Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told his colleagues that on Monday evening he plans to bring up the Freedom to Vote Act and to try to get it through the Senate.
Do not mistake cruelty and evil intent fora lack of thought, intelligence, or intention. Our real opponents are not stupid nor do they lack cleverness. They are shrewd and insidious. They are also winning many of the fights in which we are presently engaged for exactly those reasons and because they are fighting hard. So be not complacent or over confident. Be prepared for a long a difficult struggle against strong and determined opponents. If it were otherwise we would have already won.
Thank you Bruce, I will tell you that the far right largely funded by Right Wing Billionaires is going in for the final kill.
It may seem a sidetrack to mention this, but the real ultimate goal is to not take us back to 1921 (no Unions, Segregation, rampant capitalism, etc.) but to take us to a Neo Feudal World.
Personally, I hope for the best and am preparing for the worst
OL’ I covet your ability to say so much with so few words.
As one who has the same hardware you are displaying, with the addition of the V device, I sit up and pay special attention when I see one of your all too-seldom comments here.
Neo Feudalism already has a beach-head, and is coming on hard. At our age, there is no hoping, no preparation — just FIGHT.
Well brother, let’s just say regarding my Star that my CPT really, did not like me to well. I’m sure for yourself there were other incidents in your experience that would have qualified you for a second device or even higher… I use the medals as a means to show that not every veteran of Vietnam is a fascist militia member… Lest I forget Gus, “Welcome Home”
You are right, the ones that are the real danger to us, the business interests that control our political system as we see it are not dumb as is illustrated by where they have managed to get our political system to today as compared to where it was from FDR’s days. They’ve worked long and hard to get here and it’s starting to pay off, big time!!!
Plus we don’t have to just get Manchin and Sinema on board as there are other dems that would obstruct our legislation if push were to become shove. In other words Manchin and Sinema aren’t the only dems that are bought and paid for, it’s just that with Manchin and Sinema making all the noise with very little to risk because they are both from red states, the others don’t have to expose themselves. Which leads us to the very corrupt political system we’ve got in this country…….
So a vote on Monday will either force those other "Dems" to vote in favor or to expose themselves as complicit in voter suppression efforts around the country.
I’m relieved to read your comment. It feels like there has been a fear of calling out their cruel intentions over the decades and that has allowed all the propaganda footwork (including Citizens United) to infect minds. The fascist kleptocrats have put all their eggs in this basket and so it’s do or die for them at this point. That do or die “will” can be formidable and we need to know our laws and enforce them and seek justice with an equal do or die “will” . Also I was relieved to hear Hillary Clinton speak up and spell it out plainly. Wish more would do the same. Grateful for Heather, Tim Snyder, Ruth Ben-Ghiat and others for educating us and sure hope more of MSM catches on.
While I am in the Bernie camp and was never a huge Clinton supporter, her “deplorables” statement was no gaffe. It was an accurate assessment of the psyche of the far right.
Exactly. GOP has always had for decades their eye on the ultimate prize...power at all costs. Not to govern but to have power. What is the ultimate goal for Dems? I see them as always being reactionary to the GOP antics.
TC, That's exactly the way I was using that verb. Pres Biden is not simply reacting to what the GOP is doing. He has a grand vision for us, and if anyone can make it happen, it's him.
I do agree that he has plans, proactive plans, but Manchin and Sinema have shown they really will vote with the other party. So we really don’t have the majority we need for Biden’s plans to pass. I only hope Manchin will stay true to his word and vote to pass the Freedom to Vote Bill he helped craft.
Why not? The evil, greedy bturds have been there for decades!! WHY is there no expectation of this from the Dems? The must wake up & pull their heads out of ???? - BEFORE its too late. This waiting for the Rs to become bipartisan is reminiscent of waiting for TFG to "become presidential"!
I think they are actually waiting for Manchin and Sinema to become more liberal and vote with their party of record. We don’t have a true majority with them. So we are stuck.
The greedy bturds have been around for longer than decades but deviously have been focused on brainwashing masses of us thru multiple means over several decades to vote them into power. It’s us that votes them into power and we (all of us) need to be much better at cohesively outvoting the bturds. That begins with not getting sucked into the propaganda. The Dems can’t perform magic, they need a majority to get Dem stuff done. The GOP have one foot in the grave and have never cared about country, they will obstruct with everything they have. How many millions still did not vote in 2020? https://www.npr.org/2020/12/15/945031391/poll-despite-record-turnout-80-million-americans-didnt-vote-heres-why
It is vital that Democrats drive turnout in 2022. Manchin and Sinema are not Democrats if they are not willing to restore fairness to voting to counteract a clear Republican power grab. With only 48 real Democrats in the Senate, there is only one way forward: elect enough new Democrats that Manchin and Sinema become irrelevant. Manchin said it himself: if people want the country to move in a fairer direction, they need to elect more Democrats. Let's take his advice.
Thanks Christy - I meant the greedy bturds in Congress. I get that far too many people still arent voting - for whatever reason. And if that changes - it sure would make a difference. I just think too many of the Dems (in power) in Congress appear to be surprised whenever the Rs do what they do - over & over. And I'm not - as you said longer than decades - this is nothing new.
Christy, WOW! you are one of the few people that has read this utterly compelling book of the horror show Conner grew up in as well as the insights of the roots of Bircher/Facist thinking that is at the hear of today’s Republican Party
Seminal is the term I’d use. I’d rate her work as important as any that sheds light on the Fifth Column taking over this nation. Also McClean’s “Democracy in Chains”
Currently reading "Friendly Fascism" by Bertrum Gross. It's a 1985 copyright & cynical as all get out.....but.....damn if he doesn't have a point. Fascism has changed how it injects itself & this time its a business/politics merger with control by corporations. In his opinion, it's been global since the end of WWII.
I have this super tiny hope that Mitch McConnell is actually trying to force an end to the filibuster. That there is some good in him that knows his path has been evil and in-Democratic. Alas, he is no Professor Snape. Wish he were.
I agree with you. I think those with evil intent have used trump as a useful idiot to distract from the actions they take to undermine the country and enrich themselves. I think Rex Tillerson was on point in his comment about trump being an effing moron.
Yep! Trump is their useful idiot. They saw this moment as THE opportunity to use him. Perfect storm...increased anger with white males, unemployment, climate environmental damages; COVID; feeling threats from women, POC minorities that have had enough of the patriarchal BS; effective SM to spread vile and disinformation. The GOP see this is their moment to seize final power control for the next decades.
You are right. But I suspect they made a mistake hitching their wagon to Trump. They failed to recognize the danger that this person posed. )But that may be hopeful thinking on my part.) Or do they consider him the individual who can fulfill the Federalist dream of establishing the American monarchy?
“The Federalist Dream” Gee, is that really the driver behind naked Fascism that is today’s Republican Party. Without going into an entire essay I define Fascism as a set of beliefs that supports unfettered and unregulated Capitalism, immoral business practices, evangelistic/fundamentalist theology, racism, misogyny, and ill will to all those be they in the majority who do not subscribe. It subscribes to a narrative myth of a great loss created by (pick your favorite race or religion) that must be restored and it always aligns behind the strong authoritarian leader as the embodiment of those beliefs.
Because of its president, Brooke Rollins, who built the Texas Public Policy Foundation into a major think tank in Texas over a 15 year period. The former snatched her up in 2018 where she eventually became domestic policy advisor in 2020. And then after loss, started organizing how to get Trump back for second administration. Thus the Amer First Pol Institute. Totally dedicated to new election laws but states have taken care of that. She is very well known in Texas and somehow brings legitimacy and form to “Trump policy”. Although there is none.
Dear Jenn, please research and investigate “ Cambridge Analytica “. We are to believe it is defunct. But those players are still out there.They gave us TFG.
"If the Democrats do not succeed in passing a voting rights law, we can expect America to become a one-party state that, at best, will look much like the American South did between 1876 and 1964."
It is interesting to me that the party of Reagan, Bush I, "W" and Trump, which routinely attracts people who proclaim to be ethical and religious, will soon be in power due entirely to cheating while simultaneously claiming others are cheating. All of which is one more lie from Republicans.
Having lived to watch Reagan tell his lies about "cutting spending" and "welfare queens" and even buying into those lies in 1980, then literally watching the debt balloon completely out of control, relative to the pay down on the WW II debt that preceded Reagan and old man Bush, I cannot believe anyone with access to the internet still believes anything a Republican would say about anything at all.
The one takeaway I have learned about Republicans is that their main ethic and action is:
BEFORE TELLING THE TRUTH, GIVE LYING A CHANCE.
Unfortunately, in the human population, lying does seem to work quite well as a strategy. In fact, it seems that Christians, and people of high faith, already trained in believing that for which there is no evidence, are particularly susceptible to lies.
I would say all of this is fascinating. But, I find it all quite disappointing.
Today, it is really possible to sort out a lie from reality in a few minutes with access to google and by staying off Facebook. I simply cannot understand the attraction of lies.
The attraction is power, raw power. We have seem many so-called “sane” people succumb to it’s allure. We have two “Dems” now who have sold their souls. I watched Rove in Tx in 1994 lie W into the governors chair and later watched him, and Baker and Stone lie him into the presidency. Oops, I forgot Dickie. Then I watched republicans slander Kerry, and the Tea party slander Obama with that socialist crap, and the beat goes on. Play hardball Dems, or go home. It’s way past time.
Power and money, both backed by the base human behavior of greed. Greed to have for oneself and greed to control as much as possible - from resources to other people.
It takes character to keep greed at bay. Building and maintaining character takes at least self-awareness, humility, inner strength, a willingness to learn and a grasp that oneself is not the center of the universe.
You are correct Kathy. Fear does play into the mix.
I put fear under greed - as in “I fear them so they don’t get any of mine”. (Fear for whatever reason & mine as in whatever one thinks they are entitled to while others are not.)
I agree with you. My first grade teacher was a great example for me of what strength, grace & kindness looked like. I was raised in a white supremacist home & in a hate, fear & misogyny based religious cult so did not see any of that in either situation. Her example to me - and her kindness - were so instrumental in helping me see beyond the ugliness I was taught & subjected to that all these years later (30+) I still think of her when considering an action to take or when I’ve accomplished something. (There were other excellent teachers along the way - in school, college & the military.)
I worry too about how much technology in the form of all our gadgets is changing how our brains are wired & how they develop throughout life. Or not develop as it were. It is far too easy to live within a bubble centered on online ‘life’. Once again technology developed far faster than our ability to understand the ramifications and prepare for them.
It's very hard to instill empathy and build character in young people who rarely look up from their screens outside school. You must interact with real people and use these skills to improve them. They must interact with people to increase conversational skills, problem solving, and learn the basics of self-care. For a large part of these kids, it isn't happening.
Power and the paternal attitude that the landowners know what's best for their human chattel. Women recognize that attitude; it's recent history. It may be a surprise for white male Democrats, but it's no surprise for the ones who got (get) the benefits those landowners decide to grant us.
Manifest destiny is the excuse. Having white skin and a Y chromosome rather than merit is what qualifies one to lead. Father knows best is the attitude. It's not just recent history. It's current reality in Texas.
We, the People, need to start playing hard ball. A General Strike for the Freedom to Vote would show the power of the People. Start it at noon on Wednesday and it ends when President Biden the Freedom to Vote and the John Lewis Voting Rights Acts into law. We can't just say tut tut. Time for Action!
Doesn’t it feel like we are living in a JRR Tolkien kingdom? Trump had the ring, now Biden is getting close to the ring. Who has the damn ring? Some little Gollum in a cave?
A distant planet. A different time. One fate. Centuries ago, the Dark Crystal cracked and brought forth two races. One is the villainous lizard like birds called the Skeksis, who have taken control of everything. The other are a peaceful race of wizards called the Mystics. A young Gelfling named Jen is sent by his dying master to find a Crystal Shard, which is being held by the wise witch Augra. Now, Jen must journey far and wide to figuring out the purpose of the Shard and work quickly to saving his world from the Skeksis' wrath.
Oh, it is really good, Jeanne - one of my very favorite films - Jim Henson at his all-time best - and the theme is truly timely, relevant and profound ... also available as a book.
I grew up in rural East Texas on a farm. I was in the Baptist Church every Sunday morning listening to the white man at the front of the church tell me what God wanted and expected. At that time, I believed that white man. But, even as a 15 year old I wondered why God was silent for me but communicated with the preacher to tell him what he (God) wanted.
In 1980, I firmly believed what Ronald Reagan was saying about debt and responsibility and voted for him because: I was very used to believing the white man at the front of the church who told me what God wanted.
I found my way to an engineering degree at Texas A&M, then, because I was a good student and enjoyed learning, went on for Ph.D. in ChE. The process of becoming highly analytical brought on much change, but, the most profound was a shift in how I viewed God.
It was clear there was no clear evidence for the existence of God. I stopped trying to find any and just made the choice to "believe" or not (depending on the day). However, I came to understand that the Baptist Preacher had no more communication from "GOD" than I had, which was essentially zero.
This transition helps me understand how people who are trained to believe what the white man at the front of the church tells them ALSO transfer that skill on Trump, Reagan and Bush.
But, Republicans actually UNDERSTAND this phenomena and use it.
Hence, Republican's lie. Almost all the time. Sadly, they KNOW Christians, trained in believing the white man at the front of the church is telling them the truth, will ALSO believe them.
It makes sense that people trained to believe what the preacher, usually a man, at the front of the church tells them on Sunday morn, are susceptible to any man claiming anything at all.
To understand why Republican lies are believed, please consider the depth of government and elite lying i our liufetime in which Democrats (as a whole) were at least for a while fully complicit. Here are a few:
The Vietnam War,
Agent Orange and treatment of Vets,
Iran, the CIA Shah and the Ayatollahs,
The 2nd Iraq war and weapons of mass destruction,
The prolonged Afghan War,
Trade agreements (NAFTA, China) will lift everyone including blue collar workers,
The destructive effects of the fossil fuel industry ( as Gus Speth’s book title puts it “They Knew”) and
Deification of the Founding Fathers as great democratic symbols when they were also elitists and of the Constitution as a bulwark of liberty when half of it was about protecting elites including slave owners.
So, eventually in a phantasmic world, how does one tell one lie from another? And aren’t many people going to decide based on tribal loyalties, particularly when a tribe perceives (rightfully or wrongfully) that it is perceived with disdain by another? The problem isn’t just truth telling. It’s defining (or redefining )“tribes”. The Republicans are good at it; the Democrats not so good, partially because many don’t see the problem.
Speaking of tribes ... in this clip, we glimpse some of the people on the ground who constitute the iconic American tribe who need and deserve reliable leadership and governmental integrity ...:
fyi: John Adams was not an elite in the colonies growing up. He got into Harvard by the skin of his teeth and because his father was small town respected. John Adams was always highly ethical.
The fact that he did work in the employ of John Hancock and did try to rid the colonies of onerous British taxes was a moral quest. He felt that nobody should be taxed without representation.
John Adams never even thought about owning a slave and treated his own wife as his equal at a time when women would not allowed to talk when men were around.
Likewise, George Washington, growing up, could hardly be called an elite. He was a surveyor for many years out in the woods.
John Adams was an exception and a man to be admired. Washington in my view had extraordinary character traits but he came from a Virginia planter family. He was a younger child so wealth came after an older brother died and then more came through his marriage. At one point he was thought to be the richest man in America. On his death he did free over 100 enslaved persons that he owned outright (as many others worked for him under different arrangements). You might enjoy Jacob Needleman's "American Soul" which I think gives a fair and balanced picture of the American origins, of the strengths of the founders-- and of their weaknesses and the culture in which they operated.
Thank you Mike - well said! I think the attraction of lies might have roots in fear of the truth ... If we are here to learn and grow, I hope these scared folks find a way to look deeply into the mirror and see clearly what living a lie does to their souls ... I love oatmeal - just want my gut to be more that the puddle of mush it becomes when I succumb to the urge to live a lie ... no amount of cheating and manipulating will heal that wound ... only truth will set us free ....
For the Republicans who have become haters (of us) the only truth is the propaganda that demonizes us. It is an act of faith for the GOP to fabricate and promote lies about us. If a statement is anti us, then it must be true.
It is now a straight up matter of tribalism. We have to win to survive.
There is no reason to be polite when they are blatantly trying to disenfranchise a large portion of the electorate, who they have no hope of attracting to their side of the political conversation because no one is home. The repugnantins today offer nothing in terms of policy needed to address our current problems other than the word. No
So this Wednesday - watch for it! - we’ll finally see whether old Joe Manchin will vote for his own compromise voting rights bill in the Senate and whether ANY Republicans of the 10 he promised will also vote for it! And if the vote falls on the usual party lines - with 50 Democratic Senators + Kamal Harris voting for it but not a single Republican - will the Dems finally hang tough and vote to eliminate the filibuster, at least for this one critical vote? If not, their slim majority is useless and might just as well not exist, which it won’t once the midterm results are decided by whatever skewed rules the various Republican-controlled states are using these days.
Exactly. The principle of Principled Conservatism is Hard Ball - as demonstrated by McConnell and obstinate, monolithic party unity. Sometimes one has to stoop to the lower level, fight fire with fire. I pray that Schumer and the Dems put on the brass knuckles and persuade Manchin and Sinema and that if nothing gets done we all stand to lose in 2022 and 2024 and decades to come.
Make your political contributions -Dems are fundraising fiercely I’ve noticed - contingent on their getting this through Congressby whatever machinations are required.
I'm with you there. If 2022 is held under the currently developing rules, all our money will make no difference at all. We might as well hold on to it, since we'll need it after the Republican putsch is complete.
No voting rights bills, no money for futile elections. Maybe if enough of us say that and cut off the spigot, the Democrats running election strategy will notice.
And even if the legislation is signed into law using whatever means necessary, I suspect it will be challenged and tied up in the courts long enough for it to have no impact on next year’s midterms.
The Democrats are not being feckless. They're in the worst possible situation with regards to Sinema and Manchin:m - can't live with 'em,. can't kill 'em.
Hear you, Tc, but if Manchin doesn’t get Repubs to vote for his compromise voting rights bill, surely even he will either support the Dem compromise effort on voting or brand himself for what he really is.
Well Joanna , the obvious answer to your hopeful question I think is, no. Emphatically no! It surely seems to me that Manchin and Sinema, the two key players in this unfolding drama, are taking their cues directly from the GOP playbook, that is, find something substantial or trivial but at least anything to delaaay, forestaaall, or draaaaaaaaag out the process, usurping as much time as possible before the next round of federal elections, when it may be too late for the snail paced Dems.
And to Henry below, when Schumer et al put on their "knucks", they'd better really be of brass rather than the seaweed they've been using. Or perhaps they can outbid the repuglycans for the affections of the prodigal pair.
Gus, I found 2 posts where you were quite rudely challenging me for quoting another person's post: "Christians, and people of high faith, already trained in believing that for which there is no evidence, are particularly susceptible to lies."
Apparently, you deleted both by the time I found them, but I stand by what the other person and I posted. If you wish to debate it come at me.
That’s what the Founders always intended and even discussed the danger of requiring a supermajority to pass legislation. Read Jentleson’s book, “Kill Swith” which discusses sordid history of filibuster and what LBJ had to pull off to get Civil Rights Bill passes.
If Manchin doesn't come through with those ten Republicans, he may very well go down in history -- together with Sinema -- as the spoiler from hell for this administration. I can't even bear to think of the consequences of the Democrats' failure to pass the Freedom to Vote Act! Would 10 honorable Republicans please step up to the plate and do the decent thing FOR ONCE?!!!
When no Republicans support Manchin’s bill, he will be forced to admit that he is not a Democrat, and that all his bluster about seeking bipartisan actions is just fluff and puffery. The man of conviction will reveal himself as not having any
Manchin, from all accounts by those who know him, is not a terrible person (which is what makes the situation even more maddening). There's an outside chance - which I think Schumer is working on - that if it fails as it will, and Manchin is clearly confronted by the fact that the "good Republicans" are gone (if indeed they were ever there), that he will go with a "carve out" of constitutional issues from the filibuster.
Yes, it's a hope. But if hope's what you have, hang on to it.
Chamberlain was dragged by events, very reluctantly, to see Hitler for who he was after he up-ended the Munich Agreement in March 1939 and took over the rest of Czechoslovakia. In the aftermath of that, Chamberlain issued the British guarantee of Poland, which he knew meant war. It was almost too little, and almost too late, but there it was.
Thx for your perspective. Manchin’s balancing act of getting elected as a Democrat in his state is admirable, but his background suggests that when push comes to shove, his ability to drag his constituency kicking and screaming into voting for honor, ethics and democracy will fail him and he’ll revert to form
Its only my opinion, but I believe his motivation is more about power and standing than it is about Constitution and equality
Is there ANY chance that, minus 10 decent Republicans, Manchin and Sinema would finally be willing to kill the filibuster? Fingers crossed, but not holding my breath.
I don’t think so. Sinema has been bought and paid for by dark money. Fundraising in another country says everything you need to know right now. I honestly think Biden is giving her so much time to keep her from flipping to the Republican Party, he knows she’s not going to change her mind about the filibuster or anything else she’s a holdout on.
She won’t win re-election but we have years of her destruction left.
The one thing I haven’t looked into is what happens if she declares she’s a Republican? Does the entire senate flip right now? Will McConnell become the majority leader overnight? Are there rules for this?
Good question. Could change caucuses I guess. Would probably declare herself an independent. Least risky move in a formerly very red Arizona. A mavrick (in her own mind) once again.
That's easy: any ethically challenged politician who thinks they might lose if everyone votes. In short, Republicans.
The GOP leadership (we could use the term "brain trust", but I won't) understood many years ago that they could not depend on free and fair elections to keep them in power and enable them to realize their nefarious dreams of becoming an eternally privileged governing class. Their problem became urgent when a Democratic man of color with little experience in government was able to defeat two veteran politicians (first McCain, then Romney) in consecutive presidential elections by very respectable vote margins, leading to talk of an insurmountable demographic advantage for the Democrats going forward. So the GOP went all in and blocked Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the SCOTUS, rallied behind the most dreadful presidential candidacy in US history (having little choice if they wanted to keep the racists and religious fanatics safely in their camp) and barely defeated the first woman to run for the highest office, who, despite her obvious competence and because it seemed preposterous that Trump might win, ran a lousy campaign from which the Democratic party has never really recovered, so great was the shock and disappointment.
Now that Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Coney Barrett have completed the Court's already evident rightward swerve, it is almost a done deal, with much credit due to the master-politician Mitch McConnell who -- in earlier, perhaps happier times -- would be eying the guillotine and sweating bullets. Instead, he can calmly contemplate the enormity of his accomplishment while sliding into gilded and, I hope, very brief retirement.
Democrats, on the other hand, have surely learned the hard way how dangerous over-confidence can be.
Good points, David, except I disagree that Barack Obama had little experience in government. Obama was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1997 and was reelected twice until he was elected to the United States Senate in 2004. He served as US Senator until he was elected US President in 2008. Thus, he had a good decade's experience in government before becoming President.
Well, Stephen, he had had less experience than both of his opponents, but he was by far the best candidate both times. I sure as hell voted for him without too many misgivings. I was disappointed he couldn't get a more progressive program through Congress, but the objective of the GOP was to make him fail, and they spared no effort without even pretending they had any other objective. At least folks who were under the illusion that race was no longer a crucial factor in politics and in the lives of most Americans had the opportunity to think twice. Not sure they all did, however.
Short answer to your question, Marcy: A politician can be against voting rights because they are against democracy and for the plutocracy which is our country now. Remember that the Senate is a club of millionaires and multimillionaires.
I keep asking myself how did it come to this and I know that what’s now in plain sight was right there under the surface. It’s hard to accept that so many people don’t care about others.
There is not a single study by any credible organization anywhere in the U.S. that shows voter fraud to be a significant issue in the outcome of federal elections. Have their been isolated incidents of voter fraud impacting local elections? Yes, a very small number of them. However, existing U.S. election procedures are generally considered highly secure and fraud resistant by election experts.
A far greater problem in the U.S. is the failure to achieve a “one person, one vote” fair representation where each legal citizen has an equal voice in how our country is governed. This National failure to enfranchise all citizens equally is both a failure of our election system and design flaws in system of governance. However, both of these are serious flaws that are anti-democratic.
These flaws include the unequal representation of citizens in the U.S. Senate, the use of the electoral college in presidential elections rather than popular vote, use of partisan and racial gerrymandering in determining representation, lack of uniform National election procedures and eligibility criteria, and partisan administration of elections. All of these conspire to deprive us of a true Representative democracy and we should not continue to pretend otherwise.
The consequence of these flaws in our system of governance is a minority rule system giving more power to the ruling minority. Unsurprisingly this results in those with greater power, largely those with more financial clout, the ability to both attain and perpetuate power and control. Who are those in control? They are generally the white, industrial, monied oligarchs. Which party do they affiliate with? Whichever party they can most easily control. At present and for decades that has been the Republican Party. Their governing ideology and policy choices are limited to those conveying and perpetuating their power and control and nothing beyond that is of interest to them.
We can nibble around the margins of this situation but only a significant redesign correcting the underlying and fundamental flaws of its design will make change possible. Those corrections will not come easily as those with power and control will resist them. This is the battle in which we are currently engaged. The battle will be long and difficult and no single skirmish will provide the victory or solution we seek. However, we must fight each skirmish in this battle with persistence and force. Let us begin with attacking where we are able to reduce the unjust power and control of the minority. Abolish the filibuster. Does the filibuster protect the minority? Yes, absolutely, this is exactly why it should be abolished even at the risk of our being in that minority in the future. Then we must fight as best we can to attract enough support to achieve being the representative voice of the majority.
BruceC, Thank you for the clarity with which you outlined the fundamental anti-democratic factors in our election system. When reading the Letter today, I saw the battle for the control of the country by the Democratic and Republican Parties via elections as a game of ping-pong, volleyball, basketball - you name the game, with the ball being American citizens who are the ones being thrown around. The goal on each side of this power struggle is to make participation of a citizen either easier or much more difficult by suppressing the vote and subverting the elections. We have also seen how instrumental the courts can be, including the determination by the Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore. Clearly, the Supreme Court as it's currently constituted, has a serious impact on our elections.
Our way to fair and free elections - one person one vote - may as you believe is a piece by piece job, but can there be an alternative -- some way to institutionalize 'one person - one vote', which has remained a fiction? Doing that, too, would be piece by piece. I would also start with the filibuster and national voting bills. Our goal is the same BruceC, I have just wondered about about the steps beyond that.
My hypothetical and unlikely scenario is a search for the means to concretize one person - one vote. It raises several questions about possibilities. Were the Democrats to have outstandingly positive election results in 2024 - winding up with the presidency and majorities in House and Senate and having abolished the filibuster (very unlikely, already) are any or all of the following possible:
1. pass the original For The People Act - a realistic possibility under the hypothetical scenario
2. abolish the electoral college
3. set up an agency, through a cabinet department, such Department of Justice, or through
some other organ of national government to monitor and repair infractions and or
impingement on For The People Act
4. strengthen any of the Constitutional Amendments having to do with voting as way to
concretize one person - one vote .
Can we nationalize one-person vote as a bulwark to American Democracy? How do we accomplish it?
The path to instituting a one person, one vote system will ultimately require Constitutional amendment. There is no other way.
This means a long and focused struggle to gain control at the local and state levels. Democrats spend too much time, energy, and attention only at the national level without a similar intensity at the local and state level. We need to win the hearts and minds of voters everywhere.
This will require careful consideration of policy positions and messaging to accomplish this. At present my view is Democrats are not good at this at all. This is a long struggle in front of us and Democrats are only focused on the short term. I fear until they begin to think more strategically they will continue to be blocked by and lose to Republicans.
Thank you, Bruce. Your pointer is excellent. This subscriber will write to the DNC, state and local Party offices, Schumer, Pelosi and others to stress the need to gain control at local and state levels. Other subscribers may want to follow through as well. It would be great if one morning soon, you post a comment strictly about how we can lobby the Party, point by point, on this score. Salud!
Bruce, I don't know if you received my comment, which was posted to Ellie, about why a constitutional convention or a constitutional amendment through the congress as a way to eliminate the Electoral College would be impossible now. I also think it is not a likely option in the next few years, however much the Democratic party steps up its focus on local and state control. Examining this area provided me with a more realistic sense of how truly rigged the election process is. It must be as you wrote, one step at a time. Where did saying 'one person, one vote' come from -- another artifact from Mythology America?
According to the National Popular Vote project, that can be achieved without a constitutional amendment to eliminate the electoral college. https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/
The national popular vote compact does not eliminate the electoral college. Since each state determines the process for choosing its electors it provides a way for a majority of the electoral college votes from a sufficient number of states to agree to choose their electors in accordance with the national popular vote totals. However, that would allow those states to change or drop out of that compact at any time if state control changed. It is really not a very dependable approach to solving the problem.
I didn't say it would eliminate the electoral college but that, theoretically, it could provide a better means of ensuring that national voter totals would achieve popular vote results. However, your penultimate sentence describes a major weak point along with Fern's (I think) comment that obtaining the requisite 75 additional electoral votes before things collapse altogether. Nonetheless, there are people making an effort while, I hope, also spreading information about the inherent unfairness of the Constitutional electoral college system.
There is, in fact, an ongoing campaign to nationalize one-person/one-vote: https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/ "The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia (Explanation). It has been enacted into law by 15 states and DC with 195 electoral votes (Map of states). It needs an additional 75 electoral votes to go into effect."
Bruce, You read my comment. Thank you. Please share your thoughts about next steps to 'one person - one vote' in America. Of course, circumstances change, but what is your vision for steps beyond the filibuster in the future? I was very taken with an obituary of 'a star activist researcher' in the paper today. It inspired me to point this comment in your direction, while knowing how thin my knowledge is of the field. I have linked the obituary of Rush Kick below.
Thank you, Fern, for this link to a celebration of the life of Russ Kick. The world is a better place for his having been a part of it. His obituary reminds me of the value of this forum of HCR Substackers. The sea of information is too vast for any one person.
HCR starts us off with her nearly daily Letter which has curated current news critical for our political future. Commenters then add our own curated bits, along with tips for activism and reminders for self care. Our interconnected sum is greater than our whole, and we must keep interconnecting.
We help curate and share news from a vast sea that is too much for
Thank you, Ellie. I followed up on BruceC's understanding that the only way to institutionalize 'one person, one vote' would be through a constitutional amendment. Given our extreme polarization, the possibly of successfully getting a Constitutional amendment through in next number of years, five or six.., seems very dim, whether or not the Democratic Party is able to increase its level of state and local control.
'The Constitution provides that an amendment may be proposed either by the Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures. None of the 27 amendments to the Constitution have been proposed by constitutional convention. The Congress proposes an amendment in the form of a joint resolution. Since the President does not have a constitutional role in the amendment process, the joint resolution does not go to the White House for signature or approval.' (National Archives)
A constitutional convention seems out of the question in the foreseeable future. At this time, 30 state legislatures are controlled by the Republicans, 18 by the Democrats and 2 are split. I cannot imagine 2/3rds of the state legislatures approving such a measure -- in my lifetime?
All 27 amendments which have been approved in the country were proposed by Congress, not one by a constitutional convention. If proposed by Congress, it would require a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Democratic Party's margin in the House is now very small and razor thin in the Senate. The odds of the Republican Parties agreeing 'to one person, one vote' to any degree is beyond belief. Concretizing 'one person, one vote' in the USA, now appears to be a pipe dream for at least God knows when.
I took a brief tour through the constitutional amendment processes, learned some and returned with bad news. The road to concretizing 'one person, one vote' in the USA is beyond formidable. Bruce is on the right path, one step at a time and a much more in step Democratic Party.
Great dive into the history of how Constitutional amendments originated! I've seen warnings that a Constitutional Convention would open a can of toxic worms from the far right reactionaries.
Once again the school district where I work has the spotlight from NBC News. Southlake TX Carroll ISD. (independent school district). I’m getting all kinds of comments and shocked responses on social media for a comment that was taken out of context and intentionally given to the media. Not a problem solving tactic.
But it highlights for me the importance of local elections. A small group of conservative christians have an outside organization funding them to take over our schools. Forcing an archaic outlandish view on all schools in Texas. Putting a group called Patriot Academy front and center in educating children in a christian based doctrine of making our nation a theocracy. Their agenda is being pushed to make the Constitution a religious document and place all young adults in boot camps to ready them for battle against liberal ideals. This group has already been put in place by seven states. Uninformed residents voted for the hype and didn’t really know the issues. A survey found the small wealthy city to be liberal and no religious affiliation. I guess that made Southlake a target.
A teacher reprimanded for having a book against racism, a book that all teachers were given last year by the district. A potential book ban against classic books such as The Grapes of Wrath that don’t push the theocracy agenda. A lawyer that moved here recently from the DC area, is an originalist lawyer has taken a seat on the school board. It’s an alarming situation! Another school board member urging teachers in the district to be very afraid of the current climate.
Your local elections are VERY important! Be involved, know who is running, Vote! Even, or especially, if you don’t have a child in school.
I walked out my front door and watched "Lucy" launch from the Space Center. It is a 12 month mission to explore asteroids for whatever they can tell us about how our planet came to be. Lucy lit up the sky as it lifted into a southern trajectory. In 12 months we may know more about our planet's origin; in 12 months we will also know how HCR's early morning warning will shape our future.
Your comment reminded me of something similar. Evan Osnos, the author of “Wildland, The Making of America’s Fury” (a truly terrifying book…don’t read it before bedtime), went to live in China for his journalist job. The Chinese people told him about how bad the situation was getting in the US. When he returned 13 years later, he couldn’t believe it was the same country. Everything the Chinese told him was true and he could hardly believe it.
Heard Evan Osnos interviewed on The Axe Files. Read him at The New Yorker. Don’t fool myself anymore that I can read books, but your recommendation is powerful. Maybe this will be an exception. Osnos is a powerful observer and fluent in Mandarin. ❤️🤍💙
Thanks, Jeff. I can't hit the "like" button because I don't "like" this news. And it just makes me angrier that Manchin, Mr. Coal, will force President Biden to take out climate initiatives from his plan. Just despicable.
Carol, you've sent me on a trip down memory lane. I grew up in Maitland, on the outskirts of Orlando proper. Many times we saw rockets blaze across the sky, most memorably when we were fishing in the evening with my father on our lake. I hitchhiked with friends while in college to see in person one of the manned lunar missions blast off, and then took part in news coverage of NASA and the space program, both at Florida Today in Brevard County and at the Orlando Sentinel. Those were the days.
There is literally no scenario that I can see where any of the Voter Rights Acts will pass the Senate. Getting rid of the filibuster is our only chance for the survival of Democracy. I don't say that lightly.
How did we get to the point where Party over People became so ingrained in the mindset of this Country where nothing else matters to the GOP? They are perfectly willing to serve up human beings on a sacrificial platter to regain power. This next election is not just made up of bright-eyed thinkers that want to better this Nation. This is the shakedown of this Country right before our eyes by the most vile, manipulative thugs we have to offer.
I don't blame Schumer for wanting to push this through next week. Might as well get it over with. It's that bandaid that needs to be torn off to reveal what's truly underneath. Frankly, none of us wants to see the wound, but we might as well get it over with.
We needn't look ahead to 2024, our Democracy rests in the hands of the outcome of next week's votes.
Isn’t getting rid of the filibuster becoming the only solution? I understand that doing so could have serious repercussions, but if these voting laws fail to pass the. Senate, won’t the repercussions be fatal to our democracy?
Yes, it is. But with the makeup of the Senate, it won't happen. Unless I've missed signs of newfound courage and concern for the fate of democracy among those holdout faux Democrats. Why would they protect democracy when they're unwilling to save the planet from climate change and prevent the suffering and death of millions upon millions of people?
Citizens United decision the beginning of the end. It’ll be worse than just losing democracy as if that’s possible—just imagine Trump regaining the Presidency? With his band of subversionists? They’ll jail and kill people who don’t like them. We won’t be having/reading these letters and like Putin will stay in office as authoritarian terrorism with no real elections. All the court cases against Donald could take so long the guy might actually, inconceivably get in again thru cheating. While Dems try not to be too political and stick to getting whole wish list of progressive policy all at once. It’s a catastrophe. Fight fire with fire there is no high road left.
I wonder, if all the fanfare about trump running again, or regaining the White House is just smoke and mirrors. During his “presidency” every time he made a bit splash in the media, McConnell and his minions were underhandedly working behind-the-curtain deals on something to further their autocracy. What if this is all to divert our attention from someone even more lethal to our democracy taking the reigns? While I trump being re-elected would be disastrous for our nation, he is an idiot. It is all the slimy power-hungry autocrats that surround him that terrify me.
Yes, just look at Matt Gaetz as an example. He continues to serve on the Judiciary Committee that is investigating him for sex trafficking. There’s something seriously wrong when this can happen.
Let’s not forget that it was the 5-4 SCOTUS decision to halt the 2000 Florida recount, the unconscionable decision by what I call SCROTUS, with all five Republican-appointed justices voting the same way.
A post-election year-long analysis by concluded that a statewide uniform standard of a manual recount would have led to a Gore victory in Florida. This was after hundreds of thousands of FL voters were disenfranchised have the FL Secretary of State Katherine Harris, and after the Palm Beach County butterfly ballot misdirected thousands of votes from Gore to Pat Buchanan.
Bush did not win. He was installed in office by SCROTUS.
And let’s not forget the “Brooks Brothers Riot” that halted at least one recount. The Republican thugs involved included Roger Stone, former member of CREEP (Nixon’s reelection committee), and the most despised member of the Senate, Ted Cruz.
‘Several of the protestors were identified as Republican congressional staffers.A number of the demonstrators later took jobs in the incoming Bush administration.’
References:
[1] The Butterfly Did It: The Aberrant Vote for Buchanan in Palm Beach County, Florida
We show that the butterfly ballot used in Palm Beach County, Florida, in the 2000 presidential election caused more than 2,000 Democratic voters to vote by mistake for Reform candidate Pat Buchanan, a number larger than George W. Bush’s certified margin of victory in Florida. We use multiple methods and several kinds of data to rule out alternative explanations for the votes Buchanan received in Palm Beach County. Among 3,053 U.S. counties where Buchanan was on the ballot, Palm Beach County has the most anomalous excess of votes for him. In Palm Beach County, Buchanan’s proportion of the vote on election-day ballots is four times larger than his proportion on absentee (nonbutterfly) ballots, but Buchanan’s proportion does not differ significantly between election-day and absentee ballots in any other Florida county. Unlike other Reform candidates in Palm Beach County, Buchanan tended to receive election-day votes in Democratic precincts and from individuals who voted for the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate. Robust estimation of overdispersed binomial regression models underpins much of the analysis.
[2] 2000 United States presidential election recount in Florida
The National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, sponsored by a consortium of major United States news organizations, conducted the Florida Ballot Project, a comprehensive review of 175,010 ballots that were collected from the entire state, not just the disputed counties that were recounted…An analysis of the NORC data by University of Pennsylvania researcher Steven F. Freeman and journalist Joel Bleifuss concluded that, no matter what standard is used, after a recount of all uncounted votes, Gore would have been the victor.”
‘Several of the protestors were identified as Republican congressional staffers.A number of the demonstrators later took jobs in the incoming Bush administration.’
Thank you for all of this. I remember this final tally in favor of Gore. I also remember that no one seemed to care or wanted to rectify the election, thanks to the SCOTUS' rush to crown the king. In my mind, it was the bald-faced beginning of Republicans' absurd jiggering of elections. Perhaps what is worse is the stymying of a Democratic president once elected. Almost to the point of bullying, they are made to be ineffective at best, made laughing stock at worst. So many essential bills are about to be passed and their chances of passing are the proverbial snowball in hell.
I appreciate being reminded of all of this. The youngest voters don’t remember it, but they should know about it. After the election I heard Republicans saying if people couldn’t figure out the butterfly ballot, they didn’t deserve to vote. A bit like the eligibility standards under Jim Crow. At that point I realized Republicans didn’t fundamentally believe in “one person, one vote.” After the analysis came out, it was “Nothing can be done about it now, SCOTUS has spoken and Al Gore conceded, didn’t he? Sore losers. Just shut up about it.”
Senator Manchin, when rejecting a stronger voting bill, expressed strong support for the John Lewis voting bill. I consider this bill imperative to protect the voting rights of those the Republicans seek to disenfranchise. If Manchin agrees, then this would be the time to lift the filibuster on vote-protection bills. Of course there is also the senator from Arizona, who can’t be reached because she is junketing in Paris.
Wouldn’t that be a marvelous present for Turkey-Chin McConnell? Do you think that President Biden would deliberately shoot himself in the foot? What do you think is the least worst alternative?
I am thinking right now about the fact that the UK is super lucky to have such strict control of guns. And what the fallout will be in terms of MP and constituent access now that a third attack--and the second fatal attack--on an MP at what they call a "surgery" (we in the USA would call it a Town Hall meeting) of constituents has occurred in the last 10 years. I disagreed with Sir David Amess's stances on most everything except fox hunting (he was against it) and animal welfare (he was for it) but he was a legit representative of his community and a good person who did his job with integrity and heart. Think about what might happen here in the US if our congresspeople were required to have quarterly "surgeries" face to face with their constituents, as UK MPs do. I fear that the growing extremism on all sides, but mostly on the Right of all kinds (Islamist extremism is just another form of right-wing totalitarianism), especially when "religion" is involved, is winning. And that really does mean the Death of Democracy, because extremism of any stripe does not invite compromise, conversation, and discourse. I am heartsick right now.
Linda, Thank you for commenting on the killing of MP, Sir David Amess. I noted it with alarm and sadness. Reading about the murder also released waves of pics, stories from friends and written material about the social disorder and increased violence in our country. You referred to the Death of Democracy, I also see the Death of civil society. The Rage in the faces and actions of many, along with the concretization of Lies by the former president and the Republican Party are now part of our daily lives. The struggle to maintain balance through the turmoil is part of our work every day. Ellie wrote of the importance of self-care in a comment today -- its an important channel on the Forum -- looking out for one another as we share curiosity, knowledge and our feelings.
“ If the Democrats do not succeed in passing a voting rights law, we can expect America to become a one-party state that, at best, will look much like the American South did between 1876 and 1964.
Ahhhh Joe Manchin. He seems willing to trash the planet (at least for this year's reconciliation) in the hope that natural gas can masquerade as positive for the climate. If he were to do that in exchange for passing his Freedom to Vote Act AND giving it an exemption from the filibuster, I guess I would take the deal. But that filibuster exemption is not coming, is it.
Could someone please tell me how any organization populated by former trump officials be considered a think tank?
Do not mistake cruelty and evil intent fora lack of thought, intelligence, or intention. Our real opponents are not stupid nor do they lack cleverness. They are shrewd and insidious. They are also winning many of the fights in which we are presently engaged for exactly those reasons and because they are fighting hard. So be not complacent or over confident. Be prepared for a long a difficult struggle against strong and determined opponents. If it were otherwise we would have already won.
Thank you Bruce, I will tell you that the far right largely funded by Right Wing Billionaires is going in for the final kill.
It may seem a sidetrack to mention this, but the real ultimate goal is to not take us back to 1921 (no Unions, Segregation, rampant capitalism, etc.) but to take us to a Neo Feudal World.
Personally, I hope for the best and am preparing for the worst
OL’ I covet your ability to say so much with so few words.
As one who has the same hardware you are displaying, with the addition of the V device, I sit up and pay special attention when I see one of your all too-seldom comments here.
Neo Feudalism already has a beach-head, and is coming on hard. At our age, there is no hoping, no preparation — just FIGHT.
Please say more!
Well brother, let’s just say regarding my Star that my CPT really, did not like me to well. I’m sure for yourself there were other incidents in your experience that would have qualified you for a second device or even higher… I use the medals as a means to show that not every veteran of Vietnam is a fascist militia member… Lest I forget Gus, “Welcome Home”
Ahh, yes, the Gilded Age and the Robber Barons.
They want a return to the Dark Ages, with weapons of mass destruction.
Nobody is allowed to be critical of the government or the church.
You are right, the ones that are the real danger to us, the business interests that control our political system as we see it are not dumb as is illustrated by where they have managed to get our political system to today as compared to where it was from FDR’s days. They’ve worked long and hard to get here and it’s starting to pay off, big time!!!
Plus we don’t have to just get Manchin and Sinema on board as there are other dems that would obstruct our legislation if push were to become shove. In other words Manchin and Sinema aren’t the only dems that are bought and paid for, it’s just that with Manchin and Sinema making all the noise with very little to risk because they are both from red states, the others don’t have to expose themselves. Which leads us to the very corrupt political system we’ve got in this country…….
So a vote on Monday will either force those other "Dems" to vote in favor or to expose themselves as complicit in voter suppression efforts around the country.
I’m relieved to read your comment. It feels like there has been a fear of calling out their cruel intentions over the decades and that has allowed all the propaganda footwork (including Citizens United) to infect minds. The fascist kleptocrats have put all their eggs in this basket and so it’s do or die for them at this point. That do or die “will” can be formidable and we need to know our laws and enforce them and seek justice with an equal do or die “will” . Also I was relieved to hear Hillary Clinton speak up and spell it out plainly. Wish more would do the same. Grateful for Heather, Tim Snyder, Ruth Ben-Ghiat and others for educating us and sure hope more of MSM catches on.
While I am in the Bernie camp and was never a huge Clinton supporter, her “deplorables” statement was no gaffe. It was an accurate assessment of the psyche of the far right.
Exactly. GOP has always had for decades their eye on the ultimate prize...power at all costs. Not to govern but to have power. What is the ultimate goal for Dems? I see them as always being reactionary to the GOP antics.
President Biden is not being reactionary. He's trying to remake our country to be a more egalitarian society with a much improved social safety net.
She's using the word as "reacting to" (she's better at grammar than you and I David, face it) :-)
TC, yes, as opposed to proactive.
HCR, Stacy Abrams, Adam Schiff, Steve Schmidt, Nancy Pelosi, and Mark Elias among so many valiant others are trying to get us there.
One Senator can completely stop all proactive legislation, and force reactivity under current rules of legislation.
KILL THE FILIBUSTER FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.
The filibuster absolutely needs to die.
TC, That's exactly the way I was using that verb. Pres Biden is not simply reacting to what the GOP is doing. He has a grand vision for us, and if anyone can make it happen, it's him.
I do agree that he has plans, proactive plans, but Manchin and Sinema have shown they really will vote with the other party. So we really don’t have the majority we need for Biden’s plans to pass. I only hope Manchin will stay true to his word and vote to pass the Freedom to Vote Bill he helped craft.
Dems don’t expect to have to constantly battle evil, greedy bturds
Why not? The evil, greedy bturds have been there for decades!! WHY is there no expectation of this from the Dems? The must wake up & pull their heads out of ???? - BEFORE its too late. This waiting for the Rs to become bipartisan is reminiscent of waiting for TFG to "become presidential"!
I think they are actually waiting for Manchin and Sinema to become more liberal and vote with their party of record. We don’t have a true majority with them. So we are stuck.
If they truly are waiting for the 2 of them? I think they better find a way around them - somehow.
The greedy bturds have been around for longer than decades but deviously have been focused on brainwashing masses of us thru multiple means over several decades to vote them into power. It’s us that votes them into power and we (all of us) need to be much better at cohesively outvoting the bturds. That begins with not getting sucked into the propaganda. The Dems can’t perform magic, they need a majority to get Dem stuff done. The GOP have one foot in the grave and have never cared about country, they will obstruct with everything they have. How many millions still did not vote in 2020? https://www.npr.org/2020/12/15/945031391/poll-despite-record-turnout-80-million-americans-didnt-vote-heres-why
It is vital that Democrats drive turnout in 2022. Manchin and Sinema are not Democrats if they are not willing to restore fairness to voting to counteract a clear Republican power grab. With only 48 real Democrats in the Senate, there is only one way forward: elect enough new Democrats that Manchin and Sinema become irrelevant. Manchin said it himself: if people want the country to move in a fairer direction, they need to elect more Democrats. Let's take his advice.
Oh, and we need to hold the House as well.
Thanks Christy - I meant the greedy bturds in Congress. I get that far too many people still arent voting - for whatever reason. And if that changes - it sure would make a difference. I just think too many of the Dems (in power) in Congress appear to be surprised whenever the Rs do what they do - over & over. And I'm not - as you said longer than decades - this is nothing new.
I recommend that everyone read “Kochland” to get a real look at those business interests that are controlling the gop.
Wrapped in the Flag by Clair Conner was eye opening back in 2013. Nothing is as good as a person’s lived experience shared IMHO.
Christy, WOW! you are one of the few people that has read this utterly compelling book of the horror show Conner grew up in as well as the insights of the roots of Bircher/Facist thinking that is at the hear of today’s Republican Party
More than read it, I’ve given away multiple copies over the years! Happy to be in solidarity with Ol’ Flawriduh Crackers 💕
Ty. Another good but disturbing read is Dark Money by Jane Mayer
Seminal is the term I’d use. I’d rate her work as important as any that sheds light on the Fifth Column taking over this nation. Also McClean’s “Democracy in Chains”
Didn’t see you had already mentioned this book Doreen. Great minds think alike apparently. 😁
“Dark Money” by Jane Mayer is also good.
Currently reading "Friendly Fascism" by Bertrum Gross. It's a 1985 copyright & cynical as all get out.....but.....damn if he doesn't have a point. Fascism has changed how it injects itself & this time its a business/politics merger with control by corporations. In his opinion, it's been global since the end of WWII.
Where are the Greek Gods with lightning bolts when we need them?
That is why they are Greek gods. We will have to produce our own lightning bolts.
Ok, just a little dark humor. I will call.
I have this super tiny hope that Mitch McConnell is actually trying to force an end to the filibuster. That there is some good in him that knows his path has been evil and in-Democratic. Alas, he is no Professor Snape. Wish he were.
That should read “un-democratic.”
I agree with you. I think those with evil intent have used trump as a useful idiot to distract from the actions they take to undermine the country and enrich themselves. I think Rex Tillerson was on point in his comment about trump being an effing moron.
Yep! Trump is their useful idiot. They saw this moment as THE opportunity to use him. Perfect storm...increased anger with white males, unemployment, climate environmental damages; COVID; feeling threats from women, POC minorities that have had enough of the patriarchal BS; effective SM to spread vile and disinformation. The GOP see this is their moment to seize final power control for the next decades.
Agree, Trump is not smart enough to think this stuff up himself!!!
You’re right.
McConnell has made it perfectly clear that if he becomes Majority Leader after midterms, Biden will not get a Supreme Court appointment.
You are right. But I suspect they made a mistake hitching their wagon to Trump. They failed to recognize the danger that this person posed. )But that may be hopeful thinking on my part.) Or do they consider him the individual who can fulfill the Federalist dream of establishing the American monarchy?
“The Federalist Dream” Gee, is that really the driver behind naked Fascism that is today’s Republican Party. Without going into an entire essay I define Fascism as a set of beliefs that supports unfettered and unregulated Capitalism, immoral business practices, evangelistic/fundamentalist theology, racism, misogyny, and ill will to all those be they in the majority who do not subscribe. It subscribes to a narrative myth of a great loss created by (pick your favorite race or religion) that must be restored and it always aligns behind the strong authoritarian leader as the embodiment of those beliefs.
I suspect Donald wants all of that, and the crown, the jewels, and the power for his progeny as well. The golden throne...
More like a Stink Tank because all they churn out is shit.
Good one!
Because of its president, Brooke Rollins, who built the Texas Public Policy Foundation into a major think tank in Texas over a 15 year period. The former snatched her up in 2018 where she eventually became domestic policy advisor in 2020. And then after loss, started organizing how to get Trump back for second administration. Thus the Amer First Pol Institute. Totally dedicated to new election laws but states have taken care of that. She is very well known in Texas and somehow brings legitimacy and form to “Trump policy”. Although there is none.
Christine, absolutely yes. What we need is a ‘disinHeritage’ Foundation.
Hmmm.....more like a shark tank.
More like a dunk tank
I vote for septic tank. But a septic dunk tank sounds even better! 😂🤣
I vote for septic tank!😆
Hey, wait. We just had our septic cleaned last month. Man said it was the cleanest sh*t he'd ever seen!
As, Lynell, you’re just bragging now.
Teehee...couldn't help it!
Happy Saturday, Lynell! To borrow a phrase: Your sh*t don't stink!
And Happy Sunday to you, Daria!
Okay folks, we have a Winner!
😂
Absolutely, septic tank!🤣
😂
Did you mean a drunk tank? :-)
You made me laugh out loud, JennSH! Thank you for the delight.
Sure, JennSH, those organizations are trying to be fiction writers. Although, I question their ability to write.
Hahaha!
Guess that truly is called an oxymoron???
That is such a beautiful and perfect question - i snorted my coffee . . . Thank you for the chuckle.
They're as dense as a tank?
JennSH, that is hilarious! It is not wrong to find some humor in this.
😂🤣😂
😄😅🤣😂🥲
Dear Jenn, please research and investigate “ Cambridge Analytica “. We are to believe it is defunct. But those players are still out there.They gave us TFG.
"If the Democrats do not succeed in passing a voting rights law, we can expect America to become a one-party state that, at best, will look much like the American South did between 1876 and 1964."
It is interesting to me that the party of Reagan, Bush I, "W" and Trump, which routinely attracts people who proclaim to be ethical and religious, will soon be in power due entirely to cheating while simultaneously claiming others are cheating. All of which is one more lie from Republicans.
Having lived to watch Reagan tell his lies about "cutting spending" and "welfare queens" and even buying into those lies in 1980, then literally watching the debt balloon completely out of control, relative to the pay down on the WW II debt that preceded Reagan and old man Bush, I cannot believe anyone with access to the internet still believes anything a Republican would say about anything at all.
The one takeaway I have learned about Republicans is that their main ethic and action is:
BEFORE TELLING THE TRUTH, GIVE LYING A CHANCE.
Unfortunately, in the human population, lying does seem to work quite well as a strategy. In fact, it seems that Christians, and people of high faith, already trained in believing that for which there is no evidence, are particularly susceptible to lies.
I would say all of this is fascinating. But, I find it all quite disappointing.
Today, it is really possible to sort out a lie from reality in a few minutes with access to google and by staying off Facebook. I simply cannot understand the attraction of lies.
https://zfacts.com/national-debt/
The attraction is power, raw power. We have seem many so-called “sane” people succumb to it’s allure. We have two “Dems” now who have sold their souls. I watched Rove in Tx in 1994 lie W into the governors chair and later watched him, and Baker and Stone lie him into the presidency. Oops, I forgot Dickie. Then I watched republicans slander Kerry, and the Tea party slander Obama with that socialist crap, and the beat goes on. Play hardball Dems, or go home. It’s way past time.
Power and money, both backed by the base human behavior of greed. Greed to have for oneself and greed to control as much as possible - from resources to other people.
It takes character to keep greed at bay. Building and maintaining character takes at least self-awareness, humility, inner strength, a willingness to learn and a grasp that oneself is not the center of the universe.
I think it is more than that;I think it is fear if the "other".
You are correct Kathy. Fear does play into the mix.
I put fear under greed - as in “I fear them so they don’t get any of mine”. (Fear for whatever reason & mine as in whatever one thinks they are entitled to while others are not.)
Thank you for the work you do Maggie.
I agree with you. My first grade teacher was a great example for me of what strength, grace & kindness looked like. I was raised in a white supremacist home & in a hate, fear & misogyny based religious cult so did not see any of that in either situation. Her example to me - and her kindness - were so instrumental in helping me see beyond the ugliness I was taught & subjected to that all these years later (30+) I still think of her when considering an action to take or when I’ve accomplished something. (There were other excellent teachers along the way - in school, college & the military.)
I worry too about how much technology in the form of all our gadgets is changing how our brains are wired & how they develop throughout life. Or not develop as it were. It is far too easy to live within a bubble centered on online ‘life’. Once again technology developed far faster than our ability to understand the ramifications and prepare for them.
Please, keep striving Maggie! And all of you Teachers and Professors! Humanity is LOST without you.
It's very hard to instill empathy and build character in young people who rarely look up from their screens outside school. You must interact with real people and use these skills to improve them. They must interact with people to increase conversational skills, problem solving, and learn the basics of self-care. For a large part of these kids, it isn't happening.
Well, then, character building will be on the elimination agenda for curriculum in Texas....
So we'll said!
Thank you Doreen.
Well said Kasumii!
Thank you Sharon.
Power and the paternal attitude that the landowners know what's best for their human chattel. Women recognize that attitude; it's recent history. It may be a surprise for white male Democrats, but it's no surprise for the ones who got (get) the benefits those landowners decide to grant us.
Manifest destiny is the excuse. Having white skin and a Y chromosome rather than merit is what qualifies one to lead. Father knows best is the attitude. It's not just recent history. It's current reality in Texas.
Hum. Farmers are landowners. By extension is this the reason for their political fealty toward Trump?
Hmm.
They better START playing hardball, or just lay down the red carpet Now for the republicans!!!! What a Shame!!!😡😡😡
We, the People, need to start playing hard ball. A General Strike for the Freedom to Vote would show the power of the People. Start it at noon on Wednesday and it ends when President Biden the Freedom to Vote and the John Lewis Voting Rights Acts into law. We can't just say tut tut. Time for Action!
Doesn’t it feel like we are living in a JRR Tolkien kingdom? Trump had the ring, now Biden is getting close to the ring. Who has the damn ring? Some little Gollum in a cave?
... this too ...:
THE DARK CRYSTAL
(Jim Henson)
A distant planet. A different time. One fate. Centuries ago, the Dark Crystal cracked and brought forth two races. One is the villainous lizard like birds called the Skeksis, who have taken control of everything. The other are a peaceful race of wizards called the Mystics. A young Gelfling named Jen is sent by his dying master to find a Crystal Shard, which is being held by the wise witch Augra. Now, Jen must journey far and wide to figuring out the purpose of the Shard and work quickly to saving his world from the Skeksis' wrath.
IMDb
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083791/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
This looks really good! I’m so sorry we lost Jim Henson. I am now the age he was when he died. Thanks for this link!
Oh, it is really good, Jeanne - one of my very favorite films - Jim Henson at his all-time best - and the theme is truly timely, relevant and profound ... also available as a book.
"Christians, and people of high faith, already trained in believing that for which there is no evidence, are particularly susceptible to lies."
This is the first time I've seen someone else actually say this. I am not alone.
You're definitely not alone.
Rob,
I grew up in rural East Texas on a farm. I was in the Baptist Church every Sunday morning listening to the white man at the front of the church tell me what God wanted and expected. At that time, I believed that white man. But, even as a 15 year old I wondered why God was silent for me but communicated with the preacher to tell him what he (God) wanted.
In 1980, I firmly believed what Ronald Reagan was saying about debt and responsibility and voted for him because: I was very used to believing the white man at the front of the church who told me what God wanted.
I found my way to an engineering degree at Texas A&M, then, because I was a good student and enjoyed learning, went on for Ph.D. in ChE. The process of becoming highly analytical brought on much change, but, the most profound was a shift in how I viewed God.
It was clear there was no clear evidence for the existence of God. I stopped trying to find any and just made the choice to "believe" or not (depending on the day). However, I came to understand that the Baptist Preacher had no more communication from "GOD" than I had, which was essentially zero.
This transition helps me understand how people who are trained to believe what the white man at the front of the church tells them ALSO transfer that skill on Trump, Reagan and Bush.
But, Republicans actually UNDERSTAND this phenomena and use it.
Hence, Republican's lie. Almost all the time. Sadly, they KNOW Christians, trained in believing the white man at the front of the church is telling them the truth, will ALSO believe them.
It makes sense that people trained to believe what the preacher, usually a man, at the front of the church tells them on Sunday morn, are susceptible to any man claiming anything at all.
To understand why Republican lies are believed, please consider the depth of government and elite lying i our liufetime in which Democrats (as a whole) were at least for a while fully complicit. Here are a few:
The Vietnam War,
Agent Orange and treatment of Vets,
Iran, the CIA Shah and the Ayatollahs,
The 2nd Iraq war and weapons of mass destruction,
The prolonged Afghan War,
Trade agreements (NAFTA, China) will lift everyone including blue collar workers,
The destructive effects of the fossil fuel industry ( as Gus Speth’s book title puts it “They Knew”) and
Deification of the Founding Fathers as great democratic symbols when they were also elitists and of the Constitution as a bulwark of liberty when half of it was about protecting elites including slave owners.
So, eventually in a phantasmic world, how does one tell one lie from another? And aren’t many people going to decide based on tribal loyalties, particularly when a tribe perceives (rightfully or wrongfully) that it is perceived with disdain by another? The problem isn’t just truth telling. It’s defining (or redefining )“tribes”. The Republicans are good at it; the Democrats not so good, partially because many don’t see the problem.
Speaking of tribes ... in this clip, we glimpse some of the people on the ground who constitute the iconic American tribe who need and deserve reliable leadership and governmental integrity ...:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd8brdD2fxo&feature=emb_imp_woyt
agreed and he sang to a demographic the Dems have largely lost
fyi: John Adams was not an elite in the colonies growing up. He got into Harvard by the skin of his teeth and because his father was small town respected. John Adams was always highly ethical.
The fact that he did work in the employ of John Hancock and did try to rid the colonies of onerous British taxes was a moral quest. He felt that nobody should be taxed without representation.
John Adams never even thought about owning a slave and treated his own wife as his equal at a time when women would not allowed to talk when men were around.
Likewise, George Washington, growing up, could hardly be called an elite. He was a surveyor for many years out in the woods.
John Adams was an exception and a man to be admired. Washington in my view had extraordinary character traits but he came from a Virginia planter family. He was a younger child so wealth came after an older brother died and then more came through his marriage. At one point he was thought to be the richest man in America. On his death he did free over 100 enslaved persons that he owned outright (as many others worked for him under different arrangements). You might enjoy Jacob Needleman's "American Soul" which I think gives a fair and balanced picture of the American origins, of the strengths of the founders-- and of their weaknesses and the culture in which they operated.
These were all damnable lies, and in every case, it is the white working class bought into the lies with their votes.
Thank you Mike - well said! I think the attraction of lies might have roots in fear of the truth ... If we are here to learn and grow, I hope these scared folks find a way to look deeply into the mirror and see clearly what living a lie does to their souls ... I love oatmeal - just want my gut to be more that the puddle of mush it becomes when I succumb to the urge to live a lie ... no amount of cheating and manipulating will heal that wound ... only truth will set us free ....
For the Republicans who have become haters (of us) the only truth is the propaganda that demonizes us. It is an act of faith for the GOP to fabricate and promote lies about us. If a statement is anti us, then it must be true.
It is now a straight up matter of tribalism. We have to win to survive.
cult, not tribalism. Big diff
Yes. I was being too polite.
There is no reason to be polite when they are blatantly trying to disenfranchise a large portion of the electorate, who they have no hope of attracting to their side of the political conversation because no one is home. The repugnantins today offer nothing in terms of policy needed to address our current problems other than the word. No
Being polite is one of the major reasons the Democrats face defeat.
... or buy, buy, buy ... no tolerance for 'freebies'!!
There's a reason why Truman said the only "good Republicans" were "pushing up daisies" 73 years ago. Lincoln, T. Roosevelt and Eisenhower were flukes.
So this Wednesday - watch for it! - we’ll finally see whether old Joe Manchin will vote for his own compromise voting rights bill in the Senate and whether ANY Republicans of the 10 he promised will also vote for it! And if the vote falls on the usual party lines - with 50 Democratic Senators + Kamal Harris voting for it but not a single Republican - will the Dems finally hang tough and vote to eliminate the filibuster, at least for this one critical vote? If not, their slim majority is useless and might just as well not exist, which it won’t once the midterm results are decided by whatever skewed rules the various Republican-controlled states are using these days.
Exactly. The principle of Principled Conservatism is Hard Ball - as demonstrated by McConnell and obstinate, monolithic party unity. Sometimes one has to stoop to the lower level, fight fire with fire. I pray that Schumer and the Dems put on the brass knuckles and persuade Manchin and Sinema and that if nothing gets done we all stand to lose in 2022 and 2024 and decades to come.
Make your political contributions -Dems are fundraising fiercely I’ve noticed - contingent on their getting this through Congressby whatever machinations are required.
Yes. I am making clear that no voting rights bills, no banning of the filibuster, no money from me.
I'm with you there. If 2022 is held under the currently developing rules, all our money will make no difference at all. We might as well hold on to it, since we'll need it after the Republican putsch is complete.
No voting rights bills, no money for futile elections. Maybe if enough of us say that and cut off the spigot, the Democrats running election strategy will notice.
And even if the legislation is signed into law using whatever means necessary, I suspect it will be challenged and tied up in the courts long enough for it to have no impact on next year’s midterms.
Better to fight in the courts than be as feckless as the Dems are currently proving themselves to be.
The Democrats are not being feckless. They're in the worst possible situation with regards to Sinema and Manchin:m - can't live with 'em,. can't kill 'em.
Hear you, Tc, but if Manchin doesn’t get Repubs to vote for his compromise voting rights bill, surely even he will either support the Dem compromise effort on voting or brand himself for what he really is.
Well Joanna , the obvious answer to your hopeful question I think is, no. Emphatically no! It surely seems to me that Manchin and Sinema, the two key players in this unfolding drama, are taking their cues directly from the GOP playbook, that is, find something substantial or trivial but at least anything to delaaay, forestaaall, or draaaaaaaaag out the process, usurping as much time as possible before the next round of federal elections, when it may be too late for the snail paced Dems.
And to Henry below, when Schumer et al put on their "knucks", they'd better really be of brass rather than the seaweed they've been using. Or perhaps they can outbid the repuglycans for the affections of the prodigal pair.
Weeeeelll puuuut, Bill. Unfortunately.
Gus, I found 2 posts where you were quite rudely challenging me for quoting another person's post: "Christians, and people of high faith, already trained in believing that for which there is no evidence, are particularly susceptible to lies."
Apparently, you deleted both by the time I found them, but I stand by what the other person and I posted. If you wish to debate it come at me.
Live by simple majority rule, die by simple majority rule.
That’s what the Founders always intended and even discussed the danger of requiring a supermajority to pass legislation. Read Jentleson’s book, “Kill Swith” which discusses sordid history of filibuster and what LBJ had to pull off to get Civil Rights Bill passes.
Yes, but they also didn’t envision a government that was going to run every facet of our lives.
You mean like forcing women to grow an embryo for 9 months right?
That would definitely qualify, yes.
Every facet? Asking you to wear a mask or get vaccinated or wear a seat belt?
Thank you for This information, Joanna!!!
I'll be Watching 🤔
If Manchin doesn't come through with those ten Republicans, he may very well go down in history -- together with Sinema -- as the spoiler from hell for this administration. I can't even bear to think of the consequences of the Democrats' failure to pass the Freedom to Vote Act! Would 10 honorable Republicans please step up to the plate and do the decent thing FOR ONCE?!!!
Sadly, I do not believe that there are 10 decent Republicans
Neither do I!
"Honorable Republican" is an oxymoron
😂😂😂😂😂
When no Republicans support Manchin’s bill, he will be forced to admit that he is not a Democrat, and that all his bluster about seeking bipartisan actions is just fluff and puffery. The man of conviction will reveal himself as not having any
Manchin, from all accounts by those who know him, is not a terrible person (which is what makes the situation even more maddening). There's an outside chance - which I think Schumer is working on - that if it fails as it will, and Manchin is clearly confronted by the fact that the "good Republicans" are gone (if indeed they were ever there), that he will go with a "carve out" of constitutional issues from the filibuster.
Yes, it's a hope. But if hope's what you have, hang on to it.
Chamberlain was dragged by events, very reluctantly, to see Hitler for who he was after he up-ended the Munich Agreement in March 1939 and took over the rest of Czechoslovakia. In the aftermath of that, Chamberlain issued the British guarantee of Poland, which he knew meant war. It was almost too little, and almost too late, but there it was.
Thx for your perspective. Manchin’s balancing act of getting elected as a Democrat in his state is admirable, but his background suggests that when push comes to shove, his ability to drag his constituency kicking and screaming into voting for honor, ethics and democracy will fail him and he’ll revert to form
Its only my opinion, but I believe his motivation is more about power and standing than it is about Constitution and equality
He will still pretend, thats's him, the great pretender
Manchin , IMO is similar to Neville Chamberlain believing there would be peace with Hitler. Hope I'm wrong.
I think he’s really a republican, and a greedy one at that
Is there ANY chance that, minus 10 decent Republicans, Manchin and Sinema would finally be willing to kill the filibuster? Fingers crossed, but not holding my breath.
I'm also holding out hope they'll go along with changing the filibuster to pass voting rights
I don’t think so. Sinema has been bought and paid for by dark money. Fundraising in another country says everything you need to know right now. I honestly think Biden is giving her so much time to keep her from flipping to the Republican Party, he knows she’s not going to change her mind about the filibuster or anything else she’s a holdout on.
She won’t win re-election but we have years of her destruction left.
The one thing I haven’t looked into is what happens if she declares she’s a Republican? Does the entire senate flip right now? Will McConnell become the majority leader overnight? Are there rules for this?
Good question. Could change caucuses I guess. Would probably declare herself an independent. Least risky move in a formerly very red Arizona. A mavrick (in her own mind) once again.
Not holding my breath. 10 honorable republicans, really???
Indeed, that's an endangered species!
It most certainly is!
Sarcasm, Jeri. Pure sarcasm -- with a tinge of "maybe."
How can any politician be AGAINST voting rights???
That's easy: any ethically challenged politician who thinks they might lose if everyone votes. In short, Republicans.
The GOP leadership (we could use the term "brain trust", but I won't) understood many years ago that they could not depend on free and fair elections to keep them in power and enable them to realize their nefarious dreams of becoming an eternally privileged governing class. Their problem became urgent when a Democratic man of color with little experience in government was able to defeat two veteran politicians (first McCain, then Romney) in consecutive presidential elections by very respectable vote margins, leading to talk of an insurmountable demographic advantage for the Democrats going forward. So the GOP went all in and blocked Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the SCOTUS, rallied behind the most dreadful presidential candidacy in US history (having little choice if they wanted to keep the racists and religious fanatics safely in their camp) and barely defeated the first woman to run for the highest office, who, despite her obvious competence and because it seemed preposterous that Trump might win, ran a lousy campaign from which the Democratic party has never really recovered, so great was the shock and disappointment.
Now that Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Coney Barrett have completed the Court's already evident rightward swerve, it is almost a done deal, with much credit due to the master-politician Mitch McConnell who -- in earlier, perhaps happier times -- would be eying the guillotine and sweating bullets. Instead, he can calmly contemplate the enormity of his accomplishment while sliding into gilded and, I hope, very brief retirement.
Democrats, on the other hand, have surely learned the hard way how dangerous over-confidence can be.
Good points, David, except I disagree that Barack Obama had little experience in government. Obama was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1997 and was reelected twice until he was elected to the United States Senate in 2004. He served as US Senator until he was elected US President in 2008. Thus, he had a good decade's experience in government before becoming President.
Well, Stephen, he had had less experience than both of his opponents, but he was by far the best candidate both times. I sure as hell voted for him without too many misgivings. I was disappointed he couldn't get a more progressive program through Congress, but the objective of the GOP was to make him fail, and they spared no effort without even pretending they had any other objective. At least folks who were under the illusion that race was no longer a crucial factor in politics and in the lives of most Americans had the opportunity to think twice. Not sure they all did, however.
Why doesn't Biden add seats to SCOTUS? Seems like a no brainer.
Short answer to your question, Marcy: A politician can be against voting rights because they are against democracy and for the plutocracy which is our country now. Remember that the Senate is a club of millionaires and multimillionaires.
I keep asking myself how did it come to this and I know that what’s now in plain sight was right there under the surface. It’s hard to accept that so many people don’t care about others.
You obviously don't live in Texas where not only voting rights are being taken away but constitutional rights as well!
There is not a single study by any credible organization anywhere in the U.S. that shows voter fraud to be a significant issue in the outcome of federal elections. Have their been isolated incidents of voter fraud impacting local elections? Yes, a very small number of them. However, existing U.S. election procedures are generally considered highly secure and fraud resistant by election experts.
A far greater problem in the U.S. is the failure to achieve a “one person, one vote” fair representation where each legal citizen has an equal voice in how our country is governed. This National failure to enfranchise all citizens equally is both a failure of our election system and design flaws in system of governance. However, both of these are serious flaws that are anti-democratic.
These flaws include the unequal representation of citizens in the U.S. Senate, the use of the electoral college in presidential elections rather than popular vote, use of partisan and racial gerrymandering in determining representation, lack of uniform National election procedures and eligibility criteria, and partisan administration of elections. All of these conspire to deprive us of a true Representative democracy and we should not continue to pretend otherwise.
The consequence of these flaws in our system of governance is a minority rule system giving more power to the ruling minority. Unsurprisingly this results in those with greater power, largely those with more financial clout, the ability to both attain and perpetuate power and control. Who are those in control? They are generally the white, industrial, monied oligarchs. Which party do they affiliate with? Whichever party they can most easily control. At present and for decades that has been the Republican Party. Their governing ideology and policy choices are limited to those conveying and perpetuating their power and control and nothing beyond that is of interest to them.
We can nibble around the margins of this situation but only a significant redesign correcting the underlying and fundamental flaws of its design will make change possible. Those corrections will not come easily as those with power and control will resist them. This is the battle in which we are currently engaged. The battle will be long and difficult and no single skirmish will provide the victory or solution we seek. However, we must fight each skirmish in this battle with persistence and force. Let us begin with attacking where we are able to reduce the unjust power and control of the minority. Abolish the filibuster. Does the filibuster protect the minority? Yes, absolutely, this is exactly why it should be abolished even at the risk of our being in that minority in the future. Then we must fight as best we can to attract enough support to achieve being the representative voice of the majority.
Brilliant statement, Bruce, beautifully expressed.
BruceC, Thank you for the clarity with which you outlined the fundamental anti-democratic factors in our election system. When reading the Letter today, I saw the battle for the control of the country by the Democratic and Republican Parties via elections as a game of ping-pong, volleyball, basketball - you name the game, with the ball being American citizens who are the ones being thrown around. The goal on each side of this power struggle is to make participation of a citizen either easier or much more difficult by suppressing the vote and subverting the elections. We have also seen how instrumental the courts can be, including the determination by the Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore. Clearly, the Supreme Court as it's currently constituted, has a serious impact on our elections.
Our way to fair and free elections - one person one vote - may as you believe is a piece by piece job, but can there be an alternative -- some way to institutionalize 'one person - one vote', which has remained a fiction? Doing that, too, would be piece by piece. I would also start with the filibuster and national voting bills. Our goal is the same BruceC, I have just wondered about about the steps beyond that.
My hypothetical and unlikely scenario is a search for the means to concretize one person - one vote. It raises several questions about possibilities. Were the Democrats to have outstandingly positive election results in 2024 - winding up with the presidency and majorities in House and Senate and having abolished the filibuster (very unlikely, already) are any or all of the following possible:
1. pass the original For The People Act - a realistic possibility under the hypothetical scenario
2. abolish the electoral college
3. set up an agency, through a cabinet department, such Department of Justice, or through
some other organ of national government to monitor and repair infractions and or
impingement on For The People Act
4. strengthen any of the Constitutional Amendments having to do with voting as way to
concretize one person - one vote .
Can we nationalize one-person vote as a bulwark to American Democracy? How do we accomplish it?
The path to instituting a one person, one vote system will ultimately require Constitutional amendment. There is no other way.
This means a long and focused struggle to gain control at the local and state levels. Democrats spend too much time, energy, and attention only at the national level without a similar intensity at the local and state level. We need to win the hearts and minds of voters everywhere.
This will require careful consideration of policy positions and messaging to accomplish this. At present my view is Democrats are not good at this at all. This is a long struggle in front of us and Democrats are only focused on the short term. I fear until they begin to think more strategically they will continue to be blocked by and lose to Republicans.
Thank you, Bruce. Your pointer is excellent. This subscriber will write to the DNC, state and local Party offices, Schumer, Pelosi and others to stress the need to gain control at local and state levels. Other subscribers may want to follow through as well. It would be great if one morning soon, you post a comment strictly about how we can lobby the Party, point by point, on this score. Salud!
Bruce, I don't know if you received my comment, which was posted to Ellie, about why a constitutional convention or a constitutional amendment through the congress as a way to eliminate the Electoral College would be impossible now. I also think it is not a likely option in the next few years, however much the Democratic party steps up its focus on local and state control. Examining this area provided me with a more realistic sense of how truly rigged the election process is. It must be as you wrote, one step at a time. Where did saying 'one person, one vote' come from -- another artifact from Mythology America?
According to the National Popular Vote project, that can be achieved without a constitutional amendment to eliminate the electoral college. https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/
The national popular vote compact does not eliminate the electoral college. Since each state determines the process for choosing its electors it provides a way for a majority of the electoral college votes from a sufficient number of states to agree to choose their electors in accordance with the national popular vote totals. However, that would allow those states to change or drop out of that compact at any time if state control changed. It is really not a very dependable approach to solving the problem.
I didn't say it would eliminate the electoral college but that, theoretically, it could provide a better means of ensuring that national voter totals would achieve popular vote results. However, your penultimate sentence describes a major weak point along with Fern's (I think) comment that obtaining the requisite 75 additional electoral votes before things collapse altogether. Nonetheless, there are people making an effort while, I hope, also spreading information about the inherent unfairness of the Constitutional electoral college system.
There is, in fact, an ongoing campaign to nationalize one-person/one-vote: https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/ "The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia (Explanation). It has been enacted into law by 15 states and DC with 195 electoral votes (Map of states). It needs an additional 75 electoral votes to go into effect."
A map of states & status: https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/state-status
Judith, When I looked at the map provided by NPV, it appeared unlikely that 75 more electoral vote could be achieved now or in the near future.
Bruce, You read my comment. Thank you. Please share your thoughts about next steps to 'one person - one vote' in America. Of course, circumstances change, but what is your vision for steps beyond the filibuster in the future? I was very taken with an obituary of 'a star activist researcher' in the paper today. It inspired me to point this comment in your direction, while knowing how thin my knowledge is of the field. I have linked the obituary of Rush Kick below.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/14/us/russ-kick-dead.html
Thank you, Fern, for this link to a celebration of the life of Russ Kick. The world is a better place for his having been a part of it. His obituary reminds me of the value of this forum of HCR Substackers. The sea of information is too vast for any one person.
HCR starts us off with her nearly daily Letter which has curated current news critical for our political future. Commenters then add our own curated bits, along with tips for activism and reminders for self care. Our interconnected sum is greater than our whole, and we must keep interconnecting.
We help curate and share news from a vast sea that is too much for
...vast sea of news that is too much for any one of us alone to absorb.
I can't even keep up with emails - let alone twitter or the threads on this blog ... get my news from the headlines!!
Thank you, Ellie. I followed up on BruceC's understanding that the only way to institutionalize 'one person, one vote' would be through a constitutional amendment. Given our extreme polarization, the possibly of successfully getting a Constitutional amendment through in next number of years, five or six.., seems very dim, whether or not the Democratic Party is able to increase its level of state and local control.
'The Constitution provides that an amendment may be proposed either by the Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures. None of the 27 amendments to the Constitution have been proposed by constitutional convention. The Congress proposes an amendment in the form of a joint resolution. Since the President does not have a constitutional role in the amendment process, the joint resolution does not go to the White House for signature or approval.' (National Archives)
A constitutional convention seems out of the question in the foreseeable future. At this time, 30 state legislatures are controlled by the Republicans, 18 by the Democrats and 2 are split. I cannot imagine 2/3rds of the state legislatures approving such a measure -- in my lifetime?
All 27 amendments which have been approved in the country were proposed by Congress, not one by a constitutional convention. If proposed by Congress, it would require a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Democratic Party's margin in the House is now very small and razor thin in the Senate. The odds of the Republican Parties agreeing 'to one person, one vote' to any degree is beyond belief. Concretizing 'one person, one vote' in the USA, now appears to be a pipe dream for at least God knows when.
I took a brief tour through the constitutional amendment processes, learned some and returned with bad news. The road to concretizing 'one person, one vote' in the USA is beyond formidable. Bruce is on the right path, one step at a time and a much more in step Democratic Party.
Hi Fern, are you aware of these folks - hard at work on this very challenge:
https://www.movetoamend.org/
Great dive into the history of how Constitutional amendments originated! I've seen warnings that a Constitutional Convention would open a can of toxic worms from the far right reactionaries.
Thank you.
Just brilliant, BruceC.
Sadly, we have much more immediate dragons to slay.
Once again the school district where I work has the spotlight from NBC News. Southlake TX Carroll ISD. (independent school district). I’m getting all kinds of comments and shocked responses on social media for a comment that was taken out of context and intentionally given to the media. Not a problem solving tactic.
But it highlights for me the importance of local elections. A small group of conservative christians have an outside organization funding them to take over our schools. Forcing an archaic outlandish view on all schools in Texas. Putting a group called Patriot Academy front and center in educating children in a christian based doctrine of making our nation a theocracy. Their agenda is being pushed to make the Constitution a religious document and place all young adults in boot camps to ready them for battle against liberal ideals. This group has already been put in place by seven states. Uninformed residents voted for the hype and didn’t really know the issues. A survey found the small wealthy city to be liberal and no religious affiliation. I guess that made Southlake a target.
A teacher reprimanded for having a book against racism, a book that all teachers were given last year by the district. A potential book ban against classic books such as The Grapes of Wrath that don’t push the theocracy agenda. A lawyer that moved here recently from the DC area, is an originalist lawyer has taken a seat on the school board. It’s an alarming situation! Another school board member urging teachers in the district to be very afraid of the current climate.
Your local elections are VERY important! Be involved, know who is running, Vote! Even, or especially, if you don’t have a child in school.
You are 100% correct. We must get involved on the Local level including Judges running for local offices.
I am truly sorry for what is happening in your State. Take Care.
Christians?
This site will make you ill browsing. https://www.patriotacademy.com/
Just for perspective.this morning...at 5:34 a.m.
I walked out my front door and watched "Lucy" launch from the Space Center. It is a 12 month mission to explore asteroids for whatever they can tell us about how our planet came to be. Lucy lit up the sky as it lifted into a southern trajectory. In 12 months we may know more about our planet's origin; in 12 months we will also know how HCR's early morning warning will shape our future.
Charlie Brown needs to get busy here on mission Earth.
In total it is a 12 YEAR mission....I shudder to think of what the U.S. will look like by then!!!
Your comment reminded me of something similar. Evan Osnos, the author of “Wildland, The Making of America’s Fury” (a truly terrifying book…don’t read it before bedtime), went to live in China for his journalist job. The Chinese people told him about how bad the situation was getting in the US. When he returned 13 years later, he couldn’t believe it was the same country. Everything the Chinese told him was true and he could hardly believe it.
Heard Evan Osnos interviewed on The Axe Files. Read him at The New Yorker. Don’t fool myself anymore that I can read books, but your recommendation is powerful. Maybe this will be an exception. Osnos is a powerful observer and fluent in Mandarin. ❤️🤍💙
Annette, the book is sitting right here on the table in front of me. Thanks for the warning.
Or what our Planet will look like in 12 years...! Another 50 ppm of CO2...?
https://www.carbonbrief.org/met-office-atmospheric-co2-now-hitting-50-higher-than-pre-industrial-levels
Thanks, Jeff. I can't hit the "like" button because I don't "like" this news. And it just makes me angrier that Manchin, Mr. Coal, will force President Biden to take out climate initiatives from his plan. Just despicable.
How Manchin and his ilk sleep at night is beyond me.
Carol, you've sent me on a trip down memory lane. I grew up in Maitland, on the outskirts of Orlando proper. Many times we saw rockets blaze across the sky, most memorably when we were fishing in the evening with my father on our lake. I hitchhiked with friends while in college to see in person one of the manned lunar missions blast off, and then took part in news coverage of NASA and the space program, both at Florida Today in Brevard County and at the Orlando Sentinel. Those were the days.
Thank you Heather.
There is literally no scenario that I can see where any of the Voter Rights Acts will pass the Senate. Getting rid of the filibuster is our only chance for the survival of Democracy. I don't say that lightly.
How did we get to the point where Party over People became so ingrained in the mindset of this Country where nothing else matters to the GOP? They are perfectly willing to serve up human beings on a sacrificial platter to regain power. This next election is not just made up of bright-eyed thinkers that want to better this Nation. This is the shakedown of this Country right before our eyes by the most vile, manipulative thugs we have to offer.
I don't blame Schumer for wanting to push this through next week. Might as well get it over with. It's that bandaid that needs to be torn off to reveal what's truly underneath. Frankly, none of us wants to see the wound, but we might as well get it over with.
We needn't look ahead to 2024, our Democracy rests in the hands of the outcome of next week's votes.
Be safe, be well.
Party over country was revealed with: "citizens united", impeachment of Clinton for a blow job, nonremoval of the mob boss trump for a failed coup.
Lynn, I agree, but I think that was the warm up for what we are living now.
Isn’t getting rid of the filibuster becoming the only solution? I understand that doing so could have serious repercussions, but if these voting laws fail to pass the. Senate, won’t the repercussions be fatal to our democracy?
This, exactly
This, for sure.
Yes, it is. But with the makeup of the Senate, it won't happen. Unless I've missed signs of newfound courage and concern for the fate of democracy among those holdout faux Democrats. Why would they protect democracy when they're unwilling to save the planet from climate change and prevent the suffering and death of millions upon millions of people?
Michael, I guess I just need to find a little optimism....
For sure. A challenge right now with so many things going or apparently headed in the wrong direction.
Citizens United decision the beginning of the end. It’ll be worse than just losing democracy as if that’s possible—just imagine Trump regaining the Presidency? With his band of subversionists? They’ll jail and kill people who don’t like them. We won’t be having/reading these letters and like Putin will stay in office as authoritarian terrorism with no real elections. All the court cases against Donald could take so long the guy might actually, inconceivably get in again thru cheating. While Dems try not to be too political and stick to getting whole wish list of progressive policy all at once. It’s a catastrophe. Fight fire with fire there is no high road left.
I wonder, if all the fanfare about trump running again, or regaining the White House is just smoke and mirrors. During his “presidency” every time he made a bit splash in the media, McConnell and his minions were underhandedly working behind-the-curtain deals on something to further their autocracy. What if this is all to divert our attention from someone even more lethal to our democracy taking the reigns? While I trump being re-elected would be disastrous for our nation, he is an idiot. It is all the slimy power-hungry autocrats that surround him that terrify me.
Precisely
Agreed! Especially the autocrats we can’t see.
for sure
Yes, just look at Matt Gaetz as an example. He continues to serve on the Judiciary Committee that is investigating him for sex trafficking. There’s something seriously wrong when this can happen.
It will be Germany in the 30’s all over again. Check out quote from Milton Mayer “They Thought They Were Free.” It will make your blood run cold…
Let’s not forget that it was the 5-4 SCOTUS decision to halt the 2000 Florida recount, the unconscionable decision by what I call SCROTUS, with all five Republican-appointed justices voting the same way.
A post-election year-long analysis by concluded that a statewide uniform standard of a manual recount would have led to a Gore victory in Florida. This was after hundreds of thousands of FL voters were disenfranchised have the FL Secretary of State Katherine Harris, and after the Palm Beach County butterfly ballot misdirected thousands of votes from Gore to Pat Buchanan.
Bush did not win. He was installed in office by SCROTUS.
And let’s not forget the “Brooks Brothers Riot” that halted at least one recount. The Republican thugs involved included Roger Stone, former member of CREEP (Nixon’s reelection committee), and the most despised member of the Senate, Ted Cruz.
‘Several of the protestors were identified as Republican congressional staffers.A number of the demonstrators later took jobs in the incoming Bush administration.’
References:
[1] The Butterfly Did It: The Aberrant Vote for Buchanan in Palm Beach County, Florida
https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/publications/butterfly-did-it-aberrant-vote-buchanan-palm-beach-county-florida
Abstract
We show that the butterfly ballot used in Palm Beach County, Florida, in the 2000 presidential election caused more than 2,000 Democratic voters to vote by mistake for Reform candidate Pat Buchanan, a number larger than George W. Bush’s certified margin of victory in Florida. We use multiple methods and several kinds of data to rule out alternative explanations for the votes Buchanan received in Palm Beach County. Among 3,053 U.S. counties where Buchanan was on the ballot, Palm Beach County has the most anomalous excess of votes for him. In Palm Beach County, Buchanan’s proportion of the vote on election-day ballots is four times larger than his proportion on absentee (nonbutterfly) ballots, but Buchanan’s proportion does not differ significantly between election-day and absentee ballots in any other Florida county. Unlike other Reform candidates in Palm Beach County, Buchanan tended to receive election-day votes in Democratic precincts and from individuals who voted for the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate. Robust estimation of overdispersed binomial regression models underpins much of the analysis.
[2] 2000 United States presidential election recount in Florida
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_United_States_presidential_election_recount_in_Florida
“Post-election studies
Florida Ballot Project recounts
The National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, sponsored by a consortium of major United States news organizations, conducted the Florida Ballot Project, a comprehensive review of 175,010 ballots that were collected from the entire state, not just the disputed counties that were recounted…An analysis of the NORC data by University of Pennsylvania researcher Steven F. Freeman and journalist Joel Bleifuss concluded that, no matter what standard is used, after a recount of all uncounted votes, Gore would have been the victor.”
[3] Brooks Brothers Riot
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooks_Brothers_riot
‘Several of the protestors were identified as Republican congressional staffers.A number of the demonstrators later took jobs in the incoming Bush administration.’
[4] Disrupting the Ballot Count 2000/2020
The Voluntown Peace Trust
http://www.voluntownpeacetrust.org/uploads/1/9/4/0/1940178/brooks-brothers-riot_orig.jpg
Thank you for all of this. I remember this final tally in favor of Gore. I also remember that no one seemed to care or wanted to rectify the election, thanks to the SCOTUS' rush to crown the king. In my mind, it was the bald-faced beginning of Republicans' absurd jiggering of elections. Perhaps what is worse is the stymying of a Democratic president once elected. Almost to the point of bullying, they are made to be ineffective at best, made laughing stock at worst. So many essential bills are about to be passed and their chances of passing are the proverbial snowball in hell.
I appreciate being reminded of all of this. The youngest voters don’t remember it, but they should know about it. After the election I heard Republicans saying if people couldn’t figure out the butterfly ballot, they didn’t deserve to vote. A bit like the eligibility standards under Jim Crow. At that point I realized Republicans didn’t fundamentally believe in “one person, one vote.” After the analysis came out, it was “Nothing can be done about it now, SCOTUS has spoken and Al Gore conceded, didn’t he? Sore losers. Just shut up about it.”
Senator Manchin, when rejecting a stronger voting bill, expressed strong support for the John Lewis voting bill. I consider this bill imperative to protect the voting rights of those the Republicans seek to disenfranchise. If Manchin agrees, then this would be the time to lift the filibuster on vote-protection bills. Of course there is also the senator from Arizona, who can’t be reached because she is junketing in Paris.
Really? Paris? I thought she was standing in front of the elevator ...
Both are Trojan horses, and Democrats Achilles heel, will do all I can to get rid of both. But will history write that we waited too late
Wouldn’t that be a marvelous present for Turkey-Chin McConnell? Do you think that President Biden would deliberately shoot himself in the foot? What do you think is the least worst alternative?
When are the Democrats going to get the courage to put teeth into the supeonas for the attack on our Congress? Our democracy is under attack!!!
I am thinking right now about the fact that the UK is super lucky to have such strict control of guns. And what the fallout will be in terms of MP and constituent access now that a third attack--and the second fatal attack--on an MP at what they call a "surgery" (we in the USA would call it a Town Hall meeting) of constituents has occurred in the last 10 years. I disagreed with Sir David Amess's stances on most everything except fox hunting (he was against it) and animal welfare (he was for it) but he was a legit representative of his community and a good person who did his job with integrity and heart. Think about what might happen here in the US if our congresspeople were required to have quarterly "surgeries" face to face with their constituents, as UK MPs do. I fear that the growing extremism on all sides, but mostly on the Right of all kinds (Islamist extremism is just another form of right-wing totalitarianism), especially when "religion" is involved, is winning. And that really does mean the Death of Democracy, because extremism of any stripe does not invite compromise, conversation, and discourse. I am heartsick right now.
Linda, Thank you for commenting on the killing of MP, Sir David Amess. I noted it with alarm and sadness. Reading about the murder also released waves of pics, stories from friends and written material about the social disorder and increased violence in our country. You referred to the Death of Democracy, I also see the Death of civil society. The Rage in the faces and actions of many, along with the concretization of Lies by the former president and the Republican Party are now part of our daily lives. The struggle to maintain balance through the turmoil is part of our work every day. Ellie wrote of the importance of self-care in a comment today -- its an important channel on the Forum -- looking out for one another as we share curiosity, knowledge and our feelings.
Heartsick is a great way to describe it.
Linda, I’m hurting right along side you. 💙
“ If the Democrats do not succeed in passing a voting rights law, we can expect America to become a one-party state that, at best, will look much like the American South did between 1876 and 1964.
Our nation will no longer be a democracy.”
💙😫💙
Thank you Heather for keeping Voting Rights front and center in the dialogue, it is so very important!
The most, and only important thing, right now
Ahhhh Joe Manchin. He seems willing to trash the planet (at least for this year's reconciliation) in the hope that natural gas can masquerade as positive for the climate. If he were to do that in exchange for passing his Freedom to Vote Act AND giving it an exemption from the filibuster, I guess I would take the deal. But that filibuster exemption is not coming, is it.
Canny creepy Sen. Manchin represents ignorance and fear, racists that love coal.. how stupid we are.
Joe, the Trojan Horse. Think all my donations will go to his opponents if he has any