Last week, a poll conducted for Global EV Alliance, made up of electric vehicle driver associations around the world, found that 52% of Americans would avoid buying a Tesla for political reasons.
Yes, I love Heather's today on many key women from a bit more than 100 years ago.
But, too, we have Anand Giridharadas with a NY Times piece on today's massive human emptiness.
That is, over four/five days he read and took notes on all the 20,000 Jeffrey Epstein’s estate e-mails with all his circle of celebrities, men and women of wealth and power. Their common denominator: contempt most all at the top have for “these people” – you and me. Here he is interviewed on “Democracy NOW”:
All aced their way to the top – into the meritocracy, elites of the elites – but most all show themselves outstandingly neutered of common human sympathies, capacities. None any more emotionally mature than any nine-year-old. Most resemble the cynical whizzes atop social media, the billionaires whose capacities for personal understanding, or for feelings for any real place or community amounts to nothing more human than any of their AI algorithms.
America going forward? If so, it’s thanks to Jeffrey, Donald, and Ghislaine’s victims, says Giridharadas. They’ve stepped forward to confront our world’s apparent leaders who so turn out to be weak, personally dumb, neutered of the humanity they so most hold in contempt.
We generally call these people lacking empathy psychopathic. America is going forward because of all the people who have been keeping up the fight, and the many Democrats who have kept the Epstein Files alive and encouraged these women to come forward, and then the Republicans who joined them.
All along judges have been keeping the country going forward. Lawyers have too. We hear about the ones who capitulated to Trump more than the ones who did not. Blue state governors and their AGs, are keeping their states going forward, because there are some horrible things happening in Red states, particularly with women's health rights. Another woman and her baby have died in Texas even though she had a lot of doctors, because no one recommended what could have been a life saving abortion.
We are not going forward in our global relations. Trump is destroying them. All to gain favor with the psychopathic leaders who cannot be friends because that is not in their DNA. They are damaged people, who damage everything they touch. That is Trump's cohort. His goals are to rob us blind and grift as much as he can from whomever he can get it from. Everyone knows this about him, so while Democracies try to make legitimate deals with him, which he does not honor, despotic countries use grift to manipulate him. A sorry state of affairs and we deserve better.
Like how you paraphrase F. Scott Fitzgerald: "They are damaged people, who damage everything they touch."
Let me add, too (now having seen Vicki Ward also in conversation with Anand Giridharadas): it was so much a men's club, near totally a (damaged) man's world. A few key, powerful women, but mainly neutered, dehumanized, empty men.
Her point was -- people are fighting back -- and winning. Did you just skip over that part so you could repeat the litany that 'evil is evil, is very evil, isn't it evil' all over again?
People are fighting back, particularly those in power. Senator Mark Kelly punched back with a force that little Pete Kegsbreath did not expect, did not plan on. A federal judge not only tossed out both the Comey and James cases, he told them their appointment of a lackey to carry out an absurd, political prosecution was illegal on its face. The Pope is carrying out his own fight against their cruelty and dehumanization. The National Guard has been ordered out of Washington DC.
MAGA is cracking. Things are beginning to fall apart -- for them. We are gaining traction, speed and power. You can hear the strings holding up their Rube Goldberg contraption begin to zing off their moorings. Evil didn't bother tying its shoelaces properly and is now starting to fall on its face. That often happens in our world -- it's a gross oversight not to see or discount all those countervailing forces -- it makes people lazy and encourages them toward despair, rather than figuring out how to make those cracks widen further.
There's quite a lot of humanity going around, should you actually care to take a deeper dive. Grace abounds, right in the midst of damage and darkness itself.
The Pope, yay. Do you remember when that couch-lover, Vance, told everyone that it was their Christian duty to only love and care for their nuclear family to the exclusion of everybody else (or something like that), and the Pope, the new one from Chicago, stated: "JD Vance is wrong." The Pope could do a lot to advance the voices of humanity and reason. I hope to hear more from him.
Before that, Pope Francis wrote that JD got his “theology” very wrong, saying love and care are not concentric circles. Great response and showed Vance’s formation as a Catholic sorely inadequate.
I was Catholic for 60 years before I walked away. The RCC, considering the number of followers they have and the breadth of their reach, has always fallen far short of sharing the word of Jesus to all. A statement every month or two doesn't cut it. And also, lead by example, as Jesus did. Mother Teresa did, but even her image was couched in controversy.
That statement is way too broad to be true. Catholics (true, genuine, authentic Catholics) have created SO much good in the world. And I say this as an atheist and former Catholic who had the good fortune of meeting many deeply inspired, loving, caring, and politically engaged priests and nuns.
Yes, things often went wrong too. It was the case for the Catholics my father grew up with, or my first boyfriend.
But Catholicism is 2000 years old and spread across the entire planet. So we cannot just extrapolate from our own little experience...
And having the Pope himself publicly rebuke a US VP when that VP turns out to be a neofascist is HUGE. And it has a huge effect, a real wake-up call for millions of people.
I’m still a Catholic at heart and, because I worked for the church, have some cherished friends who are priests. My problems are all wrapped up into the institution, not faith. Any institution run only by mostly unaccountable men is going to run aground.
"Grace abounds." Funny you see the Donald & Jeffrey era this way, ICTT.
But it's not funny. Anand Giridharadas apparently has exactly you -- wordsmith clever you -- in mind when he talks of elites blind to the widespread human pain and stupidity now ruling.
Oh, but I forget -- you, test-clever you can only see "grace abounding."
It's not a "donald and jeffrey era" Phil. It's an "us" era. That's what's dawning. We are finding and using our own power in ways we haven't before. That was Heather's entire point in tonight's newsletter, which I very much agree with. A great many things are happening all around, not just one. And we all take it seriously. And "test-clever" was something I never was in my life, and you wouldn't know anything about that anyway, so give it a rest.
I very much agree with Dr Richardson's comments today. Can't say I ever disagree but today I particularly agree with her. Mark Carney Canada's 24th prime minister pretty much snubbed djt Sunday when he said they would continue talks with the US when the time was appropriate. Of course , the conservative party in Canada railed on him for it but he was right to react that way. All European leaders and other allies should be snubbing djt at every chance possible. He has zero credibility with any thinking person in the US and I highly doubt that any leader, ANY leader, in the world believes there is any credibility in anything he says or does. To Dr Richardson's point the Europeans should be snubbing djt at every turn as a boycott If they can't deal with someone credible from the US, snub the US. Republican leaders are obviously not intelligent enough to see through this narcissistic blow hard so if it comes to that they should snub the US in any way possible.
In a way the EU has essentially started the snub. They have been meeting with each other about the situation in the Ukraine and Russia advising each other to use there own weapons, where ever possible,to build up European forces against Russia. It absolutely gals me that the US thinks they are going to come up with some solution to resolve the Russian invasion into Ukraine. Marco Rubio? Steven Whitcoff? They aren't even smart enough to figure out who wrote the 28 points. If either were party to compiling that worthless piece of crap, neither are equipped mentally to do even the most menial of tasks - anywhere!
The Eu should be outraged at the very arrogance of even the US news media for making this about blowhard trump and the US. trump sold this country down river first term and has continued selling it down river in the last 10 months. The only credibility left in the US is what once was. The US is no longer leader of the western world. The republicans have seen to it that democracy has no place in this country or any others. The US should no longer even be in the peace talks between the Ukraine and Russia because it should not and must not be about trump It should all go to the capable hands in Europe and they should say so to the rest of the world.
As long as djt sits in the Oval Office the US should be excluded from all world doings!
Ah, I see now, ICTT, Putin has admitted he was a bad boy.
Donald has admitted he did all that money laundering, raped all those women, destroyed part of the people's house, sent ICE on its rampages, murdered at will in the Caribbean, danced with Jeffrey and laughed about their secrets regarding women and crime for so many years.
The fossil fuel goliaths have admitted to their wanton environmental destruction.
And the standardized testers have admitted to their successful anesthetizing of so many elites so especially our elites, so nicely dehumanized for testing, from testing, cannot see pain, as Anand Giridharadas concludes from his study of the 20,000 emails.
And you, Professor Pangloss, so ignore pain -- and all humanities dealing with it as, for you, "It's an 'us' era . . . using our power in ways we haven't before". Except you didn't read today's Heather, who noted "we" did use that power -- in the 1890s -- exactly as then, she says, we are now.
Using it enough now? Not if those such as you insist on ignoring the findings of those such as Giridharadas, and Vicki Ward, and others capable of registering really specific human pain so woefully abroad a land still ruled by grossly out-of-touch elites.
What does "test-clever" even mean? I agree that Phil should "give it a rest," or at least be less adversarial. I think that almost all of us here are on the same page, ultimately.
Be careful with this Phil Balla guy. He may be a troll. He is injecting a note of snarky meanness into this thread that is not often found here. Obviously he's trying to engage us by provocation, and to insert doubt. Imagine criticizing someone for being a good writer!
It's, yes, people are fighting back. And I hope enough Rs resign from the House to put little johnson (and us) out of his misery. A couple of things give me pause: the lethal technology available to suppress and the climate change which is rolling along when we should be laser focused on it. Here in the Willamette Valley where I am, it is almost the end of November and we have not really had a hard frost. There is not much snow in the mountains and I can remember snow shoeing on about five feet on Veteran's Day some years ago.
I LOVE what you posted here! What we focus our attention on expands into our reality. Let’s focus on GOOD trouble, GOOD works, the GOOD in our people…it is EVERYWHERE if we look for it!
The ever-intensifying Resistance is organizing a second consumer boycott of the sort described by Dr. Richardson and has been organizing a national general strike for several months. The latter is mobilizing large numbers of youth. Here are the relevant links:
Surely someone is tracking shareholder derivitive suits. I.E. The Fox suits?
AI: Basis of the Claims: The plaintiffs argue that Fox News' leadership adopted an "illegal business model" that prioritized ratings over journalistic standards and legal compliance, knowingly exposing the company to massive defamation liability.
Key Allegations:
-Failure to establish adequate systems to minimize or monitor defamation risks.
-Inaction despite numerous "red flags" and internal memos from the "Fox News Brainroom" that debunked the election fraud claims.
-Consciously disregarding the risks because the false claims were popular with their audience.
Defendants: The lawsuits name several senior officers and board members, including Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch.
Plaintiffs: Co-lead plaintiffs in the consolidated actions include the New York City pension funds and the State of Oregon, by and through the Oregon State Treasurer and the Oregon Department of Justice.
Case Status: A Delaware judge denied the defendants' motion to dismiss, allowing the derivative action to proceed. The court found that the plaintiffs had standing to sue and that the allegations, if true, suggested the board knew the claims were false but consciously prioritized profits over legal compliance.
Connection to January 6
While the lawsuits focus on the defamatory claims made after the 2020 election that led to the defamation settlements, these claims are fundamentally linked to the narrative that fueled the events of January 6, 2021.
One separate defamation lawsuit, for example, was filed by a January 6 participant, Ray Epps, who claimed that Fox News and former host Tucker Carlson defamed him by falsely accusing him of being a government agent who incited the riot.
Legal filings related to the shareholder suits and other defamation cases suggest that some view Fox's promotion of election fraud claims as contributing to the "political pressure" and the "January 6 riots".
I love your reminder of the quote” They are damaged people, who damage everything they touch.” Chillingly true. I was given a boost a few days ago by an idea Robert Reich posted in his newsletter. Citizen’s United is a cuss to overturn outright. BUT we can work to get our individual States to prohibit corporations from being able to make political donations. It seems to me that if we can implement this and rank-choice-voting we will steer our elections toward a better path.
Wherever you are and however you vote, you have a natural interest in supporting the effort, started in Montana, to neutralize the Citizens United v FEC decision.
I prefer Fitzgerald 's characterization of the rich as careless rather than damaged. The people who
corresponded with Jeffrey Epstein are arrogant, and convinced that their intellect, wealth, privilege means that they are superior.
Consider the attorney who worked for Obama who wrote so contemptuously about those "fat people" she might encounter at a gas station or rest stop in New Jersey. That woman isn't damaged. She's a morally empty human being and she and every person who fawned over a pedophile who trafficked children ought to br publicly outed and banished from positions of influence and power.
Research indicates that as people accumulate wealth their empathy decreases. So indeed many rich people become increasingly "careless" as they grow richer. But when those people start to use and intentionally exploit children then they have crossed over into being damaged. Specifically, any person who uses another for sex against their will, or uses an under age person for sex, even if that person appears to consent is in that moment a disturbed person, without empathy. Much of this is a result of having parents who also had little or no empathy for their own children.
Please be careful how you label/describe the morally bankrupt elites. Huh - I just realized I am going to pull a “Not all rich people” because I don’t fit the description at all. As my networth increased, I became more aware. International travel, the means to donate to ngo’s, time to spend volunteering in my community - all increased my empathy and understanding of the world. And I’m not alone.
However the morally bankrupt elites arrived at their current hateful state of mind, they need to take their hate and go live on Mars. The moon is too close.
Yes, of course. This is a statistical shift not an absolute one. There are plenty of very rich people who do give generously to good causes. It's just that so much money can delude people into believing that they're special - which they're not- and more entitled than others - which they are not. And, often the decrease in empathy may be a result of their rationalizing away the guilt.
I will tell you that an article I read on the environment said that the single factor contributing to how much carbon one uses is income. We are causing climate change more than any part of the world who is suffering the most from it.
Now our monster in the White House is preventing people, whose climate and livelihood we are destroying and even faster under him, from entering the US to partake in the access to means that our wealth has provided us and allowed us to use to take from them. We need to get rid of him so we can rectify the situation.
“Hull-House was soberly opened on the theory that the dependence of classes on each other is reciprocal,” Addams later wrote. This is an exceedingly important point to make and to realize. If the U.S. population were only 3.4 million people, the country probably wouldn't have any billionaires, but because we are 340 million people we have at least 900 billionaires and 900,000 decamillionaires. Frances Perkins, the person responsible for our having Social Security, summed this up nicely: "The people are what matter to government, and a government should aim to facilitate the means by which all the people under its jurisdiction can access the best possible life." This is basically a summation of Pragmatic Capitalism, what the Scandinavian countries have put into place. We need a new NEW DEAL. If we don't start right now electing Democrats and removing Republicans from office, chances are that those Americans in their 30's, 40's and 50's will not receive Social Security or Medicare - at least in any amount that matters. Government and the economic system are inseparable. That's why, in part, our votes are so crucial.
Phil, I have to agree with you in terms of the role of men. Women, of course, have been blamed for everything since time immemorial. I have just finished reading about Mary Magdalene and attempts to suppress her role in Christianity. Recently I have read about the critical water shortage in Iran (frankly, I do not know what they are going to do) and what the hard core clerics have said: it is the fault of women not obeying the rules about their hair, etc. Sigh.
Professor Cox Richardson rarely mentions the "Evangelicals" as she calls them. But they still control the psyche's of tens of millions of Americans as well as billions of dollars of real estate and other physical assets all across the world. Much of the wealth of the Catholic Church, including real estate and artifacts, was stolen from the indigenous people around the world.
This past week Pope Leo returned dozens of artifacts to various indigenous tribes, a gesture worth applauding. But what about the lands they have stolen and have yet to return. Much of this land could be taxable to support schools, roads and other infrastructure projects, but as "non-profits" most property taxes are waived.
The Trump administration is proposing to allow Christian organizations to donate to political parties and candidates, clearly a violation of the Constitution. However, in light of Supreme Court decisions, they might just allow it like they did with Citizens United.
Church membership and attendance are at an all time low in the US with many states reporting fewer than 1 in 5 regularly attending services. We need to rethink where our charitable donations are going and how they are being used. Many of you volunteer your valuable time to help others. We all need to make sure our charity goes to help those in need and not to enrich the grifters that pretend to give a damn about anyone other than themselves.
You glanced at, then walked away from perhaps one of our great sleeper agents -- Pope Leo XIV. All across the country, Catholic Bishops, priests and lay people are bravely organizing against the sadism and de-humanization championed by Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem toward minorities. This they didn't bargain for. This American Pope actually takes the Gospels seriously -- who woulda thunk it? Like so many other realities beginning to intrude on them, this one came about as a direct result of their own cruelty, and like all of the others -- they never saw it coming.
PL is my new (American) hero. I’ve prayed for the Holy Spirit to sweep across our country and change (enough) people’s hearts. Nevertheless, remember God helps those who help themselves.
While I’m glad the American bishops’ conference FINALLY issued a statement, I don’t have much confidence in their having finally ‘gotten religion.’ They went all in as Republicans some years ago. I think Leo prodded them, because their entire focus for the last many decades has been on their ‘preeminent priority,’ as they call it, abortion. (Not sure why now that they have what they have long been obsessed with.) Leo made very clear a couple months ago—maybe because he speaks English—that there were many OTHER issues, like treatment of immigrants which is in our faces.
Let's hope Pope Leo continues the work of Francis in dismantling that other Leo. Leonard Leo, the guy heavily involved with Opus Dei, who is responsible for much of the dark money in politics and the installation of those awful Supreme Court justices.
I wonder the state of the other Leo: Leonard. (lin, who comments here, usually knows.) Correction: Leonard Leo was the head of the Federalist Society, a relatively recent organization. Opus Dei is a right-wing “religious” org started by Jose Maria Escriva a hundred years ago (?) and has been under investigation by the Vatican.
I don’t have a great deal of faith in religionists (that was a pun) but I’ll take support where I can get it. I was tossed out of a Methodist church open mic one evening when I read from my book, “Donald’s Vanity Tantrums “ a story that compared Donald Trump to one of my cats who will lick oil from the skittle if he gets a chance then will splat diarrhea all over my house and I explained that this is what will occur with America if Trump is elected. Omg (pun again) the women organizers came screaming toward the stage but I got a rousing applause and I sold a book that night.
-Walter Rauschenbusch, a Baptist pastor who served in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City, was a leading theologian of the movement. His books, including Christianity and the Social Crisis (1907) and A Theology for the Social Gospel (1917), were highly influential in linking Christian faith with democratic socialism and social reform efforts.
-Washington Gladden, a Congregationalist clergyman, was a pioneer of the movement who advocated for workers' rights to unionize even before the term "Social Gospel" was widely used.
-Charles Sheldon, a minister who wrote the popular 1897 novel In His
Steps, introduced the motto "What would Jesus do?", which became a central theme of the movement's call for practical Christianity.
The movement led to the establishment of numerous social service organizations and initiatives
I'm still stuck with the idea that if I can convince you a demi-god was born of a virgin, unknowingly impregnated by an angry god who demanded his own son be a human sacrifice to satisfy a grudge, I can convince you of anything.
Tax-exempt charities, including churches, are prohibited from engaging in political activity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code -- this, in part, is in exchange for their being essentially subsidized by tax-paying individuals and companies:
" In 1954, Congress approved an amendment by Sen. Lyndon Johnson to prohibit 501(c)(3) organizations, which includes charities and churches, from engaging in any political campaign activity. To the extent Congress has revisited the ban over the years, it has in fact strengthened the ban. The most recent change came in 1987 when Congress amended the language to clarify that the prohibition also applies to statements opposing candidates.
Currently, the law prohibits political campaign activity by charities and churches by defining a 501(c)(3) organization as one "which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office." Quoted material is from the IRS website.
They are doing it more and more and more. I wish we would instead tax the churches and then let them say whatever they wanted -- but not w/o paying taxes like the rest of us!
Part of what makes humans form something like a civilized society is adherence to certain 'things'. In some cases, here in the Western world, we might refrain from using the 'F' word.., or just profanity when having a civil conversation. It's not a law though. In the cases of some religions that have been granted 'tax exemption' a stipulation was applied that they refrain from "political" stuff. Welp.., since that was part of the agreement with our government (us taxpayers), religions need to honor the agreement - simple. That means exercising restraint or suffering the consequence - a visit from the IRS. BLAM! A visit from the IRS usually cures the fox from sucking on eggs.
Commenting on a Government issue or candidate's position as an individual citizen is only participation on Government. A religious authority telling others they cannot vote for a particular cabdudate because of their position on a given issue is a violation. But some religious authorities tell their members to vote their conscience.
I was told of one instance where a bishop was visited by the feds for sending a CD to all Catholics urging them to vote whatever hot issue was in the news at the time—gay marriage, abortion, whatever.
As they should have. Most thinking Catholics do not want to be told by any Bishop how to vote. Even the USCCB has a policy of telling Bishops not to tell Catholics how to vote. (Only poorly educated priests disobey their bishops.) Their official policy is to tell Catholics to inform their consciences by Catholic Teachings, about the issues and to vote their conscience when deciding.
It is important to distinguish between religious teachings of Faith general statements that are nonpartisan (allowed for 501 C-3 regs) and statements that support specific partisan candidates (not allowed).it is also important to note that 501 C-4 designation permits a certain number of hours of lobbying for particular legislation. Some 501 C-3's are also 501 C-4.
I highly recommend reading Katherine Stewart's, "Money, Lies and God" in which she really gets into discussing the whole movement of these preachers in spreading this sort of gospel in support of the Trump agenda, or rather, the agenda Trump is supporting.
Another good read is "The Separation of Church and Hate." by John Fuglesang. As a comedian, he has a highly entertaining take on the literal meaning and hypocrisies of the Bible.
Of particular influence are the preachers of the "Prosperity Gospel", a 19th century school of interpretatiin of the Gospel that was discredited and rejected by the traditional "mainline Churches" to this day.
Read Professor Jemar Tisby's Thanksgiving substack essay entitled, Klansgiving. He shows the relationship between religion and the rebirth of the KKK on Thanksgiving Day, 1915.
The 501(c)(3) organizations that walk closest to the line on political activity are not churches. They are think tanks and educational groups that are tax-exempt, like the Heritage Foundation and probably some liberal ones as well.
Thank you so much Emily. Excellent piece. I have seen references to his book. (Bill McKibben is the author of Here Comes the Sun (2025), and the founder of Third Act), but haven't read it yet.
Check out John Fugelsang's recent release, "Separation of Church and Hate".
My local public library network reports that they have over twenty copies of John Fugelsang's Separation of Church and Hate. They are all circulating. The library is ordering more copies!
It's a very popular book!
(Unless somebody is taking them all and destroying them to keep them out of the hands of readers.)
Hello, GJ. (With a nod here to Apache who regularly begins his replies in that way. Such a genial beginning.)
RE Catholic charities: I know of a young mother alone with her 3-month old baby whose car engine died this week en route to California. She landed in Minnesota with nothing and has been given an apartment for a few months (including food and an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner) at a halfway house run by Catholic charities here in Saint Paul. Nobody can do everything, as activists keep reminding us these days, but everybody can do something. Many churches do enormous work to help folks who are in tough times. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Resettlement (now called Global Refuge) has, since 1939, helped 800,000 immigrants rebuild their lives in the U.S. That is about 10,000 each year. Let's notice the compassion that is all around us and is often invisible. It's never enough but many people would be suffering more without the volunteers and financial support of people of faith in churches and synagogues and mosques.
Melinda, while this is true, I believe that the government should be providing for the people. For example, this is a story in Finland. I think this is what we are aiming for. It should not be charity, but a right.
I agree completely, Linda W. My point was to remind those who denigrate faith communities that they step up when the government isn't helping people. ~ I'll take this opportunity to thank you for the many times you offer insights from your perch in Europe. Much appreciated.
My goal is not to denigrate the many good works done by the faith community but rather to condemn their hypocrisy. My great-uncle and his wife spent so many hours away from their kids that all four of them soured on the church.
Tens of thousands of lay people donate their time to helping others. I worked for Knights of Columbus for over 13 years and many of the employees donated lots of their time helping the less fortunate. I worked for their insurance company and there were people of all faiths and they treated us all fairly.
I do not support any religion that doesn't love thy neighbor and help them out unconditionally.
Excellent information. These genuine "no political strings attached" works by 501 C-3 .organization is how they.were intended to operate. They often go unnoticed because they do. Only violators (and they are out there) get the publicity and "generalizing from the particular" are ysed to discredit the whole. But they are not representative of the mamy more who go about doing good works while keeping the laws binding 501 C-3 nonprofits.
Part of my own distrust and dislike of the evangelical version of Christianity is that most of their preachers are not traditionally educated and ordained ministers but self selected men who “have heard God tell them to preach.” So their own understanding of the Bible relies on what their barely educated preachers have told them about Christianity.
That’s why in the rural South we have preachers telling their congregations that Catholics aren’t Christian’s and that the Bible was first written in English. These two odd statements were repeated to me in a college English class!
I was somewhat heartened that preacher support for DJT in 2024 was below 50%. Still that's a large percentage when you consider Trump's value system has very little in common with the mainstream Protestant churches' philosophy..
Part of my own distrust is that they teach racism, sexism and hatred of people. Another part is that they rake in money yet pay no taxes. The ones who are making the big money make me pause. This is not what Christ was preaching, and it is certainly not going to help the poor.
Of all the humans, those of us, who choose to call ourselves "Christian" need to follow our spiritual leader, Jesus Christ above any pastor.
Christ did not live a life of wealth or cruelty or with the arrogant attitude of judging others. In the faith poured out for me in grace not through works, He has taught me to love others as I have been and continue to be loved.
Of course as a human this ideal takes much humility in returning to the reality of who I am as an imperfect creation. I must confront my weaknesses and faults. I am responsible through the Holy Spirit, living and moving within me, to demonstrate the love and wisdom of my Savior. This is a DAILY CHALLENGE....but one I submitted to because of the great love I have received and continue to receive.
I continue to strive to love as Christ has loved me....surrendering Himself for those who CHOOSE to believe. This is not because of my goodness.
Love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us is a "tall order". I am NOT there. His words are wise and hold the values He lived out. If we submit to those ideals, in response to the love of Christ...we see amazing things happen.
Trusting in the power of love and humility is a great challenge. It is trusting in what we cannot see. But amazing surprises take place when we submit to these truths...maybe not as soon as we would want but these ideals make a difference.
Leaders who profess faith in Christ have a larger responsibility to study, pray and share truthfully the words of Christ....NOT to promote personal prejudices. Their walk in faith...their lives lived out before Christ demonstrate the reality of their surrender to Christ's teaching.
Ones faith or NOT is a personal decision for each of us, NOT for judgement!!!!
I'd never read the 28 "peace points." They are worse than I thought. While some Americans may be concerned with Trump's grift, most will be unaware, as was I, that he is selling out the security of Europe as well.
If, somehow, this vague document becomes a flowery show piece of "peace," Europe will need to decide which country they will give up next. We are definitely headed toward George Orwell's three empire world (China, Russia, U.S.) that he fictionally depicted in his book 1984.
Thanks for sharing. But it feels like I just got a diagnosis of cancer and the doctor said, "I'm going to help it spread to more parts of your body."
Each of us can directly support Ukraine by donating to United24, the official website of Ukraine. So far they have raised nearly $3 billion. You can choose either humanitarian aid or military weapons. Here's a link: https://u24.gov.ua/
Absolutely. I first became aware of the site when noted historian and author Timothy Snyder endorsed it and have been donating off and on for more than a year. Totally legit and secure.
A lot still in play on that one. Already the tale of how Steve Witkoff actually advised Putin (not Trump) on how to sell this Russian shit to Trump have appeared on multiple news sources -- like everyone else in Trump's orbit, he works to protect Russia's interests, not our own.
As usual, Zelenskyy is being forced to play the deftest of card games with a most difficult hand. But it's an increasingly united Europe going "we ain't buying it" together with a Ukraine that may end up backing their President even more, as Russian missiles keep falling on Kyiv (I guess that's supposed to make them really respect Putin more, or something).
Yes. I woke up to these stories and I am interested to see how this will add to the situation. How does the extremely bright Zelensky deal with this information and the EU. We know that Mark Carney of Canada is already showing Trump "the Hand!"
He is not just selling out the security of Europe, but ours too. Besides that we make more money from trade with Europe than Russia, and he is blowing that up, he is also talking about AI collaboration with Russia. That will just give them more tools with which to attack us. He is totally uncaring about what legacy he leaves behind. One of total betrayal to the American people, who also benefit from Ukraine remaining another democracy in the world to counter those that are not.
Russell John, we are not using that term in my household. However, I get your point. It was stupid to make a recording that the press got a hold of. Corruption is the name of the game. We should all be complaining about this to our elected reps.
"Yes, "Dummkopf" is a mild insult in German, translating to "dumb head" or "idiot" in English. It's used to describe someone as being foolish or lacking intelligence. While it's derogatory, it's generally less harsh than more severe insults and is often used in a more playful or light-hearted context.Feb 20, 2024"
I pretty much use "Arschloch!" Witkoff certainly is an "Arschloch!" "Dummkopf!" seems too simple here. If he is stupid, then we consider him to inadvertently be trying to deceive people, he is not willfully trying to deceive everyone including Trump, whom he is treating like a "Dummkopf."
The action was stupid, and Witkoff is not too bright in this context. He is not bright enough to know that he is out of his league, but he is bright enough to know that if he wants to make a deal that makes money for him, he needs to be in on the negotiating, because Rubio isn't going to do that for him. Every action in this administration is grift, grift and more grift.
Yes. While Witkoff may be a Dumkopf, I don't use it here. Germans do not tend to be so playful with language. The infamous directness would not find that playful. And, it is not meant playfully here is it?
My daughter considers words like Dumkopf basically curse words. I used "stupid," to show that while we don't usually use those terms in my home, I am using them on my own, although my daughter would have a fit. She does not like me calling people "stupid," although the older she gets the closer she gets to doing that. I think in German Dummkopf is harsher than stupid though. My husband does not think it is playful either. He thinks it is insulting, but could be both ways. Saying it to a good friend playfully perhaps. In anger to someone you cannot stand is not a nice thing.
Someone can do a stupid thing, but a Dummkopf is a state of being. If you say "Dummerchen" "little dumb one, it might be milder.
Agreed, I didn't take it as playful. And I personally don't like the use of Magats, Republican'ts, lumping every conservative as evil, or a host of other ad hominem adjectives.
That said, stupid is as stupid does. I'm not clear why calling someone an idiot, who is an idiot in German on an American site is worse than calling that same idiot an idiot in English.
Also, I usually say, and this really bothers my daughter, "Er ist ein Vollidiot!" I say this because that is what I think. I use it when driving. As a passenger in a child seat and then on her own, she would chid me and tell me I should not be using bad language in front of her.
When I was talking Special Education in Grad school not for teaching, but for School Psychology, we discussed the history of the terms that defined various kinds of stupidity and how they were on a scale, and these are meant for people below the normal bottom IQ of 70.
In any case, we were taught that using these terms was rooted in an unenlightened past.
While retard, and other terms like that are not on the list, I feel that they might be. I do use "Vollidiot!" because I am speaking German then, and it is not tied to a developmental level as much as to how completely unsafe a behavior is. A person watching a screen while driving will get that remark from me, and so does anyone texting. In fact, I chided all of my friends who would even talk on the phone while driving because their children grow up seeing this, we did not, and learned to drive well before being exposed to cell phones. They will have one before the other. It is not a good example to set.
Thus, we have Kakistocracy, although the leaked recording of Witkoff's phone call with Putin's person, where he is coaching how to manipulate Trump to go along with a plan that is treasonous in my opinion. Perhaps we should be saying, "off with Witkoff's head!" and get MAGA riled up over that. Of course that would be irresponsible, because then they might go after him.
Trump continues to defend Witless. When questioned about the Bloomberg report yesterday he said:
"I haven't heard it, but it's a standard thing. Because he's got to sell this to Ukraine. He's got to sell Ukraine. That's what a dealmaker does. You've got to say look, they want this, you've got to convince them of this. You know, that's a very standard form of negotiation. I haven't heard it, but I heard it was standard negotiation. And I would imagine he's saying the same thing to Ukraine. Because each party has to give and take."
He seems to be unaware that Witkoff was even't talking to the Ukrainians. The fact that he describe this as standard negotiating procedure will doubtless not be reassuring to Ukraine or NATO allies.
Nebraskan congressman Don Bacon called for his resignation. Trump's special missions envoy, Richard Grenell, was instead calling for the person who leaked this information to be identified and sacked.
Linda, I believe that sociopathic is a better term to describe most of them. ffpotus has crossed that line into the edges of psychopathy, but most of them are true sociopaths. There is a lot of overlap between them, but a fundamental difference lies in that sociopaths are "made" while psychopaths have an organic origin.
I got to watch more than one sociopath at work during my career; two of them were very well integrated into "normal" life, but certainly had elements of sociopathy in their interactions and dealings with other people.
They both belong to antisocial personality disorders, and I don't know that I could say that they aren't all both. Donald Trump certainly has traits belonging to each.
From the Cleveland Clinic
Psychopathy traits--Limited understanding of right or wrong, uses insincere charm to mask true feelings, difficulty with emotional regulation, lack of fear.
Sociopathy traits--Frequently gets in trouble with the law, makes impulsive decisions with no regard for safety, increased aggression and risk for violence, inability to follow through on personal responsibilities.
Overlap--Lack of empathy or remorse, takes no responsibility for their actions, doesn't follow rules, doesn't respect boundaries.
It tells us that:
"You can think of psychopathy and sociopathy as being two sides of the same coin: Psychopathy is potentially more dangerous with a closer tie to genetics, while sociopathy can be genetic or environmental, resulting in impulsivity and lack of empathy."
We know Donald has the bad nurture, we don't know what he has from nature, but he can have both and so can a lot of these people.
Usually I do too, but I did want to check because there are so many YouTubers against aiding Ukraine. Sorry if I came off as a pain in the you know what 🙁
HulitC, I cannot find where I wrote the word "decry" in the chain. Can you give me the sentence please?
I am for Ukraine. I am living in Europe and see our future tied to Ukraine's success. I also have Ukrainian family members on my husband's side. Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦
Here are your words. Sorry to be a stickler, but there are so many YouTubers against aiding Ukraine that I just wanted to clarify. (I am actually currently living in France & worried that the French will elect Le Pen’s party in 2027. I too have Ukrainian relatives.)
“The US citizens should be loudly decrying their support for Ukraine in the face of Donald Trump trying to sell them out and us too. Look at this post from Timothy Snyder about the 28 points.”
HulitC, I actually meant to put "Russia" where Ukraine is. I am writing too much while my husband is talking about things we should be taking care of. He just arrived in Europe and we have a lot of things to take care of that are easier to do when we are both in the same country. He will be doing something, while I wait I go back to responding. Probably not a good idea. Thanks for pointing that out. If I can find the comment I will change it. Happy Gathering, if you are having one this week. I am worrying about the ascendence of all far right parties, especially after reading Katherine Stewart's book, "Money, Lies and God" I have a much better sense of how networked these countries all are and how much the far right is backing them globally and all the money they are funneling to them, as well as providing political advice. Thus the recycling of effective political talking points in all of these countries.
I’ve enjoyed communicating and connecting with you. Don’t let my editing questions stop your terrific comments! I have a sister who actually reads the dictionary. She gives me a hard time when I misuse or even mispronounce a word, so I guess I’ve been programmed. 🙁
Linda, I also know those lacking in empathy as sociopathic. Many, many years ago I saw something on a PBS program that was talking about a young man attacked a woman coming out of her home, because she was carrying "HIS" purse. He was described as a sociopath. I have a sister who falls into the same category, where things should belong to her because she wants them, and others don't deserve to have what she wants.
Susan, psychopaths lack empathy too. This is what I wrote above.
They both belong to antisocial personality disorders, and I don't know that I could say that they aren't all both. Donald Trump certainly has traits belonging to each.
From the Cleveland Clinic
Psychopathy traits--Limited understanding of right or wrong, uses insincere charm to mask true feelings, difficulty with emotional regulation, lack of fear.
Sociopathy traits--Frequently gets in trouble with the law, makes impulsive decisions with no regard for safety, increased aggression and risk for violence, inability to follow through on personal responsibilities.
Overlap--Lack of empathy or remorse, takes no responsibility for their actions, doesn't follow rules, doesn't respect boundaries.
It tells us that:
"You can think of psychopathy and sociopathy as being two sides of the same coin: Psychopathy is potentially more dangerous with a closer tie to genetics, while sociopathy can be genetic or environmental, resulting in impulsivity and lack of empathy."
As usual, Linda, your research is more thorough than mine. On my way to find your comment, I saw where someone said that sociopaths are made, while psychopaths have an organic origin. Having experienced my sociopathic sister, I would agree that sociopaths are made. I also agree that it is not always easy to tell the difference between the two.
Heather's glass is half-full, K, mine, half-empty.
Only that empty includes Putin's genocide, Netanyahu's genocide, ICE's federally subsidized terror campaigns, fossil fuel's death wish, social media's hate algorithms, elite universities', law firms', and legacy media's cowardice to extortions, Donald's successfully-covered-up underage girl rapists, drunken Hegseth's murders on the open sea, the Supreme Court's blatantly bribed corruption, and standardized testing's anesthesia-&-dehumanization takeover of all education.
A 59-word sentence, Mr. Balla? You definitely seem older. Didn't one of your 'pre-standardized testing' teachers caution you against such? Methinks your glass is way more empty than just half. Give it up, Mr. Balla. You're not. helping.
Then we can resume the primary task. Which is, to advance the idea that those who remain in America must rejuvenate our republican experiment by the careful planning of the many reforms requisite to correcting and sustaining our democracy. There are several dozen distinct components to that, in severk time frames. To wit, a one-year time frame (2026), a two-year after that through 2028, and then a four year and more thereafter. In that perspective. Mr. Balla a 59-word sentence is mere mewling against Trump's attempted autocracy. Sentence #2: "F"
Donald Trump's charitable instincts are best reflected in his use of the presidential pardon power. He's pardoned or commuted the sentences of over 2,000 assorted crooks in the first ten months of his second term (compared with a grand total of 238 in his first term). Now it appears that he's had a re-think about voter fraud.
He may choose to give anticipatory pardons to ICE folks for their actives. Heck, pardon everyone who follows the wishes of the Project 2025 coup authors.
A sort of Minority Report scheme where he pardons people before they commit crimes, crimes that they inevitably will commit the longer this shitshow goes on. They might even ask the Roberts' court to rubber stamp it in advance so little do any of them care about the Constitution.
I have been wondering why emotional immaturity and the willingness to inflict harm seems to be a trait of so many very wealthy people. Is it inevitable that success in terms of money does not go with success in terms of creating something that benefits everyone? Maybe it is always that way in a capitalist society.
I believe most very wealthy people have never had to sacrifice ANYTHING in their sorry-ass lives in order to develop the basic trait of compassion. If, as a young mother, you had to go without meals in order to feed your children, you learn to have compassion for others who are going through the same thing.
If you grew up in a family that couldn't afford to pay for heat, you learn to have compassion for those who don't have warm clothing. If you've never suffered from hunger, or cold (or extreme heat) or inadequate housing, you cannot possibly imagine what these sufferings feel like.
And, if a wealthy child ever mentions, "why don't we help poor people, Dad?" They tell their child, "It's the poor peoples' fault that they're poor. If we tried to help them, then they wouldn't learn to help themselves."
Most very wealthy people are so far removed from humanity and so empty inside (devoid of the human instinct to help) that this enables them to believe "others" are less-than and therefore it is acceptable to "let them starve - it's their own fault."
Another thought on the empty souls of rich men - they do not experience the joy of equality-based, loving relationships (not based on money, favors, influence, etc.) that they seek forbidden taboos like incest and pedophilia. They have lost the ability to BE a human being; their money and power is all they have, and their cruelty to others becomes their trademark.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely; and what does it corrupt? It corrupts their human soul. A corrupted soul is the same as being dead. You are incapable of contributing anything of benefit to anyone, even your own family.
I am SO grateful that I didn't "marry well". In the '50's , in Montclair N.J. , a good looking female with a perfect figure should have ended up with a Corporate type. Instead, I got preg. right after high school and married an 18 year old, who had give up his goal of engineering school to support his family.
I had to figure out how to do everything so we never had a money problem while living on very little money. It gave me an opportunity to be creative and form of independence which was my nature anyway. If I had married well, I bet I would have been miserable, sleeping with the help and on the physician prescribed solution to a housewife's problems: that little blue pill.
I was "supposed" to marry well. My family lived in a wealthy enclave in Connecticut and although they always told us "kids" they were poor, the boat and the second home on Martha's Vineyard told us otherwise. I grew up around wealthy people and I didn't much care for them. They were too obsessed with "things;" not people.
There was no way I was going to marry a wealthy a**hole who would order me around and raise his children to then be dumped by a younger me. My independent streak was a mile wide. So, I got some marketable skills and took off for Dallas at age 21. Never looked back.
I started building myself by reading classics,, philosophy, literary criticism, got a B.A. 2 courses a semester, no social life...invented a computer business and made 5 times what I had been keeping house on. Being left alone by that guy who had to work every waking hour for his family...gave me so much chance to do whatever I wanted.
Ended up in NYC..bought buildings w. some partners..it was a great bunch of decades...One could afford medical care and cars and houses on almost nothing.
I started running before it was called jogging...sometimes I would run in near by Essex Fells which was all big rich houses; I felt sorry for the women in those gilded cages.
I never cared about money. Even when I made quite a lot of it. At a point when things in my business changed; I had to deal with HR, instead of directly with DP managers, ...I just didn't want to do it anymore. And, gave it right up.
Terry24x, your comment is fairly brief, but packs a tremendous amount of substance that could launch several extensive discussions.
I would describe the super-rich as having emotional paucity, not immaturity. The former suggests that it's just not there, while the latter hopes it's there but undeveloped.
Wealth is a form of arithmetic. Arithmetic has no emotions; two plus two always equals four, never anything else. Two nickels always equal a dime, never anything else.
Most people are emotional creatures. As such, they are unpredictable and unreliable, unlike math. With an emotional being, one never knows when two and two might add up to seven-and-a-half. Typical people, with their unpredictable, unreliable emotions, frequently make less-than-ideal financial decisions. We, who work in marketing, know this about people. When we design campaigns, we always appeal to your emotions and mostly ignore the financial aspects of moving you to a buying decision, because your decision to buy is an emotional one, not a logical one.
But there is a small class of people who lack the capacity to emote. They struggle to commune with other people but are more comfortable with non-emotional entities, such as money and computers. Elon Musk is perhaps the perfect example. In his natural state, he feels nothing. He takes drugs just to feel something.
I would note, here, that Donald Trump is actually not good with money. He is extremely emotional; it's just that all his emotions are destructive, to himself and others. He's terrible with money. As with everything in Donald's life, his apparent wealth exists because of the efforts of others. Left to his own devices, he would lose it all in short order.
As I've frequently pointed out, those revered "Founding Fathers" created our capitalist government to protect and promote their own assets. But in order to gain the buy-in of the masses, they had to couch their capitalism in "democracy." In their pure forms, capitalism and democracy are incompatible. Under the guidance of people with good intentions, the two can be made to enhance each other. Under the control of people with bad intentions – such as we are now seeing – the two can be exploited for the benefit of the few and harm to the rest of us.
The times, and Wopo have no right to even to use the term journalistic integrity in the same sentence. Good job old man. you have risen above the ignorance here!
This satire takes aim at America’s newest political powerhouse, the angry shopper. From Tesla boycotts to Disney cancellations, the piece skewers a culture where democracy now lives in the checkout line and corporations answer to citizens armed with receipts, principles, and very short patience. https://essayx.substack.com/p/the-republic-of-selective-shopping
That was a sad but telling interview. Thanks for sharing that here. Who was it who said some years back, the ‘American personality’ as an impersonated corporation is a narcissistic psychopath? The epitome of American success? The CEOs and funders who Citizens United empowered in our election system are personified in this Administration.
Phil, it is amazing what wealthy does to most people now and throughout history. Absolute contempt for the peons like most of us. This is entitlement on steroids. They have no interest in the public infrastructure that is for most of us because they have created everything private for themselves.
I read his piece too, and I was shocked that the coin of their realm was "intellectual capabilities", which means they mouth ideas they do not begin to understand. Since they themselves are the problem.
Phil, let’s face it. Epstein is Trump’s Achilles heel. It needs to be dragged out and repeated until Trump is buried and the MAGAs are shattered into a million pieces. Yes there is the pure brutal exploitation of underage girls let’s never forget what transpired. But now on account of Trump’s involvement, the issues must be repeated over and over and over again until the MAGA heal burns to the ground. Never forget this please. /It’s all in my book, “Donald’s Vanity Tantrums.”) You wanted it once but we couldn’t figure out how you would pay. I’m game to try again especially now that I have added a bunch more stories.
Well, see below that it’s not reflective of the ratings by CNN, which show Trump substantially higher And as SOLID as they’ve been for the last six months. According to CNN, his ratings are like a Bob Seger song LIKE A ROCK Oooops read ON for details
So once again, as I’ve shown time and time and time and time again,
SHE OPENS HER POST BY SAYING…AS TRUMP’S POPULARITY CONTINUES TO DECLINE….
Referring to the popularity in his own party, as she continues to say in her, next statement and fractures begin to be evidenced in his MAGA COALITION !Which is a false statement provided by evidence from none other than CNN.
In fact CNN’s poll, which I will quote a little bit later indicates that Trump’s approval rating by Republicans is exactly the same as it was six months ago. She states this…As she continues to say, and there are beginning to be fractures….. Yet, CNN states his numbers are like a Bob Seger song SOLID AS A ROCK. Just as I said above
And here are all the people that believe Heather so much that they would grovel at her feet and genuflect with every word she preaches here which, unfortunately is refuted by to many polls , especially the one by surprise surprise CNN . And of course, not one person here would question her post , nor go further to re-search the numbers or the evidentiary contradiction provide , which is only stated from left-wing links. What a shock. Every single left-wing Poll of course has it the opposite, which they’ve done for years and that’s why half of them are going out of business or suffering financially, such as CNN, which has been moderating lately, and changing his tune. And ,MS now which used to be MSNBC, but had to change its name for lack of credibility.. that’s more than a rumor. have fired MANY of the news anchors on both networks and lost almost 50% of its viewership when Trump was elected and now Fox News as an example has more viewership than CNN and MSNBC/MSN NOW COMBINED. !! WAPO he’s bleeding money, and losing millions and if not for digital reach , the New York Times would be in big trouble as it continues to lose subscribers versus free digital readership… as I understand it. Apparently it’s lost about 660,000 subscribers since 2023.
She opens at :letters”. With NEGATIVITY About Trump , half truths from left-wing sources only , and with no information from the other side, or any facts that happen to disclaim every single thing she says, or hear about TRUMP’S favorability. The left hates him more than ever because he continues to win more than ever, and here are the numbers below.
According to Henry anthem at CNN while Trump Popularity is dropping overall , the ONLY reason for the drop is the decrease in the popularity amongst Democrats …what a SHOCKER. However, the increase in Republicans and the status, in comparison to other presidents THIS CENTURY is astounding where Heather misses the boat entirely!
According to CNN. Trump’s Approval By Republicans is at 87% TODAY is well above Bush and Obama And Biden’s as rated by Democrats ….in other words, higher than any other president by its appropriate party since the turn of the century!!! Oooops
While Bush’s highest rating by Republicans was at 78% and Obama’s highest rating of it by the Democrats was at 78% as well. Nobody has been able to attain a stronger approval rating by its own party than Donald Trump this century. . 87%. Somebody please tell Heather.
And for the rest of you you might want to research or investigate a little further to validate what she posts please
I opened Democracy Now and watched. I have been alert to this crap from other sources: one being Whitney Webb, on Youtube and her book, Vol 1: One Nation Under Blackmail.
It was never just about the girls: they were "party favors" to hook and bind the powerful into the club of special advantages and evil deeds.
I'm glad people are paying attention to that now. today, all over the world, millions of women and girls are used against their will or best interests.
This was treachery by those with power against the common man, like going back to the age of coal miners, indentured servants and slavery.
Where or when will this stop? Corporate mass media has most people on the side of this fascism.
Hear Judge Michael Luittig speak sorrowfully that he sees no hope. Maybe tomorrow he will see a glimmer of hope. But, most days: no hope.
The hope I see is that there are many credible voices out there who aren't bamboozled by the B.S. Listen and learn.
Thanks Phil for your skepticism. I agree with you that this Letter hightlights a great role women play from making choices in living that influence politics. And yet, they have failed to elect a woman as president. Why did they choose Trump over Harris?
Back in 1967, when I heard the first statement about "women's liberation" in the radical movement, at the 1967 SDS National Convention, delivered by Jane Adams and Marilyn Buck, I thought to myself "Women are going to change everything." Which I thought was a good thing.
And immediately after that thought, I was embarrassed beyond belief by looking around the room at all the "radical" men, jumping up and down on their seats, shouting "I stand firmly erect in my support of pussy power!" I pulled my hat down low over my eyes and tried to pretend I wasn't there.
Nothing in the 58 years since, all the women I have stood beside in the movement in that time, has ever changed my first thought once I was presented with the idea.
I remember doing a lot of my biographical reports on women. In sixth grade I did Jane Adams, a woman I really admired. I dressed like her to do my presentation. I still remember the long skirt my mother made me and the blouse I wore with it. I wore my then long hair up in a bun. I remember doing reports on Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan. Both were heroes to me.
Later on my daughter did the same. In science class she did a report on Emmie Nöther, who was a contemporary and friend of Einsteins. He credits her work with the underpinnings of modern Physics. She was teaching at the same University where my husband got his PhS in Physics in Göttingen and then came to the US. At another point in time she did a report on Maria Goeppert Mayer, Nobel Prize winner in Physics. She was also at Göttingen, and she and her husband, the one who got the one salary from the University of Chicago at the time, is the one who won the Nobel Prize. Her husband did not.
Germany lost a lot of Nobel Prize winning people, who won their prizes when they went to the US. The US is now doing the same thing. It is chasing away their scientists, as the Christian Nationalist agenda is decidedly anti-science. Look at our head of Health and Human Services, and all of the people heading departments under him.
I wish more of us would pay more attention these long-term trends. Most of us, including our mile-wide-millimeter-deep legacy media, are obsessed with the trivial, the superficial, impulsively drawn to who's-on-first impulses rather than longer, slower, deeper currents of change and upheaval.
Great powers are not pre-destined, they're the result of specific choices people in past and current generations have made about what kind of society they wanted their children to live in. Immigrants in previous generations came in search of freedom, opportunity, land, the chance for prosperity. After World War II, the government invested in higher education in particular, which quickly became one of America's great treasures, attracting millions more not just to our shores, but our ideals. All of this -- the result of choice, not destiny.
Today, bizarre people at the top are choosing to revive 19th century visions of spheres of influence -- whites-only social Darwinism and immigration schemes, fixations with race, language and gender roles as far removed from current reality as you can get, 'splendid little wars', beggar-thy-neighbor tariffs, gunboat diplomacy. What do people imagine will happen to a great power that turns its back on a century of progress to embrace some bizarre retro vision from the McKinley Administration?
A great power remains great only as long as others perceive it to be so. What do these idiots think we'll become once we've chased away -- not just farm workers, barbers, taco stand operators and day laborers, but scientists, Ph.D.s, doctors, researchers -- the best and brightest who used to come here to pursue their dreams? It makes so little sense.
Einstein depended on his first wife, Mileva Marić, to assist him with the math to "prove" his theories, but she was never credited, at least not in her lifetime.
Marie Curie's accomplishments in Physics and Chemistry put her in a category few if any others have attained. This from Wikipedia-
'She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win a Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields. Her husband, Pierre Curie, was a co-winner of her first Nobel Prize, making them the first married couple to win the Nobel Prize and launching the Curie family legacy of five Nobel Prizes. She was, in 1906, the first woman to become a professor at the University of Paris."
The list goes on and on, but many, like Einstein's wife, have never received credit for their contributions.
When my daughter was choosing a woman scientist to write a bio on, we read about scientists from the 1700s, on to now, and how up until recently women could not work as scientists unless they had a father, husband or brother to support them in their research. It is crazy. Of course they did not get credit. Or get paid.
My wife is a chemical engineer and my high school girlfriend is a professor at UC Davis. Both of them have struggled in the patriarchal world with the male egos.
GJ, EVERY professional woman—maybe every woman period—has struggled with male egos. I had many, but two in particular: engineers, the worst of whom who are superior to every other human—and Catholic clergy.
It started with stabbing large animals and jumping around the fire getting amped up to attack the neighboring tree swingers. Someone had to take care of the kids. We're working on it.
I get it. My husband is a chemical physicist./physical chemist working as a computer scientist in astro physics and I talk to his women colleagues about their experiences and they tell me that they have experienced a lot of sexism growing up and in university. In their fields yes and no. My husband's working group is pretty respectful of female intellect and capabilities, but there are just very few women. His colleague's daughter who did her undergraduate at Berkeley in Computer Science told me the Dept was very very sexist. She moved to New York and worked for Etsy for a while designing algorithms just to be in a different kind of work space. Her now husband, agreed with her about the culture in CS at Berkeley. I know she went to grad school and haven't talked to her since then, but I don't imagine the sexism is gone.
I certainly got sick of the sexism I experienced in the private school I taught in. Oh I could tell stories about colleagues, admin and parents. But, not students. The children I taught felt I was on top of things. For one, if I say you can learn something and I expect it, I was believed and learn they did. So, that is what kept me enjoying my work. I had good friends among my colleagues too, but the men at my grade level were appalling. In fact, women complain about them still. Most try to get away from them.
I am so glad not to have people like that in my life any more.
My wife went to what was then University of Missouri at Rolla in the late 1980's. My wife started her junior year when she was 27 and there weren't many students older than her even the Graduate students. One of her TAs was a PHD candidate in Chemistry and he was a sexist pig.
Anyway, this TA taught my wife's Physical Chemistry lab. He asked her why she wasn't at home barefoot and pregnant among other things. She never took the bait. There were a couple of other women in her PCHEM lab but he only picked on my wife.
As it turned out when he got his PHD, they rewarded him with a position in the Chemistry department at UMR.
Of course, not all of her professors were sexist like that but there were a few others. Her Chem E class started out with over 300 students and 30 graduated including my wife. She worked for a few years as a water engineer for the state of Nebraska reviewing water systems across the state.
I was a computer programmer from 1977 until April of this year. A friend and I started a consulting firm in 1990 and grew it to about 150 consultants. We had a couple dozen women who worked as consultants and they were all very good. When we hired the women almost every one of them was underpaid compared to the men. We offered them the same salary and benefits that we would offer the men with similar qualifications.
Interesting digression prompted by your mention of the head of HHS: he and Sheldon Whitehouse were once such close friends they were in each others’ weddings! What a (today) unlikely pair.
I think they knew each other from school. But obviously RFK Jr was off the rails at an early age. I just read the article about Kennedy recently—The Atlantic I think.
Thank you for your comment, TC! “Women are going to change everything!”
Here’s a great example:
“The League of Women Voters is a century-old, nonpartisan organization that empowers voters and protects democracy through education, advocacy, and litigation. Founded by suffragists in 1920, it has advanced voting rights, promoted civic participation, supported major reforms like the NVRA and HAVA, and continues strengthening democratic engagement nationwide.”
And recently we have organizations like Red Wine & Blue helping to organize women (and others) to make their voices heard! “Red Wine & Blue is a sisterhood of diverse communities working to change the world together.”
We have seen the Orange Ego in Chief go after Black women....who are the backbone of their families and also, of the country. That is on list of hateful shit: right at the top.
I would argue that women have always changed everything. And then, we have to turn around and do it all over again. And yes, we will do it over again this time as well.
Heather proves what I have been saying for a year…and cements what surveys have indicated:
THST THERE IS SO MUCH IRRATIONAL HATE OF TRUMP THAT THIS HATE WOULD LITERALLY “TRUMP” REASON1!
Let’s not buy one of the best, most efficient, most reliable, most technically advanced automobiles in the world….due to irrational hate! CONFIRMED TDS…..WOW.
PERSONALLY, long before Elon was “famous” for his car, not yet “ famous “ for Space X,
Not yet involved with Trump, not yet involved with politics AT ALL, Elon was a HUUUUUGE
success behind the best selling new car in not only America, but in the free world!!
And most of his sales were to TODAY’S GREEN HYPOCRITES, THE LIBERAL HOARD IN CALIFORNIA!!
I bought my first Tesla in 2014 when there were only 225 Teslas purchased in the entire state of Nevada….but there were an ASTOUNDING, 22,000 (twenty-two thousand) Teslas sold in California by that time…AKA RATIONAL THOUGHT WAS STILL INTACT IN CALIFORNIA AT THST TIME!!!
And Tesla was on the March to become the fastest selling new car in the US.
I HAVE NOW UPGRADED MY CAR FOUR TIMES, HAVE PURCHASED 7 TESLAS SINCE THEN, INCLUDING FOUR MODEL S CLASS CARS OF DIFFERENT STYLES, from the basic model s back then, a two wheel drive version, to a four wheel drive, to the high performance P100D, to a long range model with an apx 400 mile range, while my wife is now driving her third model Y….And other than to rent a car during a trip away from home, HAVE NOT BEEN TO A GAS STATION IN ELEVEN YEARS!!
We charge at home 90% of the time at appx 18-20 dollars a month per car for electricity, while my current car gets FREE CHARGING anywhere in the more than 20,000 chargers in the continental United States at over 2000 locations.
Last year Tesla sold 1.7 million cars….from its 22500 or so sold in its first year!!
The most hysterical take-away is that the Trump/Musk hating liberals are spiting themselves out of SHEER HATE! As if their not buying a Tesla is impacting the now Richest man EVER in the world!
The psychiatric clinic who has diagnosed TDS recently, along with the psychoanalyst from Manhattan who claims that not only is it a true clinical disease affecting the brain, but that 75% of his patients have it, and that he can diagnose it in just a five minute or so interview/evaluation!! And THAT hate has caused him to now receive death threats, and insulting phone calls etc.
Enter the group we find here….perhaps from some of the haters amongst this thread ….off the deep end.
Yeah, you would change places with me in a heartbeat, and you wouldn’t blink Frida…. But at least I am a human being with a lot of pity for people like you.
In addition to being successful in the business world, I have donated my time and money to countless major charities, including all the biggies
I have traveled to 119 countries seen most of the iconic famous sites in the world and been to all 50 states.
When you insult somebody, you might wanna have some evidence or some back up for your hate that that’s the problem with you TDS Sufferers>.. you very seldom have a point and almost never have back up.
And by the way, where are many women who were capable of, and what are you capable of becoming president but they first must be actual candidates versus the joke that the Democrats put out this past cycle.
Most of the Ponderosa talk about women presidents have determined that first woman president will probably be a Republican. Oooops which destroys much of a rationale here
But the male vipers still prance like the banty roosters that my mom described, small but outsized egos and actions. Time for them to be cut down to size. Men of psychological stature, and women who are not Kardashians, can indeed change everything for the better. The banty roosters and the empty influencers have had enough time in the sun. The rich can buy new yachts and penis rockets, but the workers can buy our future.
Thousands of women started/joined postcard groups back in 2017 as a way to try to push back during the first Trump regime. We even had some men that joined us. While we were belittled as just a bunch of "old ladies" harassing politicians that couldn't care less, we became a major grassroots force in elections.
We wrote millions of postcards to voters ahead of important elections, even to voters in other states. This helped to boost turnout, a key in election results. The women of these groups, along with many men, are now leading the protest movements that began with the second Trump regime. I think we will help usher in some major changes to our system of government and economics that Heather has been talking about lately.
Robin, as a GOTV postcard writer, thank you. Currently writing for a Democratic Senate candidate in FL. Amazed at how many elections there are to write postcards for.
I’ll mention this here and in coming days: there is a very.important special race in TN-07 this Tuesday. Not only can it benefit TN-07, but the entire state and maybe the country. Aftyn Behn, former social worker and still activist (formerly with Indivisible, which is when I first met her) and currently TN state rep, is running for the US house. She has gotten national attention, National Dem money and 47 just made a bleat advising ppl to vote for her opponent, a guy from OH, whom he endorsed. Watch for the results of this race.
Women are powerful - unfortunately some don’t see the power within them. This escapes my thought process often. Once women understand what power is in each and everyone of them it can become a force that in my opinion can make huge differences not just politically but society itself. Nothing against men because have come across many that see women for their own powerful selves. As my great-grandmother said years ago
“You are not a drop in the ocean; you are the entire ocean in a drop. Embrace your vastness.”
Here’s my response to One of your lemmings, who hate for no reason hates musk because she thinks he treats his employees poorly. Until she found out reality was not what she thought. Read below
Welcome to the triggered jungle
If you’re not embarrassed, totally about your ignorance after reading this, you have no shame in your entire body.
A great year of the employees were able to physically move, moved from California to Texas when the company relocated the company now employs more than 70,000 workers in its giga factory in Texas now the largest employer in Austin. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Wait till you read below!
Tesla is in the Top 35% of similar sized companies in its ability to retain quality employees. 55% of employees would not leave Tesla if they were offered a job for more money while 71% are excited to go to work each day.
It ranks fourth over all of companies in a like industry, in employee retention.
It’s ranking in the top 35% of retention stats include 1341 other companies of similar size and Employees. And it’s for reading includes more specifically companies in the exact same industry.
But that is nothing when you read below
Well, another ill-informed under educated professor, who knows probably a lot about her mono faceted training, but doesn’t understand the real world
And another delusional liberal think she can use her broken crystal ball or her dusted off Ouija board to determine anything about me personally whatsoever. And of course she’d be 180° incorrect. Obviously, you don’t know a lot about me that I posted for here for the last year.
I lived across the street from HUD housing in a 600 square-foot furnished apartment for the first 26 years of my life… with my mother who lost her husband/my father, when I was six years old with my one and a half year old sister, and with my immigrant mother, who had a fifth grade education when she immigrated to the US.
I would get one pair of shoes and one pair of sneakers per year and my sister and I because we were similar in size used to share clothes.
You are gullible enough to believe that somebody could rise in many facets of his industry to build the best car in the world by mistreating his employees
I’ll give you one example of how fucking stupid you are maybe at ignorant to the to the list
After owning this many Teslas at the same dealership for so long, I became friendly with a number of them… you had work for him for the duration
They had one gentleman by the name of Roy , Who is nothing more than their parts manager at one little dealership here in Las Vegas… WHO WAS ABLE TO RETIRE EARLY WITH A TWO MILLION DOLLAR TESLA RETIREMENT ACCOUNT FROM…..WAIT FOR IT. STOCK OPTIONS FROM HIS TESLA EMPLOYMENT. By the way, as you realize Tesla had only been in business 11 years and he had remained an employee for that time is $2 million pension was earned after only 11 years of employment. And he started out working in the PARTS DEPARTMENT… not even a corporate position, nor a high-ranking official within the dealership. , finally attaining manager of that particular dealership..
Now you realize you hated for nothing because you were ill-informed like so many of you here who think you know anything outside of your area of expertise… And seemingly have forgotten how to re-search anything before you open your mouths
“Women ARE going to change everything.” I believe this could happen. But how can women, specifically white women, be encouraged to think independently from the men in their lives and/or evolve from their deeply held belief in white racial purity? Note this: “A majority of white women continued to support Trump in all 2024 election surveys. Both Edison and VoteCast data show 53% of white women backing Trump, compared to 60% of white men (a seven point gender gap). Across both surveys, white women’s support for Trump has ranged from 52 to 55% from 2016 to 2024. Similar majorities of white women have backed the Republican presidential nominee in every election since 2004.”
Remember the old Helen Reddy song, "I am Woman"? I used to think it was sort of silly and sappy, but I just looked at the lyrics to the first verse and realized what a silly twit I was. Of course, I was nineteen, and a sophomore in college, so I had a good excuse. Now I read these lyrics, and think, Yeah, now is the time.
I agree Joel. But where are the great protest songs that came out in the 1960's and early 1970's -- Eve of Destruction, For What It's Worth, Fortunate Son, The Pusher, Ohio, etc.?
The songs are out there, GJ, but the music business has changed. Back in the day, there were hundreds of record labels. Their executives had, themselves, been in poverty only a few short years earlier. Protest was good business.
Today, those record labels have consolidated to just a handful of corporations managed by boards of directors answerable to shareholders. Mainstream stars are manufactured from formulae that do not include controversy, unless that controversy can be exploited to promote the performer or the label.
If you want to hear protest music, you'll have to connect with "alternative media, such as YouTube, Vevo, TikTok, and dozens more I'm unaware of because I'm old.
Hi, Dale Rowett - Man, have you ever nailed it. The reconfiguration of the music business has all but killed mainstream jazz in the United States. In 1972, I listened to the Oscar Peterson Trio at the Cellar Door in Washington, DC, for a five-dollar cover and a two-drink minimum. I wasn't old enough for booze, so had two cokes.
Music is so homogenized now and is so spit out of the money machine that some of the best jazz vocalists in history wouldn't have a chance to work today if they were coming up in today's world. Cheers.
Hi, Ally - How you doing? I have had challenges. Have not been in the classroom since 9/29 because of spinal stenosis major episode plus disc degeneration. Had two spinal fusion surgeries last week and hope to be back for the start of second semester in January. One blessing is that over the years I've almost never taken a sick day, so I have accumulated enough fully paid sick time to be out until mid-May. Think of me the next time you get out your tuba. Perhaps you could give me an "oom pah" for good luck. Cheers.
We had so many good social/ political voices in the 60s and 70s, starting with the folk singers, and others carrying it forward through the decades in song. These ‘poets’ continue to be our social conscience. They will not be forgotten.
We were a different country then. Dale Rowett gave you a pretty comprehensive answer. The music "business" wasn't so monolithic, there were lots of indie labels, and creativity in music was much more the norm.
I'll add a great song to your list. Listen, if you haven't already heard it: "Give a Damn", by Spanky and Our Gang. First song I remember about the problems of ghetto poverty done by a popular white band. Wonderful lyrics, powerful stuff. Banned on many radio stations for use of the word, "damn". Just made more people buy the records. Cheers.
Hey JOEL, those pendants have determined that the first woman president will be a Republican. I hope that your support of women would include any woman. lololol
Another ignoramus. Would you like to grade my ninth grade paper as well?
Lmao. I voice text everything, Jocelyn… and if you’re not smart enough to figure out what I was saying, you should go get re-educated. CONTENT OVER FORM EVERY TIME. You people are so Pitiful all you can do is insult without the actually reading the Contant, and realizing how ignorant and misguided, and misdirected you are! Pathetic.
I’m going to add you to the 1202 other people that can’t answer a simple question as to why Russia and Ukraine are at war right now why is Ukraine in the position it’s in right now? If you answer correctly, it could be winner, winner, chicken, dinner. But all of you were afraid to answer, because you know what the answer is because it implicates a democrat. Oh my
By the way, that was an auto correct and I’m too busy trying to keep up with your people that are still living in historical terms and haven’t realized that it’s now 2025. In fact you lost an election hugely and you continue to lose issue after issue after issue. You lost the shut down you lost the epstein case which we knew years ago but you love it because it was historical in nature and you’re still living there. Now you’re losing the six idiots. They tried to tell soldiers to disregard their orders and are in hot water. And will be for quite some time.
All while the stock market continues to rise, incredibly a lot of it duty or protest as the next day after your protest/insurrections the market goes up incredibly…. criminals continue to be caught, Especially major cities in DC NL mayor. Bauer has thank Trump for all but eliminating major crime in DC including carjackings down 87%. The same results in Chicago, and the same results in LA and the same results in Memphis.
And you’ve lost because Trump continues to make peace deals all over the world just about perhaps making a sixth worldwide peace deal where three of the countries involved have suggested that he win the Nobel prize for making the peace…. ending the nuclear threat from Iran and working on a piece still there in Israel and Gaza
Were the idiot who was a part-time president before him sent $180 billion to Ukraine to continue the war with no end in killing additional 200,000 innocent people. Now, Trump is working on a piece plant there that is close to a solution.
So you keep hating and will keep winning it’s a great combination for America
By the way, I hope you like hating because you're gonna be doing it for more than three more years. But sooner or later, even the media is gonna turn around when they see all the accomplishments I already have over 1200 people that have sent me likes for my posts and at the beginning I got nothing but now people are waking up. And at least have the human decency to realize that Trump is doing a great job for America.
In fact, I've sent out many opportunities for people to tell me list me five things five policies from Donald Trump that have negatively affected your life on a day-to-day basis ?
So far silence. Although I did have one poster they tried to blame Ukraine on Trump, which is pretty funny since it goes back more than 30 years. They can't even tell me why that happened. They can't even tell me why Russia and ukraine at war right now when they didn't need to be.
You could be victim and surrender victim number 1203
That's OK, but he's not gonna waste his time on you either. He's taking care of the people who love America and support America no matter who's in Office just like the Republicans do in a survey taken by CNN a few months ago
And guess what Jocelyn you don't have a single fucking reason in this fucking world to hate Donald Trump for anything he has done more for America and nine months then the last four presidents
People like you don't deserve the blessings of America
We deserve better ❤️🩹🤍💙 We are powerful together. Boycott and speak up!
There’s a calendar on my spreadsheet so we can target our calls/letters/emails/faxes to flood offices in an organized manner.
Use/share this spreadsheet (bit.ly/Nokings) as a resource to contact members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly.
Reach out (beyond your own) to as many in the Senate and House as you can. All of this is bigger than “I only represent my constituents” issues.
Thanks, Megan! Another action today might be to post Joy Reid's excellent call to action to all our spheres of influence:
“Dear retailers who’ve decided you don’t like diversity, equity, and inclusion, or you really love ICE and you have no problem with them busting into your establishments to drag people away: Here’s the thing. We ain’t buying it. I mean, for real, for real, we ain’t buyin’ it.”
"We’re gonna spend our money with businesses who actually respect our dollars, respect our communities, and respect our diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are going to buy from people who respect immigrants, who respect immigrants’ rights, and respect freedom and liberty. We are going to buy from establishments that respect our right to vote and our right to live in a free society. And if you ain’t that, we ain’t buying it.”
Megan, thanks for the spreadsheet. I write my politicians so regularly that their email comes up. We do deserve better. Those of Americans who live abroad have been discussing which brands to boycott. Right here in Germany our big battle is to not allow the new center right Secretary of Economic Affairs and Energy change the EU standards for American Social Media platforms. These would be US social media platforms, since Europe does not have any of their own. She and Merz are also rolling back fossil fuel standards on cars, which is a huge setback for Germany. There are many battles to be fought, and holding onto standards wherever we are helps the planet as a whole.
Nancy, as a supplement, I would offer https://www.goodsuniteus.com. It's one thing to know which companies to avoid, but we also need to know which companies to patronize instead.
Heather proves what I have been saying for a year…and cements what surveys have indicated:
THST THERE IS SO MUCH IRRATIONAL HATE OF TRUMP THAT THIS HATE WOULD LITERALLY “TRUMP” REASON1!
Let’s not buy one of the best, most efficient, most reliable, most technically advanced automobiles in the world….due to irrational hate! CONFIRMED TDS…..WOW.
PERSONALLY, long before Elon was “famous” for his car, not yet “ famous “ for Space X,
Not yet involved with Trump, not yet involved with politics AT ALL, Elon was a HUUUUUGE
success behind the best selling new car in not only America, but in the free world!!
And most of his sales were to TODAY’S GREEN HYPOCRITES, THE LIBERAL HOARD IN CALIFORNIA!!
I bought my first Tesla in 2014 when there were only 225 Teslas purchased in the entire state of Nevada….but there were an ASTOUNDING, 22,000 (twenty-two thousand) Teslas sold in California by that time…AKA RATIONAL THOUGHT WAS STILL INTACT IN CALIFORNIA AT THST TIME!!!
And Tesla was on the March to become the fastest selling new car in the US.
I HAVE NOW UPGRADED MY CAR FOUR TIMES, HAVE PURCHASED 7 TESLAS SINCE THEN, INCLUDING FOUR MODEL S CLASS CARS OF DIFFERENT STYLES, from the basic model s back then, a two wheel drive version, to a four wheel drive, to the high performance P100D, to a long range model with an apx 400 mile range, while my wife is now driving her third model Y….And other than to rent a car during a trip away from home, HAVE NOT BEEN TO A GAS STATION IN ELEVEN YEARS!!
We charge at home 90% of the time at appx 18-20 dollars a month per car for electricity, while my current car gets FREE CHARGING anywhere in the more than 20,000 chargers in the continental United States at over 2000 locations.
Last year Tesla sold 1.7 million cars….from its 22500 or so sold in its first year!!
The most hysterical take-away is that the Trump/Musk hating liberals are spiting themselves out of SHEER HATE! As if their not buying a Tesla is impacting the now Richest man EVER in the world!
The psychiatric clinic who has diagnosed TDS recently, along with the psychoanalyst from Manhattan who claims that not only is it a true clinical disease affecting the brain, but that 75% of his patients have it, and that he can diagnose it in just a five minute or so interview/evaluation!! And THAT hate has caused him to now receive death threats, and insulting phone calls etc.
Enter the group we find here….perhaps from some of the haters amongst this thread ….off the deep end.
Always. Add support to those legislators who are now under threat from ffpotus for their gentle reminder that the UCMJ and an oath of office give the responsibility to not obey unlawful orders
I don’t think HCRs column actually named the stores to boycott from This evening through cyber Monday at least - Target, Home Depot, Amazon. In case you didn’t know. Ezra Levin of Indivisible has a good explanation of why just those companies, if you’re interested.
Thank you for the information... I did not know that Amazon bought Whole Foods! Knowledge is power..And as women, we need to exercise that power and show this misogynist regime our strength, our resilience, and our perseverance. Prof. Richardson shows us these qualities every day in this fight for our Democracy...
Whole Foods is a tough one for me. The workers I talk to in two separate stores (NY & HI) are happy in their jobs, some moved over from other supermarket chains. When I go to the deli, meat or fish counter, everything is wrapped in paper. All the take out containers & utensils are compostable. Yeah ... "One Ahh Sh_t wipes out a 100 ATTABOYs." Reducing Plastic in food prep, storage & packaging is important to me. Perhaps I should reduce my WF trips.
These are the well-known ones, along with Walmart. I try to keep up but so many are needed or unknown. ATT, and so many media outlets, are ubiquitous. More info is always welcome. Scream it from the rooftops…
Now would be a good time for Costco to expand what they sell, because I think a lot of people would like to do their holiday shopping there. It would be great if Costco stared mail order too. They could take down Amazon.
Democrats Abroad and Indivisible Abroad are both supporting these boycotts. I am also reading Andra Watkins who supports them as well.
No Costcos in Germany, but I would support them coming here. I will let my political party know. Germany got rid of Walmart, and I think they could get rid of Starbucks too. We were having a discussion of picketing Starbucks since none of us goes there.
Our closest Costco is twenty-five miles away - until next year, when one is to be built at the intersection of Rt 9 and I-495, if all goes well. That's only five miles. We are watching the progress through the town's approval process.
Our closest Costco, ha ha ha ha. Three hour drive, over Lost Trail Pass into Montana. Missoula, 6 hour round trip if roads are good. Medical is even more fun. Our bone guy was on vacation when I broke my leg. 3 weeks. I was able to get an appointment a week after the break, yup in Missoula. But hey, in Idaho we can keep our roadkill for meat.
I remember my Grandmother talking with her nieces and others, when we visited, about these things. she was born in 1890. It was a common and shared experience, unfortunately.
Gail, fantastic to know. I will let family and friends know too. It is not anywhere near our community. Most shop in local businesses anyway, but as the big box stores like Trader Joes and Whole Foods are in the community, that is a good alternative.
I am glad to spread the word Virginia. I am having a quasi Indivisible Abroad group here in Bremen, Germany, which I want to have include Germans who support us. I am working right now on making it official, but deciding if it is set up to support what I want to do. Up until now, I have a group that is American-German connection in my city, meeting monthly for prodemocracy shared rally, where we share our thoughts, and any arts that support democracy. We will be meeting indoors at the main library in the winter months, then back outside once spring comes.
Linda, good luck with your group. Ukraine and US need all the help we can get. Virginia, in Chicago where ICE is already making sure Thanksgiving Day will be another mafia day.
Virginia, my husband arrived from Chicago yesterday. He is suffering from jet lag, and our daughter is coming by train from the city where she is in university on Friday to spend the weekend with us. We will have a nice meal together. We celebrate what we call "Gathering!"
Germany has started emulating the US by having a week they call, "Black Week" where everything is marked down. So, this is a week to shop. We have a very low key gift giving for the holidays, but will enjoy the Christmas markets, including drinking mulled wine, and eating potato Pancakes at the booths.
The main Christmas markets in my city here are already open. In fact there are heavy barriers all around access points so that no cars can drive in. My city has not had problems, and I hope it won't. I am not particularly worried. No one looks worried. They just look really cheerful.
Women and the power of the purse. Thank you, Heather, for this history lesson that shows us how important women are to effectively shaping public opinion in the past setting a model for us to follow now.
We have influence and strength to organize and inspire. We have power that we must never ignore.
I hope everyone who follows Heather participates in the I Ain't Buying It boycott. It has gotten relatively little media coverage. A week ago I saw some social media discussion about it being a scam, undoubtedly meant to discourage participation. Hard to know how not using your credit card is a scam but, but trolls do not have to be logical.
Here's the link to the Indivisible page on the campaign.
Murderers, desecrators, vandals. He's still going after the BBC (Farage, thanks for nothing!), but I notice the Guardian is now mocking him openly. . "Gobble-degook: Trump talks turkey and trashes another presidential tradition. The US president made jokes at the annual turkey pardoning ceremony. It went as well as you would expect." Followed by a detailed account of the occasion, the usual word salad, the insults to Biden, and the faint obligatory laughter by the few.
A consumer boycott that catches on - one where the overwhelming majority of consumers agrees and joins - has unique power. A dissenter or two cannot spoil it. Silence in a room can be broken by any one person who wants to wreck it. The loudest in a crowd may be the one heard. But in a consumer boycott, the masses rule. If two people break lines and buy a Tesla, it won't help Musk. Gaining serious traction for an Amazon boycott would be tougher, but if it took hold, getting Bezos' numbers way down would royally annoy the man, might even shake him up, which would be the objective.
Shop small isn’t always an option for those in rural areas. I often weigh the cost of a 3 hour roundtrip to using Amazon, but I’m participating in We Don’t Buy It!
My family stopped shopping at Amazon on January 20th. It was challenging at first but with a little research, we were able to find our "essentials" from other companies. Mostly what we found was by being thoughtful about what we bought, we spend WAY less money. This time last year, we carried credit card debt. This year our balance is zero! I had no idea how much I was buying thoughtlessly through convenience. I think people would be surprised to see how much better their life is without Amazon.
When I was a child my grandmother gave me books about Jane Addams. I never forgot her story, but I was unaware of the larger social context until now. Thank you, Heather!
Yes! I sent emails to every one of my relatives and friends, suggesting they might want to support We ain’t buying it! The readers of this Substack alone could easily make this go viral if we wanted to. Furthermore I sent letters to each of the 3 companies telling them why I was participating, and I included the addresses in the letter I sent to everyone for their convenience in doing the same.
Yes, I love Heather's today on many key women from a bit more than 100 years ago.
But, too, we have Anand Giridharadas with a NY Times piece on today's massive human emptiness.
That is, over four/five days he read and took notes on all the 20,000 Jeffrey Epstein’s estate e-mails with all his circle of celebrities, men and women of wealth and power. Their common denominator: contempt most all at the top have for “these people” – you and me. Here he is interviewed on “Democracy NOW”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7Eb0WNvORQ
All aced their way to the top – into the meritocracy, elites of the elites – but most all show themselves outstandingly neutered of common human sympathies, capacities. None any more emotionally mature than any nine-year-old. Most resemble the cynical whizzes atop social media, the billionaires whose capacities for personal understanding, or for feelings for any real place or community amounts to nothing more human than any of their AI algorithms.
America going forward? If so, it’s thanks to Jeffrey, Donald, and Ghislaine’s victims, says Giridharadas. They’ve stepped forward to confront our world’s apparent leaders who so turn out to be weak, personally dumb, neutered of the humanity they so most hold in contempt.
We generally call these people lacking empathy psychopathic. America is going forward because of all the people who have been keeping up the fight, and the many Democrats who have kept the Epstein Files alive and encouraged these women to come forward, and then the Republicans who joined them.
All along judges have been keeping the country going forward. Lawyers have too. We hear about the ones who capitulated to Trump more than the ones who did not. Blue state governors and their AGs, are keeping their states going forward, because there are some horrible things happening in Red states, particularly with women's health rights. Another woman and her baby have died in Texas even though she had a lot of doctors, because no one recommended what could have been a life saving abortion.
The US citizens should be loudly decrying their support for Russia in the face of Donald Trump trying to sell them out and us too. Look at this post from Timothy Snyder about the 28 points. https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/russian-unreality-and-american-weakness?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
We are not going forward in our global relations. Trump is destroying them. All to gain favor with the psychopathic leaders who cannot be friends because that is not in their DNA. They are damaged people, who damage everything they touch. That is Trump's cohort. His goals are to rob us blind and grift as much as he can from whomever he can get it from. Everyone knows this about him, so while Democracies try to make legitimate deals with him, which he does not honor, despotic countries use grift to manipulate him. A sorry state of affairs and we deserve better.
A succinct etiology you give, Linda.
Like how you paraphrase F. Scott Fitzgerald: "They are damaged people, who damage everything they touch."
Let me add, too (now having seen Vicki Ward also in conversation with Anand Giridharadas): it was so much a men's club, near totally a (damaged) man's world. A few key, powerful women, but mainly neutered, dehumanized, empty men.
Her point was -- people are fighting back -- and winning. Did you just skip over that part so you could repeat the litany that 'evil is evil, is very evil, isn't it evil' all over again?
People are fighting back, particularly those in power. Senator Mark Kelly punched back with a force that little Pete Kegsbreath did not expect, did not plan on. A federal judge not only tossed out both the Comey and James cases, he told them their appointment of a lackey to carry out an absurd, political prosecution was illegal on its face. The Pope is carrying out his own fight against their cruelty and dehumanization. The National Guard has been ordered out of Washington DC.
MAGA is cracking. Things are beginning to fall apart -- for them. We are gaining traction, speed and power. You can hear the strings holding up their Rube Goldberg contraption begin to zing off their moorings. Evil didn't bother tying its shoelaces properly and is now starting to fall on its face. That often happens in our world -- it's a gross oversight not to see or discount all those countervailing forces -- it makes people lazy and encourages them toward despair, rather than figuring out how to make those cracks widen further.
There's quite a lot of humanity going around, should you actually care to take a deeper dive. Grace abounds, right in the midst of damage and darkness itself.
The Pope, yay. Do you remember when that couch-lover, Vance, told everyone that it was their Christian duty to only love and care for their nuclear family to the exclusion of everybody else (or something like that), and the Pope, the new one from Chicago, stated: "JD Vance is wrong." The Pope could do a lot to advance the voices of humanity and reason. I hope to hear more from him.
Before that, Pope Francis wrote that JD got his “theology” very wrong, saying love and care are not concentric circles. Great response and showed Vance’s formation as a Catholic sorely inadequate.
Francis was a joy.
I was Catholic for 60 years before I walked away. The RCC, considering the number of followers they have and the breadth of their reach, has always fallen far short of sharing the word of Jesus to all. A statement every month or two doesn't cut it. And also, lead by example, as Jesus did. Mother Teresa did, but even her image was couched in controversy.
That statement is way too broad to be true. Catholics (true, genuine, authentic Catholics) have created SO much good in the world. And I say this as an atheist and former Catholic who had the good fortune of meeting many deeply inspired, loving, caring, and politically engaged priests and nuns.
Yes, things often went wrong too. It was the case for the Catholics my father grew up with, or my first boyfriend.
But Catholicism is 2000 years old and spread across the entire planet. So we cannot just extrapolate from our own little experience...
And having the Pope himself publicly rebuke a US VP when that VP turns out to be a neofascist is HUGE. And it has a huge effect, a real wake-up call for millions of people.
I’m still a Catholic at heart and, because I worked for the church, have some cherished friends who are priests. My problems are all wrapped up into the institution, not faith. Any institution run only by mostly unaccountable men is going to run aground.
Barb. my aide in the library who was English and raised Catholic could not stand Mother Teresa and could do a lethal imitation of her.
While no longer a participant in the regular life of a Catholic my understanding of what a gift the religion was deepens with age.
We are homo sapiens and the actual enactment of Christ's message is more than any of us can achieve.
Couch Eulogy.
Thank you, ICTT: "Grace abounds, right in the midst of damage and darkness itself."
How else do we overcome? We shall overcome. Cynicism is self-defeating, part of darkness itself. Eyes on the prize.
"Grace abounds." Funny you see the Donald & Jeffrey era this way, ICTT.
But it's not funny. Anand Giridharadas apparently has exactly you -- wordsmith clever you -- in mind when he talks of elites blind to the widespread human pain and stupidity now ruling.
Oh, but I forget -- you, test-clever you can only see "grace abounding."
It's not a "donald and jeffrey era" Phil. It's an "us" era. That's what's dawning. We are finding and using our own power in ways we haven't before. That was Heather's entire point in tonight's newsletter, which I very much agree with. A great many things are happening all around, not just one. And we all take it seriously. And "test-clever" was something I never was in my life, and you wouldn't know anything about that anyway, so give it a rest.
I very much agree with Dr Richardson's comments today. Can't say I ever disagree but today I particularly agree with her. Mark Carney Canada's 24th prime minister pretty much snubbed djt Sunday when he said they would continue talks with the US when the time was appropriate. Of course , the conservative party in Canada railed on him for it but he was right to react that way. All European leaders and other allies should be snubbing djt at every chance possible. He has zero credibility with any thinking person in the US and I highly doubt that any leader, ANY leader, in the world believes there is any credibility in anything he says or does. To Dr Richardson's point the Europeans should be snubbing djt at every turn as a boycott If they can't deal with someone credible from the US, snub the US. Republican leaders are obviously not intelligent enough to see through this narcissistic blow hard so if it comes to that they should snub the US in any way possible.
In a way the EU has essentially started the snub. They have been meeting with each other about the situation in the Ukraine and Russia advising each other to use there own weapons, where ever possible,to build up European forces against Russia. It absolutely gals me that the US thinks they are going to come up with some solution to resolve the Russian invasion into Ukraine. Marco Rubio? Steven Whitcoff? They aren't even smart enough to figure out who wrote the 28 points. If either were party to compiling that worthless piece of crap, neither are equipped mentally to do even the most menial of tasks - anywhere!
The Eu should be outraged at the very arrogance of even the US news media for making this about blowhard trump and the US. trump sold this country down river first term and has continued selling it down river in the last 10 months. The only credibility left in the US is what once was. The US is no longer leader of the western world. The republicans have seen to it that democracy has no place in this country or any others. The US should no longer even be in the peace talks between the Ukraine and Russia because it should not and must not be about trump It should all go to the capable hands in Europe and they should say so to the rest of the world.
As long as djt sits in the Oval Office the US should be excluded from all world doings!
Ah, I see now, ICTT, Putin has admitted he was a bad boy.
Donald has admitted he did all that money laundering, raped all those women, destroyed part of the people's house, sent ICE on its rampages, murdered at will in the Caribbean, danced with Jeffrey and laughed about their secrets regarding women and crime for so many years.
The fossil fuel goliaths have admitted to their wanton environmental destruction.
And the standardized testers have admitted to their successful anesthetizing of so many elites so especially our elites, so nicely dehumanized for testing, from testing, cannot see pain, as Anand Giridharadas concludes from his study of the 20,000 emails.
And you, Professor Pangloss, so ignore pain -- and all humanities dealing with it as, for you, "It's an 'us' era . . . using our power in ways we haven't before". Except you didn't read today's Heather, who noted "we" did use that power -- in the 1890s -- exactly as then, she says, we are now.
Using it enough now? Not if those such as you insist on ignoring the findings of those such as Giridharadas, and Vicki Ward, and others capable of registering really specific human pain so woefully abroad a land still ruled by grossly out-of-touch elites.
' morning, ICTT. It's good to have company, Don't miss Kasica's and Katz's contributions immediately below.
What does "test-clever" even mean? I agree that Phil should "give it a rest," or at least be less adversarial. I think that almost all of us here are on the same page, ultimately.
Stop being an ole fuddy duddy. This is a place to post opinions.
Be careful with this Phil Balla guy. He may be a troll. He is injecting a note of snarky meanness into this thread that is not often found here. Obviously he's trying to engage us by provocation, and to insert doubt. Imagine criticizing someone for being a good writer!
He frequently gets fuddy duddy moments and forgets that this is a place for diverse opinions.
Huh?
It's, yes, people are fighting back. And I hope enough Rs resign from the House to put little johnson (and us) out of his misery. A couple of things give me pause: the lethal technology available to suppress and the climate change which is rolling along when we should be laser focused on it. Here in the Willamette Valley where I am, it is almost the end of November and we have not really had a hard frost. There is not much snow in the mountains and I can remember snow shoeing on about five feet on Veteran's Day some years ago.
Thanks, ICCT. So many of us are fighting back. Hurray for us, and phooey on MAGA and the Doomsayers. (Good band name!)
I LOVE what you posted here! What we focus our attention on expands into our reality. Let’s focus on GOOD trouble, GOOD works, the GOOD in our people…it is EVERYWHERE if we look for it!
Not that I think that much of Marjorie Greene, but when she starts criticizing and abandoning MAGA-that says something.
The ever-intensifying Resistance is organizing a second consumer boycott of the sort described by Dr. Richardson and has been organizing a national general strike for several months. The latter is mobilizing large numbers of youth. Here are the relevant links:
Boycott: https://www.blackoutthesystem.com/
General Strike: https://linktr.ee/generalstrikeus
The history of the General Strike Organizing Committee is here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGeneralStrikeUS
The group's most recent webinar is here: https://www.youtube.com/live/GB9ZZFW1TVQ
Surely someone is tracking shareholder derivitive suits. I.E. The Fox suits?
AI: Basis of the Claims: The plaintiffs argue that Fox News' leadership adopted an "illegal business model" that prioritized ratings over journalistic standards and legal compliance, knowingly exposing the company to massive defamation liability.
Key Allegations:
-Failure to establish adequate systems to minimize or monitor defamation risks.
-Inaction despite numerous "red flags" and internal memos from the "Fox News Brainroom" that debunked the election fraud claims.
-Consciously disregarding the risks because the false claims were popular with their audience.
Defendants: The lawsuits name several senior officers and board members, including Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch.
Plaintiffs: Co-lead plaintiffs in the consolidated actions include the New York City pension funds and the State of Oregon, by and through the Oregon State Treasurer and the Oregon Department of Justice.
Case Status: A Delaware judge denied the defendants' motion to dismiss, allowing the derivative action to proceed. The court found that the plaintiffs had standing to sue and that the allegations, if true, suggested the board knew the claims were false but consciously prioritized profits over legal compliance.
Connection to January 6
While the lawsuits focus on the defamatory claims made after the 2020 election that led to the defamation settlements, these claims are fundamentally linked to the narrative that fueled the events of January 6, 2021.
One separate defamation lawsuit, for example, was filed by a January 6 participant, Ray Epps, who claimed that Fox News and former host Tucker Carlson defamed him by falsely accusing him of being a government agent who incited the riot.
Legal filings related to the shareholder suits and other defamation cases suggest that some view Fox's promotion of election fraud claims as contributing to the "political pressure" and the "January 6 riots".
Thank you!
We need a general strike with 3.5%+ of the population! What do retired people do? Boycott and picket.
I love your reminder of the quote” They are damaged people, who damage everything they touch.” Chillingly true. I was given a boost a few days ago by an idea Robert Reich posted in his newsletter. Citizen’s United is a cuss to overturn outright. BUT we can work to get our individual States to prohibit corporations from being able to make political donations. It seems to me that if we can implement this and rank-choice-voting we will steer our elections toward a better path.
MLR:
Go for it! Here's the link to the Montana Plan.
https://transparentelection.org/
Wherever you are and however you vote, you have a natural interest in supporting the effort, started in Montana, to neutralize the Citizens United v FEC decision.
\Vince S
I prefer Fitzgerald 's characterization of the rich as careless rather than damaged. The people who
corresponded with Jeffrey Epstein are arrogant, and convinced that their intellect, wealth, privilege means that they are superior.
Consider the attorney who worked for Obama who wrote so contemptuously about those "fat people" she might encounter at a gas station or rest stop in New Jersey. That woman isn't damaged. She's a morally empty human being and she and every person who fawned over a pedophile who trafficked children ought to br publicly outed and banished from positions of influence and power.
Research indicates that as people accumulate wealth their empathy decreases. So indeed many rich people become increasingly "careless" as they grow richer. But when those people start to use and intentionally exploit children then they have crossed over into being damaged. Specifically, any person who uses another for sex against their will, or uses an under age person for sex, even if that person appears to consent is in that moment a disturbed person, without empathy. Much of this is a result of having parents who also had little or no empathy for their own children.
Please be careful how you label/describe the morally bankrupt elites. Huh - I just realized I am going to pull a “Not all rich people” because I don’t fit the description at all. As my networth increased, I became more aware. International travel, the means to donate to ngo’s, time to spend volunteering in my community - all increased my empathy and understanding of the world. And I’m not alone.
However the morally bankrupt elites arrived at their current hateful state of mind, they need to take their hate and go live on Mars. The moon is too close.
Yes, of course. This is a statistical shift not an absolute one. There are plenty of very rich people who do give generously to good causes. It's just that so much money can delude people into believing that they're special - which they're not- and more entitled than others - which they are not. And, often the decrease in empathy may be a result of their rationalizing away the guilt.
I will tell you that an article I read on the environment said that the single factor contributing to how much carbon one uses is income. We are causing climate change more than any part of the world who is suffering the most from it.
Now our monster in the White House is preventing people, whose climate and livelihood we are destroying and even faster under him, from entering the US to partake in the access to means that our wealth has provided us and allowed us to use to take from them. We need to get rid of him so we can rectify the situation.
“Hull-House was soberly opened on the theory that the dependence of classes on each other is reciprocal,” Addams later wrote. This is an exceedingly important point to make and to realize. If the U.S. population were only 3.4 million people, the country probably wouldn't have any billionaires, but because we are 340 million people we have at least 900 billionaires and 900,000 decamillionaires. Frances Perkins, the person responsible for our having Social Security, summed this up nicely: "The people are what matter to government, and a government should aim to facilitate the means by which all the people under its jurisdiction can access the best possible life." This is basically a summation of Pragmatic Capitalism, what the Scandinavian countries have put into place. We need a new NEW DEAL. If we don't start right now electing Democrats and removing Republicans from office, chances are that those Americans in their 30's, 40's and 50's will not receive Social Security or Medicare - at least in any amount that matters. Government and the economic system are inseparable. That's why, in part, our votes are so crucial.
Phil, I have to agree with you in terms of the role of men. Women, of course, have been blamed for everything since time immemorial. I have just finished reading about Mary Magdalene and attempts to suppress her role in Christianity. Recently I have read about the critical water shortage in Iran (frankly, I do not know what they are going to do) and what the hard core clerics have said: it is the fault of women not obeying the rules about their hair, etc. Sigh.
Indeed.
Professor Cox Richardson rarely mentions the "Evangelicals" as she calls them. But they still control the psyche's of tens of millions of Americans as well as billions of dollars of real estate and other physical assets all across the world. Much of the wealth of the Catholic Church, including real estate and artifacts, was stolen from the indigenous people around the world.
This past week Pope Leo returned dozens of artifacts to various indigenous tribes, a gesture worth applauding. But what about the lands they have stolen and have yet to return. Much of this land could be taxable to support schools, roads and other infrastructure projects, but as "non-profits" most property taxes are waived.
The Trump administration is proposing to allow Christian organizations to donate to political parties and candidates, clearly a violation of the Constitution. However, in light of Supreme Court decisions, they might just allow it like they did with Citizens United.
Church membership and attendance are at an all time low in the US with many states reporting fewer than 1 in 5 regularly attending services. We need to rethink where our charitable donations are going and how they are being used. Many of you volunteer your valuable time to help others. We all need to make sure our charity goes to help those in need and not to enrich the grifters that pretend to give a damn about anyone other than themselves.
You glanced at, then walked away from perhaps one of our great sleeper agents -- Pope Leo XIV. All across the country, Catholic Bishops, priests and lay people are bravely organizing against the sadism and de-humanization championed by Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem toward minorities. This they didn't bargain for. This American Pope actually takes the Gospels seriously -- who woulda thunk it? Like so many other realities beginning to intrude on them, this one came about as a direct result of their own cruelty, and like all of the others -- they never saw it coming.
PL is my new (American) hero. I’ve prayed for the Holy Spirit to sweep across our country and change (enough) people’s hearts. Nevertheless, remember God helps those who help themselves.
While I’m glad the American bishops’ conference FINALLY issued a statement, I don’t have much confidence in their having finally ‘gotten religion.’ They went all in as Republicans some years ago. I think Leo prodded them, because their entire focus for the last many decades has been on their ‘preeminent priority,’ as they call it, abortion. (Not sure why now that they have what they have long been obsessed with.) Leo made very clear a couple months ago—maybe because he speaks English—that there were many OTHER issues, like treatment of immigrants which is in our faces.
Let's hope Pope Leo continues the work of Francis in dismantling that other Leo. Leonard Leo, the guy heavily involved with Opus Dei, who is responsible for much of the dark money in politics and the installation of those awful Supreme Court justices.
I wonder the state of the other Leo: Leonard. (lin, who comments here, usually knows.) Correction: Leonard Leo was the head of the Federalist Society, a relatively recent organization. Opus Dei is a right-wing “religious” org started by Jose Maria Escriva a hundred years ago (?) and has been under investigation by the Vatican.
I don’t have a great deal of faith in religionists (that was a pun) but I’ll take support where I can get it. I was tossed out of a Methodist church open mic one evening when I read from my book, “Donald’s Vanity Tantrums “ a story that compared Donald Trump to one of my cats who will lick oil from the skittle if he gets a chance then will splat diarrhea all over my house and I explained that this is what will occur with America if Trump is elected. Omg (pun again) the women organizers came screaming toward the stage but I got a rousing applause and I sold a book that night.
See, even Catholics have their good points. /s
However the social justice movement Heather mentions is actually the Protestant Social Gospel movement. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Gospel#:~:text=The%20Social%20Gospel%20is%20a,popular%20among%20clergy%20than%20churches.
AI. Key Figures and Initiatives
-Walter Rauschenbusch, a Baptist pastor who served in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City, was a leading theologian of the movement. His books, including Christianity and the Social Crisis (1907) and A Theology for the Social Gospel (1917), were highly influential in linking Christian faith with democratic socialism and social reform efforts.
-Washington Gladden, a Congregationalist clergyman, was a pioneer of the movement who advocated for workers' rights to unionize even before the term "Social Gospel" was widely used.
-Charles Sheldon, a minister who wrote the popular 1897 novel In His
Steps, introduced the motto "What would Jesus do?", which became a central theme of the movement's call for practical Christianity.
The movement led to the establishment of numerous social service organizations and initiatives
I'm still stuck with the idea that if I can convince you a demi-god was born of a virgin, unknowingly impregnated by an angry god who demanded his own son be a human sacrifice to satisfy a grudge, I can convince you of anything.
Christians.
I hope he pays particular attention to the red letters or the Beatitudes.
Tax-exempt charities, including churches, are prohibited from engaging in political activity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code -- this, in part, is in exchange for their being essentially subsidized by tax-paying individuals and companies:
" In 1954, Congress approved an amendment by Sen. Lyndon Johnson to prohibit 501(c)(3) organizations, which includes charities and churches, from engaging in any political campaign activity. To the extent Congress has revisited the ban over the years, it has in fact strengthened the ban. The most recent change came in 1987 when Congress amended the language to clarify that the prohibition also applies to statements opposing candidates.
Currently, the law prohibits political campaign activity by charities and churches by defining a 501(c)(3) organization as one "which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office." Quoted material is from the IRS website.
Churches are, and people should be reporting it to the IRS.
They are doing it more and more and more. I wish we would instead tax the churches and then let them say whatever they wanted -- but not w/o paying taxes like the rest of us!
I agree!
Part of what makes humans form something like a civilized society is adherence to certain 'things'. In some cases, here in the Western world, we might refrain from using the 'F' word.., or just profanity when having a civil conversation. It's not a law though. In the cases of some religions that have been granted 'tax exemption' a stipulation was applied that they refrain from "political" stuff. Welp.., since that was part of the agreement with our government (us taxpayers), religions need to honor the agreement - simple. That means exercising restraint or suffering the consequence - a visit from the IRS. BLAM! A visit from the IRS usually cures the fox from sucking on eggs.
Commenting on a Government issue or candidate's position as an individual citizen is only participation on Government. A religious authority telling others they cannot vote for a particular cabdudate because of their position on a given issue is a violation. But some religious authorities tell their members to vote their conscience.
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-irs-commissioner-turnover-who-why-they-left-2025-8?op=1
Trump is working hard to weaponize the IRS and just keeps failing.
In 2024, my niece attended a wedding in a Catholic Church in Omaha where there were Trump signs displayed in the lobby.
Cardinal Dolan of New York is a MAGA that needs to go. I suspect Pope Leo has already had words with him.
https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/cardinal-dolan-calls-late-charlie-kirk-modern-day-st-paul-im-not-making
Let us hope so. I am so hopeful about Pope Leo.
Dolan has been replaced.
The Tdump signs in the vestibule of a Church is a clear violation and should be removed.
I was told of one instance where a bishop was visited by the feds for sending a CD to all Catholics urging them to vote whatever hot issue was in the news at the time—gay marriage, abortion, whatever.
As they should have. Most thinking Catholics do not want to be told by any Bishop how to vote. Even the USCCB has a policy of telling Bishops not to tell Catholics how to vote. (Only poorly educated priests disobey their bishops.) Their official policy is to tell Catholics to inform their consciences by Catholic Teachings, about the issues and to vote their conscience when deciding.
It is important to distinguish between religious teachings of Faith general statements that are nonpartisan (allowed for 501 C-3 regs) and statements that support specific partisan candidates (not allowed).it is also important to note that 501 C-4 designation permits a certain number of hours of lobbying for particular legislation. Some 501 C-3's are also 501 C-4.
Nonetheless, too many evangelical and other denominations’ preachers make telling people whom to vote for a key part of their preaching.
I highly recommend reading Katherine Stewart's, "Money, Lies and God" in which she really gets into discussing the whole movement of these preachers in spreading this sort of gospel in support of the Trump agenda, or rather, the agenda Trump is supporting.
Another good read is "The Separation of Church and Hate." by John Fuglesang. As a comedian, he has a highly entertaining take on the literal meaning and hypocrisies of the Bible.
Of particular influence are the preachers of the "Prosperity Gospel", a 19th century school of interpretatiin of the Gospel that was discredited and rejected by the traditional "mainline Churches" to this day.
I’m glad you reminded me. I intended to do that.
When has obeying the law bothered any fascist?
Or psychopath?
Read Professor Jemar Tisby's Thanksgiving substack essay entitled, Klansgiving. He shows the relationship between religion and the rebirth of the KKK on Thanksgiving Day, 1915.
https://open.substack.com/pub/jemartisby/p/klansgiving?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
But they were very good at mandatory enforcement of their own laws or interpretation of valid laws.
The 501(c)(3) organizations that walk closest to the line on political activity are not churches. They are think tanks and educational groups that are tax-exempt, like the Heritage Foundation and probably some liberal ones as well.
TV preachers and large, independent Evangelical preachers do, as well.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/nov/23/america-christian-evangelical-discrimination-immigration?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Thank you so much Emily. Excellent piece. I have seen references to his book. (Bill McKibben is the author of Here Comes the Sun (2025), and the founder of Third Act), but haven't read it yet.
Check out John Fugelsang's recent release, "Separation of Church and Hate".
Read both. Excellent.
Thanks GJ! I will.
GJ:
My local public library network reports that they have over twenty copies of John Fugelsang's Separation of Church and Hate. They are all circulating. The library is ordering more copies!
It's a very popular book!
(Unless somebody is taking them all and destroying them to keep them out of the hands of readers.)
\Vince S
Hello, GJ. (With a nod here to Apache who regularly begins his replies in that way. Such a genial beginning.)
RE Catholic charities: I know of a young mother alone with her 3-month old baby whose car engine died this week en route to California. She landed in Minnesota with nothing and has been given an apartment for a few months (including food and an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner) at a halfway house run by Catholic charities here in Saint Paul. Nobody can do everything, as activists keep reminding us these days, but everybody can do something. Many churches do enormous work to help folks who are in tough times. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Resettlement (now called Global Refuge) has, since 1939, helped 800,000 immigrants rebuild their lives in the U.S. That is about 10,000 each year. Let's notice the compassion that is all around us and is often invisible. It's never enough but many people would be suffering more without the volunteers and financial support of people of faith in churches and synagogues and mosques.
Melinda, while this is true, I believe that the government should be providing for the people. For example, this is a story in Finland. I think this is what we are aiming for. It should not be charity, but a right.
https://youtu.be/0jt_6PBnCJE?si=rynYrmnzmFTJK6nS
I agree completely, Linda W. My point was to remind those who denigrate faith communities that they step up when the government isn't helping people. ~ I'll take this opportunity to thank you for the many times you offer insights from your perch in Europe. Much appreciated.
My goal is not to denigrate the many good works done by the faith community but rather to condemn their hypocrisy. My great-uncle and his wife spent so many hours away from their kids that all four of them soured on the church.
Tens of thousands of lay people donate their time to helping others. I worked for Knights of Columbus for over 13 years and many of the employees donated lots of their time helping the less fortunate. I worked for their insurance company and there were people of all faiths and they treated us all fairly.
I do not support any religion that doesn't love thy neighbor and help them out unconditionally.
Excellent information. These genuine "no political strings attached" works by 501 C-3 .organization is how they.were intended to operate. They often go unnoticed because they do. Only violators (and they are out there) get the publicity and "generalizing from the particular" are ysed to discredit the whole. But they are not representative of the mamy more who go about doing good works while keeping the laws binding 501 C-3 nonprofits.
Part of my own distrust and dislike of the evangelical version of Christianity is that most of their preachers are not traditionally educated and ordained ministers but self selected men who “have heard God tell them to preach.” So their own understanding of the Bible relies on what their barely educated preachers have told them about Christianity.
That’s why in the rural South we have preachers telling their congregations that Catholics aren’t Christian’s and that the Bible was first written in English. These two odd statements were repeated to me in a college English class!
I was somewhat heartened that preacher support for DJT in 2024 was below 50%. Still that's a large percentage when you consider Trump's value system has very little in common with the mainstream Protestant churches' philosophy..
Part of my own distrust is that they teach racism, sexism and hatred of people. Another part is that they rake in money yet pay no taxes. The ones who are making the big money make me pause. This is not what Christ was preaching, and it is certainly not going to help the poor.
Look at these incomes. This is not done honestly.
https://iconpolls.com/blogs/top-10-richest-pastors-in-the-world-2025
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2011/06/07/the-five-richest-pastors-in-nigeria/
BJ Zamora,
Of all the humans, those of us, who choose to call ourselves "Christian" need to follow our spiritual leader, Jesus Christ above any pastor.
Christ did not live a life of wealth or cruelty or with the arrogant attitude of judging others. In the faith poured out for me in grace not through works, He has taught me to love others as I have been and continue to be loved.
Of course as a human this ideal takes much humility in returning to the reality of who I am as an imperfect creation. I must confront my weaknesses and faults. I am responsible through the Holy Spirit, living and moving within me, to demonstrate the love and wisdom of my Savior. This is a DAILY CHALLENGE....but one I submitted to because of the great love I have received and continue to receive.
I continue to strive to love as Christ has loved me....surrendering Himself for those who CHOOSE to believe. This is not because of my goodness.
Love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us is a "tall order". I am NOT there. His words are wise and hold the values He lived out. If we submit to those ideals, in response to the love of Christ...we see amazing things happen.
Trusting in the power of love and humility is a great challenge. It is trusting in what we cannot see. But amazing surprises take place when we submit to these truths...maybe not as soon as we would want but these ideals make a difference.
Leaders who profess faith in Christ have a larger responsibility to study, pray and share truthfully the words of Christ....NOT to promote personal prejudices. Their walk in faith...their lives lived out before Christ demonstrate the reality of their surrender to Christ's teaching.
Ones faith or NOT is a personal decision for each of us, NOT for judgement!!!!
Every pot has a crack.
I'd never read the 28 "peace points." They are worse than I thought. While some Americans may be concerned with Trump's grift, most will be unaware, as was I, that he is selling out the security of Europe as well.
If, somehow, this vague document becomes a flowery show piece of "peace," Europe will need to decide which country they will give up next. We are definitely headed toward George Orwell's three empire world (China, Russia, U.S.) that he fictionally depicted in his book 1984.
Thanks for sharing. But it feels like I just got a diagnosis of cancer and the doctor said, "I'm going to help it spread to more parts of your body."
Each of us can directly support Ukraine by donating to United24, the official website of Ukraine. So far they have raised nearly $3 billion. You can choose either humanitarian aid or military weapons. Here's a link: https://u24.gov.ua/
I've donated to United24. Since the US is not keeping its promise to Ukraine, I am doing what I can as an American.
Wow! Is this for real?
Absolutely. I first became aware of the site when noted historian and author Timothy Snyder endorsed it and have been donating off and on for more than a year. Totally legit and secure.
Thank you.
A lot still in play on that one. Already the tale of how Steve Witkoff actually advised Putin (not Trump) on how to sell this Russian shit to Trump have appeared on multiple news sources -- like everyone else in Trump's orbit, he works to protect Russia's interests, not our own.
As usual, Zelenskyy is being forced to play the deftest of card games with a most difficult hand. But it's an increasingly united Europe going "we ain't buying it" together with a Ukraine that may end up backing their President even more, as Russian missiles keep falling on Kyiv (I guess that's supposed to make them really respect Putin more, or something).
Yes. I woke up to these stories and I am interested to see how this will add to the situation. How does the extremely bright Zelensky deal with this information and the EU. We know that Mark Carney of Canada is already showing Trump "the Hand!"
He is not just selling out the security of Europe, but ours too. Besides that we make more money from trade with Europe than Russia, and he is blowing that up, he is also talking about AI collaboration with Russia. That will just give them more tools with which to attack us. He is totally uncaring about what legacy he leaves behind. One of total betrayal to the American people, who also benefit from Ukraine remaining another democracy in the world to counter those that are not.
But you will I hope concede that the idea of Dumpkopf coaching the Russians on the botched Ukraine peace plan is nothing less than priceless.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/25/trump-envoy-on-russia-ukraine-peace-deal
Russell John, we are not using that term in my household. However, I get your point. It was stupid to make a recording that the press got a hold of. Corruption is the name of the game. We should all be complaining about this to our elected reps.
Curious, why no dummkopf?
Isn't it simply German for idiot?
From Google,
"Yes, "Dummkopf" is a mild insult in German, translating to "dumb head" or "idiot" in English. It's used to describe someone as being foolish or lacking intelligence. While it's derogatory, it's generally less harsh than more severe insults and is often used in a more playful or light-hearted context.Feb 20, 2024"
Scheisskopf?
I pretty much use "Arschloch!" Witkoff certainly is an "Arschloch!" "Dummkopf!" seems too simple here. If he is stupid, then we consider him to inadvertently be trying to deceive people, he is not willfully trying to deceive everyone including Trump, whom he is treating like a "Dummkopf."
The action was stupid, and Witkoff is not too bright in this context. He is not bright enough to know that he is out of his league, but he is bright enough to know that if he wants to make a deal that makes money for him, he needs to be in on the negotiating, because Rubio isn't going to do that for him. Every action in this administration is grift, grift and more grift.
Both seem applicable...
Yes. While Witkoff may be a Dumkopf, I don't use it here. Germans do not tend to be so playful with language. The infamous directness would not find that playful. And, it is not meant playfully here is it?
My daughter considers words like Dumkopf basically curse words. I used "stupid," to show that while we don't usually use those terms in my home, I am using them on my own, although my daughter would have a fit. She does not like me calling people "stupid," although the older she gets the closer she gets to doing that. I think in German Dummkopf is harsher than stupid though. My husband does not think it is playful either. He thinks it is insulting, but could be both ways. Saying it to a good friend playfully perhaps. In anger to someone you cannot stand is not a nice thing.
Someone can do a stupid thing, but a Dummkopf is a state of being. If you say "Dummerchen" "little dumb one, it might be milder.
'Stupid' somehow doesn't cut it for me when it comes to this administration.
Agreed, I didn't take it as playful. And I personally don't like the use of Magats, Republican'ts, lumping every conservative as evil, or a host of other ad hominem adjectives.
That said, stupid is as stupid does. I'm not clear why calling someone an idiot, who is an idiot in German on an American site is worse than calling that same idiot an idiot in English.
Also, I usually say, and this really bothers my daughter, "Er ist ein Vollidiot!" I say this because that is what I think. I use it when driving. As a passenger in a child seat and then on her own, she would chid me and tell me I should not be using bad language in front of her.
When I was talking Special Education in Grad school not for teaching, but for School Psychology, we discussed the history of the terms that defined various kinds of stupidity and how they were on a scale, and these are meant for people below the normal bottom IQ of 70.
In any case, we were taught that using these terms was rooted in an unenlightened past.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/moron-idiot-imbecile-offensive-history
While retard, and other terms like that are not on the list, I feel that they might be. I do use "Vollidiot!" because I am speaking German then, and it is not tied to a developmental level as much as to how completely unsafe a behavior is. A person watching a screen while driving will get that remark from me, and so does anyone texting. In fact, I chided all of my friends who would even talk on the phone while driving because their children grow up seeing this, we did not, and learned to drive well before being exposed to cell phones. They will have one before the other. It is not a good example to set.
Then there's this,
“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” ~ William Shakespeare, As You Like It
Would your daughter be OK with us calling Trump a fool? :)
I think RJ was trying to be nice. Or maybe polite and workplace friendly. After all, when most people speak of Trimp they end up with 'scheisskopdf'.
It was more asinine incompetence than corruption in this case.
Thus, we have Kakistocracy, although the leaked recording of Witkoff's phone call with Putin's person, where he is coaching how to manipulate Trump to go along with a plan that is treasonous in my opinion. Perhaps we should be saying, "off with Witkoff's head!" and get MAGA riled up over that. Of course that would be irresponsible, because then they might go after him.
Trump continues to defend Witless. When questioned about the Bloomberg report yesterday he said:
"I haven't heard it, but it's a standard thing. Because he's got to sell this to Ukraine. He's got to sell Ukraine. That's what a dealmaker does. You've got to say look, they want this, you've got to convince them of this. You know, that's a very standard form of negotiation. I haven't heard it, but I heard it was standard negotiation. And I would imagine he's saying the same thing to Ukraine. Because each party has to give and take."
He seems to be unaware that Witkoff was even't talking to the Ukrainians. The fact that he describe this as standard negotiating procedure will doubtless not be reassuring to Ukraine or NATO allies.
Nebraskan congressman Don Bacon called for his resignation. Trump's special missions envoy, Richard Grenell, was instead calling for the person who leaked this information to be identified and sacked.
My reps couldn’t possibly care less. All three are in the MAGA fan club.
I hope they all have Democrats running against them.
Thank you, Linda: "America is going forward because of all the people who have been keeping up the fight."
That is us! Thank you, all of you, who believe that democracy is worth a stand.
Linda, I believe that sociopathic is a better term to describe most of them. ffpotus has crossed that line into the edges of psychopathy, but most of them are true sociopaths. There is a lot of overlap between them, but a fundamental difference lies in that sociopaths are "made" while psychopaths have an organic origin.
I got to watch more than one sociopath at work during my career; two of them were very well integrated into "normal" life, but certainly had elements of sociopathy in their interactions and dealings with other people.
https://www.simplypsychology.org/psychopathy-vs-sociopathy.html
They both belong to antisocial personality disorders, and I don't know that I could say that they aren't all both. Donald Trump certainly has traits belonging to each.
From the Cleveland Clinic
Psychopathy traits--Limited understanding of right or wrong, uses insincere charm to mask true feelings, difficulty with emotional regulation, lack of fear.
Sociopathy traits--Frequently gets in trouble with the law, makes impulsive decisions with no regard for safety, increased aggression and risk for violence, inability to follow through on personal responsibilities.
Overlap--Lack of empathy or remorse, takes no responsibility for their actions, doesn't follow rules, doesn't respect boundaries.
It tells us that:
"You can think of psychopathy and sociopathy as being two sides of the same coin: Psychopathy is potentially more dangerous with a closer tie to genetics, while sociopathy can be genetic or environmental, resulting in impulsivity and lack of empathy."
We know Donald has the bad nurture, we don't know what he has from nature, but he can have both and so can a lot of these people.
Agreed: tons of overlap!!
Are you for or against supporting Ukraine? Because the definition of decry is:
1: To condemn as wrong or reprehensible.
2: To express disapproval of (a person); denounce: synonym: criticize.
Similar: criticize
But I think you meant to show support for Ukraine, not denounce it?
That's how I read it; yet it seems she's decrying Trump's policies. A grammatical error, forgiven with grace.
I them everyday make.
Usually I do too, but I did want to check because there are so many YouTubers against aiding Ukraine. Sorry if I came off as a pain in the you know what 🙁
Not at all.
I'm dismayed at the ignorance of history displayed by those who don't see Russia's invasion for what it is.
I'm all Churchilian when it comes to Ukraine. Me? I'd send troops at least as advisers and for tactical support. The line has to be drawn.
Yes. I am anti Putin and pro Ukraine. Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦
😃
HulitC, I cannot find where I wrote the word "decry" in the chain. Can you give me the sentence please?
I am for Ukraine. I am living in Europe and see our future tied to Ukraine's success. I also have Ukrainian family members on my husband's side. Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦
Here are your words. Sorry to be a stickler, but there are so many YouTubers against aiding Ukraine that I just wanted to clarify. (I am actually currently living in France & worried that the French will elect Le Pen’s party in 2027. I too have Ukrainian relatives.)
“The US citizens should be loudly decrying their support for Ukraine in the face of Donald Trump trying to sell them out and us too. Look at this post from Timothy Snyder about the 28 points.”
HulitC, I actually meant to put "Russia" where Ukraine is. I am writing too much while my husband is talking about things we should be taking care of. He just arrived in Europe and we have a lot of things to take care of that are easier to do when we are both in the same country. He will be doing something, while I wait I go back to responding. Probably not a good idea. Thanks for pointing that out. If I can find the comment I will change it. Happy Gathering, if you are having one this week. I am worrying about the ascendence of all far right parties, especially after reading Katherine Stewart's book, "Money, Lies and God" I have a much better sense of how networked these countries all are and how much the far right is backing them globally and all the money they are funneling to them, as well as providing political advice. Thus the recycling of effective political talking points in all of these countries.
I’ve enjoyed communicating and connecting with you. Don’t let my editing questions stop your terrific comments! I have a sister who actually reads the dictionary. She gives me a hard time when I misuse or even mispronounce a word, so I guess I’ve been programmed. 🙁
Linda, I also know those lacking in empathy as sociopathic. Many, many years ago I saw something on a PBS program that was talking about a young man attacked a woman coming out of her home, because she was carrying "HIS" purse. He was described as a sociopath. I have a sister who falls into the same category, where things should belong to her because she wants them, and others don't deserve to have what she wants.
Susan, psychopaths lack empathy too. This is what I wrote above.
They both belong to antisocial personality disorders, and I don't know that I could say that they aren't all both. Donald Trump certainly has traits belonging to each.
From the Cleveland Clinic
Psychopathy traits--Limited understanding of right or wrong, uses insincere charm to mask true feelings, difficulty with emotional regulation, lack of fear.
Sociopathy traits--Frequently gets in trouble with the law, makes impulsive decisions with no regard for safety, increased aggression and risk for violence, inability to follow through on personal responsibilities.
Overlap--Lack of empathy or remorse, takes no responsibility for their actions, doesn't follow rules, doesn't respect boundaries.
It tells us that:
"You can think of psychopathy and sociopathy as being two sides of the same coin: Psychopathy is potentially more dangerous with a closer tie to genetics, while sociopathy can be genetic or environmental, resulting in impulsivity and lack of empathy."
As usual, Linda, your research is more thorough than mine. On my way to find your comment, I saw where someone said that sociopaths are made, while psychopaths have an organic origin. Having experienced my sociopathic sister, I would agree that sociopaths are made. I also agree that it is not always easy to tell the difference between the two.
Phil…Today’s letter was uniquely inspiring and so was your response. Thanks to you, Phil and, as always, to Professor HCRichardson.
Heather's glass is half-full, K, mine, half-empty.
Only that empty includes Putin's genocide, Netanyahu's genocide, ICE's federally subsidized terror campaigns, fossil fuel's death wish, social media's hate algorithms, elite universities', law firms', and legacy media's cowardice to extortions, Donald's successfully-covered-up underage girl rapists, drunken Hegseth's murders on the open sea, the Supreme Court's blatantly bribed corruption, and standardized testing's anesthesia-&-dehumanization takeover of all education.
I so totally agree. I’ve always been a negative person. Since I was a kid.
So much of our news every day is chaos, evil, unlawful from the highest levels of our government.
I’ve begun to think that we actually need to get through this crisis in order to recognize the reality of this country and how we make it better.
We have to want a better government and leadership that isn’t made up of psychopaths.
Everything that has happened with Trump shows the cracks in the system when evil people are in power.
It seems that history does repeat itself. We just have to learn from it!
And I will NOT BE BUYING ANY THING FROM TRUMP COMPANIES!
A 59-word sentence, Mr. Balla? You definitely seem older. Didn't one of your 'pre-standardized testing' teachers caution you against such? Methinks your glass is way more empty than just half. Give it up, Mr. Balla. You're not. helping.
Then we can resume the primary task. Which is, to advance the idea that those who remain in America must rejuvenate our republican experiment by the careful planning of the many reforms requisite to correcting and sustaining our democracy. There are several dozen distinct components to that, in severk time frames. To wit, a one-year time frame (2026), a two-year after that through 2028, and then a four year and more thereafter. In that perspective. Mr. Balla a 59-word sentence is mere mewling against Trump's attempted autocracy. Sentence #2: "F"
Trolling a little bit more than usual huh phil.
Donald Trump's charitable instincts are best reflected in his use of the presidential pardon power. He's pardoned or commuted the sentences of over 2,000 assorted crooks in the first ten months of his second term (compared with a grand total of 238 in his first term). Now it appears that he's had a re-think about voter fraud.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/25/trump-voter-fraud-pardon
He may choose to give anticipatory pardons to ICE folks for their actives. Heck, pardon everyone who follows the wishes of the Project 2025 coup authors.
You couldn't make this up!
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/26/karoline-leavitt-nephew-mother-detained-ice
A sort of Minority Report scheme where he pardons people before they commit crimes, crimes that they inevitably will commit the longer this shitshow goes on. They might even ask the Roberts' court to rubber stamp it in advance so little do any of them care about the Constitution.
Very Christian of him. /s
His towering beneficience has earned him the epithet of the patron saint of crooks.
At least you've got Melania.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/melania-trump-faces-uproar-being-133913101.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAF8z6Rsqn2kdlBksg5B3nHKa7iSCm-Ok_sXCH6Eb4uRdq9NYTo7iUD_xFK1pDY6_dQ_mhuOGCK4ynHFkbYfl_19AAKU_FqrbXyc0DVAM34FKjoGBGdwCrX_46jVpeET4RoaWo6O0cIfd5tbCVjKX1lKjLIkxt5aUzFgcSKY_1Wyi
I have been wondering why emotional immaturity and the willingness to inflict harm seems to be a trait of so many very wealthy people. Is it inevitable that success in terms of money does not go with success in terms of creating something that benefits everyone? Maybe it is always that way in a capitalist society.
I believe most very wealthy people have never had to sacrifice ANYTHING in their sorry-ass lives in order to develop the basic trait of compassion. If, as a young mother, you had to go without meals in order to feed your children, you learn to have compassion for others who are going through the same thing.
If you grew up in a family that couldn't afford to pay for heat, you learn to have compassion for those who don't have warm clothing. If you've never suffered from hunger, or cold (or extreme heat) or inadequate housing, you cannot possibly imagine what these sufferings feel like.
And, if a wealthy child ever mentions, "why don't we help poor people, Dad?" They tell their child, "It's the poor peoples' fault that they're poor. If we tried to help them, then they wouldn't learn to help themselves."
Most very wealthy people are so far removed from humanity and so empty inside (devoid of the human instinct to help) that this enables them to believe "others" are less-than and therefore it is acceptable to "let them starve - it's their own fault."
Another thought on the empty souls of rich men - they do not experience the joy of equality-based, loving relationships (not based on money, favors, influence, etc.) that they seek forbidden taboos like incest and pedophilia. They have lost the ability to BE a human being; their money and power is all they have, and their cruelty to others becomes their trademark.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely; and what does it corrupt? It corrupts their human soul. A corrupted soul is the same as being dead. You are incapable of contributing anything of benefit to anyone, even your own family.
I am SO grateful that I didn't "marry well". In the '50's , in Montclair N.J. , a good looking female with a perfect figure should have ended up with a Corporate type. Instead, I got preg. right after high school and married an 18 year old, who had give up his goal of engineering school to support his family.
I had to figure out how to do everything so we never had a money problem while living on very little money. It gave me an opportunity to be creative and form of independence which was my nature anyway. If I had married well, I bet I would have been miserable, sleeping with the help and on the physician prescribed solution to a housewife's problems: that little blue pill.
I was "supposed" to marry well. My family lived in a wealthy enclave in Connecticut and although they always told us "kids" they were poor, the boat and the second home on Martha's Vineyard told us otherwise. I grew up around wealthy people and I didn't much care for them. They were too obsessed with "things;" not people.
There was no way I was going to marry a wealthy a**hole who would order me around and raise his children to then be dumped by a younger me. My independent streak was a mile wide. So, I got some marketable skills and took off for Dallas at age 21. Never looked back.
Atta Girl!
I started building myself by reading classics,, philosophy, literary criticism, got a B.A. 2 courses a semester, no social life...invented a computer business and made 5 times what I had been keeping house on. Being left alone by that guy who had to work every waking hour for his family...gave me so much chance to do whatever I wanted.
Ended up in NYC..bought buildings w. some partners..it was a great bunch of decades...One could afford medical care and cars and houses on almost nothing.
I started running before it was called jogging...sometimes I would run in near by Essex Fells which was all big rich houses; I felt sorry for the women in those gilded cages.
I never cared about money. Even when I made quite a lot of it. At a point when things in my business changed; I had to deal with HR, instead of directly with DP managers, ...I just didn't want to do it anymore. And, gave it right up.
Terry24x, your comment is fairly brief, but packs a tremendous amount of substance that could launch several extensive discussions.
I would describe the super-rich as having emotional paucity, not immaturity. The former suggests that it's just not there, while the latter hopes it's there but undeveloped.
Wealth is a form of arithmetic. Arithmetic has no emotions; two plus two always equals four, never anything else. Two nickels always equal a dime, never anything else.
Most people are emotional creatures. As such, they are unpredictable and unreliable, unlike math. With an emotional being, one never knows when two and two might add up to seven-and-a-half. Typical people, with their unpredictable, unreliable emotions, frequently make less-than-ideal financial decisions. We, who work in marketing, know this about people. When we design campaigns, we always appeal to your emotions and mostly ignore the financial aspects of moving you to a buying decision, because your decision to buy is an emotional one, not a logical one.
But there is a small class of people who lack the capacity to emote. They struggle to commune with other people but are more comfortable with non-emotional entities, such as money and computers. Elon Musk is perhaps the perfect example. In his natural state, he feels nothing. He takes drugs just to feel something.
I would note, here, that Donald Trump is actually not good with money. He is extremely emotional; it's just that all his emotions are destructive, to himself and others. He's terrible with money. As with everything in Donald's life, his apparent wealth exists because of the efforts of others. Left to his own devices, he would lose it all in short order.
As I've frequently pointed out, those revered "Founding Fathers" created our capitalist government to protect and promote their own assets. But in order to gain the buy-in of the masses, they had to couch their capitalism in "democracy." In their pure forms, capitalism and democracy are incompatible. Under the guidance of people with good intentions, the two can be made to enhance each other. Under the control of people with bad intentions – such as we are now seeing – the two can be exploited for the benefit of the few and harm to the rest of us.
Dale and Linda have both said much better than I can articulate.
You may be right, that a capitalist society breeds that mindset.
I canceled subscriptions to the Times and WaPo, will not accept their lack of journalistic integrity.
The times, and Wopo have no right to even to use the term journalistic integrity in the same sentence. Good job old man. you have risen above the ignorance here!
The Republic of Selective Shopping
This satire takes aim at America’s newest political powerhouse, the angry shopper. From Tesla boycotts to Disney cancellations, the piece skewers a culture where democracy now lives in the checkout line and corporations answer to citizens armed with receipts, principles, and very short patience. https://essayx.substack.com/p/the-republic-of-selective-shopping
That was a sad but telling interview. Thanks for sharing that here. Who was it who said some years back, the ‘American personality’ as an impersonated corporation is a narcissistic psychopath? The epitome of American success? The CEOs and funders who Citizens United empowered in our election system are personified in this Administration.
Well said! Are we going to slide back into the fallacies of 100+ years ago? Are we going to push “others” into the poverty line?
Empathy is not weakness! Helping others is not weakness! Pushing others down to only raise yourself shows weakness.
Careful Jay, you may be accused of being a liberal humanist.
I would gladly cloak myself in that description! Well…I’d probably put on something besides a cloak 😇
Good Giridharadas interview. Thanks for sharing.
Phil, it is amazing what wealthy does to most people now and throughout history. Absolute contempt for the peons like most of us. This is entitlement on steroids. They have no interest in the public infrastructure that is for most of us because they have created everything private for themselves.
I read his piece too, and I was shocked that the coin of their realm was "intellectual capabilities", which means they mouth ideas they do not begin to understand. Since they themselves are the problem.
Phil, let’s face it. Epstein is Trump’s Achilles heel. It needs to be dragged out and repeated until Trump is buried and the MAGAs are shattered into a million pieces. Yes there is the pure brutal exploitation of underage girls let’s never forget what transpired. But now on account of Trump’s involvement, the issues must be repeated over and over and over again until the MAGA heal burns to the ground. Never forget this please. /It’s all in my book, “Donald’s Vanity Tantrums.”) You wanted it once but we couldn’t figure out how you would pay. I’m game to try again especially now that I have added a bunch more stories.
Welcome to the TDS triggered jungle once again.
Well, see below that it’s not reflective of the ratings by CNN, which show Trump substantially higher And as SOLID as they’ve been for the last six months. According to CNN, his ratings are like a Bob Seger song LIKE A ROCK Oooops read ON for details
So once again, as I’ve shown time and time and time and time again,
SHE OPENS HER POST BY SAYING…AS TRUMP’S POPULARITY CONTINUES TO DECLINE….
Referring to the popularity in his own party, as she continues to say in her, next statement and fractures begin to be evidenced in his MAGA COALITION !Which is a false statement provided by evidence from none other than CNN.
In fact CNN’s poll, which I will quote a little bit later indicates that Trump’s approval rating by Republicans is exactly the same as it was six months ago. She states this…As she continues to say, and there are beginning to be fractures….. Yet, CNN states his numbers are like a Bob Seger song SOLID AS A ROCK. Just as I said above
And here are all the people that believe Heather so much that they would grovel at her feet and genuflect with every word she preaches here which, unfortunately is refuted by to many polls , especially the one by surprise surprise CNN . And of course, not one person here would question her post , nor go further to re-search the numbers or the evidentiary contradiction provide , which is only stated from left-wing links. What a shock. Every single left-wing Poll of course has it the opposite, which they’ve done for years and that’s why half of them are going out of business or suffering financially, such as CNN, which has been moderating lately, and changing his tune. And ,MS now which used to be MSNBC, but had to change its name for lack of credibility.. that’s more than a rumor. have fired MANY of the news anchors on both networks and lost almost 50% of its viewership when Trump was elected and now Fox News as an example has more viewership than CNN and MSNBC/MSN NOW COMBINED. !! WAPO he’s bleeding money, and losing millions and if not for digital reach , the New York Times would be in big trouble as it continues to lose subscribers versus free digital readership… as I understand it. Apparently it’s lost about 660,000 subscribers since 2023.
She opens at :letters”. With NEGATIVITY About Trump , half truths from left-wing sources only , and with no information from the other side, or any facts that happen to disclaim every single thing she says, or hear about TRUMP’S favorability. The left hates him more than ever because he continues to win more than ever, and here are the numbers below.
According to Henry anthem at CNN while Trump Popularity is dropping overall , the ONLY reason for the drop is the decrease in the popularity amongst Democrats …what a SHOCKER. However, the increase in Republicans and the status, in comparison to other presidents THIS CENTURY is astounding where Heather misses the boat entirely!
According to CNN. Trump’s Approval By Republicans is at 87% TODAY is well above Bush and Obama And Biden’s as rated by Democrats ….in other words, higher than any other president by its appropriate party since the turn of the century!!! Oooops
While Bush’s highest rating by Republicans was at 78% and Obama’s highest rating of it by the Democrats was at 78% as well. Nobody has been able to attain a stronger approval rating by its own party than Donald Trump this century. . 87%. Somebody please tell Heather.
And for the rest of you you might want to research or investigate a little further to validate what she posts please
Thank you.
I opened Democracy Now and watched. I have been alert to this crap from other sources: one being Whitney Webb, on Youtube and her book, Vol 1: One Nation Under Blackmail.
It was never just about the girls: they were "party favors" to hook and bind the powerful into the club of special advantages and evil deeds.
I'm glad people are paying attention to that now. today, all over the world, millions of women and girls are used against their will or best interests.
This was treachery by those with power against the common man, like going back to the age of coal miners, indentured servants and slavery.
Where or when will this stop? Corporate mass media has most people on the side of this fascism.
Hear Judge Michael Luittig speak sorrowfully that he sees no hope. Maybe tomorrow he will see a glimmer of hope. But, most days: no hope.
The hope I see is that there are many credible voices out there who aren't bamboozled by the B.S. Listen and learn.
Thanks Phil for your skepticism. I agree with you that this Letter hightlights a great role women play from making choices in living that influence politics. And yet, they have failed to elect a woman as president. Why did they choose Trump over Harris?
Back in 1967, when I heard the first statement about "women's liberation" in the radical movement, at the 1967 SDS National Convention, delivered by Jane Adams and Marilyn Buck, I thought to myself "Women are going to change everything." Which I thought was a good thing.
And immediately after that thought, I was embarrassed beyond belief by looking around the room at all the "radical" men, jumping up and down on their seats, shouting "I stand firmly erect in my support of pussy power!" I pulled my hat down low over my eyes and tried to pretend I wasn't there.
Nothing in the 58 years since, all the women I have stood beside in the movement in that time, has ever changed my first thought once I was presented with the idea.
Women ARE going to change everything.
I remember doing a lot of my biographical reports on women. In sixth grade I did Jane Adams, a woman I really admired. I dressed like her to do my presentation. I still remember the long skirt my mother made me and the blouse I wore with it. I wore my then long hair up in a bun. I remember doing reports on Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan. Both were heroes to me.
Later on my daughter did the same. In science class she did a report on Emmie Nöther, who was a contemporary and friend of Einsteins. He credits her work with the underpinnings of modern Physics. She was teaching at the same University where my husband got his PhS in Physics in Göttingen and then came to the US. At another point in time she did a report on Maria Goeppert Mayer, Nobel Prize winner in Physics. She was also at Göttingen, and she and her husband, the one who got the one salary from the University of Chicago at the time, is the one who won the Nobel Prize. Her husband did not.
Germany lost a lot of Nobel Prize winning people, who won their prizes when they went to the US. The US is now doing the same thing. It is chasing away their scientists, as the Christian Nationalist agenda is decidedly anti-science. Look at our head of Health and Human Services, and all of the people heading departments under him.
I wish more of us would pay more attention these long-term trends. Most of us, including our mile-wide-millimeter-deep legacy media, are obsessed with the trivial, the superficial, impulsively drawn to who's-on-first impulses rather than longer, slower, deeper currents of change and upheaval.
Great powers are not pre-destined, they're the result of specific choices people in past and current generations have made about what kind of society they wanted their children to live in. Immigrants in previous generations came in search of freedom, opportunity, land, the chance for prosperity. After World War II, the government invested in higher education in particular, which quickly became one of America's great treasures, attracting millions more not just to our shores, but our ideals. All of this -- the result of choice, not destiny.
Today, bizarre people at the top are choosing to revive 19th century visions of spheres of influence -- whites-only social Darwinism and immigration schemes, fixations with race, language and gender roles as far removed from current reality as you can get, 'splendid little wars', beggar-thy-neighbor tariffs, gunboat diplomacy. What do people imagine will happen to a great power that turns its back on a century of progress to embrace some bizarre retro vision from the McKinley Administration?
A great power remains great only as long as others perceive it to be so. What do these idiots think we'll become once we've chased away -- not just farm workers, barbers, taco stand operators and day laborers, but scientists, Ph.D.s, doctors, researchers -- the best and brightest who used to come here to pursue their dreams? It makes so little sense.
Einstein depended on his first wife, Mileva Marić, to assist him with the math to "prove" his theories, but she was never credited, at least not in her lifetime.
Marie Curie's accomplishments in Physics and Chemistry put her in a category few if any others have attained. This from Wikipedia-
'She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win a Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields. Her husband, Pierre Curie, was a co-winner of her first Nobel Prize, making them the first married couple to win the Nobel Prize and launching the Curie family legacy of five Nobel Prizes. She was, in 1906, the first woman to become a professor at the University of Paris."
The list goes on and on, but many, like Einstein's wife, have never received credit for their contributions.
When my daughter was choosing a woman scientist to write a bio on, we read about scientists from the 1700s, on to now, and how up until recently women could not work as scientists unless they had a father, husband or brother to support them in their research. It is crazy. Of course they did not get credit. Or get paid.
My wife is a chemical engineer and my high school girlfriend is a professor at UC Davis. Both of them have struggled in the patriarchal world with the male egos.
GJ, EVERY professional woman—maybe every woman period—has struggled with male egos. I had many, but two in particular: engineers, the worst of whom who are superior to every other human—and Catholic clergy.
It started with stabbing large animals and jumping around the fire getting amped up to attack the neighboring tree swingers. Someone had to take care of the kids. We're working on it.
I get it. My husband is a chemical physicist./physical chemist working as a computer scientist in astro physics and I talk to his women colleagues about their experiences and they tell me that they have experienced a lot of sexism growing up and in university. In their fields yes and no. My husband's working group is pretty respectful of female intellect and capabilities, but there are just very few women. His colleague's daughter who did her undergraduate at Berkeley in Computer Science told me the Dept was very very sexist. She moved to New York and worked for Etsy for a while designing algorithms just to be in a different kind of work space. Her now husband, agreed with her about the culture in CS at Berkeley. I know she went to grad school and haven't talked to her since then, but I don't imagine the sexism is gone.
I certainly got sick of the sexism I experienced in the private school I taught in. Oh I could tell stories about colleagues, admin and parents. But, not students. The children I taught felt I was on top of things. For one, if I say you can learn something and I expect it, I was believed and learn they did. So, that is what kept me enjoying my work. I had good friends among my colleagues too, but the men at my grade level were appalling. In fact, women complain about them still. Most try to get away from them.
I am so glad not to have people like that in my life any more.
My wife went to what was then University of Missouri at Rolla in the late 1980's. My wife started her junior year when she was 27 and there weren't many students older than her even the Graduate students. One of her TAs was a PHD candidate in Chemistry and he was a sexist pig.
Anyway, this TA taught my wife's Physical Chemistry lab. He asked her why she wasn't at home barefoot and pregnant among other things. She never took the bait. There were a couple of other women in her PCHEM lab but he only picked on my wife.
As it turned out when he got his PHD, they rewarded him with a position in the Chemistry department at UMR.
Of course, not all of her professors were sexist like that but there were a few others. Her Chem E class started out with over 300 students and 30 graduated including my wife. She worked for a few years as a water engineer for the state of Nebraska reviewing water systems across the state.
I was a computer programmer from 1977 until April of this year. A friend and I started a consulting firm in 1990 and grew it to about 150 consultants. We had a couple dozen women who worked as consultants and they were all very good. When we hired the women almost every one of them was underpaid compared to the men. We offered them the same salary and benefits that we would offer the men with similar qualifications.
What level did you teach?
Thank you for that
Interesting digression prompted by your mention of the head of HHS: he and Sheldon Whitehouse were once such close friends they were in each others’ weddings! What a (today) unlikely pair.
Is that from the circles they travel in? Is this pre-heroin addiction?
I think they knew each other from school. But obviously RFK Jr was off the rails at an early age. I just read the article about Kennedy recently—The Atlantic I think.
Yes he is off the rails.
Thank you for your comment, TC! “Women are going to change everything!”
Here’s a great example:
“The League of Women Voters is a century-old, nonpartisan organization that empowers voters and protects democracy through education, advocacy, and litigation. Founded by suffragists in 1920, it has advanced voting rights, promoted civic participation, supported major reforms like the NVRA and HAVA, and continues strengthening democratic engagement nationwide.”
https://www.lwv.org/about-us/history
And recently we have organizations like Red Wine & Blue helping to organize women (and others) to make their voices heard! “Red Wine & Blue is a sisterhood of diverse communities working to change the world together.”
https://redwine.blue/
We have seen the Orange Ego in Chief go after Black women....who are the backbone of their families and also, of the country. That is on list of hateful shit: right at the top.
I would argue that women have always changed everything. And then, we have to turn around and do it all over again. And yes, we will do it over again this time as well.
A woman is changing everything NOW in real time in real historical context up to the tonight's, empowering, LFAA.
Welcome to the triggered Jungle.
Heather proves what I have been saying for a year…and cements what surveys have indicated:
THST THERE IS SO MUCH IRRATIONAL HATE OF TRUMP THAT THIS HATE WOULD LITERALLY “TRUMP” REASON1!
Let’s not buy one of the best, most efficient, most reliable, most technically advanced automobiles in the world….due to irrational hate! CONFIRMED TDS…..WOW.
PERSONALLY, long before Elon was “famous” for his car, not yet “ famous “ for Space X,
Not yet involved with Trump, not yet involved with politics AT ALL, Elon was a HUUUUUGE
success behind the best selling new car in not only America, but in the free world!!
And most of his sales were to TODAY’S GREEN HYPOCRITES, THE LIBERAL HOARD IN CALIFORNIA!!
I bought my first Tesla in 2014 when there were only 225 Teslas purchased in the entire state of Nevada….but there were an ASTOUNDING, 22,000 (twenty-two thousand) Teslas sold in California by that time…AKA RATIONAL THOUGHT WAS STILL INTACT IN CALIFORNIA AT THST TIME!!!
And Tesla was on the March to become the fastest selling new car in the US.
I HAVE NOW UPGRADED MY CAR FOUR TIMES, HAVE PURCHASED 7 TESLAS SINCE THEN, INCLUDING FOUR MODEL S CLASS CARS OF DIFFERENT STYLES, from the basic model s back then, a two wheel drive version, to a four wheel drive, to the high performance P100D, to a long range model with an apx 400 mile range, while my wife is now driving her third model Y….And other than to rent a car during a trip away from home, HAVE NOT BEEN TO A GAS STATION IN ELEVEN YEARS!!
We charge at home 90% of the time at appx 18-20 dollars a month per car for electricity, while my current car gets FREE CHARGING anywhere in the more than 20,000 chargers in the continental United States at over 2000 locations.
Last year Tesla sold 1.7 million cars….from its 22500 or so sold in its first year!!
The most hysterical take-away is that the Trump/Musk hating liberals are spiting themselves out of SHEER HATE! As if their not buying a Tesla is impacting the now Richest man EVER in the world!
The psychiatric clinic who has diagnosed TDS recently, along with the psychoanalyst from Manhattan who claims that not only is it a true clinical disease affecting the brain, but that 75% of his patients have it, and that he can diagnose it in just a five minute or so interview/evaluation!! And THAT hate has caused him to now receive death threats, and insulting phone calls etc.
Enter the group we find here….perhaps from some of the haters amongst this thread ….off the deep end.
Rick, here’s your daily reminder of what a LOSER pud you are.
Yeah, you would change places with me in a heartbeat, and you wouldn’t blink Frida…. But at least I am a human being with a lot of pity for people like you.
In addition to being successful in the business world, I have donated my time and money to countless major charities, including all the biggies
I have traveled to 119 countries seen most of the iconic famous sites in the world and been to all 50 states.
When you insult somebody, you might wanna have some evidence or some back up for your hate that that’s the problem with you TDS Sufferers>.. you very seldom have a point and almost never have back up.
However, I do wish you a very happy Thanksgiving
And by the way, where are many women who were capable of, and what are you capable of becoming president but they first must be actual candidates versus the joke that the Democrats put out this past cycle.
Most of the Ponderosa talk about women presidents have determined that first woman president will probably be a Republican. Oooops which destroys much of a rationale here
But the male vipers still prance like the banty roosters that my mom described, small but outsized egos and actions. Time for them to be cut down to size. Men of psychological stature, and women who are not Kardashians, can indeed change everything for the better. The banty roosters and the empty influencers have had enough time in the sun. The rich can buy new yachts and penis rockets, but the workers can buy our future.
It is indeed with women that hope lies. Hopefully they can act before it’s too late.
They are already acting. Indivisible has many women.
Thousands of women started/joined postcard groups back in 2017 as a way to try to push back during the first Trump regime. We even had some men that joined us. While we were belittled as just a bunch of "old ladies" harassing politicians that couldn't care less, we became a major grassroots force in elections.
We wrote millions of postcards to voters ahead of important elections, even to voters in other states. This helped to boost turnout, a key in election results. The women of these groups, along with many men, are now leading the protest movements that began with the second Trump regime. I think we will help usher in some major changes to our system of government and economics that Heather has been talking about lately.
Robin, as a GOTV postcard writer, thank you. Currently writing for a Democratic Senate candidate in FL. Amazed at how many elections there are to write postcards for.
I’ll mention this here and in coming days: there is a very.important special race in TN-07 this Tuesday. Not only can it benefit TN-07, but the entire state and maybe the country. Aftyn Behn, former social worker and still activist (formerly with Indivisible, which is when I first met her) and currently TN state rep, is running for the US house. She has gotten national attention, National Dem money and 47 just made a bleat advising ppl to vote for her opponent, a guy from OH, whom he endorsed. Watch for the results of this race.
Women are powerful - unfortunately some don’t see the power within them. This escapes my thought process often. Once women understand what power is in each and everyone of them it can become a force that in my opinion can make huge differences not just politically but society itself. Nothing against men because have come across many that see women for their own powerful selves. As my great-grandmother said years ago
“You are not a drop in the ocean; you are the entire ocean in a drop. Embrace your vastness.”
If our specie survives it will be our matriarchal inheritance.
Women with education threaten men that is how you explain all the RW nut jobs who are incels*. Incels hate women.
*involuntary celibate"
They fail to understand THEIR insufferable personalities and belief systems cause their lack of relationships.
Only a part of that, Harvey. Some of them are just assholes to women.
A friend, years ago, said that if women ran the world there would be no wars. Lots of bitching, but no wars.
Maybe.
But I don't count Margaret Thatcher as a woman for this purpose. She was what Gulliver called a female man.
Well, you might find it interesting that many pundits have seen and have prognosticated at the first woman president will in fact be a Republican.
“Women? I guess they should exercise pussy power.” — Eldridge Cleaver
It’s time for us to run the world.
Welcome to the triggered jungle
Here’s my response to One of your lemmings, who hate for no reason hates musk because she thinks he treats his employees poorly. Until she found out reality was not what she thought. Read below
Welcome to the triggered jungle
If you’re not embarrassed, totally about your ignorance after reading this, you have no shame in your entire body.
A great year of the employees were able to physically move, moved from California to Texas when the company relocated the company now employs more than 70,000 workers in its giga factory in Texas now the largest employer in Austin. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Wait till you read below!
Tesla is in the Top 35% of similar sized companies in its ability to retain quality employees. 55% of employees would not leave Tesla if they were offered a job for more money while 71% are excited to go to work each day.
It ranks fourth over all of companies in a like industry, in employee retention.
It’s ranking in the top 35% of retention stats include 1341 other companies of similar size and Employees. And it’s for reading includes more specifically companies in the exact same industry.
But that is nothing when you read below
Well, another ill-informed under educated professor, who knows probably a lot about her mono faceted training, but doesn’t understand the real world
And another delusional liberal think she can use her broken crystal ball or her dusted off Ouija board to determine anything about me personally whatsoever. And of course she’d be 180° incorrect. Obviously, you don’t know a lot about me that I posted for here for the last year.
I lived across the street from HUD housing in a 600 square-foot furnished apartment for the first 26 years of my life… with my mother who lost her husband/my father, when I was six years old with my one and a half year old sister, and with my immigrant mother, who had a fifth grade education when she immigrated to the US.
I would get one pair of shoes and one pair of sneakers per year and my sister and I because we were similar in size used to share clothes.
You are gullible enough to believe that somebody could rise in many facets of his industry to build the best car in the world by mistreating his employees
I’ll give you one example of how fucking stupid you are maybe at ignorant to the to the list
After owning this many Teslas at the same dealership for so long, I became friendly with a number of them… you had work for him for the duration
They had one gentleman by the name of Roy , Who is nothing more than their parts manager at one little dealership here in Las Vegas… WHO WAS ABLE TO RETIRE EARLY WITH A TWO MILLION DOLLAR TESLA RETIREMENT ACCOUNT FROM…..WAIT FOR IT. STOCK OPTIONS FROM HIS TESLA EMPLOYMENT. By the way, as you realize Tesla had only been in business 11 years and he had remained an employee for that time is $2 million pension was earned after only 11 years of employment. And he started out working in the PARTS DEPARTMENT… not even a corporate position, nor a high-ranking official within the dealership. , finally attaining manager of that particular dealership..
Now you realize you hated for nothing because you were ill-informed like so many of you here who think you know anything outside of your area of expertise… And seemingly have forgotten how to re-search anything before you open your mouths
“Women ARE going to change everything.” I believe this could happen. But how can women, specifically white women, be encouraged to think independently from the men in their lives and/or evolve from their deeply held belief in white racial purity? Note this: “A majority of white women continued to support Trump in all 2024 election surveys. Both Edison and VoteCast data show 53% of white women backing Trump, compared to 60% of white men (a seven point gender gap). Across both surveys, white women’s support for Trump has ranged from 52 to 55% from 2016 to 2024. Similar majorities of white women have backed the Republican presidential nominee in every election since 2004.”
Thank you!
And thank goodness for that. Humans who think without ego. Hallelujah!
Remember the old Helen Reddy song, "I am Woman"? I used to think it was sort of silly and sappy, but I just looked at the lyrics to the first verse and realized what a silly twit I was. Of course, I was nineteen, and a sophomore in college, so I had a good excuse. Now I read these lyrics, and think, Yeah, now is the time.
I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back and pretend
'Cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
No one's ever gonna keep me down again
I agree Joel. But where are the great protest songs that came out in the 1960's and early 1970's -- Eve of Destruction, For What It's Worth, Fortunate Son, The Pusher, Ohio, etc.?
The songs are out there, GJ, but the music business has changed. Back in the day, there were hundreds of record labels. Their executives had, themselves, been in poverty only a few short years earlier. Protest was good business.
Today, those record labels have consolidated to just a handful of corporations managed by boards of directors answerable to shareholders. Mainstream stars are manufactured from formulae that do not include controversy, unless that controversy can be exploited to promote the performer or the label.
If you want to hear protest music, you'll have to connect with "alternative media, such as YouTube, Vevo, TikTok, and dozens more I'm unaware of because I'm old.
Hi, Dale Rowett - Man, have you ever nailed it. The reconfiguration of the music business has all but killed mainstream jazz in the United States. In 1972, I listened to the Oscar Peterson Trio at the Cellar Door in Washington, DC, for a five-dollar cover and a two-drink minimum. I wasn't old enough for booze, so had two cokes.
Music is so homogenized now and is so spit out of the money machine that some of the best jazz vocalists in history wouldn't have a chance to work today if they were coming up in today's world. Cheers.
Exactly so. John Prine dying didn't help.
"Daddy, won't you take me to Meulenberg County?"
Hi, Ally - How you doing? I have had challenges. Have not been in the classroom since 9/29 because of spinal stenosis major episode plus disc degeneration. Had two spinal fusion surgeries last week and hope to be back for the start of second semester in January. One blessing is that over the years I've almost never taken a sick day, so I have accumulated enough fully paid sick time to be out until mid-May. Think of me the next time you get out your tuba. Perhaps you could give me an "oom pah" for good luck. Cheers.
Doing well, and sorry to hear about your physical issues.
I’ll absolutely send you a BBb of healing, and dedicate a verse of “Deck the Halls” (in 7/8) to you!!
Thanks, Ally - You're the best!
Jesse Wells performed a song about ICE on Jimmy Kimmel's show that is worth checking out. Green Day wrote American Idiot during the first Trump term.
We had so many good social/ political voices in the 60s and 70s, starting with the folk singers, and others carrying it forward through the decades in song. These ‘poets’ continue to be our social conscience. They will not be forgotten.
We were a different country then. Dale Rowett gave you a pretty comprehensive answer. The music "business" wasn't so monolithic, there were lots of indie labels, and creativity in music was much more the norm.
I'll add a great song to your list. Listen, if you haven't already heard it: "Give a Damn", by Spanky and Our Gang. First song I remember about the problems of ghetto poverty done by a popular white band. Wonderful lyrics, powerful stuff. Banned on many radio stations for use of the word, "damn". Just made more people buy the records. Cheers.
Hey JOEL, those pendants have determined that the first woman president will be a Republican. I hope that your support of women would include any woman. lololol
Those "pendants"? You seriously think pieces of jewelry can predict anything??
Another ignoramus. Would you like to grade my ninth grade paper as well?
Lmao. I voice text everything, Jocelyn… and if you’re not smart enough to figure out what I was saying, you should go get re-educated. CONTENT OVER FORM EVERY TIME. You people are so Pitiful all you can do is insult without the actually reading the Contant, and realizing how ignorant and misguided, and misdirected you are! Pathetic.
I’m going to add you to the 1202 other people that can’t answer a simple question as to why Russia and Ukraine are at war right now why is Ukraine in the position it’s in right now? If you answer correctly, it could be winner, winner, chicken, dinner. But all of you were afraid to answer, because you know what the answer is because it implicates a democrat. Oh my
By the way, that was an auto correct and I’m too busy trying to keep up with your people that are still living in historical terms and haven’t realized that it’s now 2025. In fact you lost an election hugely and you continue to lose issue after issue after issue. You lost the shut down you lost the epstein case which we knew years ago but you love it because it was historical in nature and you’re still living there. Now you’re losing the six idiots. They tried to tell soldiers to disregard their orders and are in hot water. And will be for quite some time.
All while the stock market continues to rise, incredibly a lot of it duty or protest as the next day after your protest/insurrections the market goes up incredibly…. criminals continue to be caught, Especially major cities in DC NL mayor. Bauer has thank Trump for all but eliminating major crime in DC including carjackings down 87%. The same results in Chicago, and the same results in LA and the same results in Memphis.
And you’ve lost because Trump continues to make peace deals all over the world just about perhaps making a sixth worldwide peace deal where three of the countries involved have suggested that he win the Nobel prize for making the peace…. ending the nuclear threat from Iran and working on a piece still there in Israel and Gaza
Were the idiot who was a part-time president before him sent $180 billion to Ukraine to continue the war with no end in killing additional 200,000 innocent people. Now, Trump is working on a piece plant there that is close to a solution.
So you keep hating and will keep winning it’s a great combination for America
Basically, Rick, I was laughing at you. I don't waste my energy with hating - except when it comes to 47.
By the way, I hope you like hating because you're gonna be doing it for more than three more years. But sooner or later, even the media is gonna turn around when they see all the accomplishments I already have over 1200 people that have sent me likes for my posts and at the beginning I got nothing but now people are waking up. And at least have the human decency to realize that Trump is doing a great job for America.
In fact, I've sent out many opportunities for people to tell me list me five things five policies from Donald Trump that have negatively affected your life on a day-to-day basis ?
So far silence. Although I did have one poster they tried to blame Ukraine on Trump, which is pretty funny since it goes back more than 30 years. They can't even tell me why that happened. They can't even tell me why Russia and ukraine at war right now when they didn't need to be.
You could be victim and surrender victim number 1203
That's OK, but he's not gonna waste his time on you either. He's taking care of the people who love America and support America no matter who's in Office just like the Republicans do in a survey taken by CNN a few months ago
And guess what Jocelyn you don't have a single fucking reason in this fucking world to hate Donald Trump for anything he has done more for America and nine months then the last four presidents
People like you don't deserve the blessings of America
Thank you. As always!
And my normal -
We deserve better ❤️🩹🤍💙 We are powerful together. Boycott and speak up!
There’s a calendar on my spreadsheet so we can target our calls/letters/emails/faxes to flood offices in an organized manner.
Use/share this spreadsheet (bit.ly/Nokings) as a resource to contact members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly.
Reach out (beyond your own) to as many in the Senate and House as you can. All of this is bigger than “I only represent my constituents” issues.
Add a comment to help keep this bumped ✊
Thanks, Megan! Another action today might be to post Joy Reid's excellent call to action to all our spheres of influence:
“Dear retailers who’ve decided you don’t like diversity, equity, and inclusion, or you really love ICE and you have no problem with them busting into your establishments to drag people away: Here’s the thing. We ain’t buying it. I mean, for real, for real, we ain’t buyin’ it.”
"We’re gonna spend our money with businesses who actually respect our dollars, respect our communities, and respect our diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are going to buy from people who respect immigrants, who respect immigrants’ rights, and respect freedom and liberty. We are going to buy from establishments that respect our right to vote and our right to live in a free society. And if you ain’t that, we ain’t buying it.”
I'm pairing the quote with Ann Telnaes' classic cartoon of the broligarchs paying tribute: https://substack.com/profile/10639253-alexandra-sokoloff/note/c-181326954
Done!
Megan, thanks for the spreadsheet. I write my politicians so regularly that their email comes up. We do deserve better. Those of Americans who live abroad have been discussing which brands to boycott. Right here in Germany our big battle is to not allow the new center right Secretary of Economic Affairs and Energy change the EU standards for American Social Media platforms. These would be US social media platforms, since Europe does not have any of their own. She and Merz are also rolling back fossil fuel standards on cars, which is a huge setback for Germany. There are many battles to be fought, and holding onto standards wherever we are helps the planet as a whole.
Hold strong, European!
Big Beautiful Boycott: https://bigbeautifulboycott.us/
I was surprised not to see Home Depot on that list... they've been mentioned in other places as being a company to avoid.
Home Depot is on my list. They allow ICE to congregate in their parking lots and they do not support gay rights.
It is on the list. https://weaintbuyingit.com/
Home Depot is on the boycott list for allowing ICE to lurk in their stores and parking lots looking for community members to kidnap.
Nancy, as a supplement, I would offer https://www.goodsuniteus.com. It's one thing to know which companies to avoid, but we also need to know which companies to patronize instead.
Excellent point, Dale.
Welcome to the triggered Jungle.
Heather proves what I have been saying for a year…and cements what surveys have indicated:
THST THERE IS SO MUCH IRRATIONAL HATE OF TRUMP THAT THIS HATE WOULD LITERALLY “TRUMP” REASON1!
Let’s not buy one of the best, most efficient, most reliable, most technically advanced automobiles in the world….due to irrational hate! CONFIRMED TDS…..WOW.
PERSONALLY, long before Elon was “famous” for his car, not yet “ famous “ for Space X,
Not yet involved with Trump, not yet involved with politics AT ALL, Elon was a HUUUUUGE
success behind the best selling new car in not only America, but in the free world!!
And most of his sales were to TODAY’S GREEN HYPOCRITES, THE LIBERAL HOARD IN CALIFORNIA!!
I bought my first Tesla in 2014 when there were only 225 Teslas purchased in the entire state of Nevada….but there were an ASTOUNDING, 22,000 (twenty-two thousand) Teslas sold in California by that time…AKA RATIONAL THOUGHT WAS STILL INTACT IN CALIFORNIA AT THST TIME!!!
And Tesla was on the March to become the fastest selling new car in the US.
I HAVE NOW UPGRADED MY CAR FOUR TIMES, HAVE PURCHASED 7 TESLAS SINCE THEN, INCLUDING FOUR MODEL S CLASS CARS OF DIFFERENT STYLES, from the basic model s back then, a two wheel drive version, to a four wheel drive, to the high performance P100D, to a long range model with an apx 400 mile range, while my wife is now driving her third model Y….And other than to rent a car during a trip away from home, HAVE NOT BEEN TO A GAS STATION IN ELEVEN YEARS!!
We charge at home 90% of the time at appx 18-20 dollars a month per car for electricity, while my current car gets FREE CHARGING anywhere in the more than 20,000 chargers in the continental United States at over 2000 locations.
Last year Tesla sold 1.7 million cars….from its 22500 or so sold in its first year!!
The most hysterical take-away is that the Trump/Musk hating liberals are spiting themselves out of SHEER HATE! As if their not buying a Tesla is impacting the now Richest man EVER in the world!
The psychiatric clinic who has diagnosed TDS recently, along with the psychoanalyst from Manhattan who claims that not only is it a true clinical disease affecting the brain, but that 75% of his patients have it, and that he can diagnose it in just a five minute or so interview/evaluation!! And THAT hate has caused him to now receive death threats, and insulting phone calls etc.
Enter the group we find here….perhaps from some of the haters amongst this thread ….off the deep end.
This is the way for us to exercise our power. Thanks for posting it.
Over and over! ✊
Thanks!
Always. Add support to those legislators who are now under threat from ffpotus for their gentle reminder that the UCMJ and an oath of office give the responsibility to not obey unlawful orders
Thank you Megan. Your work means so much to us.
I don’t think HCRs column actually named the stores to boycott from This evening through cyber Monday at least - Target, Home Depot, Amazon. In case you didn’t know. Ezra Levin of Indivisible has a good explanation of why just those companies, if you’re interested.
Also Spotify, who airs recruitment ads for ICE, and who’s CEO contributed millions to the administration’s inaugural events.
More companies to boycott: https://bigbeautifulboycott.us/company/
Thank you for the information... I did not know that Amazon bought Whole Foods! Knowledge is power..And as women, we need to exercise that power and show this misogynist regime our strength, our resilience, and our perseverance. Prof. Richardson shows us these qualities every day in this fight for our Democracy...
Whole Foods is a tough one for me. The workers I talk to in two separate stores (NY & HI) are happy in their jobs, some moved over from other supermarket chains. When I go to the deli, meat or fish counter, everything is wrapped in paper. All the take out containers & utensils are compostable. Yeah ... "One Ahh Sh_t wipes out a 100 ATTABOYs." Reducing Plastic in food prep, storage & packaging is important to me. Perhaps I should reduce my WF trips.
It’s temporary. Take one for team.
These are the well-known ones, along with Walmart. I try to keep up but so many are needed or unknown. ATT, and so many media outlets, are ubiquitous. More info is always welcome. Scream it from the rooftops…
Shop small!
THIS!! Shop local and shop small !!
My grandmother was one of them; a Smith College graduate in 1900.
My grandmother was too ... plus marched to get women the vote in the early 1900s. Got her Masters degree & went on to teach. She was a great example.
Wow!!!
Now would be a good time for Costco to expand what they sell, because I think a lot of people would like to do their holiday shopping there. It would be great if Costco stared mail order too. They could take down Amazon.
Democrats Abroad and Indivisible Abroad are both supporting these boycotts. I am also reading Andra Watkins who supports them as well.
I paid for Costco even though I can’t shop there much. I told a worker there that I just wanted to support them and he said “I hear that a lot.”
No Costcos in Germany, but I would support them coming here. I will let my political party know. Germany got rid of Walmart, and I think they could get rid of Starbucks too. We were having a discussion of picketing Starbucks since none of us goes there.
These entities are negatives in about every way. We don’t need them
I did the same even though I’m a household of one.
Me too, but I want to support sanity, not greedy bastards
Our closest Costco is twenty-five miles away - until next year, when one is to be built at the intersection of Rt 9 and I-495, if all goes well. That's only five miles. We are watching the progress through the town's approval process.
Our closest Costco, ha ha ha ha. Three hour drive, over Lost Trail Pass into Montana. Missoula, 6 hour round trip if roads are good. Medical is even more fun. Our bone guy was on vacation when I broke my leg. 3 weeks. I was able to get an appointment a week after the break, yup in Missoula. But hey, in Idaho we can keep our roadkill for meat.
Yep. And that's just the way of it.
Yup, and my great grandfather’s brother died of pneumonia before he could get that danged buckboard into Miles City that winter of 30 something.
I remember my Grandmother talking with her nieces and others, when we visited, about these things. she was born in 1890. It was a common and shared experience, unfortunately.
Wow, that is far. I guess you cannot support them. Suggest they do mail order. If enough people request that, they might.
They do have mail order. I use them all the time, especially when I’m in Florida and the closest is 3 hours away.
Gail, fantastic to know. I will let family and friends know too. It is not anywhere near our community. Most shop in local businesses anyway, but as the big box stores like Trader Joes and Whole Foods are in the community, that is a good alternative.
I'm a particular fan of their coffee! And sheets lol.
I get a catalog in snail mail
First I knew of Indivisible Abroad! Thank you!
I am glad to spread the word Virginia. I am having a quasi Indivisible Abroad group here in Bremen, Germany, which I want to have include Germans who support us. I am working right now on making it official, but deciding if it is set up to support what I want to do. Up until now, I have a group that is American-German connection in my city, meeting monthly for prodemocracy shared rally, where we share our thoughts, and any arts that support democracy. We will be meeting indoors at the main library in the winter months, then back outside once spring comes.
Linda, good luck with your group. Ukraine and US need all the help we can get. Virginia, in Chicago where ICE is already making sure Thanksgiving Day will be another mafia day.
Virginia, my husband arrived from Chicago yesterday. He is suffering from jet lag, and our daughter is coming by train from the city where she is in university on Friday to spend the weekend with us. We will have a nice meal together. We celebrate what we call "Gathering!"
Germany has started emulating the US by having a week they call, "Black Week" where everything is marked down. So, this is a week to shop. We have a very low key gift giving for the holidays, but will enjoy the Christmas markets, including drinking mulled wine, and eating potato Pancakes at the booths.
The main Christmas markets in my city here are already open. In fact there are heavy barriers all around access points so that no cars can drive in. My city has not had problems, and I hope it won't. I am not particularly worried. No one looks worried. They just look really cheerful.
Here in Merida, Mexico, I order from Costco, delivered by UberEats. Is Costco one of the good guys?
Women and the power of the purse. Thank you, Heather, for this history lesson that shows us how important women are to effectively shaping public opinion in the past setting a model for us to follow now.
We have influence and strength to organize and inspire. We have power that we must never ignore.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving 🦃
I hope everyone who follows Heather participates in the I Ain't Buying It boycott. It has gotten relatively little media coverage. A week ago I saw some social media discussion about it being a scam, undoubtedly meant to discourage participation. Hard to know how not using your credit card is a scam but, but trolls do not have to be logical.
Here's the link to the Indivisible page on the campaign.
https://indivisible.org/campaign/we-aint-buying-it
Happy Thanksgiving!
Target and HD have been on my "ain't buyin' it there" list for a long time.
Today's message is joyful and inspiring! We ain't buying it. I love it!
Musk and Trump are murderers, in deliberately and illegally destroying USAID and blocking aid. And more.
It continues.
Rubber stamping the crimes after the fact does not make the actions legal, ex post facto, in the USA, and it certainly doesn’t make them moral.
A few continue to call the traitors out, and call for justice, but it is exhausting when putative leaders say nothing, every day.
We have to stop this murder and destruction, and that would stop the rest.
best luck to US, somehow — b.rad
Murderers, desecrators, vandals. He's still going after the BBC (Farage, thanks for nothing!), but I notice the Guardian is now mocking him openly. . "Gobble-degook: Trump talks turkey and trashes another presidential tradition. The US president made jokes at the annual turkey pardoning ceremony. It went as well as you would expect." Followed by a detailed account of the occasion, the usual word salad, the insults to Biden, and the faint obligatory laughter by the few.
24-7 embarrassment
You forgot the fat-shaming of Governor Pritzker - the most distasteful part of that episode that I heard.
Shows how delusionary he is if he can fire these insults which apply even more to himself. For me, this cartoon (one of the first) is the best:
https://x.com/StefSimanowitz/status/808369674857709568
Oof. That's brutal.
Astonishingly prophetic.
A consumer boycott that catches on - one where the overwhelming majority of consumers agrees and joins - has unique power. A dissenter or two cannot spoil it. Silence in a room can be broken by any one person who wants to wreck it. The loudest in a crowd may be the one heard. But in a consumer boycott, the masses rule. If two people break lines and buy a Tesla, it won't help Musk. Gaining serious traction for an Amazon boycott would be tougher, but if it took hold, getting Bezos' numbers way down would royally annoy the man, might even shake him up, which would be the objective.
Amazon has become anathema to all of us. But their lock on us is like a straight jacket. Feels secure but is a prison of our own fashion.
Shop small! It isn't only a boycott — it is a change of life choices!
Shop small isn’t always an option for those in rural areas. I often weigh the cost of a 3 hour roundtrip to using Amazon, but I’m participating in We Don’t Buy It!
Yay! Good for you! See Anna M. Howard’s note below as well!
Desperately needed, shopaholics are sending the wrong message
My family stopped shopping at Amazon on January 20th. It was challenging at first but with a little research, we were able to find our "essentials" from other companies. Mostly what we found was by being thoughtful about what we bought, we spend WAY less money. This time last year, we carried credit card debt. This year our balance is zero! I had no idea how much I was buying thoughtlessly through convenience. I think people would be surprised to see how much better their life is without Amazon.
When I was a child my grandmother gave me books about Jane Addams. I never forgot her story, but I was unaware of the larger social context until now. Thank you, Heather!
A good few thoughts for a good night's sleep. Women are doing it and we better trust them.
Yes! I sent emails to every one of my relatives and friends, suggesting they might want to support We ain’t buying it! The readers of this Substack alone could easily make this go viral if we wanted to. Furthermore I sent letters to each of the 3 companies telling them why I was participating, and I included the addresses in the letter I sent to everyone for their convenience in doing the same.
I think its time women ran the show. Lets face it the men have had more than a fair go at it..
But every female is maligned and denigrated if they get any power. HRC and Kamala best recent examples. Is SAVE Act still lurking?
And they aren’t through yet, and so many women are complicit. They are the traitors
Another way to push back is through creative resistance that disrupts billionaire owned business like Home Depot.
ICE Out Of Home Depot protestors follow RULES FOR RADICALS by Saul Alinsky (+ Podcast)
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/11/25/ice-out-of-home-depot-protestors-follow-rules-for-radicals-by-saul-alinsky-podcast/
Home Depot made me regret every dime I ever spent there.
I hear they do a great line in gold spray-painted plastic moulds.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-oval-office-home-depot-gold-b2823190.html
The phrase "cheap, fake and f**king ugly" somehow will find a way to my protest sign...
Spray painting that rubric in gold against a dark background would be a nice touch.
They are complicit in harassment of immigrants, hate rules
That's likely to be ramped up now after the shooting of two National Guards in Washington DC, after Trump had declared the city "safe again".
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/nov/26/us-politics-latest-news-pete-hegseth-donald-trump-marjorie-taylor-greene-mark-kelly
Yep, the perp really helped the arse with his vendetta.
I doubt that was his intention.