This is really getting into dangerous territory, the stuff Rubio is pushing. Nobody here is old enough to remember McCarthyism, but I was involved in as the son of a man who got tarred with the red paint brush, when an East Texas goat roper who probably didn't wear shoes before he got drafted for the war, accused the University of Houston of hiring a "red" to created their school of electrical engineering. Somehow, someone had given him a copy of the Harlingen TX sheriff's report of my father making a forced landing there in a storm in 1938, and them finding the airplane full of guns and ammunition he was flying to Mexico for shipment to the Spanish Republicans in the Civil War. As the FBI put it, he was a "premature anti-fascist." So in the middle of first grade we left Houston and returned to Denver, and my dad went from head of the school to his old pre-war job at the Bureau of Reclamation. Life changed. And I was told not to tell any friend at school why I was there. It was 10 years before they got a new Chief Engineer who noticed my father had more patents in his name than the entire rest of the laboratory, and created a position for him worthy of his talents. That was an ugly, ugly time, and for these fuckwits to play around with bringing it back is just awful. I have other friends who were the "collateral damage" to those times, and nobody forgets it.
Totally. Give her 10 min alone with him and no cameras or microphones. She’d make mincemeat of him.
Your “mccarthy red” story, TC, is as sobering as others I have heard. As I read letter today, it’s what comes to mind. That Rubio and Gaetz are both in Florida is no surprise. They act as if seat of government is at Mar-a-Largo.
Having been stunned by HCR's letter today, especially Rubio's wannabe-McCarthy op-ed, I was just sitting here pondering the eternal question, "NOW what can/must I do?" The postcards I sent to VA voters and the only phonebank shift I did to call VA voters, last night, are clearly not enough. The perfect answer, in the next fifteen minutes anyway, is to give the biggest donation I can to Val Demings and tell Rubio's office his full-authoritarian-nutty op-ed prompted me to do it. Then post it on FB and urge friends to donate to Demings, too. The problem is that these days, nothing feels like enough. The Former Occupant, Trump, hasn't just poisoned the well, he's poisoned the water supply of the 80% of Republicans who actually believe his Whopper Lie . I don't want to underestimate the threat by thinking "I'll give more than I can afford, write some voter postcards, and make some voter calls, and that will be enough." At what point do Democrats and progressives, ie. We The Reality-Based, need to give up not just chunks but rather the _majority_ of our time and income, to defend democracy, the Constitution, the rule of law, and the truth, while we still can do so without bloodshed?
Everything we do to fight for freedom is not in the “enough or not enough”category. It is an on going belief in democracy…in times of danger and in times of peace. It is the way we live with others. It is our legacy. Every single one of us.
Rubio, so I was told, has sponsors with very deep pockets. Like many R '"front-men" (and women) Rubio is not very bright. It would not surprise me to learn that his letter was written for him by the same ideologues that pay him so well. Any chance they can be exposed?
"Gaetz s wannbe human...." love this. I might suggest that there are several others high on the list of wannabes, i.e. Taylor-Greene, Boebert, Gosar. The list goes on and on.
Funny you should say that Christine. I read a WP article over the weekend that the Journalist claims that is exactly what TFG is doing.Illegally of course. In times gone by , every ex president after leaving the WH could have what was known as “The Red Phone “. Not all wanted it.It is basically a direct line to All offices in the WH.Maybe more ? As we all know he never conceded . And a new gig in Trump Tower’s is a Bar called 45. With all photos of him stating “The President of The U.S. Logo’s.He is going about life as if he won the 2020 election. As also his followers believe. Now call me crazy but I’m thinking it’s against the law to impersonate a President. How does he get away with using the ‘Seal ‘ of the U.S. President on a Personally owned business ? He can’t Patent the U.S. Gov. for personal gain.There needs to be a ‘Heads up ‘ in the Licensing Div. in New York.
Odd. Our ex-President goes scot-free. And all those seditionists in Congress? Still voting. Free from the shackles of justice. This is like having a front row seat watching the criminals in plain sight use their "connections" to decipher the code to your safe, unlock it, and suck out all your stash and safety. Lawlessness at the top. Absolutely, no come-uppance. Had Obama an iota of a passion for justice, some fat guys at the top would be losing weight in prison by now. And the principle - There but for the grace of God go I - operating in the minds of the Fraternity to stay their sociopathic hearts and groping minds.Had the "moderates" "the incrementalists" an iota of hard, penetrating, objective reality in their perception, they would have fallen all over each other to vote for Bernie. The system, our system that created our woes (oligarchic control) and our Presidential-Attorney General- Congressional-Supreme Court material cannot correct, make right, nor heal itself. Family therapy works because someone outside the family system comes in to break up the illusions holding the diseased system in place. The citizenry are the only ones who can - by flooding the streets demanding justice and decency (Medicare negotiating drug prices, for example) - jiggle off the noose that's been growing around our necks since Reagan.
have to disagree about Bernie, he couldn't have won although I wish he could have. True that we need plenty of hard, penetrating, objective reality. It comes from HCR, but you are right, it must come from the citizenry. The tightening of the noose is the discomfort that we all feel.
There's a solution: win those three open Senate seats next year and Val Demmings stomps Widdle Marco. As my old boss used to say, "When you have the votes, you can do what you want." None of this comes overnight. I read Schlesinger's "Age of Roosevelt" a couple years ago. The people who made the New Deal, like Frances Perkins, had been in the fight for 30+ years when they finally won.
Bernie? And you are worried about control freaks? We are in a bad state. We are human. We make stupid, terrible mistakes, like Afghanistan. We need to change the way we behave towards each other. Marching around and torching businesses is not the path to a better country. The president is finally, a civil servant. We pay him to help us manage living in this world at, preferably, a high level of competence. When we figure out how to act with other people honestly and decently, we can tell our civil servants what we really want and need, then vote on our conclusions.
Why do you think these wanna-bees keep most of the electorate in low-paying jobs with not enough time to even think and in constant fear of losing their lousy jobs? How many decades have these goons told their workers who to vote for if their workers expect to keep their jobs? I’ll stop now, I could keep adding to the list for hours and not reach the end of the list.
TCinLA, You're not the only one here old enough to remember the McCarthy years. Thankfully, I didn't get an 'up close and personal' result. I'm sorry your family got targeted.
Another “oldie.” I remember some of it, mostly how the chickens came home to roost, and he was disgraced. Of course, there was no Rupert then, just Roy Cohn. His evil is still with us today in the person of djt, heaven help us.
I lived through the McCarthy period. It was frightening. I react badly to intimidation and faced McCarthyism straight up. As a sophomore in college, when Stalin died in March, 1953, two of us it would be ‘interesting’ to form a group to visit post-Stalin Russia. He screened about 100 applicants who, regrettably, we obliged to sign a ‘non-communist’ disclaimer. In Washington we go to the State Department, the Russian Embassy, and then back to the State Department. I believe the FBI preferred my left profile in photos. We were greatly concerned about how this exposure could affect to later serve in government. Yale President Griswold supported our initiative, while Harvard President Conant publicly seemed to tolerate McCarthyism. An uprising in June, 1953, got a Russian NYET, and I led a small group to Egypt & Israel.
McCarthyism scared many innocent Americans. First Amendment was frequently ignored and innuendo was deadly. President Truman had to bend a bit in supporting ‘loyalty’ oaths. Meanwhile, Republican leaders, viewing McCathyism as a springboard to the presidency, ignored that McCarthy was a drunk, a liar, and undermining the soul of America. He finally dug his own political grave during the Army hearings of 1954. The trigger was his attacking Fred Fisher, a bright lawyer in Welch’s Boston firm. Fred had innocently joined a group that later was put on the ‘communist-tinged’ list. Welch asked Fred to join him in the McCarthy hearing and Fred told him why it would politically be a bad idea. Welch got McCarthy’s promise that he wouldn’t involve Fred. When McCarthy violated this at the Army hearing, Welch replied: “Have you no sense of decency,” went on to crucify McCarthy, and received massive applause. McCarthy was lightly censured in the Senate and soon died of alcoholism.
I knew and admired Fred. We mete early in 1954 at a conference organized by the Ford Foundation for people who had successfully run a student international trip. Fred had been co-founder of the National Student Organization in, I believe, 1947. His stories of the opposition by Travel organizations and cruise companies were hilarious. Since we met in Pitney, a dry town, I was a welcomed participant when I went to get two cases of beer.
P. S. Joseph Welch, who was a national sensation in his skewering of McCarthy at the 1954 Army hearings, later was the sharp-witted judge in the marvelous movie, ANATOMY OF A MURDER. Fred Fisher had a distinguished legal career and was president of the Massachusetts Bar Association.
Yes, I remember my writing mentor Wendell Mayes (he wrote Anatomy) telling me how Otto Preminger did that as a "stick in the eye" to Hedda Hopper and the rest of the Hollywood red-baiters. Preminger - with Kirk Douglas - were the guys who killed the Hollywood blacklist when they gave Dalton Trumbo his screen credit for Exodus and Spartacus.
For anyone who wants to see how this was in those days, I cannot recommend the move "Trumbo" highly enough.
I was 7 yrs old in 1954. Let’s say I had enough smarts to be quiet while my parents were glued to the 2nd-hand Magnavox which they bought so they could watch the hearings.
“McCarthy in many ways was destroyed by the power of television …” Smithsonian Channel
I am old enough to remember watching Counsel Joseph Welch put Joe McCarthy down on the black and white TV in my college fraternity house. "Have you no shame, sir,?" he asked of the Senator who always looked like a thug needing a shave. We need more like Welch today and less of the 'fuckwits' who brought about your father's move from Houston back to Denver.
Your personal history should serve as a blinking red reminder to all of us how authoritarianism affects all of us. Too often it is spoken of in terms of "losing democracy" (which it is), but the personal stories of how it can affect every one of us is so compelling. Thank you.
Excellent point. "Losing democracy" remains an abstraction until we read accounts of what it was like for many people during the Red Scare. Can you imagine McCarthy questioning teachers in a congressional hearing about forcing students to read "anti-American" books about racism?
You don't have to imagine it, unfortunately. The Republican in Wisconsin who authored their law published a list of "words that would trigger this law if used." They included "social justice" and "inequality".
TC, you are made of strong mettle! What an ordeal for your family and how wonderful you came out on top though not unscathed. If we lose our democracy at this point in time, methinks someone in your Father’s position in real time, won’t escape as he did then. Scary times we are living in. Are people and businesses finally opening their eyes too late? I want to believe there is still hope but at this point we have no infrastructure bill and no voting rights bill. My heart is heavy. At 71 years, I’m worried for my children in their mid 30’s and my grandchildren, not so much for me.
Sharon, I am another Sharon seven years older than you! I am terrified. Ye, not for me but for my two girls and my granddaughter that is only 8 years old. What will be left for them?
Amazing that anyone would want to bring it back. But they are desperate, and we all should fear power-hungry ideologues. The damage is usually multi-generational and lethal. Thank you for that personal glimpse into the abyss.
Thank you for sharing your family trauma and your analysis of how Rubio is lashing out because he is vulnerable, but does not have the insight to be aware of it and is causing so much harm as a result. Take care.
Oh, TC, I remember McCarthy! I was young, but my parents were so upset by his horrors that their reactions affected me. I went to grammar school with a very bright girl, who never saluted the flag. Interestingly, the teachers never made an issue of it. My mother told me that the girl's father had been brought up on charges of being a communist, and her refusal to salute the flag was probably her reaction.
So, yup, we've had turmoil before, and we're still suffering from the likes of Cowboy Reagan and his "welfare Cadillac" nonsense and pathological rantings about communists and more "other" fear-mongering. I'm sorry that your family suffered so much at the hands of these fools, and you had to be warned to keep the secret.
Rubio is basing his campaign on an extension of MAGA. It must be trump-endorsed, if not trump-designed and orchestrated.
Ref. McCarthyism, my father was also painted red collectively as part of McCarthy's ridiculous slander of professional U.S. Army officers at the Pentagon who were labeled by him as being card-carrying communists. McCarthy said he had a list of such officers, but he kept changing the number of people on the list, and he never showed the list to anyone. For McCarthy to be believed by so many Americans shows the hysteria going on in the U.S. at the time (late 1940s, early '50s). The Army Chief of Staff had told Pentagon staff not to attend or be around the court proceedings of McCarthy vs. the Army. However, my father was an endlessly curious person who wanted to see and experience everything. One day, he came home from the Pentagon, switched from his uniform to civilian clothes, and went to attend the hearings. It was history in the making, and my father recognized it and wanted to witness it. (He didn't get caught for attending the hearing.)
McCarthy's baseless slanders became so ridiculous and obscene yet he created an era of fear throughout the country in his anti-communist hysteria. He accused the incomparable General George C. Marshall (then Sec. of Defense) of heading a communist conspiracy. Marshall's abilities, character, integrity, and devotion to serving the U.S. were beyond comparison. Presidents Roosevelt and Truman were in awe of Marshall and used him wherever and whenever possible. FDR chose Marshall to create the U.S.'s World War II military. Yet, in 1951, McCarthy accused Marshall of leading a group of communists dedicated to overthrowing the U.S. government. In 1945, Churchill had declared Marshall to be "the architect" of the allied victory in WWII. Six years later, the blustery, perpetually drunk demagogue McCarthy was wrongfully slandering a true and proven U.S. hero. How could Americans fall for such nonsense? Well, we're seeing the same thing now with trump's endless lies and his club of endorsing politicians who have no principles nor interest in serving the American people. Woe is us if we don't turn this around.
Even Ike was party to McCarthyism. Ike was beholden to George C. Marshall (who I consider the greatest American of the 20th century) for four reasons: 1) he chose Ike over other officers to serve on his staff; 2) he chose Ike to go to England to command a joint military operation; 3) he did not request that FDR name him commander of the D-Day invasion thus giving the position to Ike; and 4) when Ike wrote him of his desire to divorce Mamie and marry his British military driver, Marshall scotched this in the strongest terms.
Ike was going to Wisconsin during his 1952 presidential campaign. Joe McCarthy, who had attacked General Marshall as a ‘communist,’ was seeking re-election. Ike had included comments in his Wisconsin speech praising General Marshal. The Wisconsin governor asked him to remove these comments, saying that such could lose Wisconsin for the Republicans. Ike removed them, though they had been included in the speech released to the press.
Ike did deliver a blistering attack to McCarthy in the train headed to Wisconsin. He also, behind the scene, sought to cripple and destroy McCarthy. General Marshall never commented on Ike’s Wisconsin behavior. Ike quietly regretted his own behavior.
Amen. You may already be aware of the following, but I'll add a few addenda to your 4 reasons Ike was beholden to Marshall:
1) He chose Ike for his staff principally due to the recommendation by Mark Clark who had served under Marshall at Ft. Bragg, I believe. Marshall asked Clark for a list of ten officers whom he'd recommend for the staff position. Clark wrote Eisenhower's name and then added nine dittos under it. So, Ike owed Clark for that. Also, Ike and Clark were cadets at West Point at the same time. Maybe there was an unspoken quid pro quo because Ike promoted Clark to CG, Fifth Army, for the long fight through Italy (1943-45). Clark was an excellent organizer and troop trainer, but as a combat commander he had some shortcomings.
2) I believe Ike 'pestered' Marshall a lot to get that position in London, and Marshall came through for him.
3) Actually, President Roosevelt offered Marshall command of the D-Day invasion three times while Marshall replied each time, "Mr. President, I want you to choose which appointment will be best for the nation." Roosevelt said during the second offering, "General Marshall, you deserve this command more than anyone." Finally, Roosevelt said, "Okay, then, I'll go ahead and appoint Ike." Then Roosevelt added, "Frankly, if you weren't in Washington, I couldn't sleep at night." So, Marshall essentially gave Ike that appointment.
4) Yes, Ike's letter to Marshall about divorcing Mamie in order to marry Kay Summersby. Ike was asking Marshall if that divorce and remarriage would affect his military career. President Truman said years later that he had read the letter, and in it Marshall replied to Ike, "Affect your career? If you do such a thing, I will see to it that you are busted and run out of the service." Marshall himself never spoke of the letter and destroyed all such correspondence when he resigned from the army at the end of WWII.
The incident of Ike on the campaign trail in Wisconsin is a good demo of personal ambition overriding honor. Ike let Marshall down in multiple ways. I've read that Ike carried a guilt for his action there for the rest of his days.
Sorry if I get too carried away with all the details, but once I start writing about the formation of the WWII U.S. Army (e.g., the Great Louisiana Maneuvers) and the Mediterranean Theater operations during the war, it's hard for me to stop. You might enjoy my website which speaks of my parents' journey through the war and contains a number of historic photos related to it. It's: buckandbernice.com.
On a final note, my father met Marshall first in Algiers after the Casablanca Conference, and then many times in Washington after the war when he briefed Marshall on the Soviet military situation. My father's first comment to me about Marshall was, "In my opinion, he was perhaps the most brilliant person in the U.S. Army.
Clark had a few "shotcomings" as a combat commander - like nearly blowing the Salerno invasion, and then by having Sixth Army turn north out of Anzio and liberate Rome rather than link up with Eighth Army as planned and bag the entire German Tenth Army after Cassino finally cracked and the Gustav line broke, allowing the Germans to march around Rome while he was celebrating its "liberation" - thereby adding a year to the Italian campaign when the Germans made it to the Gothic Line as a result. Clark was the biggest incompetent in the European Theater, but they could only get rid of him by "kicking him upstairs" to Mediterranean Theater command.
And after they got rid of Clark they made the smartest decision in the MTO and brought Lucian K. Truscott Jr. - the best commander - back from France and put him in charge of 5th Army. As a guy who was there at the time said to me, "the entire atmosphere changed overnight from top to bottom." Truscott commanded at Anzio, and when he dedicated the US cemetery there in 1945, he turned to the dead and apologized to them, telling them if anyone ever said their deaths were "heroic" that "I'll be sure to set him straight for you."
I read about Truscott's dedicating the US cemetery at Anzio--when he turned his back to the dignitaries in the audience and turned instead to address the dead soldiers in their graves. It must have been incredibly moving.
What is the name of the book you wrote about the Italian campaign? I'll keep an eye out for it. One of my favorite books on the subject is Rick Atkinson's "Day of Battle."
Yes, I was being kind in using the word "shortcomings." Clark really made some bad moves as you mention. Ref. Salerno, he was ready to withdraw and get back on the ships, cancelling the invasion. He reported that to his boss, General (later Field Marshall) Sir Harold Alexander, who met Clark on the beach for a conference. Alexander replied to Clark regarding a withdrawal, "No, that will never do." Then Alexander added, "Now that we have that out of the way, here's what we will do." That included heavy bombardment by naval artillery. Alexander had essentially taken over command from Clark, but he did it in a respectful way as was his nature. He didn't want Clark to fall apart.
A big mistake Clark made which you didn't mention was the first offensive at Cassino on January 17, 1944--crossing the Rapido River. This offensive was anchored by the U.S. 36th Infantry Division ("The Texas Division"). There were so many casualties in the massacre that the people of Texas called for a congressional hearing about it to have charges brought against Clark. Congress acquitted Clark.
Then, there was the Rome debacle you mentioned. Clark disregarded Alexander's orders and the plan to trap the German army. He wanted to liberate Rome for the glory. Yes, that extended the war and resulted in a lot more death and suffering. I don't think Clark was bumped up to MTO. In Dec. 1944, General Alexander, commander of 15th Army Group (British 8th Army and American 5th Army) was elevated to Commander of the Mediterranean Theater and went to Algiers. Clark was then made commander of 15th Army Group but stayed in Italy. Then, as you say, General Truscott was made commander of 5th Army. He was a leader much respected and admired. I saw a great pen-and-ink sketch of Truscott and his executive officer.
Some people include Sicily in the Italian campaign. In that case, he could have died between July 10 and the end of August 1943 when Sicily was conquered, and the army then moved on to the Italian mainland as TC mentioned below. I believe the most blatant case of Clark using soldiers as cannon fodder was at the crossing of the Rapido River in January 1944. That brought on a congressional investigation.
Thank you for your story. As a Cuban American born in Miami, I would think the Cuban community would recognize this, also at who similar it is to what Castro started doing to companies in Cuba. While I’ll never agree with them, I don’t think I’ll ever even understand them.
I was only 10 and my Uncle Henry would come to visit his mother as we all lived in the same 3 family building. While he was there he would invite me to watch the McCarthy hearings. I never forgot them. That one man caused more grief to American citizens than could be imagined. His blank list of communists along with his alcoholism led the way to where we are today. We do not want to repeat that terrible time.
What a memory for you. Most people today can't imagine the power that McCarthy had. The lives destroyed and fear created by McCarthy and his legal counsel Roy Cohn just went on and on.
Reflecting on how easily the powerful political people from both parties mix together, I think about McCarthy's (repub.) bonding with Joseph Kennedy, patriarch of the Kennedy clan. They were tight together. McCarthy even became godfather to one of Joe Kennedy's daughters who was one of JFK's sisters. And RFK as attorney served on McCarthy's/Cohn's legal staff. As the world turns....
oh Lordy, wish I had time to delve deeper. I'm old enough to remember a lot and have been plenty shocked, but apparently haven't scratched the surface. Still reeling from the Coup of 1933...
If the business community would listen to Heather's warnings about the fragility of democracy, they could be a force for good, if they choose to be. We who are about to serve as election officers in Virginia today salute you all - wish us luck! I love the smell of voting in the morning (even this early)
As you go to your election officer service, take note that one of Heather's links is to a Time article of how a Yale professor, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, with until-now undisclosed assistance of warning from Timothy Snyder, marshalled CEOs to recognize the dangerousness of Trump's anti-democracy agitation, and nearly a year later, 78% have kept their word to not donate to the GOP.
"Snyder, the scholar of authoritarianism, believes the CEOs’ intervention was crucial in ensuring Trump left office on schedule, if not bloodlessly. 'If business leaders had just drifted along in that moment, or if a few had broken ranks, it might have gone very differently,' he says. 'They chose in that moment to see themselves as part of civil society, acting in the defense of democracy for its own sake.'”
That’s a really interesting article Ellie-thanks for highlighting it. Funny how many CEOs are waking up to the idea that a functioning economy requires a functioning government here in the US. Playing chicken with the debt ceiling as the Repubs are doing, should scare the hell out of every business in America, large or small. We would literally never recover from that.
Talking out of both sides of their mouths? I refer all to Daria’s link below—
“ Please find Marco Rubio's past and present corporate donors at Open Secrets. I wonder, which of his corporate donors will he have the cojones to openly label Marxist? (Make sure you select, "Campaign Committee & Leadership PAC Combined" then choose "Top 100" contributors from the drop down menu.)
The Open Secrets website is a great resource, but someone would have to take a deeper dive to come up with the data on which companies are talking out of both sides of their mouths--evidently, noting that donations can be concealed through intermediary PACs.
We voted first Monday of early voting in Fairfax and picked up our Virginia Tech students absentee ballot to ensure it made it into the dropbox appropriately. Go Virginia Go, roll blue!!!
Luck has nothing to do with the outcome. It's merely an idol of wishful thinking. Why are Virginians even considering Youngkin? Why did McAulliff enter the race believing it was his for the asking. Candidates and voters are making decisions. I fear for our public schools if Youngkin pulls it off. Perhaps Terry has relied too much on activity in DC, or the lack thereof If we could count on DOJ to bring justice we might be in a better place for this election.
I do not assume McA thought it was his for the asking. I think the news media likes and promotes stories that breed fear . They also constantly say such things as Dems think this by X % and Rs think that by y%. But they are not equivalent groups in size. So should not be compared like that.
Attended a public school in VA for 3 months in 1959.
A series of textbooks written for the fourth, seventh and 11th grades taught a generation of Virginians our state’s history. Chapter 29 of the seventh-grade edition, titled “How the Negroes Lived Under Slavery,” included these sentences: “A feeling of strong affection existed between masters and slaves in a majority of Virginia homes.” The masters “knew the best way to control their slaves was to win their confidence and affection.” Enslaved people “went visiting at night and sometimes owned guns and other weapons.” “It cannot be denied that some slaves were treated badly, but most were treated with kindness
I too love the smell of voting in the morning! Thank you for serving as an election judge. Fingers crossed we get the right outcome for governor in Virginia and school board here in my town!
These folks have usurped the term "conservative" to mean whatever authoritarian crap they are peddling. I'm more of a true conservative than any of them, and I'm center-left. (I"m also more aligned with the teachings of Jesus than they are and I'm a non-religious Jew.)
Danny actually said he's center-left, so I suspect he has lots of company right here on this forum in being, as he put it, "more of a true conservative than any of them" referring to the current "leaders," of the Republican Party.
Excellent illustrations, Danny! Hard to believe true Christians would openly call for the murder or the f***ng (“let’s go, Brandon”) of political opponents. Sounds more like what the mafia or fascists would say…
They also usurped the term "Christian" as you allude to. There have been religious cults throughout time, and these authoritarian power mongers guys knew exactly how to lead their vulnerable flock.
Marxism! Marxism! Marxism! America's corporate leaders are secret Marxists! Old Karl and his pal Freddy Engels are turning over in their graves and laughing themselves silly.
It's easy to see that Rubio, Goetz, Tucker Carlson, et al do not have a high estimation of the intelligence of the MAGA crowd. Their collective shallow understanding of world history is more myth than fact, and that myth is fed daily by those who know better.
As the Republican Party tries to steer the nation back to the plantation and the company town, it's easy to see why it was illegal in the South to educate slaves and almost impossible for a working white person to get any more than a crude, basic education.
Keep 'em stupid and you can herd 'em in any direction you want.
And sadly even donating money Trump is extremely condescending towards his base. As with all things Trump, everything is transactional, so at any moment where he is displeased, you may end up on the wrong side of Trump. Even for the seemingly most trifling action. Authoritarianism at its finest.
Holy sh*t this was a good letter. I have been warning friends & family with my own analysis that Trump Republicans are bad for busines covering some of the same basic arguments. But I haven't seen the the reports from the business community that confirmed this. But of course its true.
The Marco Rubio story blows my mind because Stalin & his Moscow Communists used the word "democratic" as their reason for turning Eastern Europe into only party Russian Communist countries. Their economic plans such as land confiscation from those with foreign heritage and "others", breaking them up into small farms run by the peasants, and then collectivising them and managed by the state effectively broke the economy of Russian Communist controlled countries. Politics of total control, totalitarianism, overrode good economics or business.
American businesses are anything but "Marxist". We have lots of concerns about how some business men & women have put money before country. But not because the wanted a "Marxist" regime. Just shows how far and how deluded Rubio and Republicans have gone to find "enemies" just as the Russian Communists did. Russia has never matched the US in economic power when America has had a fully functioning democracy and government, business and citizens cooperate with and trust each other.
Republicans have and are eroding this trust rapidly and using old Russian Communist tropes to do it.
Russia is big enough to deport all of them there...just saying. If they want to live in an authoritarian country-- let's ship them over to Siberia. Better than paying for all of them in a huge traitor jail. I am not sure how many beds there are in Guantanamo. We might run out of room at the rate of traitors being revealed.
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! Off Topic: Yesterday (November 1) is Today (November 2), election day for Virginians and New Jersey-ites. Holding my breath for Virginia.
We're pulling for VA! Y'all have certainly put in the hours and the passion of your hearts, not to mention the work and the donations for this election. You deserve a win! I have watched Gov. Terry grow into a good Citizen over the years. He'll continue to be great for Virginia. Good luck Lynell and everyone who worked so hard!
Morning, Christine!! My horsey guru does not advocate holding one's breath as a way to instill confidence; rather, your suggestion is the way to go. So not holding my breath today but will do as you subscribe. Thanks!
Morning, Stuart! Did all I could, starting in May donating consistently, wrote 200 get out the vote postcards, voted early. Physical frailties prevented me from serving in person.
The "nasties" he represented didn't live in the swamps but on the plantations. The swamps sheltered the rebels and escaped slaves. I just finished reading an excellent novel by Delia Owens "Where the Crawdads Sing" . I loved it.
Morning, Kathy!! Yes, it's amazing how therapeutic it is. I just wish politics these days would be defined by how committed we are to having clean air to breathe!
Hope you are doing well, and keeping up with your riding. I haven't ridden in some years now; oddly, my horses don't seem to mind!🤔 Still, they are the light of my life.
I’m starting back riding, being very patient with myself! Hudson is going to the national championships next week with my trainer which is super exciting! I will probably start back on him after his end of season vacation. I’ve been riding Peter about four times a week and it’s bliss to be on him again even if a lot of what we’re doing is just hacking in the beautiful fall weather. I am frustrated with my lack of stamina but it’s improving so that’s all good. I’m working hard at my rehab.
I’ve always said horses aren’t ambitious. They do a lot to please us, but I think all they care about is pasture, food, and their friends. I’m sure Peter loves me, and he has a great work ethic, but he’d also be happy working less hard. I’m sure your horses don’t mind a bit.
Lynell, I just drove by my polling place here in Spotsylvania County (aka Spotsyltucky) Virginia. There were a lot of cars at the polls. I don’t believe any Democrat has ever won anything in my district or my county. I am wondering what — if anything - all those cars signify. Terrified.
It seems to me that if what I read in the NYT, the WaPo, the Atlantic etc. Is true, there is already a ton of verifiable evidence that must surely be available to the government entities that enforce the laws that apply to all of us, even current congresspeople and ex-presidents. Why are the criminals who planned and managed the assault on our Capitol still on the street? Or is the coup d'etat we were perilously close to ongoing? I think I know.
"Yet Sonnenfeld has no doubt that having stepped up for democracy at a crucial time, the CEOs would do it again. “The GOP has created these wedge issues to divide society, and the business community is saying, ‘Wait a minute, that’s not us, those are not our interests,’” he says. “That doesn’t mean they’re going to rush off and support Bernie Sanders and the Democratic Party. But they’re trying to break free and find their own way.”
The TIME* article cited by Heather in today's Letter is interesting. Unfortunately I don't see a surge of CEOs speaking out against the rising tide of authoritarianism. Despite all the occasional outburts for "equity and equality" where are the CEOs now?
CEOs are "trying to break free and find their own way"? I doubt it.
*Please find link in Heather's Notes
In re Marco Rubio's pathetic diatribe about Marxist Corporations: Please find Marco Rubio's past and present corporate donors at Open Secrets. I wonder, which of his corporate donors will he have the cojones to openly label Marxist? (Make sure you select, "Campaign Committee & Leadership PAC Combined" then choose "Top 100" contributors from the drop down menu.)
Have a marmalade coon cat named Mr. Higgins as my furry sidekick. He travels well and can walk on a leash! Last week, in our vacation in Maine, he feline (aw, leave it!) love with a coon cat named Lily. She is twice his size... looks more like a Norwegian Forest cat. They will zoom each other this evening. Soon Lily will leave her seaside home to visit her Vermont countryside friend! Meeting him has been her first experience in her two years of life that she might not actually be a human. She is fascinated with him. And he, the Perfect Gentleman.
I think the CEOs are trying to "find a way" to greater profits. They will do whatever profits them. If being opposed to Trump because he was destabilizing the economy, which is bad for profits, they will oppose Trump. If their political participation quells profits and disrupts their relationship to their boards and shareholders, they will turn quiet. If appearing "civic minded" increases profits, corporations act that out. It's always about money and profits.
Corporate CEOs are OK with the perception that they are Marxists looking out for workers. Remember when they were aghast at the insurrection and attempted coup, and some even pledged to not contribute to the Republicans? How long did that last?
Political contributions for the wealthy elite are 'investments' designed to ensure maximum return. Mega donors are providing the 'air' that keeps politicians alive. In return, politicians provide the legislation (deregulation and tax breaks) that keeps the wealthy living in obscene luxury. As they say, the proof is in the pudding. There has always been a symbiotic relationship between politicians and the wealthy.
It serves everyone's purposes to create the illusion that Republican politicians serve the people and not the wealthy. I would have hoped by now most people have caught on to the fact that EVERYTHING Republicans say or do are lies and misdirections. It's sometimes the first tell that when Republicans accuse others of (fill in the blank) they are guilty of doing it themselves. All of it is a well-understood game played on the dull and gullible.
Thanks again. It's eye-opening. I selected a few other "members" but I had to stop reading for fear of further damage to my dental health. I really shouldn't be grinding my teeth so much.
Business leaders had grown weary of trump. His wild statements and erratic behavior on the international stage and at home were causing gyrations in the markets. The folks on Wall Street were becoming more and more unable to make any kind of long term prediction with any surety.
And now this.
Hey business moguls. You oligarchs over there. You created a monster.
Stop sending massive amounts of money to the very people who are hurting you.
I spent a year in Turkey in 2014 and can add: when an autocrat, like Erdogan, becomes deeply entrenched, it's not just businessmen--it's ANYONE who stands out/has obvious leadership talent/excels/shows promise and doesn't also pledge utter fealty to The Man (or, based on what they do, they can simply be an enemy). Such people are harassed, intimidated, threatened, and yes, in some cases jailed, until they cease whatever career or goal they are on.
'Why were lawmakers on a phone call with J6 organizers?' Because both bloody minded GOP lawmakers and bloody minded J6 organizers were hell bent on preventing the peaceful transfer of power. While the elected officials were weaponizing government procedure within the chambers of Congress, their cosplay camo compatriots were sacking the Capitol, seat and symbol of government.
Through the metamorphoses of decades of Republican right wing religious extremist rhetoric, in paving the way for a second coming of Trump, these insurrectionists see themselves as John the Baptist, George Washington, Robert E. Lee, and Rambo - all rolled into one and all triumphant.
Although Republican antidemocratic strategies and authoritarian tactics are unsustainable, many are still hedging their bets that they will both carry off their insurrection and be spared the consequences - raptured by their god, safe in their big money privilege.
Why not? For decades Republicans have been unconcernedly undermining the institutions of government, to dine off the crumbs of shoveling government benefits and our 99% tax dollars into the private nosebags and corporate troughs of their 1% patrons. But overthrowing government may be a step too far. Like Wiley Coyote, Republicans may be running out of cliff. If we don't stop them, then so may we all.
Shark was jumped years ago. But I know what you mean. It is like a shark jumping contest between the Presidential (aka dictator) aspirants. Rubio, Cotton, Hawley, Cruz all seek the lowest denominator of fear mongering. It's pointless to ask what "Marxist tactics" or "cultural Marxism" are code for. Because we know they are afraid we are teaching about true and complete American history. And we want human rights to be universal. Sounds like a "commie pinko globalist Soros" plot to me :)
The most frightening thing to me after all these years is that so many people delight in conspiratorial madness. Not helping others, but finding evil around every corner. Loving hate is the hobby. It's collective mental illness.
As a clinical therapist, I completely concur with your diagnosis, Bill. Their longterm, ultimate plan was nearly successfully completed with a malignant narcissist using Hitlerian tactics in rallies and tweets to keep everyone distracted, or brainwashed, whilst they destroyed our justice system and flipped the bird at our Rule of Law and Constitution. The thing about the traitors to our country is they are, as you say, so full of hatred. If teenagers behaved like this they would be absconded by beefy thugs and dragged to Wilderness Programs for some time out from society.
It is stunning to see our taxes and time being spent on treasonous people in our actual employ! We are currently employing many of these thugs to destroy our country. Is that not self-harm, America? The 70%-80% of mentally healthy, informed and intelligent Americans need to stand up and take to the streets.
People who hate are people who fear. They obsess about their fears of certain groups. They get violent and destructive because they obsessively fear. Love is not obsession. You can't fear people and be loving. Love-hate is a bumper sticker made up be fearful people.
American history does not belong to any group. It evolves. People make terrible mistakes and lie about them. Some people actually do wonderful things. Eugenics is the guiding force for the far gone version of history. I was born white. I can't get a tan. Therefore, I am evil. Bull.
Dale, have you noticed that no one on this forum has actually made any such outlandish claim, ie. that white people are evil just for being white? I hope you aren't falling for the classic reactionary-conservative tactic of taking the highly publicized, unrepresentative remarks of a very few unrepresentative individuals on the left, and using them to tar the entire movement that's working to finally create justice for people of color in this country. Nobody is trying to victimize you for being white.
Thank you for saying that, republicans have been pushing the evil libtard label for half a century. Most of us are just trying to live by the golden rule.
I tracked down a Revolutionary War ancestor who held slaves to work his thousand acres of tobacco in Virginia. That was evil. I had nothing to do with it. I do not feel guilt for what my ancestor did, but I am glad to now have knowledge about it. (I searched for this ancestor when contacted by a distant cousin with 88% African, 12% European ancestry who wanted to know how we were cousins. Mine was 100% European.) With white Southern roots I probably have multiple slaveholders in my family tree.
What I feel guilty for is crossing the street to avoid a black person, which I used to do. My mother wanted me to be afraid of being raped by a Black man.
Notice that Rubio is not calling for a repeal of Citizens United with its unleashing of corporate money into politics. He just wants to ‘replace’ business leaders who don’t direct that money toward the radical right.
I agree and I apologize for using the word "they". It is one I normally avoid like the plague. So I will use Radical Right instead. And yes, all politicians lie, cheat the system, etc. Just some do it more than others.
A Marxist believes that the individual is not important, that the masses have to be kept satisfied or terrified, and only the elite know what is best for the masses. How about these words: indoctrination of children, mandates without enough evidence, and punishment of dissenters.
A dictator believes that the individual is not important, that the masses have to be kept satisfied or terrified, and only the dictator knows what is best for the masses. Indoctrination of children about white supremacy? Mandates for public health (the evidence of vaccine safety is beyond overwhelming and indisputable)?
If public shaming and loss of employment of disease spreaders and coup conspirators is "punishment", then so be it.
Despite the insanity(?!) quoted by Rubio and Gaetz in today's Letter, I must say I winced with a tiny bit of grim amusement in this passage using the word "trump" (and that as a word will forever be a mental splinter):
"“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin has jailed over 100,000 business people on *trumped-up* charges of tax evasion, financial irregularities, etc. Anyone with a profitable enterprise becomes a target, regardless of their political sentiments."
I hope that more of corporate America will see that it's not in their best interests to financially support the GOP.
No GOP no more. Long gone, just cult nuts, sorry, but true. Love mental splinter, he is indeed and will forever be. The word trump, definition from long ago, “deceit, fraud, showy but worthless, worthless finery, rubbish…”. Fits today
However, it has very, very much been in the interests of managers at corporations to support the GOP.
Between getting kickbacks in Swiss Bank accounts for voting for yet another pointless military contractor program (welfare for white people I call it), cutting corporate taxes and passing tax law that lets the richest pay no tax at all, it has way worked out.
Republicans have NOT been good for business but they HAVE been good for the wealthiest 1%.
We’ll see if those who could have a big hand in stopping the insanity will be willing to do so. I predict that the greediest bastards will sign on to the big lie.
We need a comic strip of corporation CEO’s being ordered to “go down” (sexual reference) on Authoritarians & their favorites. It’s essentially what Trump was leading up to. The mafia called it “kissing the ring”. Either way, CEO’s will be forced to submit.
No forced, but willingly submit, are there any real patriots there. Rupert Murdoch did that when trump still a candidate. Why trump said that Rupert treated him way better than Roger Ailes ever did.
My mother, born in 1928 to textile mill workers in a small Alabama town, would sing that song when she or some of her brood needed cheering up. It seemed to help. Thanks for the memory.
Daphne Johnny Mercer wrote 1,100 songs, some of which I found were most touching. One of my favorites was the haunting Laura, while I am growing less and less thrilled by his I’m Past My Prime.
This is really getting into dangerous territory, the stuff Rubio is pushing. Nobody here is old enough to remember McCarthyism, but I was involved in as the son of a man who got tarred with the red paint brush, when an East Texas goat roper who probably didn't wear shoes before he got drafted for the war, accused the University of Houston of hiring a "red" to created their school of electrical engineering. Somehow, someone had given him a copy of the Harlingen TX sheriff's report of my father making a forced landing there in a storm in 1938, and them finding the airplane full of guns and ammunition he was flying to Mexico for shipment to the Spanish Republicans in the Civil War. As the FBI put it, he was a "premature anti-fascist." So in the middle of first grade we left Houston and returned to Denver, and my dad went from head of the school to his old pre-war job at the Bureau of Reclamation. Life changed. And I was told not to tell any friend at school why I was there. It was 10 years before they got a new Chief Engineer who noticed my father had more patents in his name than the entire rest of the laboratory, and created a position for him worthy of his talents. That was an ugly, ugly time, and for these fuckwits to play around with bringing it back is just awful. I have other friends who were the "collateral damage" to those times, and nobody forgets it.
Marco must be terrified of Val Demmings.
Totally. Give her 10 min alone with him and no cameras or microphones. She’d make mincemeat of him.
Your “mccarthy red” story, TC, is as sobering as others I have heard. As I read letter today, it’s what comes to mind. That Rubio and Gaetz are both in Florida is no surprise. They act as if seat of government is at Mar-a-Largo.
Having been stunned by HCR's letter today, especially Rubio's wannabe-McCarthy op-ed, I was just sitting here pondering the eternal question, "NOW what can/must I do?" The postcards I sent to VA voters and the only phonebank shift I did to call VA voters, last night, are clearly not enough. The perfect answer, in the next fifteen minutes anyway, is to give the biggest donation I can to Val Demings and tell Rubio's office his full-authoritarian-nutty op-ed prompted me to do it. Then post it on FB and urge friends to donate to Demings, too. The problem is that these days, nothing feels like enough. The Former Occupant, Trump, hasn't just poisoned the well, he's poisoned the water supply of the 80% of Republicans who actually believe his Whopper Lie . I don't want to underestimate the threat by thinking "I'll give more than I can afford, write some voter postcards, and make some voter calls, and that will be enough." At what point do Democrats and progressives, ie. We The Reality-Based, need to give up not just chunks but rather the _majority_ of our time and income, to defend democracy, the Constitution, the rule of law, and the truth, while we still can do so without bloodshed?
Elizabeth. Keep on. You are obviously a warrior.
Everything we do to fight for freedom is not in the “enough or not enough”category. It is an on going belief in democracy…in times of danger and in times of peace. It is the way we live with others. It is our legacy. Every single one of us.
Salud!
Thank goodness there are more of us than of them!
…in more ways than one…
Exactly!
Rubio, so I was told, has sponsors with very deep pockets. Like many R '"front-men" (and women) Rubio is not very bright. It would not surprise me to learn that his letter was written for him by the same ideologues that pay him so well. Any chance they can be exposed?
Don't forget about the corrupt and hypocritical Rick Scott: https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1454819635040243712
Senator Skeletor
Amen!
Rubio is a wannabe McCarthy, Gaetz a wannabe human, too late guys. Val is one of my picks to support for Senate
"Gaetz s wannbe human...." love this. I might suggest that there are several others high on the list of wannabes, i.e. Taylor-Greene, Boebert, Gosar. The list goes on and on.
a list to beat all lists, they are legion
I love Val and most of the Democrats. There are two that I am totally not fond of and I think you may know who they are!
Rubio sways in whichever direction he thinks the wind is blowing.
Rubio exudes weakness in many forms, especially character.
He spins, like the weathervane he is.
Funny you should say that Christine. I read a WP article over the weekend that the Journalist claims that is exactly what TFG is doing.Illegally of course. In times gone by , every ex president after leaving the WH could have what was known as “The Red Phone “. Not all wanted it.It is basically a direct line to All offices in the WH.Maybe more ? As we all know he never conceded . And a new gig in Trump Tower’s is a Bar called 45. With all photos of him stating “The President of The U.S. Logo’s.He is going about life as if he won the 2020 election. As also his followers believe. Now call me crazy but I’m thinking it’s against the law to impersonate a President. How does he get away with using the ‘Seal ‘ of the U.S. President on a Personally owned business ? He can’t Patent the U.S. Gov. for personal gain.There needs to be a ‘Heads up ‘ in the Licensing Div. in New York.
100%
Mar-a-Largo? No, use Frank Bruni's name: Mar-a-Loco!!!
They hope it will be. It won’t. And we do not need violence to keep our democracy.
McCarthyism has been brought to mind regarding these contemporary so-called Republicans for several decades at this point.
Odd. Our ex-President goes scot-free. And all those seditionists in Congress? Still voting. Free from the shackles of justice. This is like having a front row seat watching the criminals in plain sight use their "connections" to decipher the code to your safe, unlock it, and suck out all your stash and safety. Lawlessness at the top. Absolutely, no come-uppance. Had Obama an iota of a passion for justice, some fat guys at the top would be losing weight in prison by now. And the principle - There but for the grace of God go I - operating in the minds of the Fraternity to stay their sociopathic hearts and groping minds.Had the "moderates" "the incrementalists" an iota of hard, penetrating, objective reality in their perception, they would have fallen all over each other to vote for Bernie. The system, our system that created our woes (oligarchic control) and our Presidential-Attorney General- Congressional-Supreme Court material cannot correct, make right, nor heal itself. Family therapy works because someone outside the family system comes in to break up the illusions holding the diseased system in place. The citizenry are the only ones who can - by flooding the streets demanding justice and decency (Medicare negotiating drug prices, for example) - jiggle off the noose that's been growing around our necks since Reagan.
have to disagree about Bernie, he couldn't have won although I wish he could have. True that we need plenty of hard, penetrating, objective reality. It comes from HCR, but you are right, it must come from the citizenry. The tightening of the noose is the discomfort that we all feel.
Yes. Bernie would be the first to tell us, "we need more votes."
There's a solution: win those three open Senate seats next year and Val Demmings stomps Widdle Marco. As my old boss used to say, "When you have the votes, you can do what you want." None of this comes overnight. I read Schlesinger's "Age of Roosevelt" a couple years ago. The people who made the New Deal, like Frances Perkins, had been in the fight for 30+ years when they finally won.
don't think we have 30 years
Bernie? And you are worried about control freaks? We are in a bad state. We are human. We make stupid, terrible mistakes, like Afghanistan. We need to change the way we behave towards each other. Marching around and torching businesses is not the path to a better country. The president is finally, a civil servant. We pay him to help us manage living in this world at, preferably, a high level of competence. When we figure out how to act with other people honestly and decently, we can tell our civil servants what we really want and need, then vote on our conclusions.
Who said anything about torching businesses?
Remember, it's a "big tent." :-)
Why do you think these wanna-bees keep most of the electorate in low-paying jobs with not enough time to even think and in constant fear of losing their lousy jobs? How many decades have these goons told their workers who to vote for if their workers expect to keep their jobs? I’ll stop now, I could keep adding to the list for hours and not reach the end of the list.
Exactly 💯
We sincerely hope Val Demings can beat Marco Rubio. She will be a wonderful senator for our state and the whole USA.
TCinLA, You're not the only one here old enough to remember the McCarthy years. Thankfully, I didn't get an 'up close and personal' result. I'm sorry your family got targeted.
Another “oldie.” I remember some of it, mostly how the chickens came home to roost, and he was disgraced. Of course, there was no Rupert then, just Roy Cohn. His evil is still with us today in the person of djt, heaven help us.
Yes, we must not forget Roy Cohn's part in this.
Trump is Roy resurrected, with all his evil
Cohn trained tRump well.
Indeed he did, but Fred did his part, together they created a monster…
I lived through the McCarthy period. It was frightening. I react badly to intimidation and faced McCarthyism straight up. As a sophomore in college, when Stalin died in March, 1953, two of us it would be ‘interesting’ to form a group to visit post-Stalin Russia. He screened about 100 applicants who, regrettably, we obliged to sign a ‘non-communist’ disclaimer. In Washington we go to the State Department, the Russian Embassy, and then back to the State Department. I believe the FBI preferred my left profile in photos. We were greatly concerned about how this exposure could affect to later serve in government. Yale President Griswold supported our initiative, while Harvard President Conant publicly seemed to tolerate McCarthyism. An uprising in June, 1953, got a Russian NYET, and I led a small group to Egypt & Israel.
McCarthyism scared many innocent Americans. First Amendment was frequently ignored and innuendo was deadly. President Truman had to bend a bit in supporting ‘loyalty’ oaths. Meanwhile, Republican leaders, viewing McCathyism as a springboard to the presidency, ignored that McCarthy was a drunk, a liar, and undermining the soul of America. He finally dug his own political grave during the Army hearings of 1954. The trigger was his attacking Fred Fisher, a bright lawyer in Welch’s Boston firm. Fred had innocently joined a group that later was put on the ‘communist-tinged’ list. Welch asked Fred to join him in the McCarthy hearing and Fred told him why it would politically be a bad idea. Welch got McCarthy’s promise that he wouldn’t involve Fred. When McCarthy violated this at the Army hearing, Welch replied: “Have you no sense of decency,” went on to crucify McCarthy, and received massive applause. McCarthy was lightly censured in the Senate and soon died of alcoholism.
I knew and admired Fred. We mete early in 1954 at a conference organized by the Ford Foundation for people who had successfully run a student international trip. Fred had been co-founder of the National Student Organization in, I believe, 1947. His stories of the opposition by Travel organizations and cruise companies were hilarious. Since we met in Pitney, a dry town, I was a welcomed participant when I went to get two cases of beer.
P. S. Joseph Welch, who was a national sensation in his skewering of McCarthy at the 1954 Army hearings, later was the sharp-witted judge in the marvelous movie, ANATOMY OF A MURDER. Fred Fisher had a distinguished legal career and was president of the Massachusetts Bar Association.
Yes, I remember my writing mentor Wendell Mayes (he wrote Anatomy) telling me how Otto Preminger did that as a "stick in the eye" to Hedda Hopper and the rest of the Hollywood red-baiters. Preminger - with Kirk Douglas - were the guys who killed the Hollywood blacklist when they gave Dalton Trumbo his screen credit for Exodus and Spartacus.
For anyone who wants to see how this was in those days, I cannot recommend the move "Trumbo" highly enough.
Totally agree.....Trumbo is an excellent movie!!!
Agree on Trumbo!
A hero for sure.
Thank you for sharing this recollection of a time I’m happy to say was over before I ever learned about it.
I was 7 yrs old in 1954. Let’s say I had enough smarts to be quiet while my parents were glued to the 2nd-hand Magnavox which they bought so they could watch the hearings.
“McCarthy in many ways was destroyed by the power of television …” Smithsonian Channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14CTeElwq-A
Yes. When people saw him in action, they were repulsed.
Fantastic story, that you knew Fred Fisher. Welch's moment in history is truly unforgettable.
How desperately we need another such moment
I am old enough to remember watching Counsel Joseph Welch put Joe McCarthy down on the black and white TV in my college fraternity house. "Have you no shame, sir,?" he asked of the Senator who always looked like a thug needing a shave. We need more like Welch today and less of the 'fuckwits' who brought about your father's move from Houston back to Denver.
And most of the ones running the MSM, Rupert is bad enough but the MSM is pathetic
Your personal history should serve as a blinking red reminder to all of us how authoritarianism affects all of us. Too often it is spoken of in terms of "losing democracy" (which it is), but the personal stories of how it can affect every one of us is so compelling. Thank you.
Excellent point. "Losing democracy" remains an abstraction until we read accounts of what it was like for many people during the Red Scare. Can you imagine McCarthy questioning teachers in a congressional hearing about forcing students to read "anti-American" books about racism?
You don't have to imagine it, unfortunately. The Republican in Wisconsin who authored their law published a list of "words that would trigger this law if used." They included "social justice" and "inequality".
We are there
TC, you are made of strong mettle! What an ordeal for your family and how wonderful you came out on top though not unscathed. If we lose our democracy at this point in time, methinks someone in your Father’s position in real time, won’t escape as he did then. Scary times we are living in. Are people and businesses finally opening their eyes too late? I want to believe there is still hope but at this point we have no infrastructure bill and no voting rights bill. My heart is heavy. At 71 years, I’m worried for my children in their mid 30’s and my grandchildren, not so much for me.
Sharon, I am another Sharon seven years older than you! I am terrified. Ye, not for me but for my two girls and my granddaughter that is only 8 years old. What will be left for them?
My four kids, 28-39 years old, all say they don’t foresee having kids. They can’t afford it and the world is too crazy.
Will history write that we waited too late to rise up
..and no ambassadors…mot much left if the postal service
Amazing that anyone would want to bring it back. But they are desperate, and we all should fear power-hungry ideologues. The damage is usually multi-generational and lethal. Thank you for that personal glimpse into the abyss.
Thank you for sharing your family trauma and your analysis of how Rubio is lashing out because he is vulnerable, but does not have the insight to be aware of it and is causing so much harm as a result. Take care.
Oh, TC, I remember McCarthy! I was young, but my parents were so upset by his horrors that their reactions affected me. I went to grammar school with a very bright girl, who never saluted the flag. Interestingly, the teachers never made an issue of it. My mother told me that the girl's father had been brought up on charges of being a communist, and her refusal to salute the flag was probably her reaction.
So, yup, we've had turmoil before, and we're still suffering from the likes of Cowboy Reagan and his "welfare Cadillac" nonsense and pathological rantings about communists and more "other" fear-mongering. I'm sorry that your family suffered so much at the hands of these fools, and you had to be warned to keep the secret.
Hopefully Rubio has good reason to be worried although the idea of Rick Scott as a "senior Senator" from anywhere is scary by itself.
Rude, but I always referred to him as Gov Voldemort when he had his reign of terror in Florida.
So true, the republicans have a stable of nags that are embarrassing beyond words. Where are the Everett Dirksens?????
Rubio is basing his campaign on an extension of MAGA. It must be trump-endorsed, if not trump-designed and orchestrated.
Ref. McCarthyism, my father was also painted red collectively as part of McCarthy's ridiculous slander of professional U.S. Army officers at the Pentagon who were labeled by him as being card-carrying communists. McCarthy said he had a list of such officers, but he kept changing the number of people on the list, and he never showed the list to anyone. For McCarthy to be believed by so many Americans shows the hysteria going on in the U.S. at the time (late 1940s, early '50s). The Army Chief of Staff had told Pentagon staff not to attend or be around the court proceedings of McCarthy vs. the Army. However, my father was an endlessly curious person who wanted to see and experience everything. One day, he came home from the Pentagon, switched from his uniform to civilian clothes, and went to attend the hearings. It was history in the making, and my father recognized it and wanted to witness it. (He didn't get caught for attending the hearing.)
McCarthy's baseless slanders became so ridiculous and obscene yet he created an era of fear throughout the country in his anti-communist hysteria. He accused the incomparable General George C. Marshall (then Sec. of Defense) of heading a communist conspiracy. Marshall's abilities, character, integrity, and devotion to serving the U.S. were beyond comparison. Presidents Roosevelt and Truman were in awe of Marshall and used him wherever and whenever possible. FDR chose Marshall to create the U.S.'s World War II military. Yet, in 1951, McCarthy accused Marshall of leading a group of communists dedicated to overthrowing the U.S. government. In 1945, Churchill had declared Marshall to be "the architect" of the allied victory in WWII. Six years later, the blustery, perpetually drunk demagogue McCarthy was wrongfully slandering a true and proven U.S. hero. How could Americans fall for such nonsense? Well, we're seeing the same thing now with trump's endless lies and his club of endorsing politicians who have no principles nor interest in serving the American people. Woe is us if we don't turn this around.
(McCarthy's attack on Marshall: https://alphahistory.com/coldwar/joseph-mccarthy-condemns-george-marshall-1951/)
Even Ike was party to McCarthyism. Ike was beholden to George C. Marshall (who I consider the greatest American of the 20th century) for four reasons: 1) he chose Ike over other officers to serve on his staff; 2) he chose Ike to go to England to command a joint military operation; 3) he did not request that FDR name him commander of the D-Day invasion thus giving the position to Ike; and 4) when Ike wrote him of his desire to divorce Mamie and marry his British military driver, Marshall scotched this in the strongest terms.
Ike was going to Wisconsin during his 1952 presidential campaign. Joe McCarthy, who had attacked General Marshall as a ‘communist,’ was seeking re-election. Ike had included comments in his Wisconsin speech praising General Marshal. The Wisconsin governor asked him to remove these comments, saying that such could lose Wisconsin for the Republicans. Ike removed them, though they had been included in the speech released to the press.
Ike did deliver a blistering attack to McCarthy in the train headed to Wisconsin. He also, behind the scene, sought to cripple and destroy McCarthy. General Marshall never commented on Ike’s Wisconsin behavior. Ike quietly regretted his own behavior.
Amen. You may already be aware of the following, but I'll add a few addenda to your 4 reasons Ike was beholden to Marshall:
1) He chose Ike for his staff principally due to the recommendation by Mark Clark who had served under Marshall at Ft. Bragg, I believe. Marshall asked Clark for a list of ten officers whom he'd recommend for the staff position. Clark wrote Eisenhower's name and then added nine dittos under it. So, Ike owed Clark for that. Also, Ike and Clark were cadets at West Point at the same time. Maybe there was an unspoken quid pro quo because Ike promoted Clark to CG, Fifth Army, for the long fight through Italy (1943-45). Clark was an excellent organizer and troop trainer, but as a combat commander he had some shortcomings.
2) I believe Ike 'pestered' Marshall a lot to get that position in London, and Marshall came through for him.
3) Actually, President Roosevelt offered Marshall command of the D-Day invasion three times while Marshall replied each time, "Mr. President, I want you to choose which appointment will be best for the nation." Roosevelt said during the second offering, "General Marshall, you deserve this command more than anyone." Finally, Roosevelt said, "Okay, then, I'll go ahead and appoint Ike." Then Roosevelt added, "Frankly, if you weren't in Washington, I couldn't sleep at night." So, Marshall essentially gave Ike that appointment.
4) Yes, Ike's letter to Marshall about divorcing Mamie in order to marry Kay Summersby. Ike was asking Marshall if that divorce and remarriage would affect his military career. President Truman said years later that he had read the letter, and in it Marshall replied to Ike, "Affect your career? If you do such a thing, I will see to it that you are busted and run out of the service." Marshall himself never spoke of the letter and destroyed all such correspondence when he resigned from the army at the end of WWII.
The incident of Ike on the campaign trail in Wisconsin is a good demo of personal ambition overriding honor. Ike let Marshall down in multiple ways. I've read that Ike carried a guilt for his action there for the rest of his days.
Sorry if I get too carried away with all the details, but once I start writing about the formation of the WWII U.S. Army (e.g., the Great Louisiana Maneuvers) and the Mediterranean Theater operations during the war, it's hard for me to stop. You might enjoy my website which speaks of my parents' journey through the war and contains a number of historic photos related to it. It's: buckandbernice.com.
On a final note, my father met Marshall first in Algiers after the Casablanca Conference, and then many times in Washington after the war when he briefed Marshall on the Soviet military situation. My father's first comment to me about Marshall was, "In my opinion, he was perhaps the most brilliant person in the U.S. Army.
Clark had a few "shotcomings" as a combat commander - like nearly blowing the Salerno invasion, and then by having Sixth Army turn north out of Anzio and liberate Rome rather than link up with Eighth Army as planned and bag the entire German Tenth Army after Cassino finally cracked and the Gustav line broke, allowing the Germans to march around Rome while he was celebrating its "liberation" - thereby adding a year to the Italian campaign when the Germans made it to the Gothic Line as a result. Clark was the biggest incompetent in the European Theater, but they could only get rid of him by "kicking him upstairs" to Mediterranean Theater command.
(Sorry, I wrote a book about this baloney)
And after they got rid of Clark they made the smartest decision in the MTO and brought Lucian K. Truscott Jr. - the best commander - back from France and put him in charge of 5th Army. As a guy who was there at the time said to me, "the entire atmosphere changed overnight from top to bottom." Truscott commanded at Anzio, and when he dedicated the US cemetery there in 1945, he turned to the dead and apologized to them, telling them if anyone ever said their deaths were "heroic" that "I'll be sure to set him straight for you."
I read about Truscott's dedicating the US cemetery at Anzio--when he turned his back to the dignitaries in the audience and turned instead to address the dead soldiers in their graves. It must have been incredibly moving.
What is the name of the book you wrote about the Italian campaign? I'll keep an eye out for it. One of my favorite books on the subject is Rick Atkinson's "Day of Battle."
Yes, I was being kind in using the word "shortcomings." Clark really made some bad moves as you mention. Ref. Salerno, he was ready to withdraw and get back on the ships, cancelling the invasion. He reported that to his boss, General (later Field Marshall) Sir Harold Alexander, who met Clark on the beach for a conference. Alexander replied to Clark regarding a withdrawal, "No, that will never do." Then Alexander added, "Now that we have that out of the way, here's what we will do." That included heavy bombardment by naval artillery. Alexander had essentially taken over command from Clark, but he did it in a respectful way as was his nature. He didn't want Clark to fall apart.
A big mistake Clark made which you didn't mention was the first offensive at Cassino on January 17, 1944--crossing the Rapido River. This offensive was anchored by the U.S. 36th Infantry Division ("The Texas Division"). There were so many casualties in the massacre that the people of Texas called for a congressional hearing about it to have charges brought against Clark. Congress acquitted Clark.
Then, there was the Rome debacle you mentioned. Clark disregarded Alexander's orders and the plan to trap the German army. He wanted to liberate Rome for the glory. Yes, that extended the war and resulted in a lot more death and suffering. I don't think Clark was bumped up to MTO. In Dec. 1944, General Alexander, commander of 15th Army Group (British 8th Army and American 5th Army) was elevated to Commander of the Mediterranean Theater and went to Algiers. Clark was then made commander of 15th Army Group but stayed in Italy. Then, as you say, General Truscott was made commander of 5th Army. He was a leader much respected and admired. I saw a great pen-and-ink sketch of Truscott and his executive officer.
My nephew died in Italy in 1942 (I think) and my brother in law always said that Mark Clark used soldiers for cannon fodder. Truth, IDK
Some people include Sicily in the Italian campaign. In that case, he could have died between July 10 and the end of August 1943 when Sicily was conquered, and the army then moved on to the Italian mainland as TC mentioned below. I believe the most blatant case of Clark using soldiers as cannon fodder was at the crossing of the Rapido River in January 1944. That brought on a congressional investigation.
Yeah, he would have died in Italy sometime between September 1943-April 1945. The fall of 1943 is your most likely time frame.
And yes, that is an accurate description of Clark.
BINGO!
Had no idea, thank you
incredible
Roy Cohn coached both McCarthy and tRump.
Cohn, McCarthy, and trump--a truly twisted trio. That Cohn was really a creep.
AND ROY COHN WAS DUMPED BY TRUMP WHEN HE WAS DYING.
of course
Den, az iz now, to many Amerekans is dum.
Thank you for your story. As a Cuban American born in Miami, I would think the Cuban community would recognize this, also at who similar it is to what Castro started doing to companies in Cuba. While I’ll never agree with them, I don’t think I’ll ever even understand them.
How terrifying for you and your family…
Go Val !!!!!!
I was only 10 and my Uncle Henry would come to visit his mother as we all lived in the same 3 family building. While he was there he would invite me to watch the McCarthy hearings. I never forgot them. That one man caused more grief to American citizens than could be imagined. His blank list of communists along with his alcoholism led the way to where we are today. We do not want to repeat that terrible time.
What a memory for you. Most people today can't imagine the power that McCarthy had. The lives destroyed and fear created by McCarthy and his legal counsel Roy Cohn just went on and on.
Reflecting on how easily the powerful political people from both parties mix together, I think about McCarthy's (repub.) bonding with Joseph Kennedy, patriarch of the Kennedy clan. They were tight together. McCarthy even became godfather to one of Joe Kennedy's daughters who was one of JFK's sisters. And RFK as attorney served on McCarthy's/Cohn's legal staff. As the world turns....
oh Lordy, wish I had time to delve deeper. I'm old enough to remember a lot and have been plenty shocked, but apparently haven't scratched the surface. Still reeling from the Coup of 1933...
Exactly right.
If the business community would listen to Heather's warnings about the fragility of democracy, they could be a force for good, if they choose to be. We who are about to serve as election officers in Virginia today salute you all - wish us luck! I love the smell of voting in the morning (even this early)
As you go to your election officer service, take note that one of Heather's links is to a Time article of how a Yale professor, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, with until-now undisclosed assistance of warning from Timothy Snyder, marshalled CEOs to recognize the dangerousness of Trump's anti-democracy agitation, and nearly a year later, 78% have kept their word to not donate to the GOP.
"Snyder, the scholar of authoritarianism, believes the CEOs’ intervention was crucial in ensuring Trump left office on schedule, if not bloodlessly. 'If business leaders had just drifted along in that moment, or if a few had broken ranks, it might have gone very differently,' he says. 'They chose in that moment to see themselves as part of civil society, acting in the defense of democracy for its own sake.'”
https://time.com/6111845/woke-big-business-dumps-trump/
I just read the Time piece. It is a must read. Sonnenfeld deserves some sort of Congressional Medal.
While I have never been a fan of "big business" (I'm a Warren progressive from Taxachusetts) I found this article to be enlightening and encouraging.
That’s a really interesting article Ellie-thanks for highlighting it. Funny how many CEOs are waking up to the idea that a functioning economy requires a functioning government here in the US. Playing chicken with the debt ceiling as the Repubs are doing, should scare the hell out of every business in America, large or small. We would literally never recover from that.
Timely, Ellie, timely.
Wow! Thank you, Ellie.
I had no idea, thank you
Great article, thanks for sharing.
Talking out of both sides of their mouths? I refer all to Daria’s link below—
“ Please find Marco Rubio's past and present corporate donors at Open Secrets. I wonder, which of his corporate donors will he have the cojones to openly label Marxist? (Make sure you select, "Campaign Committee & Leadership PAC Combined" then choose "Top 100" contributors from the drop down menu.)
https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/marco-rubio/contributors?cid=N00030612&cycle=2022&type=C “
This is hardly the time for political donors to be hedging their bets.
The Open Secrets website is a great resource, but someone would have to take a deeper dive to come up with the data on which companies are talking out of both sides of their mouths--evidently, noting that donations can be concealed through intermediary PACs.
True that. Also noted that some donations may be from the companys’ employees.
Hoping for the best outcome in Virginia! I did a batch of postcards via Postcards to Voters! 💜
As did I, JustJanice💙!
Thank you for your service today Claire! We voted 💙 last week here in VA....we're trying to remain hopeful ❤🤍💙
We voted first Monday of early voting in Fairfax and picked up our Virginia Tech students absentee ballot to ensure it made it into the dropbox appropriately. Go Virginia Go, roll blue!!!
Go Virginia! I am a poll worker in Missouri today. Nothing will be the focus of national news here today, but I believe in every opportunity to vote.
Cathy Mc., thanks for your service to all of us in these times. Take good care of yourself please.
Thank you for serving at the polls , Claire! Having been raised in Virginia, I'm watching this closely today.
Luck has nothing to do with the outcome. It's merely an idol of wishful thinking. Why are Virginians even considering Youngkin? Why did McAulliff enter the race believing it was his for the asking. Candidates and voters are making decisions. I fear for our public schools if Youngkin pulls it off. Perhaps Terry has relied too much on activity in DC, or the lack thereof If we could count on DOJ to bring justice we might be in a better place for this election.
I do not assume McA thought it was his for the asking. I think the news media likes and promotes stories that breed fear . They also constantly say such things as Dems think this by X % and Rs think that by y%. But they are not equivalent groups in size. So should not be compared like that.
Attended a public school in VA for 3 months in 1959.
A series of textbooks written for the fourth, seventh and 11th grades taught a generation of Virginians our state’s history. Chapter 29 of the seventh-grade edition, titled “How the Negroes Lived Under Slavery,” included these sentences: “A feeling of strong affection existed between masters and slaves in a majority of Virginia homes.” The masters “knew the best way to control their slaves was to win their confidence and affection.” Enslaved people “went visiting at night and sometimes owned guns and other weapons.” “It cannot be denied that some slaves were treated badly, but most were treated with kindness
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/slavery
Excellent comment Eleanor! I have your same questions.
Thank you ClaireBlue for your serving as an election officer in Virginia! Sending blue vibes your way and a win for McCauliff!
I too love the smell of voting in the morning! Thank you for serving as an election judge. Fingers crossed we get the right outcome for governor in Virginia and school board here in my town!
Here we go VA 💙 ALL THE WAY!!
Thank you for your service!
Thank you, Claire. Best wishes and good luck!
Thank you
Good luck ❤️🤍💙
These folks have usurped the term "conservative" to mean whatever authoritarian crap they are peddling. I'm more of a true conservative than any of them, and I'm center-left. (I"m also more aligned with the teachings of Jesus than they are and I'm a non-religious Jew.)
Danny, I sure hope there are a few more true conservatives like you out there somewhere. Might help to have a couple in the Senate about now.
Danny actually said he's center-left, so I suspect he has lots of company right here on this forum in being, as he put it, "more of a true conservative than any of them" referring to the current "leaders," of the Republican Party.
Excellent illustrations, Danny! Hard to believe true Christians would openly call for the murder or the f***ng (“let’s go, Brandon”) of political opponents. Sounds more like what the mafia or fascists would say…
Christians, I say not
They also usurped the term "Christian" as you allude to. There have been religious cults throughout time, and these authoritarian power mongers guys knew exactly how to lead their vulnerable flock.
"It is long past time we stop permitting these people to call themselves 'conservatives.'"
I would say it's long past time we stop letting them call themselves "Americans."
Maybe not ‘Americans’, but calling themselves Members of Congress
I say we call them out for caving into Dem demands.
?
Marxism! Marxism! Marxism! America's corporate leaders are secret Marxists! Old Karl and his pal Freddy Engels are turning over in their graves and laughing themselves silly.
It's easy to see that Rubio, Goetz, Tucker Carlson, et al do not have a high estimation of the intelligence of the MAGA crowd. Their collective shallow understanding of world history is more myth than fact, and that myth is fed daily by those who know better.
As the Republican Party tries to steer the nation back to the plantation and the company town, it's easy to see why it was illegal in the South to educate slaves and almost impossible for a working white person to get any more than a crude, basic education.
Keep 'em stupid and you can herd 'em in any direction you want.
And they are all looked upon as low-life’s by trump, unless they can donate buckets of cash…
And sadly even donating money Trump is extremely condescending towards his base. As with all things Trump, everything is transactional, so at any moment where he is displeased, you may end up on the wrong side of Trump. Even for the seemingly most trifling action. Authoritarianism at its finest.
Great stuff, Ralph. We live in an absurdist play called, "The Moronification of American."
Holy sh*t this was a good letter. I have been warning friends & family with my own analysis that Trump Republicans are bad for busines covering some of the same basic arguments. But I haven't seen the the reports from the business community that confirmed this. But of course its true.
The Marco Rubio story blows my mind because Stalin & his Moscow Communists used the word "democratic" as their reason for turning Eastern Europe into only party Russian Communist countries. Their economic plans such as land confiscation from those with foreign heritage and "others", breaking them up into small farms run by the peasants, and then collectivising them and managed by the state effectively broke the economy of Russian Communist controlled countries. Politics of total control, totalitarianism, overrode good economics or business.
American businesses are anything but "Marxist". We have lots of concerns about how some business men & women have put money before country. But not because the wanted a "Marxist" regime. Just shows how far and how deluded Rubio and Republicans have gone to find "enemies" just as the Russian Communists did. Russia has never matched the US in economic power when America has had a fully functioning democracy and government, business and citizens cooperate with and trust each other.
Republicans have and are eroding this trust rapidly and using old Russian Communist tropes to do it.
A bumper sticker(ish) reading of Rubio's, uh, whatever that was:
Social equality (aka "woke cultural Marxism") bad. Fascistic nationalism good.
Not sure how multinational corporations will take to Rubio's call to profit-threatening activism on the part socially regressive shareholders.
Interestingly enough, commenters in the American Conservative by and large laughed Rubio off stage.
Russia is big enough to deport all of them there...just saying. If they want to live in an authoritarian country-- let's ship them over to Siberia. Better than paying for all of them in a huge traitor jail. I am not sure how many beds there are in Guantanamo. We might run out of room at the rate of traitors being revealed.
Can we just refuse to let them return once they’ve assembled in Budapest for CPAC 2022???? 🙏 (just weeks before Hungarians go to the polls)
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!! Off Topic: Yesterday (November 1) is Today (November 2), election day for Virginians and New Jersey-ites. Holding my breath for Virginia.
We're pulling for VA! Y'all have certainly put in the hours and the passion of your hearts, not to mention the work and the donations for this election. You deserve a win! I have watched Gov. Terry grow into a good Citizen over the years. He'll continue to be great for Virginia. Good luck Lynell and everyone who worked so hard!
Morning, Gus...and thanks a bunch!
A winning day, Lynell. Take a deep cleansing breath and exhale. For freedom.
United! 🙋🏻🙋🏼🙋🏽🙋🏾🙋🏿
Morning, Christine!! My horsey guru does not advocate holding one's breath as a way to instill confidence; rather, your suggestion is the way to go. So not holding my breath today but will do as you subscribe. Thanks!
Morning Lynell. Vote well and hopefully be happy with the results. They'll be important well beyond the state and our times.
Morning, Stuart! Did all I could, starting in May donating consistently, wrote 200 get out the vote postcards, voted early. Physical frailties prevented me from serving in person.
Lynell, in my heart I know Virginians will do the right thing and send Youngkin back into the swamp.
The "nasties" he represented didn't live in the swamps but on the plantations. The swamps sheltered the rebels and escaped slaves. I just finished reading an excellent novel by Delia Owens "Where the Crawdads Sing" . I loved it.
Never has an author depicted “swamp” in such a way. Masterful writing.
Yup
Let it be so! Thanks, Pam.
Good to hear from you Lynell, I'm holding my breath too!
Good hearing from you, Sally...been a while. I just undid holding my breath. Decided to adopt Christine's subscription to breathe! Ahh, much better!
Diaphragmatic breathing is part of my post cancer PT. It’s the only part I actually like 😂
Morning, Kathy!! Yes, it's amazing how therapeutic it is. I just wish politics these days would be defined by how committed we are to having clean air to breathe!
Hope you are doing well, and keeping up with your riding. I haven't ridden in some years now; oddly, my horses don't seem to mind!🤔 Still, they are the light of my life.
I’m starting back riding, being very patient with myself! Hudson is going to the national championships next week with my trainer which is super exciting! I will probably start back on him after his end of season vacation. I’ve been riding Peter about four times a week and it’s bliss to be on him again even if a lot of what we’re doing is just hacking in the beautiful fall weather. I am frustrated with my lack of stamina but it’s improving so that’s all good. I’m working hard at my rehab.
I’ve always said horses aren’t ambitious. They do a lot to please us, but I think all they care about is pasture, food, and their friends. I’m sure Peter loves me, and he has a great work ethic, but he’d also be happy working less hard. I’m sure your horses don’t mind a bit.
Breathe! Sending healing growing vibes to VA
Holding my breath and hoping that everyone’s positive work can bring out the voters for Democrats and Democracy. ❤️🤍💙
Lynell, I just drove by my polling place here in Spotsylvania County (aka Spotsyltucky) Virginia. There were a lot of cars at the polls. I don’t believe any Democrat has ever won anything in my district or my county. I am wondering what — if anything - all those cars signify. Terrified.
Hey, Sara. All we can do now is wait. I'm in very red Loudoun County, a place that's been in the news lately!
We can hold hands virtually. Rather than wringing them alone! 😉
👭!
It seems to me that if what I read in the NYT, the WaPo, the Atlantic etc. Is true, there is already a ton of verifiable evidence that must surely be available to the government entities that enforce the laws that apply to all of us, even current congresspeople and ex-presidents. Why are the criminals who planned and managed the assault on our Capitol still on the street? Or is the coup d'etat we were perilously close to ongoing? I think I know.
wow!
"Yet Sonnenfeld has no doubt that having stepped up for democracy at a crucial time, the CEOs would do it again. “The GOP has created these wedge issues to divide society, and the business community is saying, ‘Wait a minute, that’s not us, those are not our interests,’” he says. “That doesn’t mean they’re going to rush off and support Bernie Sanders and the Democratic Party. But they’re trying to break free and find their own way.”
The TIME* article cited by Heather in today's Letter is interesting. Unfortunately I don't see a surge of CEOs speaking out against the rising tide of authoritarianism. Despite all the occasional outburts for "equity and equality" where are the CEOs now?
CEOs are "trying to break free and find their own way"? I doubt it.
*Please find link in Heather's Notes
In re Marco Rubio's pathetic diatribe about Marxist Corporations: Please find Marco Rubio's past and present corporate donors at Open Secrets. I wonder, which of his corporate donors will he have the cojones to openly label Marxist? (Make sure you select, "Campaign Committee & Leadership PAC Combined" then choose "Top 100" contributors from the drop down menu.)
https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/marco-rubio/contributors?cid=N00030612&cycle=2022&type=C
Wow! AT&T AND Verizon, Disney, Gates Foundation, Lockheed Martin, Comcast, Seminole Tribe of Florida….I’m ill.
Yes, it's quite a list.
I love your cat. And my Verizon phone just shuddered and cracked at this news. Time to write some more letters to the treason-supporting corporations.
Isaac the Cat is a very precious little buddy. In re your phone – nothing is "sacred".
Have a marmalade coon cat named Mr. Higgins as my furry sidekick. He travels well and can walk on a leash! Last week, in our vacation in Maine, he feline (aw, leave it!) love with a coon cat named Lily. She is twice his size... looks more like a Norwegian Forest cat. They will zoom each other this evening. Soon Lily will leave her seaside home to visit her Vermont countryside friend! Meeting him has been her first experience in her two years of life that she might not actually be a human. She is fascinated with him. And he, the Perfect Gentleman.
Awwwwww. Say hello to Mr. Higgens and Lily when she arrives! I'm glad he's found true love...A match made in Maine! ❤
I think the CEOs are trying to "find a way" to greater profits. They will do whatever profits them. If being opposed to Trump because he was destabilizing the economy, which is bad for profits, they will oppose Trump. If their political participation quells profits and disrupts their relationship to their boards and shareholders, they will turn quiet. If appearing "civic minded" increases profits, corporations act that out. It's always about money and profits.
Corporate CEOs are OK with the perception that they are Marxists looking out for workers. Remember when they were aghast at the insurrection and attempted coup, and some even pledged to not contribute to the Republicans? How long did that last?
Political contributions for the wealthy elite are 'investments' designed to ensure maximum return. Mega donors are providing the 'air' that keeps politicians alive. In return, politicians provide the legislation (deregulation and tax breaks) that keeps the wealthy living in obscene luxury. As they say, the proof is in the pudding. There has always been a symbiotic relationship between politicians and the wealthy.
It serves everyone's purposes to create the illusion that Republican politicians serve the people and not the wealthy. I would have hoped by now most people have caught on to the fact that EVERYTHING Republicans say or do are lies and misdirections. It's sometimes the first tell that when Republicans accuse others of (fill in the blank) they are guilty of doing it themselves. All of it is a well-understood game played on the dull and gullible.
Daria, thanks for the reference link.
Tom, my pleasure.
Thanks again. It's eye-opening. I selected a few other "members" but I had to stop reading for fear of further damage to my dental health. I really shouldn't be grinding my teeth so much.
I am a chronic, life-long tooth grinder. I had to un-cleanch my jaw upon your mention of it! Best always!
Business leaders had grown weary of trump. His wild statements and erratic behavior on the international stage and at home were causing gyrations in the markets. The folks on Wall Street were becoming more and more unable to make any kind of long term prediction with any surety.
And now this.
Hey business moguls. You oligarchs over there. You created a monster.
Stop sending massive amounts of money to the very people who are hurting you.
Republicans = delusional. Republican leaders = traitors. America is in trouble.
I spent a year in Turkey in 2014 and can add: when an autocrat, like Erdogan, becomes deeply entrenched, it's not just businessmen--it's ANYONE who stands out/has obvious leadership talent/excels/shows promise and doesn't also pledge utter fealty to The Man (or, based on what they do, they can simply be an enemy). Such people are harassed, intimidated, threatened, and yes, in some cases jailed, until they cease whatever career or goal they are on.
Tandori Farquad made it clear from the start that he was after a corrupt, patronage governance.
'Why were lawmakers on a phone call with J6 organizers?' Because both bloody minded GOP lawmakers and bloody minded J6 organizers were hell bent on preventing the peaceful transfer of power. While the elected officials were weaponizing government procedure within the chambers of Congress, their cosplay camo compatriots were sacking the Capitol, seat and symbol of government.
Through the metamorphoses of decades of Republican right wing religious extremist rhetoric, in paving the way for a second coming of Trump, these insurrectionists see themselves as John the Baptist, George Washington, Robert E. Lee, and Rambo - all rolled into one and all triumphant.
Although Republican antidemocratic strategies and authoritarian tactics are unsustainable, many are still hedging their bets that they will both carry off their insurrection and be spared the consequences - raptured by their god, safe in their big money privilege.
Why not? For decades Republicans have been unconcernedly undermining the institutions of government, to dine off the crumbs of shoveling government benefits and our 99% tax dollars into the private nosebags and corporate troughs of their 1% patrons. But overthrowing government may be a step too far. Like Wiley Coyote, Republicans may be running out of cliff. If we don't stop them, then so may we all.
At what point does calling someone a Marxist mean absolutely nothing? Right about here:
"He accused Wall Street of “devoting hundreds of billions of dollars to advance corporate propaganda” that promotes Marxist tactics."
Can we NOW say the GOP's ridiculous rhetoric has finally, at long last, jumped the shark?
Shark was jumped years ago. But I know what you mean. It is like a shark jumping contest between the Presidential (aka dictator) aspirants. Rubio, Cotton, Hawley, Cruz all seek the lowest denominator of fear mongering. It's pointless to ask what "Marxist tactics" or "cultural Marxism" are code for. Because we know they are afraid we are teaching about true and complete American history. And we want human rights to be universal. Sounds like a "commie pinko globalist Soros" plot to me :)
The most frightening thing to me after all these years is that so many people delight in conspiratorial madness. Not helping others, but finding evil around every corner. Loving hate is the hobby. It's collective mental illness.
As a clinical therapist, I completely concur with your diagnosis, Bill. Their longterm, ultimate plan was nearly successfully completed with a malignant narcissist using Hitlerian tactics in rallies and tweets to keep everyone distracted, or brainwashed, whilst they destroyed our justice system and flipped the bird at our Rule of Law and Constitution. The thing about the traitors to our country is they are, as you say, so full of hatred. If teenagers behaved like this they would be absconded by beefy thugs and dragged to Wilderness Programs for some time out from society.
It is stunning to see our taxes and time being spent on treasonous people in our actual employ! We are currently employing many of these thugs to destroy our country. Is that not self-harm, America? The 70%-80% of mentally healthy, informed and intelligent Americans need to stand up and take to the streets.
Before trump can have us all jailed or killed. Milton Mayer's "They Thought They Were Free" describes where we are now.
Jeri Chilcutt. Thank you for mentioning this book. It is just what I have been seeking for ages to understand where we are. Chilling and brilliant.
A particular passage made my blood run cold.
Loving hate is the hobby. Shocking statement, but it is always the cult mental illness. Hope it's not mine.
People who hate are people who fear. They obsess about their fears of certain groups. They get violent and destructive because they obsessively fear. Love is not obsession. You can't fear people and be loving. Love-hate is a bumper sticker made up be fearful people.
Cults believe that they have found the answer to their fears, it seems.
American history does not belong to any group. It evolves. People make terrible mistakes and lie about them. Some people actually do wonderful things. Eugenics is the guiding force for the far gone version of history. I was born white. I can't get a tan. Therefore, I am evil. Bull.
Dale, have you noticed that no one on this forum has actually made any such outlandish claim, ie. that white people are evil just for being white? I hope you aren't falling for the classic reactionary-conservative tactic of taking the highly publicized, unrepresentative remarks of a very few unrepresentative individuals on the left, and using them to tar the entire movement that's working to finally create justice for people of color in this country. Nobody is trying to victimize you for being white.
Thank you for saying that, republicans have been pushing the evil libtard label for half a century. Most of us are just trying to live by the golden rule.
I tracked down a Revolutionary War ancestor who held slaves to work his thousand acres of tobacco in Virginia. That was evil. I had nothing to do with it. I do not feel guilt for what my ancestor did, but I am glad to now have knowledge about it. (I searched for this ancestor when contacted by a distant cousin with 88% African, 12% European ancestry who wanted to know how we were cousins. Mine was 100% European.) With white Southern roots I probably have multiple slaveholders in my family tree.
What I feel guilty for is crossing the street to avoid a black person, which I used to do. My mother wanted me to be afraid of being raped by a Black man.
The radical right keeps using their ‘commie banker’ rhetoric because it works on their target audience.
Notice that Rubio is not calling for a repeal of Citizens United with its unleashing of corporate money into politics. He just wants to ‘replace’ business leaders who don’t direct that money toward the radical right.
Bingo
Exactly!
They do not have a clue what the term means. Probably because they have fabricated history for so long.
They? History is a long story of a people. Lots of people who write history are liars.
Some are truthful. Check out the truthful people. No one group is truthful. You will have to dig.
Hmmmm. Why don't you cover that on your substack blog? Oh, wait, you don't have one, really.
You and I need to have a zoom Margarita hour sometime!
Yes, indeed!
I am very curious, Dale. Whom do you consider to be the "truthful" historians in your opinion?
I agree and I apologize for using the word "they". It is one I normally avoid like the plague. So I will use Radical Right instead. And yes, all politicians lie, cheat the system, etc. Just some do it more than others.
Have you heard the saying," How do you know if a politician is lying? The mouth is moving.
A Marxist believes that the individual is not important, that the masses have to be kept satisfied or terrified, and only the elite know what is best for the masses. How about these words: indoctrination of children, mandates without enough evidence, and punishment of dissenters.
A dictator believes that the individual is not important, that the masses have to be kept satisfied or terrified, and only the dictator knows what is best for the masses. Indoctrination of children about white supremacy? Mandates for public health (the evidence of vaccine safety is beyond overwhelming and indisputable)?
If public shaming and loss of employment of disease spreaders and coup conspirators is "punishment", then so be it.
Likely that plenty of magats would yell fire in a crowded theater.
Yep, no doubt
Despite the insanity(?!) quoted by Rubio and Gaetz in today's Letter, I must say I winced with a tiny bit of grim amusement in this passage using the word "trump" (and that as a word will forever be a mental splinter):
"“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin has jailed over 100,000 business people on *trumped-up* charges of tax evasion, financial irregularities, etc. Anyone with a profitable enterprise becomes a target, regardless of their political sentiments."
I hope that more of corporate America will see that it's not in their best interests to financially support the GOP.
No GOP no more. Long gone, just cult nuts, sorry, but true. Love mental splinter, he is indeed and will forever be. The word trump, definition from long ago, “deceit, fraud, showy but worthless, worthless finery, rubbish…”. Fits today
Perfect. Fake hair, fake tan, fake university, fake charity (except unto himself), fake taxpayer and billionaire, fake presidential oath, on and on..ad nauseam.
Hey, what is the count about now for how many times Biden went golfing or to his resorts at The People's expense? Has anyone been counting?
No, they are screaming f** Biden. Rupert is evil in his propaganda. I guess all such are, Goebbels surely was
However, it has very, very much been in the interests of managers at corporations to support the GOP.
Between getting kickbacks in Swiss Bank accounts for voting for yet another pointless military contractor program (welfare for white people I call it), cutting corporate taxes and passing tax law that lets the richest pay no tax at all, it has way worked out.
Republicans have NOT been good for business but they HAVE been good for the wealthiest 1%.
We’ll see if those who could have a big hand in stopping the insanity will be willing to do so. I predict that the greediest bastards will sign on to the big lie.
We need a comic strip of corporation CEO’s being ordered to “go down” (sexual reference) on Authoritarians & their favorites. It’s essentially what Trump was leading up to. The mafia called it “kissing the ring”. Either way, CEO’s will be forced to submit.
No forced, but willingly submit, are there any real patriots there. Rupert Murdoch did that when trump still a candidate. Why trump said that Rupert treated him way better than Roger Ailes ever did.
This song brightened our spirits during World War II:
You’ve got to accent the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
And don’t mess with Mister in Between
You’ve got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or Pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene
I’m BIDEN my time
https://youtu.be/7o8VKQ9LJHI
Sing it! Woohoo!
It’s the only way, thx Christine
Thanks-- I love how upbeat it is. We need to sing and dance through our revulsion, whoops, Freudian slip of the keyboard! I mean our revolution!!
✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿
Have to love that slip of the keyboard.
Christine WOOHOO! I’M SINGING IT—Brings back nostalgic memories.
I love when people build a music bridge on this forum.
“We’ve got to Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the positive….”
My mother, born in 1928 to textile mill workers in a small Alabama town, would sing that song when she or some of her brood needed cheering up. It seemed to help. Thanks for the memory.
My Mom born in 1908 was one of those textile mill workers (looper) in a small NC town. Small world
Daphne Johnny Mercer wrote 1,100 songs, some of which I found were most touching. One of my favorites was the haunting Laura, while I am growing less and less thrilled by his I’m Past My Prime.
Awesome.