they'll destroy that contract (as is happening now).
Yes, we have a friend who is trying to decide if he should take it now and invest it himself or continue to live off his savings. Lost his job a couple years ago and has been unable to find another in the tech field in San Diego. No one wants to hire the older, experienced programmers. My husband just hired one after his company said they felt they didn’t know how long he would stay at the company at his age. My response was you don’t know how long anyone stays. The young guys get a little experience and go for higher paying jobs every few years.
I've been told the best advice is (1) do you need current income? and (2) would investing that income now make more for you than waiting to take SS down the line? It sounds like your friend needs the income. Tough questions. I wish him the best.
Except his idea was faulty. He’d take it and invest it while taking income from money he already had invested. The group could never figure out his thinking.
I had no choice but to retire because my health made it impossible to continue in my career. No one wanted to hire anyone in their 50s anyway, which is still true today.
My husband faced age discrimination when his company was sold and he was laid off. Thank God an old boss who bc President of the company called him one day and hired him back. We were beyond grateful!
No kidding! I loved when Trump was asked what his favorite Bible verse was and he punted...we all KNOW he's NEVER read the Bible...he doesn't read AT ALL! Can you imagine a POTUS who "doesn't read?" How uninformed and uneducated can you get?!
I wish people would quit calling Social Security an "entitlement". And ditto for Medicare. They are not. We earned our social security by making contributions for our entire careers. And we pay monthly premiums for Medicare (part B, part A is included with Social Security). I don't know a lot about Medicaid, but I agree that taking it away from poor people so that the rich can feed their addiction is immoral and stupid.
The republicans are the ones who successfully twisted the word onto its head. Social Security IS an entitlement. People who have contributed to it are ENTITLED to it, as are those who are disabled, etc. People who don't contribute to something but still want the benefits have a SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT. (Forgive me- I'm a bit of a word nut.)
Alison, I love the way you said it. I hate it that I apparently have fallen for the way the repubs talk about entitlement. You are absolutely correct, and there is no need to apologize for being a word nut. We need more people like you to set all of us straight (note that I am somewhat of a word nut, too, as well as a spelling nut).
Agreed.... the very word 'entitled' has changed in the vernacular and is now considered a bad thing. It now means, 'people who think they are owed something even though they are not'. That's why we need to stop using the term even though it is, in fact, correct.
Sorry, I will never submit to that. When a group starts telling you a word means the opposite of what it means you are entering the realm of Orwell's '1984'.
It's a term we've grown up with, however, having said that medicare does charge us more because of our earnings. I am totally fine with that. We have always lived below our means and have saved, so now in retirement we are solvent until we die.....
My husband and I are retired and I was just saying to him how grateful I am for our life bc it's SO COMFORTABLE! But then I had to add why...we lived below our means, we socked away savings, we invested, we paid off our mortgage...so we EARNED this wonderful life we live! And God willing, we'll get to keep it to the end of our days!
What if we means tested, say social security, the way the US means tests welfare? Anyone who makes over $100,00 does not receive social security. Would it then disappear because the means would keep changing? I'm not suggesting it, I'm just thinking....
I'm not sure I follow your thinking. Are you talking about what people make after retirement? I know that I appreciate my Social Security even though I don't really need it right now. Our "income" is higher (like just over your limit) because my husband has to take out more than his RMDs to pay the mortgage on the family beach house. If that weren't the case, our income would be less. Plus, if I were to lose my husband I would definitely need Social Security to survive. We do not generally have expensive tastes. The beach house has been in his family since 1972 and my husband bought out the other two owners so his kids could continue to enjoy it. We haven't been there in years. All that said, I would hate to see Social Security disappear, because there will always be people who truly need it.
I'm saying that rather than SS be an entitlement or a social program where everyone gets social security, if the govt. means tested the program (as it apparently does with welfare) so that citizens making over a certain amount (ie billionaires) during their working years would not be eligible. This is merely a thought experiment; I have no opinion. Of course, there will always be people whose incomes over their life time (with children to feed, clothe and educate) will never be enough to live on in their retirement years. Bankruptcy happens, serious health events happen which require some people to actually have to host gofundme events. Some economists have noted that since we live longer than at the time of its (social security) initiation, it costs the govt much more money to fund SS. No one has a good answer or solution....
The only tax cuts left to slash for the billionaires is Social Security and Medicare. If the greedy billionaires actually paid their taxes our government wouldn't have the deficits that it has now. It's laughable that the Republicans are still talking about tax cuts for billionaires and corporations. Just like the orange blight himself, they DON'T pay taxes now! They pay accountants and lawyers to find business deductions and losses so they pay a smaller percentage of their profits and income in taxes than the average taxpayer. The corporation that my husband worked for paid ZERO taxes. But their employees, like my husband had to pay their taxes. Our taxes subsidize corporate welfare!
I remember Warren Buffet saying, his secretary paid more in income taxes than he did, he was trying to make a point. I’m just so tired of it all, it just seems as though things will never change.
You are absolutely correct. The wealthy used stealth (wedge issues [abortion, gat rights, immigrants, women's rights) to induce ordinary Americans to vote against their own best economic interests. Thomas Frank, "What's the Matter with Kansas?" (2004)
This letter published in the Orlando Sentinel: Pres. Trump and our Congressman, August Pfluger, want to continue giving massive tax breaks to the wealthy while cutting Medicaid and other programs for ordinary Americans. (Trump’s tax bill aims to extend 2017 cuts, 05/14/2025) In his first term, Trump's tax cut left us with an additional $8.2 trillion debt, a record. The new tax bill will add $4 trillion to the national debt. Why does the national debt matter? To the 900,000 people in the United States who have a net worth of more than $10 million and the 902 billionaires, it makes no difference. But, if you are 30, 40, 50 or 60 years old, it is devastating. It will be your responsibility to pay the interest on this debt, to say nothing about the principal.
The U.S. population is now 340 million. So, what percentage of the population do these proposed tax cuts benefit? It is 1/4 of 1%, i.e., 0.24%. How many Americans are shafted by this tax bill? 339,000,000, or 99.76%.
If the U.S. population were only 3.4 million people, there wouldn't be any billionaires and perhaps very few with a net worth of $10 million. But, we are a nation of 340 million people and because of us, we have almost one million very wealthy people. They owe us. They wouldn't be, couldn't be, wealthy without us. So, what to do? Vote us our fair share. Vote the Republicans out of office. Reinstall the New Deal.
WELL SAID! Almost ALL of the social programs we rely on today were introduced as part of The New Deal, by WOMEN, I might add. Check it out...bc of Eleanor Roosevelt, a highly admired and respected woman of her time, WOMEN were given positions of power in FDR's administration. They did a FABULOUS job for regular Americans who were suffering due to the Great Depression, caused in large part by the TARIFF debacle started by another stupid Republican back in the day!
Yes!!!! And the taxes we pay do not belong to Trump and his vigilantes. Those taxes belong to “We, the people”, guys.
Taxes are our (all of us ) money. Why would anyone who is sane, thoughtful, considerate, honorable, believe that the Trump administration is making good decisions in all areas of the law, for “We, the people?”
In fact, the opposite is occurring and on a daily basis. Targeting Medicaid? Who targets Medicaid?
And attempt to severely cut the program in the dark hours of the night, with no time allowed for our Congresspeople to do their jobs, if they so desire. And where are the Dems? Tragic.
I'm with you, Sister! WHERE ARE THE DEMS?!! I'm so angry at my Party right now for their fecklessness in the face of this F'ing DISASTER of an administration! NO LEADERSHIP in site. Occassionally Jasmine Crocket or Alex Padilla or Gov Pritsker(sp?) or Bernie will speak out, but other than a few, crickets! Shummer writes "strongly worded letters" as if Trump READS?! Get real! He needs to GO!
It's a term we have used/heard for decades. Now it has earned a new nomenclature given the ruthlessness of the republicans and conservatives. I don't use the term falsely but as it has been used for decades. I will refrain from using it in the future.....
And they are right, the entitlements for the wealthy is the largest piece of this budget. And don’t let them gaslight you to think differently. I am still have the most difficult time understanding how cruel these sycophants can be to their constituents, which is all of us.
Yes, Walmart won’t eat any profits on tariffs, they’ll cut staff and add more self-checkout. Pretty soon walking in will just be boxes on the floor because there’s no one to shelve them.
OR cut staff OR go out of business. So, yes, they will likely RAISE PRICES like everyone else will have to do. Didn't TRUMP promise to LOWER grocery prices on day 1? WTF happened to THAT promise? He seems so hell-bent on honoring the immigration promises he made, yet those for the economy...which is why he got elected...go unfulfilled! VOTE PEOPLE!
VOTE these LIARS OUT while we still can! The time is coming rapidly when we will have "elections" like Russia's where the winner is already guaranteed!
I keep coming back to a basic question that our current "leaders" seem determined to ignore.
"Are you going to be able to eat money?"
As we humans continue to pursue business as usual, seeking short term personal and corporate profit at the expense of everything else, the accelerating degradation of nature must result in failure of agricultural economies around the world.
Vincent, they might think they have money enough to get an impenetrable bubble and live in it in isolation from the rest of us while we are busy trying to find a solution after the expiration date for this planet. Thanks for your comment 👍
There are people of all colors, different "mother" languages, different personal choices for their lives.... who are citizens of this nation who are giving and will give to help those in need. There are citizens who care for our earth, oceans and skies who hold a powerful vote. These days before us are troubling. Never before has it been more important to vote....to assist one another to be able to vote, to get to the places where votes are being received... SAFELY, FREELY...AS ONE CHOOSES with care and honesty!
Rumor has it that the ultra-wealthy and tech bros do not care. There is a movement to create fiefdoms, small domains for rich little kings throughout the world. Human beings, and all life forms, are expendable. (No wonder Trump is so enamoured by the Middle East. ) AI will do much of the work of governing, which is why there is a 10-year hiatus while it's set up, plus the quest for enormous energy resources to run it. We masses must survive on our own, if we can. Please note that the movement to have public funds pay for religious schools is to indoctrinate our children to be obedient to authority. Even Orwell would be astounded by the brave new world.
In my part of Colorado, where Lauren Boebert "represents" us, the county commissioners have assembled a hurried $500,000 special election to enact"Home Rule". Who could be against something with such a great name?
It will give the corrupt to their core commissioners power to grant themselves life long terms, and ignore state laws.
It will be June 24, and the only thing on the ballot.
In the dark.
They are being sued for violating the states Sunshine Law, a violation of which they've already been convicted of once.
If Hime Rule succeeds, that's one law they won't have to worry about any more
It's Come to This; I think your very well crafted description of Republican aims is a gem: "...the goal of afflicting the already afflicted and comforting the ultra-comfortable is finally within their grasp." Perfect. I'll remember it and repeat it often unless you'd rather I didn't. In any event, thanks for it!
The full context included “…away from the fog of controversy.” And she stated that the bill had been reviewed by countless committees and discussions. As usual, Rick the Jerk, you falsify everything except having bought my book. And thank you for the purchase, btw. I trust you that you were educated and amused by its contents.
Your little nemesis reminds me of a story my father told me. During my dad's first year of school, his older brothers played a trick on him. They knew the teacher would talk about ancient Egypt and the Pyramids to the little kids. Somehow they convinced him it was pronounced 'Egg-Wiped.' And they knew he was kind of a little jerk who'd argue with his first-grade teacher. Sure enough, he not only told her she was wrong, he assured her his brothers had told him the correct pronunciation. When the tale reached the dinner table, his brothers practically asphyxiated from laughter.
At age 6, my father was mature enough to get the message. Sounds like Little Ricky above is still 6, throwing his little pissy fits while his brothers laugh themselves to death.
Sure. Only, we know what's in this bill since we've been paying attention, so saying the same thing about this bill just connotes laziness and a search for an excuse for its' outcomes when they happen. And the Reps will, of course, find someone else to blame, as they always do.
You do realize that you don't have a clue what's on the bill because the bill is far from finished
Everybody was panicking about Trump's tariffs, but they're not panicking anymore because they've changed immensely and because some progress has been made the same thing will happen with a big beautiful Bill
So put away your crystal ball get a new Ouija board or go talk to a fortune teller because nobody knows what's in the final bill last of all on this thread
Everybody was , rejoicing, and celebrating when the stock market tumbled and blaming Trump and I warned everybody. This is what happens in the stock market all the time so you need to be patient but idiots like walz and three other states had lost over $2 billion because their state pension plans included
Tesla. Idots. Wishing for the downfall of America because of Trump. It's so sad.
It won't be like Pelosi when she said you have to pass the bill in order to see what's in it.
What a memory that was
One of the things that will most likely be in the Bill was directly headed for the middle class and the lower class namely, no tax on tips no tax on overtime and for the senior citizens no tax on Social Security
And if that's included in the bill, you won't have the White House for another 12 years
By the way, you do know that many many people on this thread blame Trump for the 11 million people that came through the border during Biden's term. So please spare me your who blames who OK?
I think I read recently that's the way autocrats do it; make the mess and then say," See? I told you this would happen. Follow me and I will make it better!"
The committee was stacked. We only need a few Congressional Republicans to have shared government.
We need to encourage Don Bacon R. NE. and other Republicans who are standing up to Trump and MAGA Mike. He and Reps. David Valadao, R-Calif., Don Bacon, R-Neb., Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., Rob Bresnahan Jr., R-Pa., Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., Jen Kiggans, R-Va., Young Kim, R-Calif., Robert Wittman, R-Va., Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., and Jeff Hurd, R-Colo signed a letter:
“Many hospitals — particularly in rural and underserved areas — rely heavily on Medicaid funding, with some receiving over half their revenue from the program alone,” the representatives wrote. “Providers in these areas are especially at risk of closure, with many unable to recover. When hospitals close, it affects all constituents, regardless of healthcare coverage.”
Besides the Medicaid issue, Republican Reps have called out Trump/Musk on national security and tariffs.
On MSNBC Saturday, Velshi asked Bacon about tariffs. He said, in essence, any Reagan Republican would remove Trump tariff authority. To do that, they need all of the House Dems.
Plus Bacon said Trump has a "moral blindscape" re Ukraine. Retired General. Russia is not a superpower. Mexico with nuclear weapons.
Says anyone who served has to oppose Hegseth, SIGNAL.
Says we are better than any other country in agriculture. Says Trump has broken free trade. In essence, we are losing the trade war.
There's not really a way to "type" the character with a conventional keyboard, even with a combination of modifier keys. You'd have to enter it as a code. Or the simplest way is to copy it from a source and paste it into what you're typing. Your computer then has to find a font that will render the character. On my Mac, it's Euphemia UCAS (Unified Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics).
The Pope -- Pope Leo, America's Robert Prevost -- spoke exactly to that, Kazz.
While MAGA J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio sat at the Vatican ceremony where the Pope was speaking, they heard him say, "“In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalizes the poorest.”
Your good three words summarize them -- Vance, Rubio, and their criminal boss -- but we can appreciate the further itemization coming from a decent American in one of the highest places on Earth.
Higher than a White House occupied by that greasy-face-painted, fat, morbidly fat, scurrilous, vicious, cruel, dictator-loving, money-grubbing multiple felon?
There are compassionate Catholics everywhere. However, the radical right-wing variety (Opus Dei, et al) is Catholic in name only. They want authoritarianism, wealth, and power. They practice de facto racism and misogyny. This is the movement the Pope speaks against. Unfortunately, the far right religious folks have made headway in our politics, as Project 2025 reminds us. Do not be afraid to speak out against them. Do not let their blathering mislead you. I can assure you they care about nothing but having their way.
Oh of course I know that. And I’m proud of that. I am responding only to the “excommunicate Vance” comment. I’m not afraid to speak out; I wish more people would.
I notice that Liberal news is covering the new Pope much more than Conservative news, even though he's the first North American pope. Conservatives prefer phony leadership to the real deal.
Point well taken. Just don’t call it liberal or progressive media because it doesn’t prop up liberal or progressive views in the way that right wing media does for right wing views. (Not that I think it should. It SHOULD be somewhat neutral. )
J.D. is working super hard to be recognized as a devout Catholic instead of a greedy liar. But then he opens his mouth and his inhumanity shines through.
God, I am pleased to see you on top (so-to-speak) of "1 BBB" - one big bad bill:
Heads-up and Wings-up to your Activist Angels on the "Non-Profit Killer" clause hidden like a shive in the devilish H.R. 5495. That knife authorizes the Treasury Secretary to unilaterally de-fund, de-bank & dis-able Charities, Churches & many Non-Profit god's work.
Speaking of good work 😇, your trusted communicator, CAITLIN LEGACKI, (caitlinlegacki.com) has already organized 18,000,000 signatories to stop this thunderbolt ⚡️.
Caitlin is very adept at communicating with writers --- not of scripture but, news-you-can-use. See: press@stopgovernmentcensorship.org. Although I would love to read the 'First Book of Caitlin'.
You Go Caitlin & All Other Angels!
Keep in mind, The Be Good Tanya's song:
🎶 Keep it Light Enough to Travel🎶
🎶 Ya, Don't Let it all Unravel 🎶
As Samantha demonstrated ...
🎶 I broke a window at the Lumber Company -- jus' to left-off some Steam 🎶
🎶I had to drop my Accordion jus' to getaway from the Po-lice 🎶
Hera likely. Let’s also Include concerns for the wildlife. I only recall Zeus had only the most mercurial of buddies, even his own brother. Of course, Zeus did end his father. Probably not a description of the best of times.
Borax is an effective method to kill cockroaches by dehydrating them. To use it, mix equal parts of Borax and sugar, then sprinkle the mixture in areas where roaches are seen; they will be attracted to the sugar and ingest the Borax, leading to their death over a few days.
100 boxes of Borax and 100 bags of sugar should be enough to cover all the entrances to the U.S. Capitol.
The borax will give them thousands of cuts like tiny little knives. Sounds like a nice painful way to go. Another option is diatomaceous earth which will dry them all out, wrinkle up their bodies and also kill them but won’t be as satisfyingly painful.
When we were in Sierra Leone now and then driver ants would visit and cockroaches were high on the walls. So I got a broom and knocked them into the driver ants. At some point i could see cockroach pieces leaving the house. It was quite satisfying. In the same vein, i would love to see R cockroaches knocked off their pedestals by the voters.
It's up to us to shed light on it all. This "explainer" video clip from Belle of The Ranch puts it in perfectly clear language. She often says that with the GOP "the math ain't mathin' "
She explains this Walmart issue such that even the MAGA should be able to understand.
Please watch (it's short, under 4 minutes) and forward it to all your contacts. Post it to your social media. Traditional media isn't going to report this, let's take up the cause.
I agree, although in the case of Trump's many ethics infractions the administration seems to use the fact that he's doing this in broad daylight as a defence, a rather twisted version of government transparency.
Damn, you took the bait from the worst of us. When you see the evil's post, keep scrolling. He is seeking individuals like you who believe they must engage with him.
I would debate your positions but you are too far gone. Hey, I already know how stupido you are since I had convinced you to buy my book, Donald’s Vanity Tantrums.”
We need to remember and remind Ricky (“politicalstraightman”) of his description of himself: “ Political independent for 40 years vote with facts and logic not with feelings and hate”
The same rural voters who supported Trump will now pay higher prices, possibly lose a local hospital, and watch billionaires without any compunction to share their wealth horde capital while paying less taxes.
The concept of government working for the common good is totally lost with this administration.
We are seeing such haste to pass a bill so scrutiny is aborted.
Remember --- this is the reality tv presidency. He has a pathological need to be in control, to be noticed, to be heard - not just in the US, but in the world.
It is not only the administration that deplores the common good; it is a degenerate American civilization, which has been deprogrammed by social media from respect for scientific thinking and knowledge acquired from books and higher education.
Jan de Hartog and his wife - Jan wrote the old play The Fourpostsr than it was turned into the old musical
I Do I Do as well as the novel The Peacable Kingdom- volunteered in Texas at a hospital they were appalled abd wrote a book about it called I think The Hospital.
There have been several books on the fall of the community hospital . This is an all over problem because of hedge funds and private equity funds taking over so many vital services for profit and profit only.
There is also the contribution of the medical schools and how they have played a negative role in this. Look at Nothern Exposure the old show and what is wrong with the picture? There was a young doc from NYC not an indigenous young doc from the local region or even state. This happened in Appalachia as well as African American communities there was no open and flowing pipeline to healthcare for many students. Howard Medical School was a great exception but it dealt with racism a lot.Catholic hospitals but sometimes they were segregated as well. In the fifties there was an opening up and then slowly not. Medical students were also drawn from other countries and particular countries and a great research area what was going on? The balance of healthcare providers in the medical profession was off. It did not reflect certain important groups.
Most of us are angry especially those that sense or saw a devolution . Many folks just angry abd no idea why and reality tv created an anti hero mythical figure that is the heart of much of the last ten years aided and abided by others such as Putin.
Wishing Joe Biden the best of outcomes as he grapples with his cancer diagnosis. AND a hearty thank you for the decades of dedicated public service—not without a few missteps along the way, but always in earnest and in good faith, and never for self-gain. As POTUS he quietly achieved many of his goals, was smart to surround himself with great cabinet/dept/agency appointees…he and they made a good team…and they worked for “we the people”. ☮️🖖💖
That's the team that you put together when you want to build something important and lasting. On the other hand, when your objective is destruction and self enrichment, you have the current scumbag president 's team .
I don’t understand how they didn’t catch this sooner. Should be part of every annual exam. We learned so much about prostate cancer when my husband had it. We were lucky, caught it early and removal of the prostate in 2018 has left him cancer free. But I haven’t seen a good article that explains Biden’s cancer yet.
Sharon, I caught a couple of news shows that interviewed medical “advisors” & one mentioned that protocols for testing/evaluating prostate health can vary—often dependent on age, suggesting there is a “prime time” for scrutiny & more periodic evaluations after that. Not unlike, for women, when to start (age) & how often to have mammograms or paps, or in general the same for colon cancer screening. [Edit: Protocols change with time/experience/studies; his diagnosis, being world-wide news, may bring some scrutiny to how this disease is tested for and monitored. I am afraid with looming cuts to Medicaid/Medicare there may be those who “fall through the cracks” to catch such things early, since available care may be curtailed.]
My husband has had his PSA (blood test) checked since he was 50. His doctor did a prostate exam every year and felt the change from one year to the next. His cancer was diagnosed at 54. I have no faith in military doctors given the number of miscarriages they allowed me to have even while I worked in the hospital. Biden should have been being tested the entire time he was in office but especially as VP and POTUS. Thats a world renowned hospital but look at the phony reports they put up on Trump’s health.
I was a nurse on a cancer ward and always followed the research avidly, even 40+ years later.
At a certain age they decide it is slow moving and won’t kill them so leave it alone once it hits the bones. My husband was only 54, caught it early and his prostate was the size of a walnut and had good margins. We were grateful to have such a thorough doctor. And our surgeon was phenomenal. She explained everything so well and had great success in the past. She answered questions for 2 hours before surgery.
Thank you for a well done tribute to a good man and good president. I want to repeat a story here that Biden told, I heard once on MSNBC and never forgot. His father must have been a truly special person: President Biden reported that one day when he was sixteen and out with his father, having seen two men kiss each other. Having never seen such behavior before, he remarked on it to his father who replied, “Joey, they love each other.” It made me think that that was part of the Constitution that we got with Joe Biden.
May I add: Given our racism and misogyny, how could we elect Kamala Harris, regardless of her qualifications, if she could not become president through the president’s death or by playing a much larger role in Biden’s second term? And who was trying to keep America living up to her (our) promise?
Virginia, I was thoroughly disappointed with our electorate, especially those who opted out from voting. I really thought we were more enlightened than that, though perhaps I shouldn’t be….after all we STILL HAVEN’T passed/codified the ERA (quibbling about “timing issues” and deadlines now). I have posted this link here several times (never know who sees it), but a short song/vid about the 2024 election: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9rgHC9P7FjI
We in Europe are relieved by the Romania election result; hopefully this will bolster the trend of voters in other democracies turning out in the hopes of preventing the kind of egregious corrupt and immoral leadership — exemplified by the Republicans pushing through a budgetary bloodbath of a budget that they KNOW their constituents do not want—that has led to the felling of the American democracy and economy. We hope.
They also make very nice wine. And Romanians are a culture that originated from the remains of both the Roman and the Byzantine Empires--they are more Western European than many of their neighbors (and their language is one of the Romance languages, which reinforces this)
As soon as I watched the trailer, I remembered I saw the movie and it was really interesting from the family, corporate and sociological point of view. I might watch it again. 😃. Thanks
Originally, IQ was a score obtained by dividing a person's mental age score, obtained by administering an intelligence test, by the person's chronological age, both expressed in terms of years and months. The resulting fraction (quotient) was multiplied by 100 to obtain the IQ score.
For modern IQ tests, the raw score is transformed to a normal distribution with mean 100 and standard deviation 15. This results in approximately two-thirds of the population scoring between IQ 85 and IQ 115 and about 2 percent each above 130 and below 70.
I suspect the Republican politicians as a group skew much lower than the Democrats.
Counter to IQ is another metric which is my own as far as I can tell and that is MQ or "Motivation Quotient." The typical meme for a person with a low MQ is someone who plays video games all day and lives in their parents basement. Other memes are drug and alcohol addicts who have no will to learn or change.
Yes, when we had 2 exchange students for the school year we heard all about how they skip sports and teaching is based on projects and working together instead of multiple choice tests and memorizing textbooks. They were from Norway and Germany.
I, as an American, I am relieved by the election votes of the Romanian people!
There are few humans in Washington D.C. who remember what morality is.....how it is lived out for the betterment of humankind.
They are blinded by the "gold" and power made available to them as a result of the power the people have freely given them with their vote.
They have become children of "The Orange One". They will join the new club in Washington D.C. ($500,000 membership fee). They will throw away all that has been made available to them .... as girls and women have healthcare taken from them (mental as well as physical).
The education of our children becoming institutions for brainwashing instead of serious study. Our transportation systems becoming less safe. Prices of groceries going up. Medical care more expensive and difficult to find in rural areas where people may or may not have safe transportation...or in large cities where many elderly ones can be forgotten and abandoned.
Each and all Romanians...COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS...HOLD ONTO THEM!
THE USA HAS LOST ITS CENTER...IT'S REASON...IT'S COMMONSENSE!
Emily, I am also an American and certainly identify more as an American than a Northern European. It frightens me and breaks my heart to read and hear about the cruel, chaotic, and corrupt demolition of the American democracy. I often comment on the complexion of the European struggle to look Putin in the eye from his threatening perch and to stave off the illiberal attacks from within the ’union’ of Europe democracies. There really is no where where the fight has not been joined.
Thanks. Note that Russia and Belarus will be performing war games on the Polish bordee.
AI. In May 2025, there are reports of heightened tensions and military preparations along the border between Poland and Russia/Belarus. Specifically, Poland is bolstering its defenses, including building fortifications along the border with Russia's Kaliningrad exclave. Additionally, Poland is expanding its military and increasing military training for its citizens, aiming to have every adult male trained in the event of war.
I don't think Russia is in any shape to attack NATO right now. They're drained on money, equipment, and manpower. I don't think China would help them with that, as they're concentrating on this with Europe today.
Europe knows war. They've had world wars on their own soil twice in the last century or so. They remember what it was like and I don't think they'll let it happen again.
The immoral leadership just left in January flying to the public about his condition covering up his mental acuity, pocketing himself from pardoning his entire family. Anything else you wanna know oh yeah I forgot allowing 11 million illegals into the country to get them to vote.
I watched Rick's writing style go from very poor, almost nonsensical, pros 6 months ago to well put together, fairly long essays in reply to EVERY comment (literally hundreds of replies in a VERY short space of time with encyclopedic command of 'facts' - though still with very little understanding of what those facts actually mean. Because of this, I concluded he is in fact a bot. A Russian bot in fact, due to his early fixation on Ukraine, even when it was not mentioned in LFAA.
No Rick used voice over to post comments which is why and can post so often. Let me try and explain Rick. He is certainly a nut case who has swallowed MAGA hook line and sinker. But there is some plausibility to a few things he says. Just a tinsy wincy. I’m a centrist. It implies a lot that avowed democrats have conflict with. I am often in conflict with the safer harbor that I sale in. And some of those issues I identify in Rick.
A few examples: I understand that the border was poorly address under Biden. Hey it’s my opinion. I recall once Homeland security chief Myorkas once responding to a reporter on why Biden never created an executive order and Myorkas responded angrily, “Because it wouldn’t hold up in court” and I was dumbfounded with his response. I knew and know he was wrong. Even if only for optics sake. This is the world of politand one needs to play to win.
I have never believed in transgurls playing on girls sports teams. Ever ever ever but not Biden.I’ve always been a feminist supporter in the traditional sense and will not change because some winds see to want to change definitions. When Putin threatened Ukraine with invasion if nato didn’t state no membership for Ukraine, that was a no brainer for me. Why didn’t we do it? I recall at the time our defense secretary saying that a war would wear down the Russian army. Holy crapola so we wanted Ukraine to be the sacrificial lamb for the West? Man has Biden some dumb dumb things. So in this sense, I can relate to Rick. But Rick has gone off his rocker. He is a nut case but he does have some points that might be more listened to if he wasn’t so damn crackpotish.
For just how long do you propose to defend Trump by castigating Biden? Did you see that Moody's have finally joined Fitch and S&P in downgrading the US rating? It's not working, Rick.
For the Republicans to delay their cuts to Medicaid until 2029 so voters won't know who was responsible for those cuts - hoping to scrape through the elections unscathed - is just plain nasty. It's hard enough for us to keep track of what the heck Congress is doing. For those elected officials to engineer evasions to hide their actions knowing their constituents oppose them . . . how is the normal voter to keep track of any of this? So thank you, Heather, for pointing these things out time after time after time. Because they just don't stop, do they?
Do you think it has anything to do with always talking about cuts over 10-year periods, allowing them to wrap it in that way? I don’t know otherwise and would like to know myself.
You mean like 11 million people coming into the country to get them to vote when they said that was not the case and sure enough it happened in New York 800,000 non-citizens attempted to vote and it took the New York Supreme Court to turn it down
Rick's only 'source' is his fevered imagination. He will eventually produce a citation but it won't confirm his addled description of it. That's just his modus operandi.
Specifically it was a New York City local law that was never implemented. The highest court in New York State found it to violate the NYS Constitution. It was a dumb move by city council, they knew it couldn't stand but did it for political purposes, which backfired by giving a tinge of legitimacy to the right claim.
Amazon was going to try that and Trump “talked” to Bezos, probably mentioned that all those “peaceful protesters” from Jan. 6 were out of jail now, and getting bored. Bezos backed down.
Walmart is really, really hard on their suppliers. I understand they run their stores similar to a grocery store. If you want to sell in their store, you make a pitch in which they will try to squeeze you down to the lowest possible cost and price to customers.
You are then responsible for all stock up to the moment when it is scanned for sale or returned after sale. Spoilage, Theft, your problem. In the meantime you finance the inventory. If it's large enough you deliver it to actual stores else to distribution centers.
So...will Walmart bow down low to Trump?
I doubt they will comment but it sounded like Bessent and Trump tried to get them to eat the Trump Tariff Tax and they said they would TRY.
But their economic model probably does NOT include giving away profits to a KING.
I have ZERO sympathy for Walmart. When they first opened their stores Sam Walton proudly claimed, "Made in America." They have forced thousands of businesses into bankruptcy, many of which were small businesses in rural America.
All of the Waltons are part of the oligarchy and they are the richest family in the US. If they really gave a damn, they would publicly condemn Trump and his chaotic tariffs.
No: the Walton family is far more concerned about keeping the profits for themselves, despite their support of NPR. I always consider their self-congratulatory plug for the Walton Foundation to be ironic . . .
Mark, your description of Walmart's relationship with suppliers is pretty accurate. I worked for the retailer that taught Sam Walton everything he knew about discount retailing, TG&Y Stores.
The dialog goes something like this ...
Walmart buyer: "We like your widget and we think we can sell it for 99¢. Which means you have to wholesale it to us for 45¢."
Supplier: "I can't manufacture and ship it for that."
Walmart buyer: "Fine. We'll take your prototype to China and they'll copy it for 40¢. Do you want to sell to us or not?"
The conversation is less of a "squeeze" and more of a threat. TG&Y pioneered the Chinese ripoff tactic.
Walton started Walmart because Ben Franklin Stores' parent, TG&Y pissed him off when they opened a TG&Y store in Bentonville, which violated the non-compete agreement they had with Ben Franklin franchisees. He vowed to put TG&Y out of business. When TG&Y folded, half the buying staff went to work for Walmart.
JD, I take a more nuanced view: I think that Bezos is an example of the ultimate moral corruption of vast wealth and power. He started as a scrappy company that was offering books to those of us who lived too far away from a Barnes and Noble or Borders to gain access to the books we wanted and needed--including students. I know because I was teaching in a rural-based college at the time and Amazon was a godsend. And he lost money consistently in those days. He was no threat to the behemoth Barnes and Noble, although Borders, which was also targeted by B&N, was the first major chain to crumble because they didn't have the infrastructure to compete. If you notice, B&N is still around. Why? Because they bought a huge number of college bookstores--especially small colleges and private universities--and they gouge their captive consumer class (students) with impunity. When he got into publishing, he did so with the intention of making the process easier and more transparent for authors. And has actually been more reliable than most small bookstore chains and independent booksellers when it comes to paying out. Both TCinLA and I have commented on that in the past, as we are both authors who have had to rely on Amazon to carry our books and get them to people who want them (I publish with academic presses and they don't market to regular commercial outlets). He also made it possible to get books that were otherwise totally unavailable in the USA to the regular consumer, a situation that still exists. The crazy started when he began to use the Walmart model of strong-arm tactics and threats to expand his business into realms it had not originally been designed to go. And now he is richy-rich--and his money is more important to him than the ethics he originally claimed. Kind of like Google. Remember "Don't Be Evil"?
I watched a Frontline episode on Bezos a few years ago. They reported that he convinced his rich investors to not expect a profit from Amazon for 10 years so he could operate at a loss while building his empire. Other companies had to see a profit in order to survive. He didn't, so he could undermine and outlast them. While there are some great aspects to Amazon, Bezos isn't one of them.
The best thing that Bezos ever did was to marry Mackenzie Scott and then divorce her. She has donated over $19 billion of her marital split to well over 1000 organizations with NO QUESTIONS ASKED. She's my hero! And so are Susan Buffett and Melinda Gates.
Trump and Bozo speak the same language: money. Bozo isn't afraid of violence. At the slightest threat of physical discomfort, he can jet away to anywhere in the world and be safe. However, a threat to his wealth will make him roll over on his back and pee on his belly just like a scared Beagle pup.
I heard a tariff horror story from an entrepreneur in Minnesota yesterday on MSNBC.
She is a successful small businesswoman who sells products for babies like dishes, tippy cups, strollers, car seats etc. Most of these products are made in China and therefore she receives large shipments from China on a regular basis.
On her most recent order it came with a tariff tax bill of over $230,000. She was forced to take out a loan from the SBA. If she had received the order today her tax bill would have been about $50K which is still crushing to most small businesses.
How many new parents can afford to pay an extra 25% or more for a car seat which happens to be required by law in every state?
My husband ordered some Samsung lights from Amazon last week. They were $75 and missing a part when they arrived. He was going to call Samsung but in the end decided to return them and order a new set. The new price was $55.
We try every avenue before Amazon but sometimes are stuck. But a word of warning, never do an exchange for a defective product, just return and buy another one. They will take weeks and weeks to replace the item when ordering new will come the same day or next.
Mark, certainly we , as consumers, have the right to know, but they won't inform us because they are afraid. Trump said already he'll be watching. What a shameful way to run a country 😕
I read that Walmart said they won’t pass them on after being talked to by one of the toadies. I’m sure they’ll just cut staff because they certainly won’t give up profits.
That isn't what Scott Pissant said on the Sunday talk show. He said Walmart would pass on some of the tariffs and they would absorb some of them. Ok, he only said they would absorb SOME of the tariff costs but MSNBC and others make it sound like Walmart is absorbing all of the increase in prices due to the tariffs which is misinformation.
I read an article somewhere this morning that said the CEO told Trump et al that they wouldn’t pass it on to consumers. But then how would that crowd know, Trump thinks you need ID to buy a loaf of bread and groceries seems to be a new word in his vocabulary.
It's a really horrible, ghastly day when the only good news in the world comes out of Romania, rather than America. Still, given the stakes involved, and Putin raining yet more death on Ukraine and trying to infiltrate, subjugate and pervert every free government in Eastern Europe, it's a victory.
Since late January, many of Heather's letters had been disheartening and demoralizing, only because she was accurately reporting the news. Perhaps she was aware of the effect her letters were having on us. In recent weeks, I've noticed that each letter may have summarized grim news, but ended with a brighter note.
“…one of the many pieces tucked into it is a prohibition on any state laws to regulate artificial intelligence for the next ten years.
Despite its gargantuan energy demands, harm to the environment, and threats to privacy, the administration is pushing AI hard, and the country’s leading AI entrepreneurs, including Elon Musk, Sam Altman of OpenAI, Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Ruth Porat of Google’s parent company Alphabet, and Andy Jassy of Amazon all traveled with Trump to Saudi Arabia last week.”
They do read them 90% of the news is negative against Trump.
With you people as you think this is the truth. This is her version of the truth from her historical perspective not the entire story if you want the entire story go to a couple of White leaning news sources and see the difference and then evaluate it yourself.
That phrase is quite a tell. Ricky is one of those damaged individuals for whom attention is a drug. Even, and perhaps especially, negative attention. Don’t feed the troll.
Rick is shunning me at the moment but I've made it clear to him that if he posts nonsense here then it's open season for me or anyone else to correct his BS.
Any meaningful democracy requires an educated, informed, and engaged society. I suspect any child with a sixth grade education would understand that if you have a credit card with a $1,000 credit limit, you don't solve the problem by increasing the credit limit to $2,000 while at the same time saying those who are most capable of repaying the debt don't have to do so.
Using the misappropriated frame of being "Fiscally conservative" the criminal-elect, his shillbilly VP, and Mike 'Lil' Johnson want us to believe they are operating the Federal Government with greater "efficiency" and to do so, they need to raise the debt ceiling by $4 Trillion (and keeping in mind in his first Presidential crime wave, the criminal-elect added trillions to the national debt).
This is all about accelerating the already extreme concentration of wealth in the United States -which makes any form of democracy impossible. It is a all-out assault on the U.S. system, intended to be the final straw for multi-generational control.
If only the International Criminal Court would tell the criminal-elect they have a "Big, Beautiful Gift" they want to bestow upon him, and then let justice take its course.
Since the bill has passed out of committee, the Congressional Budget Office initial report should give Dems sufficient voice to worry constituents of both parties. And more importantly perhaps board rooms. Again in both the House and Senate there will be a fight. The bill can’t remain a dark horse throughout this process.
If it could, that would be yet another nail in the coffin of the Houses of Congress. Think of it, passing into law a bill for which major elements are hidden from Congress, government agencies tasked with informing on its cost of implementation and impacts, and the public are deliberately blindsided.
Since that appears to be the Administration’s intent. This will not be a bill that has passed into law. It simply will be an edict delivered as a blank cheque from the Administration and making all the rest of government entirely irrelevant.
As never before, this is a time for the opposition parties of Congress to rise up and lay bare this fraud upon the nation. The sacking of our country must be stopped.
There are two forums for prosecution that I am aware of, the Federal courts and the Court of the people. All paths must be taken.
But it’s the Court of the people that can move the needle in the Houses of Congress. Everyone will be hurt by this bill regardless of political affiliation.
Putin? Orban? Netanyahu? Bukele? Xi? Erdogan? The Iranian mullahs? Kim? Mohammed bin Salman? Milei? Sisi? Musk? Peter Thiel? Marjorie Taylor Gazpacho? Rupert Murdoch? The billionaire owners of legacy media? The billionaire owners of social media? The billionaire owners of all standardized testing?
Everyone. Most immediately everyone from the upper middle classes on down to the homeless that occasionally drop by soup kitchens.
You only listed a relatively few people. Is this an enemies list thing? Do you seriously imagine that in the long game they will be unaffected? Only if they die first. What about their families and generations of offspring? Not everyone is a dead-ender like Drumpf. At least, I do doubt it.
Are they going to live out their lives deep in super-renovated missile silos having group get togethers via flat screen TVs?
Eating … not haute cuisine? Or are they going to join Milo Minderbender on quick weekend voyages to Mars where the skies are still clear?
Last I checked, social position counts for little on a tiny planet where all of nature has finally tired of you.
But really, there may be a few who manage to die blissfully unaware of what they are leaving behind. The lucky ones.
Always remember the fate of the plutocrat Nelson Rockefeller. For him at least, death may not have been all that bad. So yes. You’re correct … not everyone.
How do the prominent plutocrats and politicians expect to survive when the global agricultural economy collapses under the weight of their rapacity? They are not going to find eating money to be very nutricious.
I don’t matter in any of this. Don‘t want to matter beyond the moment.
In the early 1930s, one could eat currency, I suppose. It was more abundant than vegetables. I’ve heard that some attempted to make breads with the worthless notes.
Recall, the economic depression became global. The collapse of economies lead to the collapse of societies., etc.
One of the constant themes of the Republican Party has been that government is not as efficient as private enterprise so therefore we should turn over many functions of government to private enterprise. I remember how that was one the primary themes of the Reagan election and his Presidency brought in the era of both tax cuts and radical changes to how government taxed. What this movement has achieved is great concentration of wealth coupled with the rise of gigantic oligopolies. The concentration of wealth is not only in organizations but with individuals as the argument over time was refined to claim if we allowed people to have greater wealth that would increase the economy and we all would benefit. The problem is that the argument is flawed and what we are seeing is that this transfer of wealth is also transferring the power to control government and this group is now at a point where they are comfortable in trying to support a take over of government that will give them almost unlimited power and wealth, while reducing opportunities of most Americans.
The concept that government exists because many problems and needs can only be addressed by acting collectively and we need taxes to pay for these activities, seems lost in the smoke of current chaos.
"the Reagan election and his Presidency brought in the era of both tax cuts and radical changes to how government taxed. What this movement has achieved is great concentration of wealth coupled with the rise of gigantic oligopolies."
Which was always the point. Nothing in the course of history supports the notion that the more of nation that is owned and controlled by the regally rich, the better off the preponderant public becomes. It was a fraud from the get go.
JL, your last sentence is the key. My evangelicalism hobby horse is in the barn today, so I'm riding my rich-founding-fathers hobby horse.
I think our U.S. History classes in school didn't properly emphasize that the European invader-colonists who set up the U.S. Government were wealthy.
They, themselves, were examples of people who believe a certain class is born to rule, and the rest are born to be ruled. Not enough emphasis is given to the original plan which called for far less "consent of the governed," as it excluded women and the enslaved.
The three-branch, checks-and-balances scam was a story they cooked up to gaslight and mollify the rabble. While the three branches were intended to check and balance each other, all were designed to protect and advance the fortunes of the wealthy.
Given that organic reality, it was just a matter of time until even more wealth and power would be transferred to the already rich and powerful.
There was a time when a person of modest means could run for office and be elected. Today, one must be a millionaire, at least, to even consider running for office. If a candidate doesn't have their own millions to run on, they must find millionaires or billionaires to finance their campaigns – in exchange for favors, of course.
I remember that from my first job. Private enterprise does it better. 60 years later it’s still a big lie. That profit bottom line negates any plus, especially if run by crooks adhering to the “GREED IS GOOD” mantra.
Use this spreadsheet to call/email/write members of Congress. Reach out to your own, as well as those in other states on a specific committee important to a topic you’re sharing. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”
So sorry about Biden's health. It is good for him and his family that he is no longer in the White House, but not for the rest of us. I wish him all the best, and our country too. Both are ailing from cancers that need to be aggressively treated.
They did this in the dark because they scatter when the lights are turned on.
Indeed. Emboldened by the dark, hiding from town halls, armed with self-righteous bullshit fobbing itself off as concern for the budget, the goal of afflicting the already afflicted and comforting the ultra-comfortable is finally within their grasp.
Who will pick up the broken pieces of America once they've finished wrecking it?
Putin will, "It's Come to This."
Putin and his oligarchs already fit nicely with the U.S.'s rancid, treasonous, cynical billionaires. And his hate-filled eastern Orthodox priests fit nicely with the U.S.'s Rapture-awaiting evangelicals (as Netanyahu's far-right settlers do, too).
Things aren't going so well in Russia these days, though. Banks having issues with capital access. Inflation is high. Businesses can't borrow. Exports floundering. People leaving if they can. Wildfires going, well, wild. Even Russians might soon see the light of day in sufficient numbers to make changes.
The problem is the leaders never suffer financially and they don’t have to go to the front lines. They can sit in their palaces while the masses suffer and men are killed in their stupid wars.
It is the same with the leaders of this country. Everything they do is to benefit themselves. 80 hours a month for Medicaid is 20 hours a week. Fast food restaurants only give 12-16 hours a week. The same with many part-time jobs. But they will hide those cuts until after the next election which means they won’t be cutting the deficit at all.
> men are killed in their stupid wars —
Make that “men, women and children” in Ukraine
And in Gaza, Susan. The destruction is appalling!
Yes, I was thinking of primarily the people Russia are sending to fight.
In the Iowa town where I was born, there is a state facility which was founded as a Civil War orphanage. Ukraine is only one example. However, if we let Russia have it, we'll be off the hook for helping clean up the mess. Isn't that the regime's plan?
the American people need to be made aware that those cuts are coming, and who made them! Question: if Dems were to retake Congress, and/or the Presidency, could the bill be rolled back and the cuts rescinded?
I don't think so. I think Trump's Big UGLY Bill, if passed, remains law bc CONGRESS passed it. His stupid EO's can be rescinded, though!
Not that that will help change our National Debt for decades going forward. He's good at bankrupting things...he may just BK the USA! I think that is what Putin WANTS!
Well, they didn’t roll back the 2017 tax cuts for the wealthy so I can’t see them rolling anything back. But, Republicans are working very hard to roll back everything Biden did.
The war against Ukraine is draining Russia of men, equipment, and money. They can't hold on much longer if the sanctions hold.
Putin is trying to drag things out because he doesn't want this out there. So much of the destruction is done with drones now, so whoever wins the drone war, wins. Sanctions need to be continued, and even tightened.
Barb, now, how do we get the word out that Putin's Russia is a failing state, so they won't be so willing to let Toddler-Trump and his minions look longingly toward Putin?
I doubt many think outside their boxes. There are clips on YouTube that show this stuff, and, with algorhythms being what they are, once you look at one, more pop up. I've learned to understand more of the economics of what goes on in world trade, shipping vessel charts in real time, drought monitors, trends in real estate, among others. You have to want to find the information. I also read a lot of books, as I'm retired and finally have the time. I only read non-fiction. I recommend titles when appropriate. I've never had much success in convincing others that there is more than meets the eye on an issue and that it's so beneficial to be truly forward thinking while knowing the history as well. Posting comments and referencing sources is about the best I can do. I wish I had a better way.
Heather's notes provide lots of sources, no?
I wonder if a drone-lift of information packets could be used to shower Moscow with leaflets, fluttering down in the breezes? Launced from Ukraine, they might also be released above towns an villages all over Russia.
Mike, I like it! Messages that describe what is really going on could make a difference, written in the language of ordinary people.
We may have to go back to this method of spreading the news if they manage to shut down the Internet. They've already made SIGNIFICANT inroads into rewriting many, many Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) pages posted online! I was shocked when I went looking for specific events.
We can only hope. Unfortunately, when the leader is creating the narrative and silencing all opposition, it is easy to convince the masses to blame someone or something else (in America, its immigrants and transgenders) for their troubles, while those in power continue to pick their pockets!
The evangelicals have soiled any credible association with spiritual reality and are now simply a political agenda. They should be treated as such.
Evangelicals hate orthodox Christians. Catholics too for that matter.
It's not a stretch to say that evangelicals hate everyone who's not them. In many cases, evangelicals hate each other. For proof, one needs only to consider the long-standing dispute between charismatic and non-charismatic evangelicals, not to mention both those groups' disdain for the snake-handlers.
Yes, and their only doing these things for our betterment, in the eyes of 'their' god, as they see it. This god apparently only speaks with them.
You do know that Catholic school teach real science...just saying.
Billions of years…
Having taught in a Catholic school for 20 years, yes, I know that they teach evidence based science. Even evolution!
All of my children went through Catholic schools as well. Two have science degrees (veterinary and occupational therapy)
Both our children chose Catholic schools through high school feeling the teachers and students were more serious at the ones we chose as we paid more than what some colleges charged for most of those years (including anonymous donations for other students when their families faced hardships).
We never wanted government funds for the schools but did want their education to include everything possible in public schools to qualify them for any colleges they wanted to attend. The only thing we had to pay for that was free in public schools was Driver Education (that was manual transmission from the start and has lasted through to the EVs and Hybrids included in what they now use).
We could have kept more money and lived more comfortably but the investments were well worth the degrees they received, the productive lives they lead, including what a PhD, Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude finish for our son's education enabled. (He contributed most in the over the 10 years it took as he served in the military and activated National Guard for much of it.)
I love the tone and texture of the new pope, the last pope, too. But Catholics historically have a lot to answer for. I went to Catholic schools. I was raped, beaten, locked in closets... I give credit where credit is due, but I would NEVER elect to send a child to a religious school of ANY denomination.
Amusing, since they’re all Southern Baptists at heart. Or Puritans, so aptly named as no one is. Look at Pope Leo. He’s from Chicago, home of Al Capone! 🤣
Being human means just that which is why the Constitution is so important. Like the Magna Carta copy (real) discovered at Harvard, it points out that we humans are all equal. That’s the wonder and basis of all moral judgments about us humans. Money does not perfect; it blinds those who do not share.
Magna Carta is the basis of Common Law from which American jurisprudence evolved. But it does not declare that that humans are equal. It limited the authority of King John to imprison the English nobility. Of course, much later the rights in Magna Carta were extended to all in our due process.
Tread lightly when you begin naming denominations. It isn't a black and white issue; lots of shades of gray.
That’s the point I was trying to make. Puritans, Southern Baptists, it makes no difference what you call the “purists.”
No one is “pure.” The genius of the 18th century (our constitution) was recognizing who we all are without burning anyone at the stake.
What's your point?
Kimberly, how christian of them!
Kimberley, isn't that so Christian of those evangelicals, hating everyone who is not believing just as they do? At least, they might not want to bow to Russia no matter what their Baby Donnie wants them to support.
You said it well.
Putin has nothing to do with this BBB. DEMs and voters should focus on defeating the bill next several days.
THIS IS SOOOOO IMPORTANT! We cannot allow this BigUglyBill to pass the Senate! WE MUST FIGHT IT! Please America, this bill will be our destruction!
Hiro, what are you talking about! Putin has his hand in most things going on politically, all over the place. It provides work for the guys who might actually stand against Putin and gives them another target for their hacking, propaganda, and BS skills. I'm sure it pays well and is a good distraction from watching their neighbors try to make ends meet.
That is the question, what to do now? This from a Texas cousin who voted for Trump: What would you have a Trump supporter do if they regret their vote? This was my response: Charles, you ask the absolutely correct question: what does one do? The answer: work like hell to save our republic. I don't know how fair and open the elections later this year and next will be, but for sure vote the Republican politicians who support Trump out of office. We are on the verge of losing our democracy. After that, votes don't matter, as in Russia. Stephen Miller tells us that the White House is considering suspending the writ of habeas corpus. What does this mean? It means full-blown dictatorship.
Richard, I've already posted this, but I want to make sure you see it.
Send THIS to your cousin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayOOCRZs12o
Perhaps the common sense, no hyperbole "Belle" explaining the Walmart situation will widen the cracks in the MAGA brain. Tell Charles to forward it to his MAGA friends. Get people to start looking behind the curtain. Belle is a worthy YouTuber to watch. She is brief and on point, releasing 3 clips a day.
Miselle, thank you for link. Belle is amazing. Her message is accurate, clear and important, I'll send it out.
BTW, I lived through white flight on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950's and 1960's. Our paths may have crossed many years ago.
Turn on your masters --- that would be my answer.
There is nothing that fills the GOP with fear more than MAGA. Outwardly they buckle; inwardly they vomit. Make them vomit with fear. Show up at their local offices, get on the news. Tell them how stupid and cruel they are, that they don't have his support any more. Let them know that. Be out. Be ugly. Be loud. Threaten (not with violence of course).
They already know the Dems don't like what they are doing. When it's MAGA or Rep voters who call and tell them, that will make a difference. 5Calls app makes it easy to contact them. Do it. Every day.
Richard:
You could do worse than buying your cousin a year's subscription to The Atlantic.
If your cousin is not inclined to read, refer him to some of the videos released by Inequity Media and Prof Robert Reich.
\Vince S
TRUE! Please, WAKE UP and SPEAK OUT before you can't anymore!
Business experts are saying that entitlements are the largest item in our budget. They also claimed that when social security was enacted people did not live as long as we do today. HOWEVER, taking away health care (nursing care, etc.) from poor people, while giving the very rich a tax break, is the height of immorality and lack of humanity. And the business experts are saying as much. This is another window into our unraveling. And when states face budget shortfalls, they automatically slash social assistance programs. The rich make money without regard to human life and the social good and the Republicans are eager to serve them. This is the pathological pursuit of profit and power..............and their incapacity to experience guilt over their largesse.....
It is true that people didn't live as long as we do today. It's also true that some very basic adjustments to the Social Security tax (removing the cap) would go a long way toward restoring solvency. It's even more true that if you keep terrifying working people now by threatening their future Social Security, they'll start retiring faster to be sure there's something left for them (as is happening now). It's the same principle as investors fleeing US Treasuries (as is happening now).
If we elect illiterate imbeciles and contemptible wealthy jerks who don't understand the point of having a social contract, they'll destroy that contract (as is happening now).
Yes, we have a friend who is trying to decide if he should take it now and invest it himself or continue to live off his savings. Lost his job a couple years ago and has been unable to find another in the tech field in San Diego. No one wants to hire the older, experienced programmers. My husband just hired one after his company said they felt they didn’t know how long he would stay at the company at his age. My response was you don’t know how long anyone stays. The young guys get a little experience and go for higher paying jobs every few years.
I've been told the best advice is (1) do you need current income? and (2) would investing that income now make more for you than waiting to take SS down the line? It sounds like your friend needs the income. Tough questions. I wish him the best.
Except his idea was faulty. He’d take it and invest it while taking income from money he already had invested. The group could never figure out his thinking.
I had no choice but to retire because my health made it impossible to continue in my career. No one wanted to hire anyone in their 50s anyway, which is still true today.
My husband faced age discrimination when his company was sold and he was laid off. Thank God an old boss who bc President of the company called him one day and hired him back. We were beyond grateful!
I just read an article about AI replacing a lot of tech workers. Scary stuff.
It baffles me. How much money is "enough" for them? How do they ignore their biblical warnings against greed and against false prophets?
Because they really don’t believe in the Bible. It’s a tool to control others.
No kidding! I loved when Trump was asked what his favorite Bible verse was and he punted...we all KNOW he's NEVER read the Bible...he doesn't read AT ALL! Can you imagine a POTUS who "doesn't read?" How uninformed and uneducated can you get?!
I guess they think no one is noticing their hypocrisy.
It isn't more money that they lust after- it is power. Having more stuff than others isn't gratifying enough- they want to control others' lives.
Both.
There is never enough to satisfy greed.
I wish people would quit calling Social Security an "entitlement". And ditto for Medicare. They are not. We earned our social security by making contributions for our entire careers. And we pay monthly premiums for Medicare (part B, part A is included with Social Security). I don't know a lot about Medicaid, but I agree that taking it away from poor people so that the rich can feed their addiction is immoral and stupid.
The republicans are the ones who successfully twisted the word onto its head. Social Security IS an entitlement. People who have contributed to it are ENTITLED to it, as are those who are disabled, etc. People who don't contribute to something but still want the benefits have a SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT. (Forgive me- I'm a bit of a word nut.)
Alison, couldn't have said it better!
Alison, I love the way you said it. I hate it that I apparently have fallen for the way the repubs talk about entitlement. You are absolutely correct, and there is no need to apologize for being a word nut. We need more people like you to set all of us straight (note that I am somewhat of a word nut, too, as well as a spelling nut).
Me, too! And your distinctions are VALID!
Agreed.... the very word 'entitled' has changed in the vernacular and is now considered a bad thing. It now means, 'people who think they are owed something even though they are not'. That's why we need to stop using the term even though it is, in fact, correct.
Sorry, I will never submit to that. When a group starts telling you a word means the opposite of what it means you are entering the realm of Orwell's '1984'.
It's a term we've grown up with, however, having said that medicare does charge us more because of our earnings. I am totally fine with that. We have always lived below our means and have saved, so now in retirement we are solvent until we die.....
My husband and I are retired and I was just saying to him how grateful I am for our life bc it's SO COMFORTABLE! But then I had to add why...we lived below our means, we socked away savings, we invested, we paid off our mortgage...so we EARNED this wonderful life we live! And God willing, we'll get to keep it to the end of our days!
Thank you Susan, I was going to comment on the same.
You are welcome, Phyllis. Looks like we both fell for the republican twisting of our language.
What if we means tested, say social security, the way the US means tests welfare? Anyone who makes over $100,00 does not receive social security. Would it then disappear because the means would keep changing? I'm not suggesting it, I'm just thinking....
I'm not sure I follow your thinking. Are you talking about what people make after retirement? I know that I appreciate my Social Security even though I don't really need it right now. Our "income" is higher (like just over your limit) because my husband has to take out more than his RMDs to pay the mortgage on the family beach house. If that weren't the case, our income would be less. Plus, if I were to lose my husband I would definitely need Social Security to survive. We do not generally have expensive tastes. The beach house has been in his family since 1972 and my husband bought out the other two owners so his kids could continue to enjoy it. We haven't been there in years. All that said, I would hate to see Social Security disappear, because there will always be people who truly need it.
I'm saying that rather than SS be an entitlement or a social program where everyone gets social security, if the govt. means tested the program (as it apparently does with welfare) so that citizens making over a certain amount (ie billionaires) during their working years would not be eligible. This is merely a thought experiment; I have no opinion. Of course, there will always be people whose incomes over their life time (with children to feed, clothe and educate) will never be enough to live on in their retirement years. Bankruptcy happens, serious health events happen which require some people to actually have to host gofundme events. Some economists have noted that since we live longer than at the time of its (social security) initiation, it costs the govt much more money to fund SS. No one has a good answer or solution....
The only tax cuts left to slash for the billionaires is Social Security and Medicare. If the greedy billionaires actually paid their taxes our government wouldn't have the deficits that it has now. It's laughable that the Republicans are still talking about tax cuts for billionaires and corporations. Just like the orange blight himself, they DON'T pay taxes now! They pay accountants and lawyers to find business deductions and losses so they pay a smaller percentage of their profits and income in taxes than the average taxpayer. The corporation that my husband worked for paid ZERO taxes. But their employees, like my husband had to pay their taxes. Our taxes subsidize corporate welfare!
I remember Warren Buffet saying, his secretary paid more in income taxes than he did, he was trying to make a point. I’m just so tired of it all, it just seems as though things will never change.
Totally agree. But the republicans have been for the oligarchs since the '20's.
You are absolutely correct. The wealthy used stealth (wedge issues [abortion, gat rights, immigrants, women's rights) to induce ordinary Americans to vote against their own best economic interests. Thomas Frank, "What's the Matter with Kansas?" (2004)
This letter published in the Orlando Sentinel: Pres. Trump and our Congressman, August Pfluger, want to continue giving massive tax breaks to the wealthy while cutting Medicaid and other programs for ordinary Americans. (Trump’s tax bill aims to extend 2017 cuts, 05/14/2025) In his first term, Trump's tax cut left us with an additional $8.2 trillion debt, a record. The new tax bill will add $4 trillion to the national debt. Why does the national debt matter? To the 900,000 people in the United States who have a net worth of more than $10 million and the 902 billionaires, it makes no difference. But, if you are 30, 40, 50 or 60 years old, it is devastating. It will be your responsibility to pay the interest on this debt, to say nothing about the principal.
The U.S. population is now 340 million. So, what percentage of the population do these proposed tax cuts benefit? It is 1/4 of 1%, i.e., 0.24%. How many Americans are shafted by this tax bill? 339,000,000, or 99.76%.
If the U.S. population were only 3.4 million people, there wouldn't be any billionaires and perhaps very few with a net worth of $10 million. But, we are a nation of 340 million people and because of us, we have almost one million very wealthy people. They owe us. They wouldn't be, couldn't be, wealthy without us. So, what to do? Vote us our fair share. Vote the Republicans out of office. Reinstall the New Deal.
WELL SAID! Almost ALL of the social programs we rely on today were introduced as part of The New Deal, by WOMEN, I might add. Check it out...bc of Eleanor Roosevelt, a highly admired and respected woman of her time, WOMEN were given positions of power in FDR's administration. They did a FABULOUS job for regular Americans who were suffering due to the Great Depression, caused in large part by the TARIFF debacle started by another stupid Republican back in the day!
And, BTW, the word Entitlements is false. Social Security and Medicare are Earned Benefits. Let’s not use their false vocabulary.
Yes!!!! And the taxes we pay do not belong to Trump and his vigilantes. Those taxes belong to “We, the people”, guys.
Taxes are our (all of us ) money. Why would anyone who is sane, thoughtful, considerate, honorable, believe that the Trump administration is making good decisions in all areas of the law, for “We, the people?”
In fact, the opposite is occurring and on a daily basis. Targeting Medicaid? Who targets Medicaid?
And attempt to severely cut the program in the dark hours of the night, with no time allowed for our Congresspeople to do their jobs, if they so desire. And where are the Dems? Tragic.
I'm with you, Sister! WHERE ARE THE DEMS?!! I'm so angry at my Party right now for their fecklessness in the face of this F'ing DISASTER of an administration! NO LEADERSHIP in site. Occassionally Jasmine Crocket or Alex Padilla or Gov Pritsker(sp?) or Bernie will speak out, but other than a few, crickets! Shummer writes "strongly worded letters" as if Trump READS?! Get real! He needs to GO!
It's a term we have used/heard for decades. Now it has earned a new nomenclature given the ruthlessness of the republicans and conservatives. I don't use the term falsely but as it has been used for decades. I will refrain from using it in the future.....
And they are right, the entitlements for the wealthy is the largest piece of this budget. And don’t let them gaslight you to think differently. I am still have the most difficult time understanding how cruel these sycophants can be to their constituents, which is all of us.
Not the billionaire class for certain, they will be counting the extra billions at their disposal.
Yes, Walmart won’t eat any profits on tariffs, they’ll cut staff and add more self-checkout. Pretty soon walking in will just be boxes on the floor because there’s no one to shelve them.
Profit margins are thin in retail. Wal Mart will be forced to raise prices.
OR cut staff OR go out of business. So, yes, they will likely RAISE PRICES like everyone else will have to do. Didn't TRUMP promise to LOWER grocery prices on day 1? WTF happened to THAT promise? He seems so hell-bent on honoring the immigration promises he made, yet those for the economy...which is why he got elected...go unfulfilled! VOTE PEOPLE!
VOTE these LIARS OUT while we still can! The time is coming rapidly when we will have "elections" like Russia's where the winner is already guaranteed!
They were clever - they earned their wealth. Will they be disgusted with all of us low life's hanging around?
Ricardo:
I keep coming back to a basic question that our current "leaders" seem determined to ignore.
"Are you going to be able to eat money?"
As we humans continue to pursue business as usual, seeking short term personal and corporate profit at the expense of everything else, the accelerating degradation of nature must result in failure of agricultural economies around the world.
\Vince S
Vincent, they might think they have money enough to get an impenetrable bubble and live in it in isolation from the rest of us while we are busy trying to find a solution after the expiration date for this planet. Thanks for your comment 👍
They just cannot have "enough!"
It's come to this,
There are people of all colors, different "mother" languages, different personal choices for their lives.... who are citizens of this nation who are giving and will give to help those in need. There are citizens who care for our earth, oceans and skies who hold a powerful vote. These days before us are troubling. Never before has it been more important to vote....to assist one another to be able to vote, to get to the places where votes are being received... SAFELY, FREELY...AS ONE CHOOSES with care and honesty!
Rumor has it that the ultra-wealthy and tech bros do not care. There is a movement to create fiefdoms, small domains for rich little kings throughout the world. Human beings, and all life forms, are expendable. (No wonder Trump is so enamoured by the Middle East. ) AI will do much of the work of governing, which is why there is a 10-year hiatus while it's set up, plus the quest for enormous energy resources to run it. We masses must survive on our own, if we can. Please note that the movement to have public funds pay for religious schools is to indoctrinate our children to be obedient to authority. Even Orwell would be astounded by the brave new world.
In my part of Colorado, where Lauren Boebert "represents" us, the county commissioners have assembled a hurried $500,000 special election to enact"Home Rule". Who could be against something with such a great name?
It will give the corrupt to their core commissioners power to grant themselves life long terms, and ignore state laws.
It will be June 24, and the only thing on the ballot.
In the dark.
They are being sued for violating the states Sunshine Law, a violation of which they've already been convicted of once.
If Hime Rule succeeds, that's one law they won't have to worry about any more
It's Come to This; I think your very well crafted description of Republican aims is a gem: "...the goal of afflicting the already afflicted and comforting the ultra-comfortable is finally within their grasp." Perfect. I'll remember it and repeat it often unless you'd rather I didn't. In any event, thanks for it!
In pelosi fashion. Exactly the same thing. You have to vote on the bill to see what's in it. Would you like to see the video of her saying that?
BS, troll.
Yes.Troll alert!
On-goin violations of Substack Inc's applicable 'TOU all reported.
No problem
The full context included “…away from the fog of controversy.” And she stated that the bill had been reviewed by countless committees and discussions. As usual, Rick the Jerk, you falsify everything except having bought my book. And thank you for the purchase, btw. I trust you that you were educated and amused by its contents.
Your little nemesis reminds me of a story my father told me. During my dad's first year of school, his older brothers played a trick on him. They knew the teacher would talk about ancient Egypt and the Pyramids to the little kids. Somehow they convinced him it was pronounced 'Egg-Wiped.' And they knew he was kind of a little jerk who'd argue with his first-grade teacher. Sure enough, he not only told her she was wrong, he assured her his brothers had told him the correct pronunciation. When the tale reached the dinner table, his brothers practically asphyxiated from laughter.
At age 6, my father was mature enough to get the message. Sounds like Little Ricky above is still 6, throwing his little pissy fits while his brothers laugh themselves to death.
'What's sauce for the goose' is a poor defence of this shoddy behaviour, Rick.
Sure. Only, we know what's in this bill since we've been paying attention, so saying the same thing about this bill just connotes laziness and a search for an excuse for its' outcomes when they happen. And the Reps will, of course, find someone else to blame, as they always do.
You do realize that you don't have a clue what's on the bill because the bill is far from finished
Everybody was panicking about Trump's tariffs, but they're not panicking anymore because they've changed immensely and because some progress has been made the same thing will happen with a big beautiful Bill
So put away your crystal ball get a new Ouija board or go talk to a fortune teller because nobody knows what's in the final bill last of all on this thread
Everybody was , rejoicing, and celebrating when the stock market tumbled and blaming Trump and I warned everybody. This is what happens in the stock market all the time so you need to be patient but idiots like walz and three other states had lost over $2 billion because their state pension plans included
Tesla. Idots. Wishing for the downfall of America because of Trump. It's so sad.
It won't be like Pelosi when she said you have to pass the bill in order to see what's in it.
What a memory that was
One of the things that will most likely be in the Bill was directly headed for the middle class and the lower class namely, no tax on tips no tax on overtime and for the senior citizens no tax on Social Security
And if that's included in the bill, you won't have the White House for another 12 years
By the way, you do know that many many people on this thread blame Trump for the 11 million people that came through the border during Biden's term. So please spare me your who blames who OK?
But you know it all? Somehow, you are 100% right and the rest of us don't know a damn thing? Really? How does that work?
Right you are!
I think I read recently that's the way autocrats do it; make the mess and then say," See? I told you this would happen. Follow me and I will make it better!"
the goal of afflicting the already afflicted and comforting the ultra-comfortable is finally within their grasp."
Of course it will be the hard working small businesses and their employees through their taxes.
"...the goal of afflicting the already afflicted and comforting the ultra-comfortable is finally within their grasp.
China
There are ways to put some roadblocks in front of Trump's big ugly bill. We need to take advantage of Republican infighting.
Deflate Trump's ᗺig ᗺackassward ᗺoondoggle
https://kathleenweber.substack.com/p/trumps-ig-ackassward-oondoggle
https://kathleenweber.substack.com/p/republicans-start-to-fight-it-out
Please read Jerry Weiss' Feathers of hope. https://jerryweiss.substack.com/
The committee was stacked. We only need a few Congressional Republicans to have shared government.
We need to encourage Don Bacon R. NE. and other Republicans who are standing up to Trump and MAGA Mike. He and Reps. David Valadao, R-Calif., Don Bacon, R-Neb., Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., Rob Bresnahan Jr., R-Pa., Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., Jen Kiggans, R-Va., Young Kim, R-Calif., Robert Wittman, R-Va., Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., and Jeff Hurd, R-Colo signed a letter:
“Many hospitals — particularly in rural and underserved areas — rely heavily on Medicaid funding, with some receiving over half their revenue from the program alone,” the representatives wrote. “Providers in these areas are especially at risk of closure, with many unable to recover. When hospitals close, it affects all constituents, regardless of healthcare coverage.”
Besides the Medicaid issue, Republican Reps have called out Trump/Musk on national security and tariffs.
On MSNBC Saturday, Velshi asked Bacon about tariffs. He said, in essence, any Reagan Republican would remove Trump tariff authority. To do that, they need all of the House Dems.
Plus Bacon said Trump has a "moral blindscape" re Ukraine. Retired General. Russia is not a superpower. Mexico with nuclear weapons.
Says anyone who served has to oppose Hegseth, SIGNAL.
Says we are better than any other country in agriculture. Says Trump has broken free trade. In essence, we are losing the trade war.
CALL THEM!!
Don Bacon (202) 225-4155
David Valadao (202) 225-4695
Jeff Van Drew (202) 225-6572
Rob Bresnahan (202) 225-5546
Juan Ciscomani (202) 225-2542
Jen Kiggans (202) 225-4215
Young Kim (202) 225-4111
Robert Wittman (202) 225-4261
Nicole Malliotakis (202) 225-3371
Nick LaLota (202) 225-3826
Andrew Garbarino (202) 225-7896
Jeff Hurd (202) 225-4676
LaLota, Garbarino and Hurd are also attorneys. Might want to push them about our rights a bit harder than the others listed.
EDIT: I have managed to get through to 9 of those listed, either by leaving a voice mail, five of them speaking directly to their aide.
PLEASE FOLKS, call at least a few of them!
How did you get the B to print backwards?
There's not really a way to "type" the character with a conventional keyboard, even with a combination of modifier keys. You'd have to enter it as a code. Or the simplest way is to copy it from a source and paste it into what you're typing. Your computer then has to find a font that will render the character. On my Mac, it's Euphemia UCAS (Unified Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics).
https://symbl.cc/en/15FA/
Kudos to Kathleen Weber for having this knowledge.
Very simple. I queried Google, “give me a backward B.” then I copied what it gave me.
Just live with that you'll enjoy it stop being so negative in advance.
Famous last words.
They’re also blood sucking vampires.
The Pope -- Pope Leo, America's Robert Prevost -- spoke exactly to that, Kazz.
While MAGA J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio sat at the Vatican ceremony where the Pope was speaking, they heard him say, "“In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalizes the poorest.”
Your good three words summarize them -- Vance, Rubio, and their criminal boss -- but we can appreciate the further itemization coming from a decent American in one of the highest places on Earth.
Higher than a White House occupied by that greasy-face-painted, fat, morbidly fat, scurrilous, vicious, cruel, dictator-loving, money-grubbing multiple felon?
I hope the Pope excommunicates Vance. And other so-called “Catholics“ in the administration.
Catholics believe in redemption, even for the most incorrigible. And Vance, Homan, C. Thomas, and Alito et al. are.
There are compassionate Catholics everywhere. However, the radical right-wing variety (Opus Dei, et al) is Catholic in name only. They want authoritarianism, wealth, and power. They practice de facto racism and misogyny. This is the movement the Pope speaks against. Unfortunately, the far right religious folks have made headway in our politics, as Project 2025 reminds us. Do not be afraid to speak out against them. Do not let their blathering mislead you. I can assure you they care about nothing but having their way.
Oh of course I know that. And I’m proud of that. I am responding only to the “excommunicate Vance” comment. I’m not afraid to speak out; I wish more people would.
I feel there is "redemption" only for those that seek it. Vance, Vought, Alito, et al. are proud of their cruelty.
I notice that Liberal news is covering the new Pope much more than Conservative news, even though he's the first North American pope. Conservatives prefer phony leadership to the real deal.
Do you mean the legacy media?
Many of us prefer to call it corporate media.
The word, "legacy," implies a reference to something of lasting value.
"Corporate" implies that the thing exists only to serve the owners, which seems more accurate.
Point well taken. Just don’t call it liberal or progressive media because it doesn’t prop up liberal or progressive views in the way that right wing media does for right wing views. (Not that I think it should. It SHOULD be somewhat neutral. )
Liberal media is evidence/fact-based media, as opposed to Trump-endorsed media. Do you read Ground News? I find it's a source supported by both sides.
I still wouldn’t call it “liberal news,” unless it had liberal bias.
J.D. is working super hard to be recognized as a devout Catholic instead of a greedy liar. But then he opens his mouth and his inhumanity shines through.
Phil, nice description of death star. I can only hope that some people here listen to what the Pope says because he is right on.
“One” of the highest places on earth, Phil? Who’s higher? 😚
You are too nice Kazz, it's much worse than that.
You’re right Ricardo, that’s an insult to vampires.
Welcome back Kazz...:-)
God, I am pleased to see you on top (so-to-speak) of "1 BBB" - one big bad bill:
Heads-up and Wings-up to your Activist Angels on the "Non-Profit Killer" clause hidden like a shive in the devilish H.R. 5495. That knife authorizes the Treasury Secretary to unilaterally de-fund, de-bank & dis-able Charities, Churches & many Non-Profit god's work.
Speaking of good work 😇, your trusted communicator, CAITLIN LEGACKI, (caitlinlegacki.com) has already organized 18,000,000 signatories to stop this thunderbolt ⚡️.
Caitlin is very adept at communicating with writers --- not of scripture but, news-you-can-use. See: press@stopgovernmentcensorship.org. Although I would love to read the 'First Book of Caitlin'.
You Go Caitlin & All Other Angels!
Keep in mind, The Be Good Tanya's song:
🎶 Keep it Light Enough to Travel🎶
🎶 Ya, Don't Let it all Unravel 🎶
As Samantha demonstrated ...
🎶 I broke a window at the Lumber Company -- jus' to left-off some Steam 🎶
🎶I had to drop my Accordion jus' to getaway from the Po-lice 🎶
🎶 So ... Keep it Light Enough to Travel 🎶
🎶 Hey! Keep it Light Enough to Travel 🎶
🎶 Light Enough ... Light Enough ... Light Enough, Ya!
God, how do you know these things ? It’s just uncanny.
See her notes and references.
God needs notes and references? I guess this is a big update from Zeus.
And Zeus is laughing with all his Greek god pals (except perhaps Minerva, who must be having a rough time of it).
Hera likely. Let’s also Include concerns for the wildlife. I only recall Zeus had only the most mercurial of buddies, even his own brother. Of course, Zeus did end his father. Probably not a description of the best of times.
See, Caitlin Legacki & my praise of her work above.
Just like cockroaches that they are
Borax is an effective method to kill cockroaches by dehydrating them. To use it, mix equal parts of Borax and sugar, then sprinkle the mixture in areas where roaches are seen; they will be attracted to the sugar and ingest the Borax, leading to their death over a few days.
100 boxes of Borax and 100 bags of sugar should be enough to cover all the entrances to the U.S. Capitol.
The borax will give them thousands of cuts like tiny little knives. Sounds like a nice painful way to go. Another option is diatomaceous earth which will dry them all out, wrinkle up their bodies and also kill them but won’t be as satisfyingly painful.
Does it work with politicians?
If you're quick you can flatten them as they scuttle. I have a flat wooden implement reserved for the purpose.
I use Substack Inc contractually compelled CA Mediation.
Seven at one blow?
When we were in Sierra Leone now and then driver ants would visit and cockroaches were high on the walls. So I got a broom and knocked them into the driver ants. At some point i could see cockroach pieces leaving the house. It was quite satisfying. In the same vein, i would love to see R cockroaches knocked off their pedestals by the voters.
EXACTLY
It's up to us to shed light on it all. This "explainer" video clip from Belle of The Ranch puts it in perfectly clear language. She often says that with the GOP "the math ain't mathin' "
She explains this Walmart issue such that even the MAGA should be able to understand.
Please watch (it's short, under 4 minutes) and forward it to all your contacts. Post it to your social media. Traditional media isn't going to report this, let's take up the cause.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayOOCRZs12o
Very prescient, God
Vivid imagery.
The horrors keep coming... But I want to yell from the rooftops - Congratulations Romania! They can be part of our inspiration to keep fighting!!!
Like the rabid rats they are.
Agreed, Kinsman.
Thank you!
I agree, although in the case of Trump's many ethics infractions the administration seems to use the fact that he's doing this in broad daylight as a defence, a rather twisted version of government transparency.
Nancy Pelosi have to vote on the bill to see what's in it. I'll be more than happy to send you a copy of the video.
Don't you have a kitty litter box to clean? It's obviously full.
Damn, you took the bait from the worst of us. When you see the evil's post, keep scrolling. He is seeking individuals like you who believe they must engage with him.
I played with Rick for a bit, it got tiresome. Nothing of value.
I love the articulate and analytical way many of you come to the defense of fallacy
And denial. Why don't you talk to a Trump voter and see how he feels which by the way was a majority of the voters
There is no defense here just a prosecution
I would debate your positions but you are too far gone. Hey, I already know how stupido you are since I had convinced you to buy my book, Donald’s Vanity Tantrums.”
He's already been convicted Rick, so the boat has sailed on that one.
Ricky is asleep now in Florence, Italy.
We need to remember and remind Ricky (“politicalstraightman”) of his description of himself: “ Political independent for 40 years vote with facts and logic not with feelings and hate”
He strides the globe like a Colossus.
Just like roaches!
Thank you for the great visual, cockroaches. Made me laugh out loud 😹
Cockroaches that they are....
The same rural voters who supported Trump will now pay higher prices, possibly lose a local hospital, and watch billionaires without any compunction to share their wealth horde capital while paying less taxes.
The concept of government working for the common good is totally lost with this administration.
We are seeing such haste to pass a bill so scrutiny is aborted.
Remember --- this is the reality tv presidency. He has a pathological need to be in control, to be noticed, to be heard - not just in the US, but in the world.
Those rural voters who still have jobs will pay higher prices. Rural farms and businesses are going to be destroyed by the Trump tariffs.
Of course, evil, sneaky bastids that they are, the Rs made it so the Medicaid cuts won't be felt for a while yet.
They know their supporters don't look closely at things, so the mob won't start screaming until the cuts actually hit in a few years.
It is not only the administration that deplores the common good; it is a degenerate American civilization, which has been deprogrammed by social media from respect for scientific thinking and knowledge acquired from books and higher education.
Jan de Hartog and his wife - Jan wrote the old play The Fourpostsr than it was turned into the old musical
I Do I Do as well as the novel The Peacable Kingdom- volunteered in Texas at a hospital they were appalled abd wrote a book about it called I think The Hospital.
There have been several books on the fall of the community hospital . This is an all over problem because of hedge funds and private equity funds taking over so many vital services for profit and profit only.
There is also the contribution of the medical schools and how they have played a negative role in this. Look at Nothern Exposure the old show and what is wrong with the picture? There was a young doc from NYC not an indigenous young doc from the local region or even state. This happened in Appalachia as well as African American communities there was no open and flowing pipeline to healthcare for many students. Howard Medical School was a great exception but it dealt with racism a lot.Catholic hospitals but sometimes they were segregated as well. In the fifties there was an opening up and then slowly not. Medical students were also drawn from other countries and particular countries and a great research area what was going on? The balance of healthcare providers in the medical profession was off. It did not reflect certain important groups.
Most of us are angry especially those that sense or saw a devolution . Many folks just angry abd no idea why and reality tv created an anti hero mythical figure that is the heart of much of the last ten years aided and abided by others such as Putin.
It is time for free medical school for qualified applicants. Time NOT to see medicine as a way to get rich. The AMA has a lot to answer for
Yeah I feel all 77 million of them. ?
You're still in Disneyland, pal
And let me bring it up again here's a quote from Nancy Pelosi. You have to vote on the bill to see what's in it. Ooops
Hello to my favorite bot. How 'ya feelin' taday Rikky?
Note to other readers, please don't feed the bot.
I have a new descriptor for him: “idi-bot”.
He is amusement
If she said it, she was wrong. Now go away.
PS: You leave out an important add on see above.
Yes, but those rural voters will still be waving their little MAGA flags…
Wishing Joe Biden the best of outcomes as he grapples with his cancer diagnosis. AND a hearty thank you for the decades of dedicated public service—not without a few missteps along the way, but always in earnest and in good faith, and never for self-gain. As POTUS he quietly achieved many of his goals, was smart to surround himself with great cabinet/dept/agency appointees…he and they made a good team…and they worked for “we the people”. ☮️🖖💖
A spectacular team! And continuing to work. A team of that calibre doesn't happen by luck.
That's the team that you put together when you want to build something important and lasting. On the other hand, when your objective is destruction and self enrichment, you have the current scumbag president 's team .
Trump's crew aren't so much a team as they are a syndicate.
Team members bond together to pursue a common goal – usually positive – as one. A team is characterized by harmony and mutual respect.
A syndicate consists of individuals who pursue goals that are similar each to the others. A syndicate is characterized by self-interest and mistrust.
Essential qualification: background as a Fox TV "personality". May not work out, but it's a start.
Quite right Dale.👌
Hope that can survive the barrage of hate that repubs have perfected
I don’t understand how they didn’t catch this sooner. Should be part of every annual exam. We learned so much about prostate cancer when my husband had it. We were lucky, caught it early and removal of the prostate in 2018 has left him cancer free. But I haven’t seen a good article that explains Biden’s cancer yet.
Sharon, I caught a couple of news shows that interviewed medical “advisors” & one mentioned that protocols for testing/evaluating prostate health can vary—often dependent on age, suggesting there is a “prime time” for scrutiny & more periodic evaluations after that. Not unlike, for women, when to start (age) & how often to have mammograms or paps, or in general the same for colon cancer screening. [Edit: Protocols change with time/experience/studies; his diagnosis, being world-wide news, may bring some scrutiny to how this disease is tested for and monitored. I am afraid with looming cuts to Medicaid/Medicare there may be those who “fall through the cracks” to catch such things early, since available care may be curtailed.]
My husband has had his PSA (blood test) checked since he was 50. His doctor did a prostate exam every year and felt the change from one year to the next. His cancer was diagnosed at 54. I have no faith in military doctors given the number of miscarriages they allowed me to have even while I worked in the hospital. Biden should have been being tested the entire time he was in office but especially as VP and POTUS. Thats a world renowned hospital but look at the phony reports they put up on Trump’s health.
I was a nurse on a cancer ward and always followed the research avidly, even 40+ years later.
Sharon, I nominate YOU to be head of HHS!!!!!👍
No thank you! It was hard enough to work with insurance companies when I headed a claims team. I can’t imagine dealing with that bureaucracy.
🤣I totally understand!!!!
I'll sponsor and support you!!!!!
I was wondering the same thing. Maybe they were monitoring it and it suddenly got worse.
At a certain age they decide it is slow moving and won’t kill them so leave it alone once it hits the bones. My husband was only 54, caught it early and his prostate was the size of a walnut and had good margins. We were grateful to have such a thorough doctor. And our surgeon was phenomenal. She explained everything so well and had great success in the past. She answered questions for 2 hours before surgery.
Thank you for a well done tribute to a good man and good president. I want to repeat a story here that Biden told, I heard once on MSNBC and never forgot. His father must have been a truly special person: President Biden reported that one day when he was sixteen and out with his father, having seen two men kiss each other. Having never seen such behavior before, he remarked on it to his father who replied, “Joey, they love each other.” It made me think that that was part of the Constitution that we got with Joe Biden.
May I add: Given our racism and misogyny, how could we elect Kamala Harris, regardless of her qualifications, if she could not become president through the president’s death or by playing a much larger role in Biden’s second term? And who was trying to keep America living up to her (our) promise?
Virginia, I was thoroughly disappointed with our electorate, especially those who opted out from voting. I really thought we were more enlightened than that, though perhaps I shouldn’t be….after all we STILL HAVEN’T passed/codified the ERA (quibbling about “timing issues” and deadlines now). I have posted this link here several times (never know who sees it), but a short song/vid about the 2024 election: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9rgHC9P7FjI
Your comment Barbara comes from your heart and your brain. Touchy and intelligent 👌
Might wanna catch a clue we are not Romania. We are the United States of America and we walk to our own drummer.
We in Europe are relieved by the Romania election result; hopefully this will bolster the trend of voters in other democracies turning out in the hopes of preventing the kind of egregious corrupt and immoral leadership — exemplified by the Republicans pushing through a budgetary bloodbath of a budget that they KNOW their constituents do not want—that has led to the felling of the American democracy and economy. We hope.
Can't believed the Romanians are much smarter than the Americans.
a) They are fewer
b) Very probably better educated all-round
c) Very computer-literate
d) They've made a quick comparison of life in Europe/life in America.
Did you see the film "Toni Erdmann"? Set in Bucharest - quite enlightening.
They also make very nice wine. And Romanians are a culture that originated from the remains of both the Roman and the Byzantine Empires--they are more Western European than many of their neighbors (and their language is one of the Romance languages, which reinforces this)
Yes, a long stretch of the Danube was their northern boundary. Wine, eh? Hmmm.
I want to see as many foreign films as possible before they're tarriffed out of existence.
I bet they don’t spend all day watching “reality” TV. That was the downfall of this country.
Never heard of that film Anne-Louise. I'll look for it. Thanks.
Came out in 2016.
As soon as I watched the trailer, I remembered I saw the movie and it was really interesting from the family, corporate and sociological point of view. I might watch it again. 😃. Thanks
Exactly! Good.
Sadly, dozens of countries are "much smarter" than the Americans Ricardo according to many studies. Here is one-
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/average-iq-by-country
This from Wikipedia-
Originally, IQ was a score obtained by dividing a person's mental age score, obtained by administering an intelligence test, by the person's chronological age, both expressed in terms of years and months. The resulting fraction (quotient) was multiplied by 100 to obtain the IQ score.
For modern IQ tests, the raw score is transformed to a normal distribution with mean 100 and standard deviation 15. This results in approximately two-thirds of the population scoring between IQ 85 and IQ 115 and about 2 percent each above 130 and below 70.
I suspect the Republican politicians as a group skew much lower than the Democrats.
Counter to IQ is another metric which is my own as far as I can tell and that is MQ or "Motivation Quotient." The typical meme for a person with a low MQ is someone who plays video games all day and lives in their parents basement. Other memes are drug and alcohol addicts who have no will to learn or change.
Yes, when we had 2 exchange students for the school year we heard all about how they skip sports and teaching is based on projects and working together instead of multiple choice tests and memorizing textbooks. They were from Norway and Germany.
I can.
I can. They aren't afraid of empathy.
KSC,
I, as an American, I am relieved by the election votes of the Romanian people!
There are few humans in Washington D.C. who remember what morality is.....how it is lived out for the betterment of humankind.
They are blinded by the "gold" and power made available to them as a result of the power the people have freely given them with their vote.
They have become children of "The Orange One". They will join the new club in Washington D.C. ($500,000 membership fee). They will throw away all that has been made available to them .... as girls and women have healthcare taken from them (mental as well as physical).
The education of our children becoming institutions for brainwashing instead of serious study. Our transportation systems becoming less safe. Prices of groceries going up. Medical care more expensive and difficult to find in rural areas where people may or may not have safe transportation...or in large cities where many elderly ones can be forgotten and abandoned.
Each and all Romanians...COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS...HOLD ONTO THEM!
THE USA HAS LOST ITS CENTER...IT'S REASON...IT'S COMMONSENSE!
Emily, I am also an American and certainly identify more as an American than a Northern European. It frightens me and breaks my heart to read and hear about the cruel, chaotic, and corrupt demolition of the American democracy. I often comment on the complexion of the European struggle to look Putin in the eye from his threatening perch and to stave off the illiberal attacks from within the ’union’ of Europe democracies. There really is no where where the fight has not been joined.
There is this too: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/18/world/europe/poland-president-election-results.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Well, we handed them cautionary examples.
Blocked.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/18/centrist-warsaw-mayor-narrowly-ahead-in-first-round-of-polish-presidential-race?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Thanks. Note that Russia and Belarus will be performing war games on the Polish bordee.
AI. In May 2025, there are reports of heightened tensions and military preparations along the border between Poland and Russia/Belarus. Specifically, Poland is bolstering its defenses, including building fortifications along the border with Russia's Kaliningrad exclave. Additionally, Poland is expanding its military and increasing military training for its citizens, aiming to have every adult male trained in the event of war.
And this from the Finnish/Russia border
https://odessa-journal.com/satellites-have-detected-increased-russian-military-activity-near-finland
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/world/europe/russia-beefs-up-forces-near-finlands-border.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
I don't think Russia is in any shape to attack NATO right now. They're drained on money, equipment, and manpower. I don't think China would help them with that, as they're concentrating on this with Europe today.
Europe knows war. They've had world wars on their own soil twice in the last century or so. They remember what it was like and I don't think they'll let it happen again.
Intimidation factor.
The immoral leadership just left in January flying to the public about his condition covering up his mental acuity, pocketing himself from pardoning his entire family. Anything else you wanna know oh yeah I forgot allowing 11 million illegals into the country to get them to vote.
Non citizens aren’t allowed to vote, you fuckin idiot
Just a reminder, Rick is a bot programmed to piss us all off. Ignoring it is the best practice.
Bot or Boy-man in a bonkers-brave-new-world information bubble brought to him by the broaucracy He is not worth our breath or the barbs.
Nah, Rick is a friend of mine (vomit) because I convinced him to buy my book, lol.
I watched Rick's writing style go from very poor, almost nonsensical, pros 6 months ago to well put together, fairly long essays in reply to EVERY comment (literally hundreds of replies in a VERY short space of time with encyclopedic command of 'facts' - though still with very little understanding of what those facts actually mean. Because of this, I concluded he is in fact a bot. A Russian bot in fact, due to his early fixation on Ukraine, even when it was not mentioned in LFAA.
Naw, Ricky’s description of himself is “Political independent for 40 years vote with facts and logic not with feelings and hate.”
No HATE. No FEELINGS - wait, what? No FEELINGS?? Hmmmmm
No Rick used voice over to post comments which is why and can post so often. Let me try and explain Rick. He is certainly a nut case who has swallowed MAGA hook line and sinker. But there is some plausibility to a few things he says. Just a tinsy wincy. I’m a centrist. It implies a lot that avowed democrats have conflict with. I am often in conflict with the safer harbor that I sale in. And some of those issues I identify in Rick.
A few examples: I understand that the border was poorly address under Biden. Hey it’s my opinion. I recall once Homeland security chief Myorkas once responding to a reporter on why Biden never created an executive order and Myorkas responded angrily, “Because it wouldn’t hold up in court” and I was dumbfounded with his response. I knew and know he was wrong. Even if only for optics sake. This is the world of politand one needs to play to win.
I have never believed in transgurls playing on girls sports teams. Ever ever ever but not Biden.I’ve always been a feminist supporter in the traditional sense and will not change because some winds see to want to change definitions. When Putin threatened Ukraine with invasion if nato didn’t state no membership for Ukraine, that was a no brainer for me. Why didn’t we do it? I recall at the time our defense secretary saying that a war would wear down the Russian army. Holy crapola so we wanted Ukraine to be the sacrificial lamb for the West? Man has Biden some dumb dumb things. So in this sense, I can relate to Rick. But Rick has gone off his rocker. He is a nut case but he does have some points that might be more listened to if he wasn’t so damn crackpotish.
For just how long do you propose to defend Trump by castigating Biden? Did you see that Moody's have finally joined Fitch and S&P in downgrading the US rating? It's not working, Rick.
For the Republicans to delay their cuts to Medicaid until 2029 so voters won't know who was responsible for those cuts - hoping to scrape through the elections unscathed - is just plain nasty. It's hard enough for us to keep track of what the heck Congress is doing. For those elected officials to engineer evasions to hide their actions knowing their constituents oppose them . . . how is the normal voter to keep track of any of this? So thank you, Heather, for pointing these things out time after time after time. Because they just don't stop, do they?
The reslugicans are abject cowards.
Yes, and in reality they’re not really cutting the deficit as they claim.
Constance, to delay the cuts in Medicaid until 2029, how is that a saving in the budget for 2025, 2026, … ? Can anyone explain this?
Do you think it has anything to do with always talking about cuts over 10-year periods, allowing them to wrap it in that way? I don’t know otherwise and would like to know myself.
You mean like 11 million people coming into the country to get them to vote when they said that was not the case and sure enough it happened in New York 800,000 non-citizens attempted to vote and it took the New York Supreme Court to turn it down
Thanks for the input. Could you please supply sources for your information? I'd like to read about that.
Rick's only 'source' is his fevered imagination. He will eventually produce a citation but it won't confirm his addled description of it. That's just his modus operandi.
Don't forget Fox News and their clones.
For a time, NY allowed non-citizens in the country legally to vote in local elections only. It was turned down by the NY SC.
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2024/jan/19/instagram-posts/do-illegal-immigrants-now-have-the-right-to-vote-i/
Specifically it was a New York City local law that was never implemented. The highest court in New York State found it to violate the NYS Constitution. It was a dumb move by city council, they knew it couldn't stand but did it for political purposes, which backfired by giving a tinge of legitimacy to the right claim.
Thanks for the clarification, Gary. IIRC, Oregon tried that too.
I've been to Oregon several times. Beautiful state.
Wouldn't it be wonderful for Walmart to pass on most of the cost of the Trump Tariff Tax to the consumers and list in on the receipt? Asking too much?
Amazon was going to try that and Trump “talked” to Bezos, probably mentioned that all those “peaceful protesters” from Jan. 6 were out of jail now, and getting bored. Bezos backed down.
Walmart is really, really hard on their suppliers. I understand they run their stores similar to a grocery store. If you want to sell in their store, you make a pitch in which they will try to squeeze you down to the lowest possible cost and price to customers.
You are then responsible for all stock up to the moment when it is scanned for sale or returned after sale. Spoilage, Theft, your problem. In the meantime you finance the inventory. If it's large enough you deliver it to actual stores else to distribution centers.
So...will Walmart bow down low to Trump?
I doubt they will comment but it sounded like Bessent and Trump tried to get them to eat the Trump Tariff Tax and they said they would TRY.
But their economic model probably does NOT include giving away profits to a KING.
I have ZERO sympathy for Walmart. When they first opened their stores Sam Walton proudly claimed, "Made in America." They have forced thousands of businesses into bankruptcy, many of which were small businesses in rural America.
All of the Waltons are part of the oligarchy and they are the richest family in the US. If they really gave a damn, they would publicly condemn Trump and his chaotic tariffs.
No: the Walton family is far more concerned about keeping the profits for themselves, despite their support of NPR. I always consider their self-congratulatory plug for the Walton Foundation to be ironic . . .
Or a mob boss.
Every single retailer does exactly the same thing it just at Walmart has a little bit more Pull
Let them eat tariffs is now official policy. How long before the likes of Walmart tell the administration to stick it up their arse?
Mark, your description of Walmart's relationship with suppliers is pretty accurate. I worked for the retailer that taught Sam Walton everything he knew about discount retailing, TG&Y Stores.
The dialog goes something like this ...
Walmart buyer: "We like your widget and we think we can sell it for 99¢. Which means you have to wholesale it to us for 45¢."
Supplier: "I can't manufacture and ship it for that."
Walmart buyer: "Fine. We'll take your prototype to China and they'll copy it for 40¢. Do you want to sell to us or not?"
The conversation is less of a "squeeze" and more of a threat. TG&Y pioneered the Chinese ripoff tactic.
Walton started Walmart because Ben Franklin Stores' parent, TG&Y pissed him off when they opened a TG&Y store in Bentonville, which violated the non-compete agreement they had with Ben Franklin franchisees. He vowed to put TG&Y out of business. When TG&Y folded, half the buying staff went to work for Walmart.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayOOCRZs12o
Bezos was a yellow-bellied coward from the git go.
JD, I take a more nuanced view: I think that Bezos is an example of the ultimate moral corruption of vast wealth and power. He started as a scrappy company that was offering books to those of us who lived too far away from a Barnes and Noble or Borders to gain access to the books we wanted and needed--including students. I know because I was teaching in a rural-based college at the time and Amazon was a godsend. And he lost money consistently in those days. He was no threat to the behemoth Barnes and Noble, although Borders, which was also targeted by B&N, was the first major chain to crumble because they didn't have the infrastructure to compete. If you notice, B&N is still around. Why? Because they bought a huge number of college bookstores--especially small colleges and private universities--and they gouge their captive consumer class (students) with impunity. When he got into publishing, he did so with the intention of making the process easier and more transparent for authors. And has actually been more reliable than most small bookstore chains and independent booksellers when it comes to paying out. Both TCinLA and I have commented on that in the past, as we are both authors who have had to rely on Amazon to carry our books and get them to people who want them (I publish with academic presses and they don't market to regular commercial outlets). He also made it possible to get books that were otherwise totally unavailable in the USA to the regular consumer, a situation that still exists. The crazy started when he began to use the Walmart model of strong-arm tactics and threats to expand his business into realms it had not originally been designed to go. And now he is richy-rich--and his money is more important to him than the ethics he originally claimed. Kind of like Google. Remember "Don't Be Evil"?
I watched a Frontline episode on Bezos a few years ago. They reported that he convinced his rich investors to not expect a profit from Amazon for 10 years so he could operate at a loss while building his empire. Other companies had to see a profit in order to survive. He didn't, so he could undermine and outlast them. While there are some great aspects to Amazon, Bezos isn't one of them.
The best thing that Bezos ever did was to marry Mackenzie Scott and then divorce her. She has donated over $19 billion of her marital split to well over 1000 organizations with NO QUESTIONS ASKED. She's my hero! And so are Susan Buffett and Melinda Gates.
You are right, he started out as a reputable businessman. His ego grew as fast as the company, or faster. He became a scourge
Trump and Bozo speak the same language: money. Bozo isn't afraid of violence. At the slightest threat of physical discomfort, he can jet away to anywhere in the world and be safe. However, a threat to his wealth will make him roll over on his back and pee on his belly just like a scared Beagle pup.
I heard a tariff horror story from an entrepreneur in Minnesota yesterday on MSNBC.
She is a successful small businesswoman who sells products for babies like dishes, tippy cups, strollers, car seats etc. Most of these products are made in China and therefore she receives large shipments from China on a regular basis.
On her most recent order it came with a tariff tax bill of over $230,000. She was forced to take out a loan from the SBA. If she had received the order today her tax bill would have been about $50K which is still crushing to most small businesses.
How many new parents can afford to pay an extra 25% or more for a car seat which happens to be required by law in every state?
Horrible. I hope she survives. It's heartbreaking.
My husband ordered some Samsung lights from Amazon last week. They were $75 and missing a part when they arrived. He was going to call Samsung but in the end decided to return them and order a new set. The new price was $55.
We try every avenue before Amazon but sometimes are stuck. But a word of warning, never do an exchange for a defective product, just return and buy another one. They will take weeks and weeks to replace the item when ordering new will come the same day or next.
Isn’t 50k less than 230k? Are you missing a 0?
I wasn't clear. That's what she expects to be hit with on her next order with the Chinese tariff rate reduced to 30% from 145%. Sorry.
Amy Klobuchar has mentioned her as a victim of tfg’s tariff-ying behavior.
Mark, certainly we , as consumers, have the right to know, but they won't inform us because they are afraid. Trump said already he'll be watching. What a shameful way to run a country 😕
After all, who (theoretically) rules America?
The temp position of "president" is acceptance of duties. It is not a receipt of ownership.
Trump will only watch the large retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc.
Hopefully the regional and local merchants call him out with how much the tariffs are costing their customers.
I read that Walmart said they won’t pass them on after being talked to by one of the toadies. I’m sure they’ll just cut staff because they certainly won’t give up profits.
That isn't what Scott Pissant said on the Sunday talk show. He said Walmart would pass on some of the tariffs and they would absorb some of them. Ok, he only said they would absorb SOME of the tariff costs but MSNBC and others make it sound like Walmart is absorbing all of the increase in prices due to the tariffs which is misinformation.
I read an article somewhere this morning that said the CEO told Trump et al that they wouldn’t pass it on to consumers. But then how would that crowd know, Trump thinks you need ID to buy a loaf of bread and groceries seems to be a new word in his vocabulary.
I'm sorry but the greedy Walton gang will not absorb ALL of the Trump tariffs. I will be surprised if they absorb ANY of them.
How else is Nancy Walton Laurie going to pay for her Dutch built $300 million yacht?
https://www.superyachtfan.com/yacht/kaos/
I didn’t say I believed the story. Don’t shoot the messenger.
🙂 Sorry! Not a fan of the richest family in the world.
THIS needs to go viral:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayOOCRZs12o
This is the problem with your people here keep pushing for America to fail.
You pushed for Elon to fail and three states lost over $1 billion in pension funds of their own constituents
Trump wiped out $11 trillion of market capitalisation in two days!
I have started calling this the Stroke of Heather 😉. Thanks for each and every letter. Wishing you a fantastic day and some rest too.
It's a really horrible, ghastly day when the only good news in the world comes out of Romania, rather than America. Still, given the stakes involved, and Putin raining yet more death on Ukraine and trying to infiltrate, subjugate and pervert every free government in Eastern Europe, it's a victory.
Since late January, many of Heather's letters had been disheartening and demoralizing, only because she was accurately reporting the news. Perhaps she was aware of the effect her letters were having on us. In recent weeks, I've noticed that each letter may have summarized grim news, but ended with a brighter note.
“…one of the many pieces tucked into it is a prohibition on any state laws to regulate artificial intelligence for the next ten years.
Despite its gargantuan energy demands, harm to the environment, and threats to privacy, the administration is pushing AI hard, and the country’s leading AI entrepreneurs, including Elon Musk, Sam Altman of OpenAI, Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Ruth Porat of Google’s parent company Alphabet, and Andy Jassy of Amazon all traveled with Trump to Saudi Arabia last week.”
So republican of them.
Kinda makes ya wanna vomit…no?
If someone only read this section of Heather today, it is so revealing of Repub intention,stealth and cruelty.
And also terrifying, because of WHO they made the deals and contracts with, last week.
What about all the liberal billionaires you wanna mention them as well like George Soros or Michael Bloomberg
Jamaica entire list works both ways
Speaking of “vomit”……
It works both ways
Two wrongs do not make a right, Rick. Didn't you ever learn that maxim?
I played with Rick for a bit. It grew tiresome. Too many personal attacks and no reasoned arguments.
That's how it usually ends after a few rounds of 'sparring'. He's presently shunning me but I have told him that if he comments here it's open season.
Although I do like twisting his tail... :)
ABC, CBS, and NBC news reporters should all be required to read these letters every day.
Nah, they can’t be bothered. They are watching Rupert’s money roll in…
They do read them 90% of the news is negative against Trump.
With you people as you think this is the truth. This is her version of the truth from her historical perspective not the entire story if you want the entire story go to a couple of White leaning news sources and see the difference and then evaluate it yourself.
'White leaning'?!!!
That phrase is quite a tell. Ricky is one of those damaged individuals for whom attention is a drug. Even, and perhaps especially, negative attention. Don’t feed the troll.
Rick is shunning me at the moment but I've made it clear to him that if he posts nonsense here then it's open season for me or anyone else to correct his BS.
Thank you Professor Richardson.
Any meaningful democracy requires an educated, informed, and engaged society. I suspect any child with a sixth grade education would understand that if you have a credit card with a $1,000 credit limit, you don't solve the problem by increasing the credit limit to $2,000 while at the same time saying those who are most capable of repaying the debt don't have to do so.
Using the misappropriated frame of being "Fiscally conservative" the criminal-elect, his shillbilly VP, and Mike 'Lil' Johnson want us to believe they are operating the Federal Government with greater "efficiency" and to do so, they need to raise the debt ceiling by $4 Trillion (and keeping in mind in his first Presidential crime wave, the criminal-elect added trillions to the national debt).
This is all about accelerating the already extreme concentration of wealth in the United States -which makes any form of democracy impossible. It is a all-out assault on the U.S. system, intended to be the final straw for multi-generational control.
If only the International Criminal Court would tell the criminal-elect they have a "Big, Beautiful Gift" they want to bestow upon him, and then let justice take its course.
Since the bill has passed out of committee, the Congressional Budget Office initial report should give Dems sufficient voice to worry constituents of both parties. And more importantly perhaps board rooms. Again in both the House and Senate there will be a fight. The bill can’t remain a dark horse throughout this process.
If it could, that would be yet another nail in the coffin of the Houses of Congress. Think of it, passing into law a bill for which major elements are hidden from Congress, government agencies tasked with informing on its cost of implementation and impacts, and the public are deliberately blindsided.
Since that appears to be the Administration’s intent. This will not be a bill that has passed into law. It simply will be an edict delivered as a blank cheque from the Administration and making all the rest of government entirely irrelevant.
As never before, this is a time for the opposition parties of Congress to rise up and lay bare this fraud upon the nation. The sacking of our country must be stopped.
I hope Democrats are preparing to thoroughly and publicly prosecute this thing.
There are two forums for prosecution that I am aware of, the Federal courts and the Court of the people. All paths must be taken.
But it’s the Court of the people that can move the needle in the Houses of Congress. Everyone will be hurt by this bill regardless of political affiliation.
"Everyone will be hurt," Bill?
Putin? Orban? Netanyahu? Bukele? Xi? Erdogan? The Iranian mullahs? Kim? Mohammed bin Salman? Milei? Sisi? Musk? Peter Thiel? Marjorie Taylor Gazpacho? Rupert Murdoch? The billionaire owners of legacy media? The billionaire owners of social media? The billionaire owners of all standardized testing?
Everyone. Most immediately everyone from the upper middle classes on down to the homeless that occasionally drop by soup kitchens.
You only listed a relatively few people. Is this an enemies list thing? Do you seriously imagine that in the long game they will be unaffected? Only if they die first. What about their families and generations of offspring? Not everyone is a dead-ender like Drumpf. At least, I do doubt it.
Are they going to live out their lives deep in super-renovated missile silos having group get togethers via flat screen TVs?
Eating … not haute cuisine? Or are they going to join Milo Minderbender on quick weekend voyages to Mars where the skies are still clear?
Last I checked, social position counts for little on a tiny planet where all of nature has finally tired of you.
But really, there may be a few who manage to die blissfully unaware of what they are leaving behind. The lucky ones.
Always remember the fate of the plutocrat Nelson Rockefeller. For him at least, death may not have been all that bad. So yes. You’re correct … not everyone.
So let's all get cracking on those dalliances that tend to cause heart failure!
More than one wag, laine, has noted how, "He came and he went."
Bill:
You have my vote for most relevant comment today.
How do the prominent plutocrats and politicians expect to survive when the global agricultural economy collapses under the weight of their rapacity? They are not going to find eating money to be very nutricious.
\Vince S
Thank you, Vince.
I don’t matter in any of this. Don‘t want to matter beyond the moment.
In the early 1930s, one could eat currency, I suppose. It was more abundant than vegetables. I’ve heard that some attempted to make breads with the worthless notes.
Recall, the economic depression became global. The collapse of economies lead to the collapse of societies., etc.
Billionaire owners of corporate media.
One can dream, I’m contributing to billboards. All over the land. Not as polluting as AI
Good!
Those Republicans who voted present instead of yes or no will have to vote when it comes to the floor. I’m sure they’re trying to save their seats.
“save their seats.”
Double entendre?
Yes.
One of the constant themes of the Republican Party has been that government is not as efficient as private enterprise so therefore we should turn over many functions of government to private enterprise. I remember how that was one the primary themes of the Reagan election and his Presidency brought in the era of both tax cuts and radical changes to how government taxed. What this movement has achieved is great concentration of wealth coupled with the rise of gigantic oligopolies. The concentration of wealth is not only in organizations but with individuals as the argument over time was refined to claim if we allowed people to have greater wealth that would increase the economy and we all would benefit. The problem is that the argument is flawed and what we are seeing is that this transfer of wealth is also transferring the power to control government and this group is now at a point where they are comfortable in trying to support a take over of government that will give them almost unlimited power and wealth, while reducing opportunities of most Americans.
The concept that government exists because many problems and needs can only be addressed by acting collectively and we need taxes to pay for these activities, seems lost in the smoke of current chaos.
"the Reagan election and his Presidency brought in the era of both tax cuts and radical changes to how government taxed. What this movement has achieved is great concentration of wealth coupled with the rise of gigantic oligopolies."
Which was always the point. Nothing in the course of history supports the notion that the more of nation that is owned and controlled by the regally rich, the better off the preponderant public becomes. It was a fraud from the get go.
JL, your last sentence is the key. My evangelicalism hobby horse is in the barn today, so I'm riding my rich-founding-fathers hobby horse.
I think our U.S. History classes in school didn't properly emphasize that the European invader-colonists who set up the U.S. Government were wealthy.
They, themselves, were examples of people who believe a certain class is born to rule, and the rest are born to be ruled. Not enough emphasis is given to the original plan which called for far less "consent of the governed," as it excluded women and the enslaved.
The three-branch, checks-and-balances scam was a story they cooked up to gaslight and mollify the rabble. While the three branches were intended to check and balance each other, all were designed to protect and advance the fortunes of the wealthy.
Given that organic reality, it was just a matter of time until even more wealth and power would be transferred to the already rich and powerful.
There was a time when a person of modest means could run for office and be elected. Today, one must be a millionaire, at least, to even consider running for office. If a candidate doesn't have their own millions to run on, they must find millionaires or billionaires to finance their campaigns – in exchange for favors, of course.
I remember that from my first job. Private enterprise does it better. 60 years later it’s still a big lie. That profit bottom line negates any plus, especially if run by crooks adhering to the “GREED IS GOOD” mantra.
Use this spreadsheet to call/email/write members of Congress. Reach out to your own, as well as those in other states on a specific committee important to a topic you’re sharing. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13lYafj0P-6owAJcH-5_xcpcRvMUZI7rkBPW-Ma9e7hw/edit
From a comment above, these reps are reportedly standing up against some Trump measures.
CALL THEM!!
Don Bacon (202) 225-4155
David Valadao (202) 225-4695
Jeff Van Drew (202) 225-6572
Rob Bresnahan (202) 225-5546
Juan Ciscomani (202) 225-2542
Jen Kiggans (202) 225-4215
Young Kim (202) 225-4111
Robert Wittman (202) 225-4261
Nicole Malliotakis (202) 225-3371
Nick LaLota (202) 225-3826
Andrew Garbarino (202) 225-7896
Jeff Hurd (202) 225-4676
So sorry about Biden's health. It is good for him and his family that he is no longer in the White House, but not for the rest of us. I wish him all the best, and our country too. Both are ailing from cancers that need to be aggressively treated.
I am grateful for Joe Biden’s service and leadership. I hope he and his family find some peace during this difficult time.