I had hoped to write tonight about the farm bill, which Eric Hovde, running for the Senate from Wisconsin although it’s not clear he lives there, could not talk about in the debate between him and incumbent senator Tammy Baldwin on Friday.
I am horrified by all of this as I watch from a distance in France. It is increasingly clear that the GOP is holding out now for the Vance, not Trump presidency, in which Thiel and Musk and other bad actors will make the US government in their image. I am wondering increasingly if the US citizenry will tolerate this without armed insurrection. A revolution is being foisted on them without a broad consensus (and many who support it are doing so out of profound ignorance and moral sloppiness).
If the Constitution and rule of law by a deranged psychopath and his retinue of sociopaths is visited on the US, one would think that all bets are simply off. The GOP will have committed an act of secession in removing the United States from its very self, essence, and spirit. And hell, Musk is not even a native born citizen - he should be nowhere in our government (apart from the simple fact that he's a deranged monster and racist).
Arnold Palmer? Eating cats and dogs? Working a fryer at McDonald's? When I think of the tradition of a Jefferson, a Lincoln, an FDR . . . I could vomit.
I'm watching from Catalonia. What we never read or hear are the honest expressions of incredulity about the rampant stupidity of vast segment of the electorate. Nobody wants to call a spade a spade. But unfortunately, it is true. This is what America has come to. Not just a rightward lurch. But a cultish lunacy.
I also blamed the attraction to Trump on the stupidity of the American people until I have recently allowed myself to endure script written by MAGA on various social media platforms. They call those who support the Harris/Walz ticket “stupid”, they “can’t endure four more years of the same”, they believe that votes for Harris simply reflect our dislike for Trump (“after all, he’s not meant to be our best friend “), and they are baffled at the fact that half of Americans support Harris. What they don’t seem to say (at least out loud) is any acknowledgment of Trump’s rapid mental decline or the fact that a Trump presidency actually means a Vance presidency.
For all of this, I hold the media accountable for their corruption, manipulation and lies to the American people who are too lazy (and stupid) to read and educate themselves and instead rely on television. Most don’t read newspapers; most don’t read at all. Fox News blaring 24/7 would cause anyone loss of neurons. Planned or unplanned consequences, this is where we are folks.
In the most basic measure of intelligence, how can you vote for a guy who tried to cover up the payment of more than a medium annual household income to a porn star to keep her quiet over a sexual encounter while his wife was home with their four month old child? How can you vote for a guy who faked bone spurs to evade the draft, who insults veterans, and wants to command our armed forces? Seriously?
Is there anyway to stop this? I have voted by mail in ballot, a straight democratic ticket. It seems so hopeless. I’m 79 and this is the country I’m leaving my four grandchildren. Three are girls and good students. What happens to them?
Kerry.., please.., there is NO rational (see Webster's definition) reason, as we all know. Quite simply, in the trumpsters-mind ('mind' being an oxymoronic assumption), you and I and the rest of the SOB's (souls on board) here on LFA are responsible for the country being in the toilet. They'vebeen TOLD that. So, don't bother to ask them what toilet? Don't waste a moment , beyond saying Hello to those dimwits. However, inside this barrel of apples where we too exist, there are even-dimmer wits who are "un-decided". They don't watch Faux or anything else. Those folks can be enlightened. There's hope.
We're down the toilet the felon needs to flush seven times, MadRussian, or is it twelve? Maybe the toilet's fully functional, and he's obsessed with all things scatological.
not to mention was found guilty of 34 felonies for fraud, caused the Jan 6, insurrection, etc....he's a disgrace and shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the White House-jail is the place he should be. There are many people in jail for far less.
One has to wonder what is going on when there is not a clarion call from the NY Times or Washington Post that the man was unfit to be president before, and even more so now. It is like Pearl Harbor being bombed and they would print "Japan Expresses Its Outrage with US Pacific Policies."
I once expressed almost exactly the same thought. As if a monarch walked naked in the streets and instead of the Emperor having no clothes, “Dear Leader blames tailor for sartorial error.”
Sorry all this anti NYT nonsense is just that, nonsense. None of you have obviously even read the NYT over three past year. Their editorial section has opposed Trump since day one, not that it would ever have influenced him to exit the race sadly or we might have had a two woman two "H" race Harris vs Haley. But that is water under the bridge. The NYT editorial section has continually criticized Trump for running. They also (rightly) criticized Biden when his obvious problems were revealed during the first debate. The only difference is that Biden has the sense to realize he needed to step aside and Trump never would. On the other hand the NYT news pages have continually shown balanced reporting of the news of the campaign which is their job. They have fact checked both candidates regularly. They are doing one of the best jobs of covering a race which had never been easy. All you critics of the NYT ought to walk a few hundred yards in their shoes instead of whining here on Heather's comments page. I highly doubt you would survive.
What if the wealthy (and I'm not talking about 7 or low-8 figures in the bank, that makes you a figure of fun amongst the plutocracy) own the press and prefer a plutocracy?
Yes. I think the ultra-rich and the under-educated aggrieved MAGAs share in common the goal of being able to doing whatever they want and not having to help anyone but themselves. A plutocracy works out well for that goal as the rich can simply live in their palaces in the sky while the rest of the world goes Mad Max.
When Trump was running in 2020, I was attending a church where the preacher was a true Trump admirer. I questioned his support of a man who had no aquaintance with the teachings of Jesus.
He said to me, " I didn't vote for a Messiah."😳
He didn't last long at our church, not because of his love for Trump, but because he displayed so many of the immoral traits of Trump, and almost drove the church to ruin.
I am so ashamed of those Republicans who have no integrity or no spine to stand up against someone so unbalanced that they would put our country in grave danger just to keep their jobs.
"For all of this, I hold the media accountable for their corruption, manipulation and lies to the American people who are too lazy (and stupid) to read and educate themselves and instead rely on television."
This sweeping condemnation of the media and American people is counterproductive and inaccurate.
Inordinately wealthy individuals and their willing accomplices have invested billions, aided by clever accomplices on the make for their own fortunes, have spent decades to create MAGA. From the time Ronald Reagan jumped in bed with Ralph Reed - Movement Conservatism with religious extremism. Such as Leonard Leo have exploited the flaws in our political, electoral, government, and social systems to exacerbate them.
They have exploited systemic and human vulnerabilities for their own profit. As Elon Musk is now.
On the Left, Ralph Nader and, now and worse, Jill Stein are doing the same. With a better educated demographic. Turning ethics and voting on their head - Stein argues Americans would do good by supporting her no matter that it elects Trump. That voting is an individual exercise in self expression rather than a joint exercise in taking power. No matter the irreparable harm.
Even MAGA supporters, no matter how misguided, are more strategic in their voting.
Lin, at one time I subscribed to the “vote your conscience” path of write in candidate for President. I was adamant that “my self expression” was noble. At the time the stakes were concerning two major party candidates that both had “sanity” as an attribute
I no longer support that position. People voting in this election that don’t understand that a vote for Jill Stein might be the last vote they ever get to cast have an emotional attachment to an ideal that ignores the binary choice at hand. That voting strategy dangerously ignores reality. The irreparable harm that comes from ego reinforcement seems irresponsible to the common good
I have never voted third party. I have always had a pragmatic approach to politics and have had many an argument with those who do not really understand our political system which is not parliamentary where there can be coalitions.
True, but I don't think MAGA was the endgame of the plutocrats or the white evangelists. In hindsight it looks inevitable, but if you imagine yourself back to the very late 1970s -- it wasn't. Dana Milbank sketches it out well in THE DESTRUCTIONISTS: The 25-Year Crack-up of the Republican Party. (Newt Gingrich plays a starring role.)
I 100% agree that the idea that "voting is an individual exercise in self-expression" is a huge problem. That's the way I thought in my 20s. The election of Reagan in 1980 snapped me out of it. Some of the others in my Israel-Palestine group are talking that way now, and they're in their 50s, 60s, and 70s. Here in MA they can't do much damage, but in states like MI they could.
We're reading Haaretz for sure -- I started subscribing last spring. (Had been following +972 Magazine online for several years.) My guess is that at least half of my Israel-Palestine group is Jewish, and most of them have spent significant time in Israel.
Susanna, I do understand the problems that Arab/Palestinian citizens have with Israel and our support of them. However, death star has promised to deport as many people as possible and there will certainly be a Muslim ban again. Cutting off their noses....and they will pay should death star prevail.
The Democrats' uncritical support of Israel has been pretty awful my entire voting life, but (once I got over thinking voting was all about my conscience) it hasn't made me vote Republican or leave the top of the ballot blank or sit out the election altogether. Most reasonably aware voters have problems, often serious problems, with at least some government policies when "our side" is in charge. Consider: Black women consistently have the highest turnout rate in presidential elections, but as a demographic they probably have better reason to give up on the Democrats than anyone -- except they know that the alternatives are worse.
If anybody thinks that a trump administration will be better for the fate of the Palestinian people, I have a bridge to sell them. Jared is looking to redevelop Gaza and tfg has been in bed with Bibi for a long time. I think that the current Israeli government is a shande and has set back the cause of peace for a long time and that the U.S. needs to totally revamp what supporting Israel means in the light of what I can only view as the Netanyahu government's war crimes, but again, a Harris administration holds out infinitely more hope for better outcomes than the alternative.
I agree lin. I react to the quick and easy conclusion that “American people are too lazy (and stupid) to read and educate themselves and instead rely on television”. We are paying a price for allowing a norm that believed “it couldn’t happen here”. I grew up in a generation that expanded rights, - until Gingrich got in Congress and rolled out a new playbook. Living in a political moment where long-held norms around the value of democracy, and the evidence of fact-based-truth are called into question, we are called on to fight a strenuous survival game. And the Left was not in shape to do that in 2016. We live in the political moment with the Beast-of-an-Ideology coming to maturity. So this has evolved into OUR moment to address it. And I do see many, many, many good people rising to the fight. There is no bottom to the crazy-time well that the regressive party is filling there power-lusting pails from. But WE are less naive now. Not all of us, but I believe enough of US, if we continue to forge ahead. Heather has been a great educator-in-chief for our renewed mantle of “Citizen”.
I take issue with your statement that "American people are too lazy (and stupid) to read and educate themselves..." I'm sure there are many people who might fit into that category, but there are just as many people who may be single parents working two jobs that exhaust them. When they come home to 2 or 3 hungry children, they have to scrape together a meal, clean the kitchen, get the kids to bed, maybe help with their homework. They don't have the energy to sit down with a book or a magazine and read about the larger world's problems. Unfortunately, many of them have been sucked in by the MAGA soundbites. I suspect that many of the readers of this newsletter may be retired (like myself) or have hired help to assist their families. It's not helpful to paint everyone with the same brush. Instead we should try to figure out how to get the truth to the electorate, and we should help to get them to the polls to vote.
lin, Yes, Jill not green Stein. I have long argued against spoiler third parties, but some people are purists who do not really understand politics. I have my ballot now and will vote today for Harris and Ds down the line.
Watched an "interview" of Jill Stein & her running mate by Mehdi Hassan - I guess its a good thing they dont have the ability (financial?) to put themselves in the public eye - not impressive at all - and the "support her no matter if it elects tffg " she thinks is the right thing? That just puts the lie to the statement in my opinion. She has run unsuccessfully how many times? In her 70s? Never held a senate, or congressional seat - no experience and neither has her vp choice. I think its time she "retired" from the political arena.
This a very convenient way to let the electorate off the hook. Manipulation by billionaires who control the media is nothing new nor are narcissistic morally bankrupt politicians and candidates. I’ll give you that the scale today is greater than ever before, but to credit any Trump voter with being truly “strategic” is frankly absurd.
You can whine all you want about the negative effect of horrible third-party candidates on both sides (although I exempt Nader who beyond his narcissism has actually served this country well) but again they are a convenient straw man. It wasn’t third party candidates who decided Gore v Bush - it was a corrupt Florida voting process and the Supreme Court.
It’s the electorate who are as susceptible to the Steins as they are to the Trumps.
On the other hand, I have to agree that the culpability of the media not least of all the liberal “paper of record” is significant. The NYT believes in the fantasy of its “objectivity” and thinks that a few editorials and opinion pieces can undo the damage of the past eight years in treating Trump as a viable candidate on the same basis as Biden which they continue to do their recent reporting on Trump’s decline notwithstanding. Trump has never received coverage similar to the way the press jumped on Biden’s bad debate and eviscerated him while for all intents and purposes giving Trump’s worse performance a pass. The same can be said for the way the press has treated Vance - with respectful critiques that don’t even begin to scratch the surface.
In the end, it’s individuals who mark their ballots - not the billionaires, the media or whomever else you choose. Indeed all of those have shared culpability but ultimately it’s the voter who elects the candidate. The reasons for the total debilitation of half of the American electorate which leaves them vulnerable to the forces of manipulation is a whole other discussion.
I just had a chat with an old grade school friend voting for Trump and she was espousing what you just noted above regarding Harris. I couldn't figure out how she came to that conclusion. I was dumbfounded as she is a very intelligent person. She doesn't care for Trump as a person per se but likes his policies. I was scratching my head, "what policies"? And anytime I countered with a fact she would say "we don't know that".
I also have old school friends who are voting for trump. Good and kind people and intelligent. I don’t understand it but I don’t discuss it with them. I value their friendship and know nothing I say will change their minds. Their social groups are trumpers too, so that’s probably part of it.
I’m sorry but I no longer consider any Trump voter “good and kind”
people. That has become an oxymoron at this point. No one who is kind or good is willing to rationalize their vote and overlook the blatant racism, misogyny and fascism Trump stands for. They are simply denying their willingness to accommodate and support these facts and to acquiesce to xenophobia all the while protesting “they don’t like Trump himself but…” Sorry that just doesn’t cut it anymore when their votes have cold hard implications for the future of the country.
He's a vulgar, hateful repugnant, ignorant liar. I'm sick of hearing people say that is outweighed by his "policies" that they are unable to articulate.
Trump realizes that he can’t explain his positions on anything and that if he does people don’t want them. He has Republicans’ support because Musk, Thiel, and others want more power and more corruption. Trump, in his ramblings, his vulgarity, and song selection is now running on only one issue— that he is a manly man and Kamala Harris is a woman. That makes her genetically inferior, as well as a threat to every other manly man. This has been confirmed by Vance and the Trump Bible.
You can’t still think most of Trumps followers watch Fox. You are so out of touch, which is a big part of why Democrats are struggling. Only old people watch tv and write postcards. You want to win elections, anyone who thinks like this should step aside and let the younger generation run elections.
They use the same verbiage as Dems do. The emails I get from the cretins parrot the messages from Dems. Just accuse us of what they do. Goebbels and Murdoch ad nauseam…
Maggats seem bent on starting some kind of civil war.......what are they going to do when bullets are used to take them out in order to patriotic American? Freedom and Truth cannot be eliminated.
Texans start voting Today, Monday, 15 days before the Election. Soon early voting data in Texas will be able to be compared with the over 1 Million early voters in Georgia. The majority of those GA voters were Women. Meanwhile, Trump is trying to get fat white males "off the couch". Trump 'motivating' his base is truly an ugly spectacle.
Mary Ann, I really do understand the intent of your 2nd paragraph. But, Media is where "free speech" dwells. LFA is "free speech", and certainly part of the "media" you're referring to. To the trumpsters, the "media" is loaded with a bunch of libtards who want to drum-up unfair criticism of their hero. To them, WE are the stupid people. Unfortunately, in a way, I see we are. Why? For one, even condescending to a debate between the President of this country with a convicted criminal, a twice-impeached president, a full-blown liar was absolutely dumb! Then, while expecting The President to cut thru the absurdity, "Joe" has an awkward moment and he is skewered (thx to the camera-person), which is capitalized on by "the media". Did we defend our President in this relatively untenable debate moment? Hell no! What do we do? We throw President Joe, right under the bus. We cry tears.. poor Joe, he's failing.. poor Joe, he's so old, etc etc. Didn't WE. Yeah, we gave it away. What that did was to further enable the MAGA-trouncing of the Biden presidency. Didn't it? Yeah.. we're stupid.
No. That was not just an "awkward moment" and Biden was headed for a resounding loss. Granted, Trump gets a pass for obvious mental problems, both long-standing and those more age-related, but let's not pretend Biden was up to a campaign or 4 more years of service.
Agree NanceeM, so what were we waiting for...(?) a "Debate" with numb-skull to illustrate that point? Almost looks like it. If I asked you how would we have handled things with "Joe" had there not been that debate-debacle? What did "We" have planned? From what I see, WE had no plan. WE jusrt took advantage of a really sad opportunity to throw a man under the bus, whose administration had bailed our miserable butt out of a wasted 4 years under #45. we're shooting from the hip. Losing is not an option - agreed! But, numb-skull is running the table right out from under us. VP Kamala Harris is my girl, but her advisory committee is a bunch of libtards... IMHO. We could lose this.
It is not possible to have a truly functional democracy unless you have an educated electorate. Yes, we could blame the people for being “dumb and stupid”but actually it is our education system that is the root cause of this situation. The American educational system was designed to turn out compliant workers, not individuals who can evaluate complex situations with a background in critical thinking. Those that owned the factories and hired the workforce did not want highly educated independent minded workers, they wanted people who are trainable and compliant.
Compared to the educational systems in Europe our schools come in at virtually last place. Most High School graduates hardly know where other countries are located on the map or anything about the important philosophers or great thinkers. They only vaguely know who Hitler is and what he has done. Ask them who is Nikita Kruschev or where is Belgium located and you will get a blank look. So if we want a functional government, we should emulate the school systems of more advanced countries such as Finland where teachers are paid good salaries and are honored members of the society.
Anti-Intellectualism is Deeply Ingrained in the American Psyche... Professors are 'Kooks', and many People take Pride from showing up the 'Experts'... With the Rise of Tech Culture, and Globalization, many People have become Angry at being Left Behind... They Yearn for a return to 'Happy Days' where everything can be fixed with Hammers, Screwdrivers, Guns, Fists, and a 'Conformist MonoCulture'....
Mary Ann, you are right about the lying. Republicans have decided that lying is the best way to get the power and money they desperately want to feed their addictions to both. They will lie and set up lies like Trump pretending to work at McDonalds. It is so clear that Trump has never worked a day in his life that he actually thought he was working at the McDonalds when it was all a show, just like "The Apprentice" a fraud which the producers of the fake show have finally admitted. Nothing about Trump is honest, not what he says, not what he does, not who he associates with, nothing and it worsens as his dementia deepens. We do not need "mini-me Vance" as Vice President or, God forbid, President. Yale should be ashamed graduating from law school someone who lies, insults, and hates as much as Vance does; what are you teaching up there in Connecticut?
We have seen it before and we have seen the outcomes. It seems to occur when discontent, unmitigated propaganda, and great extremes extremes of financial power summon the worst in our human nature.
Who needs Elon Musk's millions when you've got Jill Stein's minions? More perverse than MAGA, who actually win power for themselves - such as the Supreme Court. Stein sits pretty on her Putin patronage and Wall Street investments, while her self indulgence does irreparable harm to our most vulnerable neighbors, besieged democracy, and fragile planet.
There is something particularly repugnant about Stein feeding her ego on the despair and rage of those desperate over Netanyahu's ravaging of Gaza and Lebanon. Something like a vampire needing the blood of the vulnerable to keep alive.
"Her bid can feel precision-engineered to damage Ms. Harris with key subgroups: young voters appalled by the United States’ support for Israel; former supporters of Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaigns who feel abandoned by Democrats; Arab American and Muslim voters, especially in Michigan, where fury at Ms. Harris and President Biden has been conspicuous for months ... We are not in a position to win the White House,” another speaker, Kshama Sawant, a former member of the Seattle City Council, told a crowd of about 100 inside an Arab American cultural center. “But we do have a real opportunity to win something historic. We could deny Kamala Harris the state of Michigan.”
Agreed. This is blinkered idealism on the part of the Muslim voters who are being deceived, misled and used. Stein is ruthlessly exploiting those voters for the gratification of her own ego and the spectacle is revolting.
Watch how fast the orange traitor would ship Muslims back to "..wherever they came from." Did they not learn from his first attempt to deny them entry to the U.S.? Wake up people.
How to end the incessant proliferation of dirty politics…political ads can only state the voting record,future plan, and accomplishments of the candidate, end Citizens United, codify Voting Laws/Abortion Rights…we truly do NOT know what all goes on ‘behind the scenes’ ( that’s probably good). But what is right before our eyes is manipulation , lying, and out n out illegal…freedom of speech does NOT a mean you can bombard the public with lie after lie after lie….and yet….right before our very eyes IT.IS.HAPPENING.
Exactly. Turn the state over to Trump/Vance and effectively, turn it over to fascists. If Arab/Americans think things for them will be better under Trump/Vance then they have not been doing their homework. smfh
Now is the time to put politics aside. Democracy is on the line. If they think giving Michigan to Trump is the way to help their cause, they are mistaken. This will forever be burned in my mind, and I will not forgive or forget.
Let's not "cut off our nose to spite ones face". You wanna elect numb-skull? Then what? You need to STFU and get this Harris/Waltz ship fully into port where all the players are sitting. You blow this bastard up out here on the high seas and you might as well give Assad a call. A broom whose straws are scattered cannot sweep. Settle down!
I found it hilarious when I first saw it back in the late 90s- early 2000 bc it seemed so ridiculous compared to how life was at the time I watched it...if I were watching it for the first time now, I'd just be horrified...as it is too close to reality to be funny.
Yes! And when Dr. Richardson reminded me of how Biden was in the midst of negotiating massive prisoner swaps while negotiating a cold and a debate (in which I think he was sandbagged by CNN) and how he was excoriated by media and members of his own party I became enraged all over again. In addition to cultish behavior, this country is dealing with contempt for decency, empathy, actual accomplishments and competence on so many levels. Part of me believes that America didn't/doesn't deserve Joe Biden. I need to stop before I start a rant on the perfidy of the media and its contribution to all of the above..
Kerry, I agree with you completely. I've watched for over eight years as lazy, ignorant Americans blunder through their political decisions, and I have come to the undeniable conclusion that anyone who is willing to support Trump is dangerously stupid. One doesn't have to understand the machinations of government to grasp that, no matter whether "The Art of the Deal" is a fable or accurately depicts Trump's "expertise" he has no moral compass, and his narcissism and stupidity should disqualify him from holding any public office. Add to this his derangement and glaring dementia, and it is incomprehensible that anyone thinks that he is capable of being President. Our country faces worse threats because of Trump and his sycophants and the foreign powers and uber-wealthy who are foisting him on this country while a large percentage of our population applaud, wearing their ridiculous MAGA caps.
This is absolutely true. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a brief essay of about one page while imprisoned by the Nazis on human stupidity. I highly recommend it.
I like this bit: “ The fact that the stupid person is often stubborn must not blind us to the fact that he is not independent. In conversation with him, one virtually feels that one is dealing not at all with a person, but with slogans, catchwords and the like that have taken possession of him. . .Having thus become a mindless tool, the stupid person will also be capable of any evil and at the same time incapable of seeing that it is evil.”
There are "honest expressions of incredulity about the rampant stupidity" but the media is ..... I don't know what's happened there. Basically they aren't "reporters" in the original sense of reporting actual news, they are just mouthpieces for their various tv and radio stations, run by rethuglicans. There are MANY of us who have been screaming about the lunacy of the rethuglican party and how low they have sunk. Give us 8-10 more days before you write all of us off. Many of us understand how this willl affect the whole world.
For those of us in the US who understand how incredibly dangerous 45 is, it is keeping us up at night. It is terrifying that those who back him will be in charge. One of my lifetime friends threatened to kill me because I refuse to agree with his insane ideas and vote for the monster. The division is damaging families, friends and co-workers, in addition to terrifying and dividing the populace. This is a nightmare, and unless Harris wins, it will be a very long one.
Understandable. I’m not trying to get anybody’s vote or sell anything to anybody. I’m not trying to win a popularity contest or impress people. I’m too damn old to care what anyone thinks about me. I’m just calling a spade a spade.
I'm horrified watching from Germany and the Netherlands as well. When the narcissistic billionaire tech bros take over the US and end its democracy, I don't think democracy here in Europe will hold out long. Putin will take his chance, knowing he will be backed by his fan boys, and it could well be we'll be fighting not only Russian, but also American soldiers here on European soil in WW III...
I agree with you Steve, I'm afraid the American people will only be able to save their democracy with an armed insurrection: the Supreme Court will simply put their candidate of choice, be it Trump (if he can still speak until then) or Vance, in the president's seat, regardless of the election results. They have done it before, and you can be sure as hell they are bought and sold to do it again.
It saddens me to know that many Americans don't even know what's at stake here, and even cheer on the wannabe-dictators...
In my imagination, an armed insurrection will be quashed by a biden/harris administration because they do follow the law. Maybe they can hide behind the new immunity they have courtesy of the Supreme Court to slow a response down, but it's up to us voters. Also, in spite of all evidence to the contrary, I retain hope that Harris/Walz will win in a landslide.
Well, I meant the other way around: that the Americans who want to combat fascism have to resort to an armed insurrection, because it is very likely that SCOTUS will simply ignore the fact that Harris won the elections and install Vance in the White House.
If, however, they don't dare do so, and Harris becomes president, I don't know if the MAGAts are honestly up to an armed insurrection. Harris would be right to strike that one down, but she won't be immune - remember that SCOTUS reserves the right to determine the conditions under which this immunity applies.
It seems to me that, as a lawyer, she can reason that the SCOTUS is, itself, a risk to the country, and she can put the "bad" judges in a Guantanamo corner along with other Taliban members who happen to not be Christian. If, after that, replacement SC judges say she can't do that, she can apologize and ship them to Moscow.
I’ve know what’s at stake for years. I’ve often wished for a political version of “The Day After Tomorrow” movie could be made to show America’s first 50 years after another extremist Republican wins the Presidency (regardless of Trump).
What I think will happen:
Economy:
Our economy will gradually get worse FIRST due to one-sided enrichment of the wealthy elites & their corporations (we know this because of Reaganomics/Trickle-down economics).
Once illegal immigrants (and very likely legal but brown immigrants) are rounded up and deported en masse, many labor jobs will lack skilled and unskilled workers. Many companies will end up closing down and others will be forced to pay higher wages, which will rapidly drive up costs.
After that, when abortion, no matter the circumstances, is banned nationwide, more women will start having more trouble staying in school or getting and keeping jobs. This will affect how employers choose their employees, since hiring women of childbearing age will become more risky due to potential pregnancy complications and other factors.
Either at the same time or some time afterward, some or all contraceptives will be banned. Huge numbers of women will be forced out of the workforce because they can’t control when or how often they become pregnant and day care is barely affordable for one child, let alone more than one. Men will pick up some of the jobs women leave because they’ll likely need multiple jobs to afford all their unplanned children. But there will still be a huge gap in the workforce. This will force a lot of businesses to close down.
Social Changes:
Women will become dependent upon their fathers, brothers, and husbands for support because most won’t be employable due to inability to control pregnancies and due to religious censure of women in roles they do not want them to have.
Women won’t be able to live their dreams.
They will learn to become manipulative as a form of survival. If men think women are already manipulative, just wait.
Women will be forced to marry their rapists, men they don’t care for, and remain in abusive situations at home or in the workplace (if they can work outside the home).
Education for the masses will be limited for most and higher education only allowed for the wealthy and for groups of people and others with permission.
Crime will increase drastically because people won’t be able to afford the things they need and the lack of education will exacerbate it. People will band together in organized crime groups.
Global
America has long been in a linchpin position, helping keep other countries economies stable and helping keep our allies safe from predatory countries like Russia & China. With America no longer able to do either, other countries economies will fail and weaken, leaving them vulnerable to internal violence & disorder and external threats. Bonds between other nations will fail and they will eventually fall like dominoes.
Climate
Climate disasters will kill millions since climate change will progress unchecked and the U.S. Government will not help its citizens. Big Corporations who want stability will become like feudal overlords and provide housing and protection in order to have some stability in trained workforce.
I’m sure there is so much more, but I don’t have the time.
Economy: deporting millions of immigrants will take billions of federal dollars to transport, feed and place in holding camps, and for how long, before they starve them to death. Immigrants contribute billions to our economy. Say bye bye to those billions. Children will be used as labor.
Social Changes: hospital nurses are predominantly female. Given the changes, there will be fewer nurses to take care of the population. Hospitals will close beds.
Yes, those definitely deserve to be highlighted - particularly the nurse shortage. We’re experiencing one now. Nowhere is it more obvious than on long term care facilities like nursing homes.
You sound as if you might know what COVERTURE is…it is what has prevented women from being full citizens,ugly head since before the constitution (that’s right, BEFORE). COVERTURE means the woman is covered by the man. She is invisible in so many ways—I have a collection of the ways that it is still here, it’s ugly head visible if you understand it, it’s really about power. The abortion discussion is only a small part of it. How long did it take for the women in Afghanistan to become muted? Lose jobs? Education? Lose all rights? This it can’t happen here? The history of COVERTURE tells us that it can. Yes it can. You are t
Willing part of the story of COVERTURE without knowing the name. Now you can please continue your research into COVERTURE.”
I agree....if democracy in the US goes, democracy in Europe will go. I think the world knows it and is watching to see the direction the winds blow. In essence, this is probably not just about freedoms for us as it is about freedom for the world. If Trump wins...world chaos wins.
I sincerely hope American boys will never be fighting against European boys and that enough Americans are aware of the stakes to prevent them. I'm sure Mexico and Canada are very concerned being our closest neighbors.
I sincerely hope so, too, but God Emperor Trump, Witch King Vance and Darth Musk will, when they come to power, be ordering the US military to help their friend and idol, the Sauron in the Kremlin, when he invades Europe. The question is, will the US military simply follow their orders, or will they refuse and say "'til here and NO further!"
Look to Russia to see how long it takes. Putin's propaganda machine has been in full force for years, using the tactics that Trump and the Republicans are now using to align masses of voters. People have stopped trying and the rest are unwitting or bought off fans. Their country and the countries of others are telling in regard to the question, what do people do when they realize what they've done? A few try to stop it, and they die trying. Then we become a lackadaisical people without power who realize voting makes no difference, unless, of course, you are told or paid to vote for a candidate (like Musk is now trying); then you show up and punch the card against you own interests. That is what history shows us happens for years and years and years in almost all situations and there will be no USA military who tries to stop it.
I believe Germany was what 12-14 years under Hitler’s Holocaust Regime… thanks Dee 🫶…I wish more people could read Substack , the many writers truth/facts/testament. I share from WV ..suspect their numbers voting in 2020 (66%) for the Coup et al reflects the prominent Republican complicit chaos accurately.
I still hope for a needed BLUE TSUNAMI which I projected with hope ..America has always shown resilience through catastrophic happenings. Some stats given (appallingly little coverage) at news levels -by a growing number of buy outs of minority ‘the rich’ intend to kill democracy.
I applaud those standing in swelling numbers telling the truth..the plot long and well orchestrated.
Substack needs more publicity , the eloquence written and provided educated commentary , is amazing🫶, many have forgotten, many never knew, many have been bought. What price a person’s soul worth ..the price for a puppet..🤦♀️
The right to Lie is very important to politicians. Equal time for a rebuttal is not. Reagan killed off rebuttal opportunity. Does anyone care if Trump’s commercials are 80% lies and distortions?
I tried googling that question; my guess is that there is a glitch within the IOS system, especially if it is more than a few updated versions old. This is a WAG, however.
If you are horrified from France you really don't want to be living about 40 miles from the White House. I can't believe he's still in this race. He's the worst I've ever witnessed...by a LOT.
I agree, at this point Trump is just a husk of himself, a tool. The cynicism and arrogance of the leaders on the right is terrifying. They aren’t even trying to hide it anymore.
TFG, Vance, the MAGA Mob…they’ve all been put in place, they’re puppets, by greedy puppeteers. It won’t be pretty, an internal coup that will turn on itself very shortly .
Democracy takes a VERY LONG TIME to pick up the pieces.
Napoleon's 18th Brumaire coup... Hitler's Night of the Long Knives, Stalin's show trials and murder of Trotsky, purging the Party of all the old Bolsheviks who had made the revolution... and anyone whose ability and popularity might rival his power.
So much so that he'd beheaded the High Command before Hitler's Blitzkrieg invasion...
Agreed: it is so obvious that Elon Musk and Peter Thiel have offered Trump a deal. Trump doesn’t want to work. He never wanted to do the job of being a president. He’s so exhausted and out of his mind the only thing he wants is money and not to be thrown in jail. They probably said will give you your own brand new plane. Just kindly turn over the keys to JD Vance in two weeks, after you have the fancy parties. Everybody was worried about Leonard Leo and the Koch brothers. It turns out it was the Tech Bros.
And I am in that distance from the White House and a senior citizen wondering where all the truly illiterate people are who at the instructions of the lying campaign of Trump and worse Vance are being thrust on us as a legitimate choice. Those of us with children and grand children wonder what will happen to them most of all
I think the only parts of a farm bill that Trump understands is the one that keeps insuring a steady stream of red meat beef burgers shoved down his gullet in mass every day insuring massive expansion of his underwear and an untimely passing and my candles are lit on this account.
I voted absentee. I donated money. I will now sit at a table on the avenue in front of the White House dispensing my book and singing my songs for 3 days leading to Election Day. Yes I will join the other crazies there and know that I have done everything I could to help save American democracy.
I'm glad you will be there. I've mailed my postcards and letters to voters in swing states, made a zillion small donations up and down state and federal tickets and proudly wear my Harris hat, my Chucks and my pearls as a talisman. To paraphrase Bette Davis - fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy two-weeks.
Lauriemcf, I too am wearing my pearls everyday, in honor of KH. Sometimes I feel like I should be going to the country club, instead of the supermarket, but pearls, like diamonds, go with everything!
According to Arnold Palmer’s daughter, Palmer detested Trump and was disgusted with Trump as head of the party Palmer always supported. Trump won’t last long as President because it’s likely he has PSP or a similar brain disorder, and his cabinet would oust him under the 25th Amendment. Neither Trump or Vance are appropriate candidates:
Musk is engaging in blatantly illegal conduct by paying PA voters, and what adds insult to injury is that Musk, who pays a pittance in income tax compared to his income, has managed to make a fortune out of funding by the Federal Government he wants to destroy.
Spot on!! Unfortunately people continue to purchase Teslas which gives him the resources needed to spew his hatred. If people boycotted Teslas, driving Tesla out of business, that would shut Elon up and drive him back to whatever cave he came from.
Most Tesla owners are upside down in cost as the cars/ truck have lost value. Musks income sources are Starlink and Space X, and the government who have turned over space management to them. Nationalize ’em. This is what happens when functions previously run by government are privatized, and there are many more in the Project 2025 pipeline.
I just find myself arguing each position. But then I realize how Ayn Rand, and libertarianism molded my thinking. I think I was 15 when I abandoned it. 😂
Maureen, we are doing just exactly that despite Tesla still maintaining its lead over the rest of the industry in battery technology! We are voting with our feet!
Any person who shall, directly or indirectly, give or promise or offer to give any gift or reward in money, goods or other valuable thing to any person, with intent to induce him to vote or refrain from voting for any particular candidate or candidates or for or against any constitutional amendment or other question at any primary or election; or who shall, directly or indirectly, procure for or offer or promise to procure for such person any such gift or reward with the intent aforesaid; or, who with the intent to influence or intimidate such person to give his vote or to refrain from giving his vote for any particular candidate or candidates or for or against any constitutional amendment or other question at any primary or election, shall give to or obtain for or assist in obtaining for or offer or promise to give to or obtain for or assist in obtaining for such person any office, place, appointment or employment, public or private, or threaten such person with dismissal or discharge from any office, place, appointment or employment, public or private, then held by him, shall be guilty of a felony of the third degree, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be sentenced to pay a fine not exceeding fifteen thousand ($15,000) dollars, or to undergo an imprisonment of not more than seven (7) years, or both, in the discretion of the court.
The big question is are more Americans decent or indecent. I have always believed the latter until now as I learn more about Christian Nationalism and the newer branch The New Apostolic Reformation and their wishes to take over the Country, as I read Project 2025 in a Democrats Abroad Book Club. The Heritage Foundation is run by Christian Nationalists, and by virtue of what they are proposing and believe should certainly not be given tax exempt status. The question is how many Americans are either CNs, or White Supremacists or in the space where they overlap? And, why are so many Young men of Color admiring Trump? I have heard it said, because he gets away with things, called "getting over," and that is to be admired and emulated. For most that would mean prison.
Kevin Roberts is a Catholic, as am I, but I don’t have much in common with him as he’s forgotten the obligation to help the needy, feed the hungry, and to clothe people in need of clothing. His policies will only make many more people needy, even as the plutocrats’ fortunes swell.
Are you a Christian Nationalist because he is. That means more Opus Dei like Catholic. CNs believe a certain set of beliefs. Here is what Andra Watkins had to say about it to Democrats Abroad in a zoom webinar on Sunday. It is long, but this explains the difference.
Totally! The icing on the cake with that misnomer is that they believe absolutely everyone who does not think like they do are practicing witchcraft from Evangelical Christians who are not CN, to Muslims, Atheists, Secularists, (not Jews though) and are beasts. We women are Jezebels, and should certainly not lead. So, since they have a region that proselytizes that people should vote for Trump because God says so. How are they allowed to get away with tax exempt status?
As for being Jewish. It is not necessarily a pass. Israel is more important to them than the Jews, but many believe that being the chosen people God will offer them the opportunity when He takes CNs to Heaven with Him, that they can convert and become CN and will be taken with him too. How is that for twisted religious thinking.
The sexists, racists, and hypocrites are as twisted as the most complex labyrinths, - or pretzels. It’s propaganda which is the direct opposite of reason and truth.
Jesus and his family were political refugees – that is the Christmas story; the former president rejects refugees.
Jesus stood for helping the stranger; the former president rejects them. Jesus was about challenging the power structure; the GOP nominee lusts after it.
Jesus stood for the disenfranchised and deviant; the GOP hates them.
Jesus stood for helping the poor and disabled; the GOP is about mocking and making life even more difficult for them.
Jesus called on us to sacrifice; Trump is all about consumption instead.
Jesus fed the hungry; Trump would starve them.
Trump and his party are all about conformity; Jesus, who consorted with tax-collectors and prostitutes, is all about the disenfranchised and the deviant.
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees as hungry for gain and as hypocrites; Trump embodies the same hypocrisy and selling of religion.
Trump says “pick up your guns”; Jesus says put away your sword.
Trump and his party persecute the sexually different; his apostles welcomed them into the fold, as in the case of Philip and the eunuch.
Is the former GOP president the Anti-Christ? No. But he and is party are as anti-Christian as anything that can be imagined.
Because if Caesar is right, then Jesus is wrong. If guns are right, then Jesus is wrong. If supporting power and laying the weak by the heal is right, then Satan and Trump are right, and Jesus is wrong.
I have no idea what scripture the GOP reads. I’ve had the good fortune to pour over it in Greek and publish books on Jesus’ radicalism. Jesus was a wildly radical Jewish heretic.
The GOP? Intellectually and morally sloven and shabby. Like their candidate for president.
This is not about making sense. If CNs were so logical they would not be voting en mass for Trump. Here is a video of Andra Watkins, expert on CN who talked to Democrats Abroad on Sunday. https://youtu.be/fc6FRXIY7cU?si=P6gy02RDJ9VoQnst
While your points are valid..is there any truth to ‘their claims/stories’little I hear including the poll BS is anything , self admitted lies. The ends are self evident from every autocracy some newer ones are just in the beginning stages but it’s downhill for the average guy..be it that there WAY more of us than them…we might need to band together and become as self sufficient as possible…sounds like what a bunch of us did in the late 60’s ..it ain’t easy . At 81 the road is even tougher.
I think it was a huge disservice to democracy when Lincoln's birthday was unceremoniously dropped as a national holiday. That's only part of the problem, but the contrast of Lincoln's values contrasted with the "GOP" today would be stark if we bothered to look at them. We did so in my youth, if only in a superficial way, in recognition of holiday. We desperately need the better angels of our nature.
Steve, excellent comment! You captured my thoughts exactly—thank you. Vance is their ace in the hole. Trump may be the figurehead for his cultists, but Vance is their real player, ready to follow orders like any paid sycophant. If they get elected, Americans will fully deserve the consequences. The ignorance and stupidity of Trump supporters is beyond comprehension. After speaking with some of them, it’s clear their reasons for supporting Trump are just hollow rationalizations built on pure nonsense.
Vote, don't vomit. We the people are going to do Moscow Mitch's job for him in a couple of weeks. More votes, less vomit. Today is my birthday, as it is first day voting. Like President Harris, I'm Libra. We are in good hands with Kamala Harris.
Happy Birthday Jim. Stay the positive regardless of all the noise there’s a TREMENDOUS movement happening colored BLUE , it’s far more silent than most wish, but surprises often are. I am still holding my flag , committed to doing the most I can from poverty level subsistence, and will vote. BLUE IT IS!
So true. It has been apparent for some time that the Republican plan is too get Trump elected at any cost and dump him as soon as he has taken the oath. The so-called technocrats led by Thiel and Musk are the public face of them and the project 25 group buying off America for their personal empire which they will run autocratically. Vance is their true puppet.
I hope the Democrats have a plan to thwart this but I am increasingly anxious that they believe they can overcome this by traditional electioneering and throwing even more money at the media. The amount of money spent so far is also beyond obscene!
Many of us are outraged by the rantings but the reality is that Trump is the best candidate for the usurped Republican Party as he will be easily jettisoned once they have outwitted their Democratic opponents. If ever I wanted to be wrong this is the time...
Me too Steve…but even more concerning is the numbers of people that have and still WILL overlook all of this -the LIES, the ‘weave’ , obvious cognitive failure, lack of justice, the coup ongoing, the threat of what if he becomes President ‘and will STILL vote for him…especially here in WV…. The MAGA Coup: America Set-up.
It really is a curious thing. I subscribe to Ruth BenGhait ‘Lucid’ too, and she says this is how it’s done..the autocratic movement/backers/puppets. Such a slow insidious plan.
I find it oddly fascinating, and somewhat surprising.
I look back upon my life (struggled) that had little time to pay attention to the particulars , my ‘guy’ didn’t always win either and why he didn’t becomes more clear. The rich have little clue what the majority endure. The middle bracket is wiped out..it follows their plan.The majority of us DO struggle , family, jobs, problems, immaturity, mistakes, let alone sone traumatic times, and I with four college years are a minority in a woman’s world -changed not to long ago I believe …said/says so much. Education is key. That whole ballgame is under siege and we know why.
Will America rally forth that unite and bind together is in question.
I’m talking/replying to myself…this is not new folks LOL! Just me again today….IT IS NOT TRUMP THATS THE PROBLEM….he is just a pon , the con used for perfect distraction . In the meantime the backers , the plotting of the oligarchs , same old hidden story, collude to pitch the division , focus on , while the underground moves its players into position for the final thrust. Corporate America is an integral piece but still not the kingpins. Most of them stay very silent out of the limelight..a few boisterous and blather , are obvious.
Still we can win this IF WE JOIN HANDS , UNITE.
VOTE BLUE.STOP THIS COUP…and got to keep it up for 3-4 election cycles…you know who they are
" If political society is to enable flourishing lives, then we need a political and economic system that can provide that kind of stability. This requires more than mere rhetoric. If we fail, Leviathan is waiting in the wings”
Jennifer M Mortonis ( Presidential Penn Compact Professor of Philosophy, with a secondary appointment at the Graduate School of Education, at the University of Pennsylvania.)
For an in depth discussion on a ground breaking “political and economic system that can provide that stability," check out the Crisis and Transition Substack https://crisistransition.substack.com/. You will likely wnat to subscribe.
Thiel (German born), and Musk (South African Born), are not eligible to be President but they are the most dangerous supporters of the supposed puppet and backup puppet they think they can use to warp America to their wishes. I am a bit in doubt as to which they really most want, which appears to be Vance since even Putin has given up hope of Trump being able to do much more than get elected to let Vance takeover.
If the corporate media, calls out Trump's mental incapacity with the same fervor they did with Biden in July and even now, Trump will most certainly lose. This includes FOX which isn't a news service but if they act like on for the next 3 weeks instead of an RNC propaganda outlet, Trump will lose. And so will the rich Republican Senate candidates.
We need to do what we can to shame them into it because they are in love with the $$$$.
Hardly “guns blazing”, but better than before. Print and electronic media need to call Trump out as a liar, a cheat, and unfit for any elected (or unelected) office. We fired him once for incompetence, ineptitude, and inability, why would we hire him again? But I’m singing to the choir on this page.
They are not saying out loud but I am certain that they all see Vance taking over and he is as rotten as tRump and would deliver exactly what they want.
Vance is absolutely as rotten. I have to wonder, though, if Vance would exhibit the same desire for revenge and retribution, including imprisoning Trump's enemies, if he takes over the helm.
Though more intelligent, Vance is little better than Trump. “Now comes J.D. Vance. The circumstances of “Hillbilly Elegy” (Vance, 2016) could not be more unlike the real estate empire in which Trump was raised. But the isolation is similarly profound and, in spite of great differences in family background, it similarly grows into alienation, othering of opponents, valuing of aggression, and consequent danger.” Edwin B. Fisher, Ph.D. From “The More Dangerous Case of Donald Trump” edited by Bandy Lee, MD, MDIV
They're not. CBS Morning mentioned it as a footnote. Instead they focused on the staged McDonald's gambit with Trump serving French fries, saying he liked and could do the job (he really wasn't and only did what he did do, which was serving French fries without taking money or making change) for ONLY 15 minutes!
If we lose this race, the nation will be run by Vance as a figurehead. Thiel, Musk and assorted other oligarchs will turn this country upside down. And for jollys, they will put Miller in charge of Homeland Security. We will have installed a complete Kleptocracy with racism and misogyny at its core.
Absolutely! Thiel, Musk, et al will throw money at the Orange Guy and he’ll gladly bail. That’s why we cannot have anything besides a resounding Harris victory.
None of us is perfect, but … it takes a pedant to ensure that contributors to public fora—such as Professor Richardson’s “Letters From an American”—are toeing the line. You feel me? 🤨
It's not just an "incapacitated" candidate for president, as Heather writes here.
Nor is it the "crickets," as Heather adds at the end, by which his party fawns over his lies, madness, and meandering, self-indulging vulgarities.
It's a mass, industrial-scale rape we scarcely see or can admit.
The tens of million working class Americans who lost their jobs to offshoring – beginning around 1980 – suffered that rape in silence. They could see media and political elites paying no attention to their suffering: gratis approval for the corporate and banking elites profiting by the mass offshoring.
They stewed in silence, U.S. abandoned working classes. But what galled them more was seeing what their kids got in schools.
The Powell memo was 1971. The Heritage Foundation amped up in 1973. ALEC, that far-right lobbying agency for all U.S. state legislatures and the U.S. Congress, began in 1974. The Hoover institution joined them through the 1970s to lay the groundwork – get one thing done – before the offshoring (the systematized rape).
That one thing was not only to void humanities in schools, but also to recast thinking so all would be not only dehumanized, but also additionally numb.
Two prongs of standardized testing did the numbing. 1), emphasizing categories, reducing life to abstractions and to groups. 2), equal emphasis on the linear, also reducing life to units all in a row.
Reduction to categorical and linear thinking guarantees human loneliness. Nothing personal anywhere. All abandon the human. Add units to your life of opioids ingested. Add units to your life of hours spent on social media.
Damage to U.S. schools was done by 1980 – pie then for our billionaires to finish their rape of America. An accepted mass rape whose other symptoms merely include the lying, meandering orange felon.
“So long as they (the Proles) continued to work and breed, their other activities were without importance. Left to themselves, like cattle turned loose upon the plains of Argentina, they had reverted to a style of life that appeared to be natural to them, a sort of ancestral pattern...Heavy physical work, the care of home and children, petty quarrels with neighbors, films, football, beer and above all, gambling filled up the horizon of their minds. To keep them in control was not difficult.”
Of course, you know, Heather, that Orwell abhorred the stereotyping he lampoons here.
"Politics and the English Language" remains his testament to how we all can avoid falling into the black hole and blinding helplessness of stereotyping.
True. He was speaking from the Big Brother point of view here, where using stereotyping top-down and between the proletariats worked so well to subjugate them.
They were doing it openly even at the depths of Subprime Crisis unemployment, but anything to help workers, updated minimum wage, or worker protections, is labeled "job killing". Any help for those who struggle labeled "moral hazard".
I have thought that the manipulation of the education system has resulted in a deliberate dumbing down of the electorate. Thanks for a (dispiriting but useful) elucidation of the process.
It is not the dumbing down of the education system, but rather the dumbing down of popular media from newspapers to television, but mostly television just as Edward R. Murrow predicted. The totality of our popular media and popular entertainment has become little more than bread and circuses.
I think that one of the things that has also happened is that we have ways of assessing information (through various media and mediums) that is done in very short bits (less than 30 seconds) at a very rapid pace. This takes place with both sound and vision, with th sound at a loud volume and the visual images cycling rapidly. There is a fellow* who has done research on the correlation of video games to changes in brain activity whose theory is that because of the relationship to the optic nerves location and path to the brain, the rapid feed of visual information (often accompanied with sound) has fundamentally changed brain activity. His focus was on violent video games, and where I noticed it in my own life was in the late 1990's when the opening lede for the NFL Monday Night Football game went to rapid images with loud music (still Hank Williams Junior, but instead of 10 second images they were cut to about 1 second). I couldn't watch.
I also note (not empirically, but self-observation) that attention spans have changed with the advent of instant access to just about anything, via our smart phones or computers. Gone are the days of "looking it up" to see just when a president was elected, or what years are considered to be the time mark for the Vietnam War; I just punch in the query and am immediately rewarded with numerous sources, some of them suspect.
* Said "fellow" is Lt. Col. David Grosman, also the guru of the "warrior mentality" component of law enforcement. He paid his kids handsomely not to let his grandchildren watch videos or play video games until they were at least 10 (per his self-report.) A lot of what this guy teaches/preaches is spot on, but where the next generation of trainers has taken it is beyond what it should be (in my somewhat educated and not very humble opinion.)
Ally, your comment is brilliant. Spot on. And unusual -- you have shown yourself to be a sharp observer, able to detect patterns that escape most of us. I guess your professional training must have helped develop this ability.
A long, long time ago, even before he moved from watching films analytically to taking part in making documentaries, my son was horrified by this vicious, aggressive cutting, typical of the Japanese mangas fed to the kids in the 1970s. Pure poison, he called it. Mind poison.
Your Lt. Grossman comment triggered my NIH, National Center for Biotech Center to locate "Attention Awareness & Perception of Auditory Scenes". Use of the word "Scenes" is fascinating as a descriptor by lead Author Joel S. Snyder. PMID #22347201.
Please excuse my oversimplification but, my take is that low-level & high-level neurological processes interact with each other which great impact on the brain's 'perceptions'.
Thank you for your kind words. Yes, professional training had a LOT to do with that, plus having a front row seat to all kinds of human behavior for 30 years.
"Freedom is meaningless if you cannot count on a stable connection between the work you put in today and a good life tomorrow. But this is precisely the connection that has become severed for so many."
Richard Wolff discusses the basic madness we all inhabit today in this video:
Thanks for that link - very interesting - but I'd love to know which of the rather large collection of existential issue Richard Wolff is referring to. Loss of Empire or Global warming, or overpopulation or .....
It's how U.S. elites just totally lost touch with most American people.
Not only that, but being so out of touch has also let them trust older habits that just bear no relevance to our changed world. Thus the U.S. remains embedded in Netanyahu, for instance -- with no ability at all to manage or modify any of his actions.
Same for lack of maneuverability on the part of many of our finance and corporate elites, also wed to dictators, autocrats, and nationalists around the world for purely short-term commercial "interests."
I wish he would have seen how the schools our billionaires corrupted brought about this severance from contemporary realities, in service to some blinding categorical and linear thinking as standardized testing now inflicts on all.
From that essay: "Trump’s proposed solution is authoritarianism (as he said in 2016: ‘I, alone, can fix it’). The problem with this solution is that it ends up trading one source of insecurity – our fractured political system – for another – the whims of an individual whose principal interest is his own power rather than the wellbeing of the body politic. But even if we reject this solution as flawed, we cannot dismiss the concerns that drive many to consider it. The democratic party has a new candidate now, but it isn’t clear whether Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s policies will address the need for security and stability."
It isn't clear? Really? I find this essay to be a good bit of hogwash.
I believe in Kamala Harris' ability to bring forth to American citizens cogent arguments compelling our vote for her as our next President. I expect proper actions to be brought forth that will "lift up" all the citizens of our country.
She is interested in common sense ways to improve the lives of regular Americans.
She will listen to our input....she already knows about our struggles. She also knows about the power of family....a force to be cherished.
She wants us to find ways to build up one another...not "tear down" someone for personal gain...NOT to cheat those who are vulnerable....not to feed prejudices to gain power.
I believe she will work with world leaders to support Democracy. She will put together a group of diplomates who are intelligent and capable and experienced to encourage goodwill and support.
She will stand with Ukraine and find ways to stop Putin from advancing his plan to build back "old Russian borders" through war and violence.
I believe, where possible, she will work to maintain relationships even with our enemies for the sake of all humanity. (not a smart move to place high tariffs on goods from China...will negatively affect the purchasing power of regular US citizens)
And remember...along with the strength of Kamala's goodness and brilliance.... is the fact that she has also been a successful prosecutor.
I agree... we are indeed fortunate to have her as a candidate. I cast my ballot for her Saturday, as early voting opened in Massachusetts. (And for Elizabeth Warren).
Thank you James; Somehow, I just 'knew' you would dissect the conclusions. *edit - And by the way, I agree; I believe we're fortunate to have her and Walz. That said, I was not unhappy with Biden and didn't believe for a minute that he wasn't 'up to the task' , and still don't. I do however understand the dynamics of the decision.
Phil, to understand better the alienation and extreme mental poverty imposed on the world by these philentropists (sic) people could do worse than read Edwin A. Abbott's little book, FLATLAND, A Romance of Many Dimensions... Especially Section XIII, How I Had a Vision of Lineland... Don't be put off by a bit of lighthearted Victorian misogyny but read on to the passage in which the narrator (A Square) meets the King of the Straight Line... which Line he firmly believes to be the whole world...
Such inspiring statements by His Majesty as "The birth of children is too important a matter to have been allowed to depend upon such an accident as proximity"...
Above all, Section XIV, How I Vainly Tried to Explain the Nature of Flatland... His Majesty the King of the Straight Line's horror at the very notion of FEELING, and "what you call TOUCHING"...
The poor monarch, whose subjects are points, is radically unable to conceive of left and right. For him, to step "out of my Line" would be to step out of the world... to step "Out of Space"...
Something horribly familiar about this kingdom and its inhabitants...
Many of our greatest poets have spoken to this stepping out of line.
Joseph Brodsky. W. H. Auden. Eugenio Montale. Robert Frost. And of course more.
Poetry's first impulse is to listen for the serendipitous, the unlikely, the "loose ends" that suddenly apt connect and free us of imaginative straightjackets without our realizing it we've been wearing.
For the most vulgar of our billionaire classes, we've of course had to shut down humanities -- as more than anything our arts put in human and natural perspective what our nihilist rich aim at in their alliances with despots, autocrats, dictators, nationalists, and U.S. wannabees Trump, Vance, Thiel, Mike Johnson, Musk, Mitch McTurtleface, boy Lindsey Graham, and all the perjured of the Clarence court.
We watched Mike Johnson—-2d in line after Vance should push come to an actual shove- in a stunning interview with Jake Tapper Sunday. I could hardly breathe during and was near full cardiac arrest after. This is such a dangerous person who has slipped into immense and immediate power like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
I have been pointing out the Mike Johnson danger for some time since he's been an insidious danger from the start appearing to agree but always kissing Trumps hind end, far more dangerous in his Southern strategy from one of the most catastrophic states with so many problems at home. And the people of his district keep electing him. Exactly the Christian nationalist we should abhor.
So I'd Vance became president, would Johnson become VP? I'm still focusing my attention on Harris winning but I'm also doing what many others are doing here today of hoping for the best while preparing for the worst.
Understanding the importance of the farm bill would express an interest in governing. Choosing competent, knowledgeable leadership is an expression of an interest in governing. Convicting a President who has performed serious illegal actions against the United States is governing.
It should be quite clear to all that the former political party known as the "GOP" has become a criminal organization. Their only interest is in concentrating wealth and acquiring more power.
Failure to hold Trump, his co-conspirators, and his accessories after the fact accountable for serious criminal acts has left democracy in a weakened, and perhaps unrecoverable state in the United States. The next two weeks will determine who we are as a society.
George, In my view, the next several weeks will reveal whether the struggle for decency and dignity will be preserved well into the twenty-first century or whether indescribable forms of agony and anguish will be unleashed. Admittedly, what I value most about the LFAA community is that none of us plan passively to sit and watch and wait. Instead, I imagine each of us is playing as pivotal a role as any single individual can to preserve our cherished, albeit flawed, American experiment.
As election day draws nigh, I get increasingly 'nervous'.... it is hardly just Americans who will have to bear the brunt of a Maga takeover of American government and its international outreach.
Indeed. It wil also destroy European democracy, and fascism will rule. The biggest loser in this story, however, will be Nature. Fascists always hate environmental protection and prefer to ignore climate change.
Dutch, Contrary to what I hear and read, I believe, because Europe, collectively and for some time, has been preparing for a MAGA takeover in the States, neither the UK nor the European Union necessarily would be subjected to our fate should we fail in the struggle to preserve our democratic institutions. Frankly, I would hope their resilience would make us more inclined to put up a fight.
I certainly hope so, but I think we need America's support in this fight. And, as Frank Loomer said, we have our own problems to deal with here. In Germany, where I live, the nazis are gaining power in the east of the country. Even the Netherlands, where I come from, now has a far right administration.
Dutch, As with most struggles, the odds might not be in our favor. Still, just as that didn’t stop those who came before us, it ought not stop us either. Admittedly, I take heart from the presence of so many both here in the States and abroad who also are in this fight. It helps knowing that none of us are alone.
No, we definitely shouldn't just lay down and let the Nazi tech oligarchy take over and do what they want. But we should realise what we're up against; "never underestimate your enemy" is one of the first rules in the Art of War.
Europe has for some time been dealing with its right-wing demons, to wit Orban in Hungary, Poland is still figuring out how to purge its government from entrenched right wingers in its ranks. Look at the recent French elections which had to beat back Marine Le Pen. Macron now has put together a more right oriented executive because of a hung parliament. Italy has Giorgia Meloni . Germany struggles with right wing regional victories. Much if not all of this stems from the huge influx of emigrants from the Middle East, and Africa, originally to cover workforce shortages, but then people in flight from ISIS terrorism in Syria and terrorist intrusions in Europe itself, esp France. And of course, there has been Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Frank, I’m quite aware that far right surges abound. My point was to challenge the inevitability of a MAGA takeover in the States invariably “destroy[ing] European democracy.”
As long as it's only the little people drowning or burning, their response is likely to be like Putin's classic comment on the sinking of the nuclear submarine Kursk...
I agree, and am buoyed by the record first-day-of-voting turnouts in Georgia and North Carolina. Even in my small town in Massachusetts, Saturday's start of in-person voting showed a strong turnout. That, I've read, favors Democrats.
At this point there may be too many “R’s” who will have lost their appetite for additional chaos and confusion. For them it’s a long game anyway -so we will see. It is beyond disturbing that we won’t know if the popular vote will align with the racist foundation of the electoral college, or if there will be delay and confusion -in which the convicted felon will appeal to the courts to intercede on his behalf.
''The fact that someone on Trump’s campaign leaked to Politico that he is “exhausted” is almost certainly a sign that people down the ranks are deeply concerned about his ability to finish the campaign, let alone run the country. But party leaders continue to stand behind him, raising echoes of their staunch support during Trump’s two impeachment trials.''
Going by what I read elsewhere today, Donald Trump Junior is very much a Maga/gop actor behind the scenes, and it was he who put Vance's name into the pot re: vice president.
That same 'conversation' suggests that Vance has TrumpJunior lined up as his future VP, suggesting he knows full well that he is going to be elevated to President … and not at an election.
Is there not one of the amendments, or clauses therein regarding someone taking over a presidency due to a sitting president being unable to fulfil their term? I think I read that is the only way a person may in effect serve more than two terms, to become the incumbent after a health or accident issue of a sitting pres., and then gain the presidency in their own right.
I am probably off the mark there, but if Vance gets in for a couple plus a bit terms, (rigged no doubt) with Trump Junior right up his butt to take over after the two term limit it allows an awfully long term of maga to rewrite the constitution, if they massage the numbers, to remove the two term limit. Then they can leapfrog each other and you have the russian system of swapping scumbags in and out. A bit dystopian … but it does keep me awake during the wee small hours.
Mary L. Trump shared some very recent evidence of Donald Trump’s unfitness for office:
1. In the middle of a townhall, he stood on stage and listened as a random and very weird playlist for 39 minutes.
2. He insulted American autoworkers, claiming a child could do their jobs.
3. His supporters flew swastika and Trump 2024 flags at a boat parade in Jupiter, FL.
4. He insulted Detroit while he was in Detroit.
5. Kamala Harris reminded us that Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Trump administration said Donald was “fascist to the core.”
6. He doubled down on calling Democrats “the enemy from within.”
7. He continued to threaten to revoke CBS broadcasting license because he didn’t like the way they edited excerpts of Vice President Harris’ interview.
8. After his mic stopped working, he wandered around the stage for 20 minutes until the problem was fixed.
9. He called Pres. Biden a “fat pig,” and told Jill to slap him around.
10. He showed up for a softball interview with fellow fascist Dan Bongino and seemed to defend Harvey Weinstein, saying he’d been “schlonged.”
11. He ended that interview 30 minutes early, because he had forgotten it was streaming live.
12. He went on at length about how many guys, who saw Arnold Palmer in the shower, marveled at the size of his penis.
13. And yesterday he showed up at a McDonald’s, which was closed to customers, to “work.” It did not go well.
My son-in-law is an agrologist, working until recently, for the Canadian government. He is technical information savvy, and convinced if we don't step up long-term agricultural planning now, we will see food shortages sooner or later. He thinks that climate impact will be a very big deal.
housed hydroponics et al, here we come? in the developed economies that can afford that, that is? Whither the rest of the world where that is beyond reach and huge regions become uninhabitable for human beings, let alone our biological cousins, both near and distant?
i remember that. tba on scaling up human ingenuity in the agricultural sector. I did see a Hong Kong documentary where a biofood firm was doing just all of this and selling into the fresh produce market with considerable success.
Interesting to read that Clay Bottom Farm quotes both George Washington Carver and Elon Musk as big thinkers who influenced their approach to food production.
Well then we would need a full scale army at every border which is exactly why the GOP want that in place now, not later, because they are planning for that day. It’s not that they don’t understand global warming, they just don’t want to have to change their gluttonous lifestyles.
I waffle between the hope that the truly undecided voters will fall into the Harris camp to vote for the survival of our country and despairing of the possibility that Trump will be elected again. It is a miserable place to be. I’ve seen my doctor because I have been experiencing a number of symptoms that need to be addressed. One of the symptoms is an unrelenting headache. Maybe I don’t need a doctor for my headache. Maybe what I need is a good result on November 5th.
The several kinds of practitioners I see all agree that our bodies and our bodies health are showing up in their offices as a result of the tension we are all under about this election
so it is also up to each of us to keep our health as vigorous as possible for everything that comes before us no matter the results of the election. But isn't it helpful to consider what a victory party will look like in our neighborhoods and elsewhere? Another note for us is that the legal entities like police departments sheriff's et al are even now practicing for November 5th and beyond to keep us as safe as possible. This is re: a recent interview I read, believe it was Joyce Vance's in the last week or two, of the preparations across the country for this event with an attorney (not Marc Elias)
who works on security with all kinds of jurisdictions. Take heart - take hope.
Thank you, Dr, Richardson. The Farm Bill is one of the most important bills for all Americans - and thanks for pointing out it is SNAP not food stamps that help those in need. The school lunch program is also on the line, but over above all the food we cook and eat is totally dependent on the Farm Bill. Just because we "city dwellers" think that all food comes from the super market, doesn't make that a true statement. It is the framers and ranchers that grow and provide that food.
As to trump, at this point in time he is the stand up puppet for jd vance, who is so disliked and unpopular he couldn't win the Presidency on his own. What those who vote for trump might get - if he wins- is jd as their dictator for life. He's really the dictator Project 2025 wants.
As Democrats cover the country with solid plans, dedication, understanding and enthusiasm; Republicans lie, scare, and support incompetence…and given these choices Americans are divided 50/50. It’s STUNNING!!
Echoing unscrupulous McConnell, this is all a grab for power, ultimately by guys like Musk, with treacherous toadies like McConnell and Thomas as their proxies. It is everything the Constitution was crafted and amended to avoid.
I notice that Mitch is no where to be seen these days. No opinions about anything and Graham has gone silent. They both have so much of this horror on their shoulders because they were 2 of the primary enablers....and they both know how dangerous he really is. I know this a fantasy, but I'd love to see them come out on stage with Liz Cheney and say, "you're right...Trump should never be POTUS again or step foot in the White House. Harris is the only sane choice." But that ain't going to happen. This up to voter turnout in 6-7 states.
It's hard to believe that those two are even constitutionally capable of telling the truth in public though they might do that if it means saving their own skin somehow. But it will never be the full truth and only the truth.
WTF. “They tried to blow his head off.” Who is “they”? From all reports the attempt at assassination was one disturbed individual, but of course Graham wasn’t fact checked.
"they" is other Trump supporters but Lindsey isn't saying that part out loud. He doesn't want to bring attention to the fact that both shooters were Republicans..so he's using the generic "they" instead.
the Republicans know Trump is failing. As soon as the election is won ( god forbid) they will install Vance, and Musk and Thiel and friends will start pulling the puppet-strings. And 2025 gets implemented. It’s so simple.
I also predict that if you see Niki Haley out campaigning, she will have negotiated moving into the VP slot when JD moves into President. Sick and scary.
"Only crickets" because they are hoping to get trump in office, and then the plan is to "buy" him off (easy to do) and install Vance asap. Vance will be even worse! He is evil. t is only the vehicle to get a true extremist in the White House!!! Why isn't anyone talking about this?!
Quite clearly the American dream has gotten entangled with corporate capitalism that sells the dream, completely ignoring that a dream cannot be sold in reality except to people who wish to believe that it can. Thereby lies enormous ignorance with all that follows such as teach to the test so you can later buy the dream in all your ignorance, such as a kind of devolvement into tribal warring factions vying for the political pie, such as twisting the Constitution to your own benefit, and on and on. Seems the ongoing need for healers of the mind and emotions will be a huge job development very shortly if not now.
One quick observation before I finish today's letter. Trump has a felony on his record, he could not be considered for a job at McDonalds or anywhere except if elected President but he's not mentally stable enough for that job.
Thank you so much for this Professor Richardson.
I am horrified by all of this as I watch from a distance in France. It is increasingly clear that the GOP is holding out now for the Vance, not Trump presidency, in which Thiel and Musk and other bad actors will make the US government in their image. I am wondering increasingly if the US citizenry will tolerate this without armed insurrection. A revolution is being foisted on them without a broad consensus (and many who support it are doing so out of profound ignorance and moral sloppiness).
If the Constitution and rule of law by a deranged psychopath and his retinue of sociopaths is visited on the US, one would think that all bets are simply off. The GOP will have committed an act of secession in removing the United States from its very self, essence, and spirit. And hell, Musk is not even a native born citizen - he should be nowhere in our government (apart from the simple fact that he's a deranged monster and racist).
Arnold Palmer? Eating cats and dogs? Working a fryer at McDonald's? When I think of the tradition of a Jefferson, a Lincoln, an FDR . . . I could vomit.
I'm watching from Catalonia. What we never read or hear are the honest expressions of incredulity about the rampant stupidity of vast segment of the electorate. Nobody wants to call a spade a spade. But unfortunately, it is true. This is what America has come to. Not just a rightward lurch. But a cultish lunacy.
I also blamed the attraction to Trump on the stupidity of the American people until I have recently allowed myself to endure script written by MAGA on various social media platforms. They call those who support the Harris/Walz ticket “stupid”, they “can’t endure four more years of the same”, they believe that votes for Harris simply reflect our dislike for Trump (“after all, he’s not meant to be our best friend “), and they are baffled at the fact that half of Americans support Harris. What they don’t seem to say (at least out loud) is any acknowledgment of Trump’s rapid mental decline or the fact that a Trump presidency actually means a Vance presidency.
For all of this, I hold the media accountable for their corruption, manipulation and lies to the American people who are too lazy (and stupid) to read and educate themselves and instead rely on television. Most don’t read newspapers; most don’t read at all. Fox News blaring 24/7 would cause anyone loss of neurons. Planned or unplanned consequences, this is where we are folks.
In the most basic measure of intelligence, how can you vote for a guy who tried to cover up the payment of more than a medium annual household income to a porn star to keep her quiet over a sexual encounter while his wife was home with their four month old child? How can you vote for a guy who faked bone spurs to evade the draft, who insults veterans, and wants to command our armed forces? Seriously?
The Groper-in-Chief's supporters are voting for a guy and his VP who promise to Make America White Again. That is all that matters.
Monroe....got it in one. White, male, and "Christian" run by plutocrats like Musk who is basically selling votes. That can't be legal.
Is there anyway to stop this? I have voted by mail in ballot, a straight democratic ticket. It seems so hopeless. I’m 79 and this is the country I’m leaving my four grandchildren. Three are girls and good students. What happens to them?
You betcha.
Exactly.
Monroe, white again and male again!
Rupert never tells, just denigrates Dems 24/7, for 28 years. And Rush before that…. Deliberate and with malice
Never underestimate the spell of MAGA. They’re ill informed because they wanna be
Sarah Palin. We’re stupid and proud of it! Gas prices and football scores.
True, organized sports are 'the opiate of the masses'.
Kerry.., please.., there is NO rational (see Webster's definition) reason, as we all know. Quite simply, in the trumpsters-mind ('mind' being an oxymoronic assumption), you and I and the rest of the SOB's (souls on board) here on LFA are responsible for the country being in the toilet. They'vebeen TOLD that. So, don't bother to ask them what toilet? Don't waste a moment , beyond saying Hello to those dimwits. However, inside this barrel of apples where we too exist, there are even-dimmer wits who are "un-decided". They don't watch Faux or anything else. Those folks can be enlightened. There's hope.
We're down the toilet the felon needs to flush seven times, MadRussian, or is it twelve? Maybe the toilet's fully functional, and he's obsessed with all things scatological.
not to mention was found guilty of 34 felonies for fraud, caused the Jan 6, insurrection, etc....he's a disgrace and shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the White House-jail is the place he should be. There are many people in jail for far less.
I’ve been asking myself the same questions Kerry.
One has to wonder what is going on when there is not a clarion call from the NY Times or Washington Post that the man was unfit to be president before, and even more so now. It is like Pearl Harbor being bombed and they would print "Japan Expresses Its Outrage with US Pacific Policies."
I once expressed almost exactly the same thought. As if a monarch walked naked in the streets and instead of the Emperor having no clothes, “Dear Leader blames tailor for sartorial error.”
100%.
I’ve blasted the NYT for their “coverage” numerous times this past year. Now, their editorials have the appearance of trying to make good.
Bottom line is their bottom line. The clicks were more important to them than their mission.
Sorry all this anti NYT nonsense is just that, nonsense. None of you have obviously even read the NYT over three past year. Their editorial section has opposed Trump since day one, not that it would ever have influenced him to exit the race sadly or we might have had a two woman two "H" race Harris vs Haley. But that is water under the bridge. The NYT editorial section has continually criticized Trump for running. They also (rightly) criticized Biden when his obvious problems were revealed during the first debate. The only difference is that Biden has the sense to realize he needed to step aside and Trump never would. On the other hand the NYT news pages have continually shown balanced reporting of the news of the campaign which is their job. They have fact checked both candidates regularly. They are doing one of the best jobs of covering a race which had never been easy. All you critics of the NYT ought to walk a few hundred yards in their shoes instead of whining here on Heather's comments page. I highly doubt you would survive.
Hilarious, were it not so absurdly incorrect.
I read it everyday. Until recently, they’ve been awol on holding Trump accountable. You’re in a minority of one in this thinking.
The only possible explanation for your reply is that you own NYT stock.
Besides, ask yourself.
Why would anyone fault a newspaper without some reasonable explanation?
Media needs to do a better job. They’re off mission.
What if the wealthy (and I'm not talking about 7 or low-8 figures in the bank, that makes you a figure of fun amongst the plutocracy) own the press and prefer a plutocracy?
Yes. I think the ultra-rich and the under-educated aggrieved MAGAs share in common the goal of being able to doing whatever they want and not having to help anyone but themselves. A plutocracy works out well for that goal as the rich can simply live in their palaces in the sky while the rest of the world goes Mad Max.
When Trump was running in 2020, I was attending a church where the preacher was a true Trump admirer. I questioned his support of a man who had no aquaintance with the teachings of Jesus.
He said to me, " I didn't vote for a Messiah."😳
He didn't last long at our church, not because of his love for Trump, but because he displayed so many of the immoral traits of Trump, and almost drove the church to ruin.
I am so ashamed of those Republicans who have no integrity or no spine to stand up against someone so unbalanced that they would put our country in grave danger just to keep their jobs.
Bravo Pam Taylor for questioning your pastor! More people need your moral courage.
"For all of this, I hold the media accountable for their corruption, manipulation and lies to the American people who are too lazy (and stupid) to read and educate themselves and instead rely on television."
This sweeping condemnation of the media and American people is counterproductive and inaccurate.
Inordinately wealthy individuals and their willing accomplices have invested billions, aided by clever accomplices on the make for their own fortunes, have spent decades to create MAGA. From the time Ronald Reagan jumped in bed with Ralph Reed - Movement Conservatism with religious extremism. Such as Leonard Leo have exploited the flaws in our political, electoral, government, and social systems to exacerbate them.
They have exploited systemic and human vulnerabilities for their own profit. As Elon Musk is now.
On the Left, Ralph Nader and, now and worse, Jill Stein are doing the same. With a better educated demographic. Turning ethics and voting on their head - Stein argues Americans would do good by supporting her no matter that it elects Trump. That voting is an individual exercise in self expression rather than a joint exercise in taking power. No matter the irreparable harm.
Even MAGA supporters, no matter how misguided, are more strategic in their voting.
They won the Supreme Court. Stein voters helped.
Lin, at one time I subscribed to the “vote your conscience” path of write in candidate for President. I was adamant that “my self expression” was noble. At the time the stakes were concerning two major party candidates that both had “sanity” as an attribute
I no longer support that position. People voting in this election that don’t understand that a vote for Jill Stein might be the last vote they ever get to cast have an emotional attachment to an ideal that ignores the binary choice at hand. That voting strategy dangerously ignores reality. The irreparable harm that comes from ego reinforcement seems irresponsible to the common good
I have never voted third party. I have always had a pragmatic approach to politics and have had many an argument with those who do not really understand our political system which is not parliamentary where there can be coalitions.
True, but I don't think MAGA was the endgame of the plutocrats or the white evangelists. In hindsight it looks inevitable, but if you imagine yourself back to the very late 1970s -- it wasn't. Dana Milbank sketches it out well in THE DESTRUCTIONISTS: The 25-Year Crack-up of the Republican Party. (Newt Gingrich plays a starring role.)
I 100% agree that the idea that "voting is an individual exercise in self-expression" is a huge problem. That's the way I thought in my 20s. The election of Reagan in 1980 snapped me out of it. Some of the others in my Israel-Palestine group are talking that way now, and they're in their 50s, 60s, and 70s. Here in MA they can't do much damage, but in states like MI they could.
Mix unmitigated racism with unmitigated greed and ... surprise?
ThankYou for having an Israel Palestine group. The Left here has largely ignored / abandoned the Israeli left. I hope your group is reading Haaretz.
https://www.haaretz.com/
We're reading Haaretz for sure -- I started subscribing last spring. (Had been following +972 Magazine online for several years.) My guess is that at least half of my Israel-Palestine group is Jewish, and most of them have spent significant time in Israel.
Susanna, I do understand the problems that Arab/Palestinian citizens have with Israel and our support of them. However, death star has promised to deport as many people as possible and there will certainly be a Muslim ban again. Cutting off their noses....and they will pay should death star prevail.
The Democrats' uncritical support of Israel has been pretty awful my entire voting life, but (once I got over thinking voting was all about my conscience) it hasn't made me vote Republican or leave the top of the ballot blank or sit out the election altogether. Most reasonably aware voters have problems, often serious problems, with at least some government policies when "our side" is in charge. Consider: Black women consistently have the highest turnout rate in presidential elections, but as a demographic they probably have better reason to give up on the Democrats than anyone -- except they know that the alternatives are worse.
If anybody thinks that a trump administration will be better for the fate of the Palestinian people, I have a bridge to sell them. Jared is looking to redevelop Gaza and tfg has been in bed with Bibi for a long time. I think that the current Israeli government is a shande and has set back the cause of peace for a long time and that the U.S. needs to totally revamp what supporting Israel means in the light of what I can only view as the Netanyahu government's war crimes, but again, a Harris administration holds out infinitely more hope for better outcomes than the alternative.
I agree lin. I react to the quick and easy conclusion that “American people are too lazy (and stupid) to read and educate themselves and instead rely on television”. We are paying a price for allowing a norm that believed “it couldn’t happen here”. I grew up in a generation that expanded rights, - until Gingrich got in Congress and rolled out a new playbook. Living in a political moment where long-held norms around the value of democracy, and the evidence of fact-based-truth are called into question, we are called on to fight a strenuous survival game. And the Left was not in shape to do that in 2016. We live in the political moment with the Beast-of-an-Ideology coming to maturity. So this has evolved into OUR moment to address it. And I do see many, many, many good people rising to the fight. There is no bottom to the crazy-time well that the regressive party is filling there power-lusting pails from. But WE are less naive now. Not all of us, but I believe enough of US, if we continue to forge ahead. Heather has been a great educator-in-chief for our renewed mantle of “Citizen”.
I take issue with your statement that "American people are too lazy (and stupid) to read and educate themselves..." I'm sure there are many people who might fit into that category, but there are just as many people who may be single parents working two jobs that exhaust them. When they come home to 2 or 3 hungry children, they have to scrape together a meal, clean the kitchen, get the kids to bed, maybe help with their homework. They don't have the energy to sit down with a book or a magazine and read about the larger world's problems. Unfortunately, many of them have been sucked in by the MAGA soundbites. I suspect that many of the readers of this newsletter may be retired (like myself) or have hired help to assist their families. It's not helpful to paint everyone with the same brush. Instead we should try to figure out how to get the truth to the electorate, and we should help to get them to the polls to vote.
lin, Yes, Jill not green Stein. I have long argued against spoiler third parties, but some people are purists who do not really understand politics. I have my ballot now and will vote today for Harris and Ds down the line.
Watched an "interview" of Jill Stein & her running mate by Mehdi Hassan - I guess its a good thing they dont have the ability (financial?) to put themselves in the public eye - not impressive at all - and the "support her no matter if it elects tffg " she thinks is the right thing? That just puts the lie to the statement in my opinion. She has run unsuccessfully how many times? In her 70s? Never held a senate, or congressional seat - no experience and neither has her vp choice. I think its time she "retired" from the political arena.
Her running mate is Dr. Butch Ware
Yeah - not impressed by either of them - after watching this interview.
This a very convenient way to let the electorate off the hook. Manipulation by billionaires who control the media is nothing new nor are narcissistic morally bankrupt politicians and candidates. I’ll give you that the scale today is greater than ever before, but to credit any Trump voter with being truly “strategic” is frankly absurd.
You can whine all you want about the negative effect of horrible third-party candidates on both sides (although I exempt Nader who beyond his narcissism has actually served this country well) but again they are a convenient straw man. It wasn’t third party candidates who decided Gore v Bush - it was a corrupt Florida voting process and the Supreme Court.
It’s the electorate who are as susceptible to the Steins as they are to the Trumps.
On the other hand, I have to agree that the culpability of the media not least of all the liberal “paper of record” is significant. The NYT believes in the fantasy of its “objectivity” and thinks that a few editorials and opinion pieces can undo the damage of the past eight years in treating Trump as a viable candidate on the same basis as Biden which they continue to do their recent reporting on Trump’s decline notwithstanding. Trump has never received coverage similar to the way the press jumped on Biden’s bad debate and eviscerated him while for all intents and purposes giving Trump’s worse performance a pass. The same can be said for the way the press has treated Vance - with respectful critiques that don’t even begin to scratch the surface.
In the end, it’s individuals who mark their ballots - not the billionaires, the media or whomever else you choose. Indeed all of those have shared culpability but ultimately it’s the voter who elects the candidate. The reasons for the total debilitation of half of the American electorate which leaves them vulnerable to the forces of manipulation is a whole other discussion.
I just had a chat with an old grade school friend voting for Trump and she was espousing what you just noted above regarding Harris. I couldn't figure out how she came to that conclusion. I was dumbfounded as she is a very intelligent person. She doesn't care for Trump as a person per se but likes his policies. I was scratching my head, "what policies"? And anytime I countered with a fact she would say "we don't know that".
"we don't know that"
This says it all. The Groper-in-Chief's supporters have proudly put on the armor of willful ignorance.
Today's "Know Nothings". Sigh.
Or "heres your sign"! (remember stupid?)
I also have old school friends who are voting for trump. Good and kind people and intelligent. I don’t understand it but I don’t discuss it with them. I value their friendship and know nothing I say will change their minds. Their social groups are trumpers too, so that’s probably part of it.
I’m sorry but I no longer consider any Trump voter “good and kind”
people. That has become an oxymoron at this point. No one who is kind or good is willing to rationalize their vote and overlook the blatant racism, misogyny and fascism Trump stands for. They are simply denying their willingness to accommodate and support these facts and to acquiesce to xenophobia all the while protesting “they don’t like Trump himself but…” Sorry that just doesn’t cut it anymore when their votes have cold hard implications for the future of the country.
He's a vulgar, hateful repugnant, ignorant liar. I'm sick of hearing people say that is outweighed by his "policies" that they are unable to articulate.
Every Trump voter is a person the world would be better off without.
"There social groups are trumpers too"
Exactly. The Groper-in-Chief's supporters are very tribal.
Attempting to change a TrumperMind contains many pitfalls. I subscribe to the Chinese Water Torture Method; drip, drip, drip. Wear them out
Kathy, the MAGA quote of the week: Jesus is wrong. That means people can vote for hate without any qualms.
Actually, “she doesn’t know that”. Who’s “we Kemosabe?”
Trump realizes that he can’t explain his positions on anything and that if he does people don’t want them. He has Republicans’ support because Musk, Thiel, and others want more power and more corruption. Trump, in his ramblings, his vulgarity, and song selection is now running on only one issue— that he is a manly man and Kamala Harris is a woman. That makes her genetically inferior, as well as a threat to every other manly man. This has been confirmed by Vance and the Trump Bible.
It is so evident that people who only watch Fox entertainment don’t have a clue of what is really happening. Talk about head in the sand!
You can’t still think most of Trumps followers watch Fox. You are so out of touch, which is a big part of why Democrats are struggling. Only old people watch tv and write postcards. You want to win elections, anyone who thinks like this should step aside and let the younger generation run elections.
They use the same verbiage as Dems do. The emails I get from the cretins parrot the messages from Dems. Just accuse us of what they do. Goebbels and Murdoch ad nauseam…
Murdoch.
Maggats seem bent on starting some kind of civil war.......what are they going to do when bullets are used to take them out in order to patriotic American? Freedom and Truth cannot be eliminated.
Perhaps you could develop a MAGA-flavored Kool-Aid.
Just encourage more to register and vote. Still registering Democrats in selected states.
https://www.mobilize.us/ft6/?q=phone%20banks&tag_ids=20038
Texans start voting Today, Monday, 15 days before the Election. Soon early voting data in Texas will be able to be compared with the over 1 Million early voters in Georgia. The majority of those GA voters were Women. Meanwhile, Trump is trying to get fat white males "off the couch". Trump 'motivating' his base is truly an ugly spectacle.
The media has blatantly thrown away their conscience for all to see.
And so, while there still time - what is the plan, Media????
Mary Ann, I really do understand the intent of your 2nd paragraph. But, Media is where "free speech" dwells. LFA is "free speech", and certainly part of the "media" you're referring to. To the trumpsters, the "media" is loaded with a bunch of libtards who want to drum-up unfair criticism of their hero. To them, WE are the stupid people. Unfortunately, in a way, I see we are. Why? For one, even condescending to a debate between the President of this country with a convicted criminal, a twice-impeached president, a full-blown liar was absolutely dumb! Then, while expecting The President to cut thru the absurdity, "Joe" has an awkward moment and he is skewered (thx to the camera-person), which is capitalized on by "the media". Did we defend our President in this relatively untenable debate moment? Hell no! What do we do? We throw President Joe, right under the bus. We cry tears.. poor Joe, he's failing.. poor Joe, he's so old, etc etc. Didn't WE. Yeah, we gave it away. What that did was to further enable the MAGA-trouncing of the Biden presidency. Didn't it? Yeah.. we're stupid.
No. That was not just an "awkward moment" and Biden was headed for a resounding loss. Granted, Trump gets a pass for obvious mental problems, both long-standing and those more age-related, but let's not pretend Biden was up to a campaign or 4 more years of service.
Agree NanceeM, so what were we waiting for...(?) a "Debate" with numb-skull to illustrate that point? Almost looks like it. If I asked you how would we have handled things with "Joe" had there not been that debate-debacle? What did "We" have planned? From what I see, WE had no plan. WE jusrt took advantage of a really sad opportunity to throw a man under the bus, whose administration had bailed our miserable butt out of a wasted 4 years under #45. we're shooting from the hip. Losing is not an option - agreed! But, numb-skull is running the table right out from under us. VP Kamala Harris is my girl, but her advisory committee is a bunch of libtards... IMHO. We could lose this.
It is not possible to have a truly functional democracy unless you have an educated electorate. Yes, we could blame the people for being “dumb and stupid”but actually it is our education system that is the root cause of this situation. The American educational system was designed to turn out compliant workers, not individuals who can evaluate complex situations with a background in critical thinking. Those that owned the factories and hired the workforce did not want highly educated independent minded workers, they wanted people who are trainable and compliant.
Compared to the educational systems in Europe our schools come in at virtually last place. Most High School graduates hardly know where other countries are located on the map or anything about the important philosophers or great thinkers. They only vaguely know who Hitler is and what he has done. Ask them who is Nikita Kruschev or where is Belgium located and you will get a blank look. So if we want a functional government, we should emulate the school systems of more advanced countries such as Finland where teachers are paid good salaries and are honored members of the society.
Anti-Intellectualism is Deeply Ingrained in the American Psyche... Professors are 'Kooks', and many People take Pride from showing up the 'Experts'... With the Rise of Tech Culture, and Globalization, many People have become Angry at being Left Behind... They Yearn for a return to 'Happy Days' where everything can be fixed with Hammers, Screwdrivers, Guns, Fists, and a 'Conformist MonoCulture'....
Mary Ann, you are right about the lying. Republicans have decided that lying is the best way to get the power and money they desperately want to feed their addictions to both. They will lie and set up lies like Trump pretending to work at McDonalds. It is so clear that Trump has never worked a day in his life that he actually thought he was working at the McDonalds when it was all a show, just like "The Apprentice" a fraud which the producers of the fake show have finally admitted. Nothing about Trump is honest, not what he says, not what he does, not who he associates with, nothing and it worsens as his dementia deepens. We do not need "mini-me Vance" as Vice President or, God forbid, President. Yale should be ashamed graduating from law school someone who lies, insults, and hates as much as Vance does; what are you teaching up there in Connecticut?
We have seen it before and we have seen the outcomes. It seems to occur when discontent, unmitigated propaganda, and great extremes extremes of financial power summon the worst in our human nature.
Who needs Elon Musk's millions when you've got Jill Stein's minions? More perverse than MAGA, who actually win power for themselves - such as the Supreme Court. Stein sits pretty on her Putin patronage and Wall Street investments, while her self indulgence does irreparable harm to our most vulnerable neighbors, besieged democracy, and fragile planet.
There is something particularly repugnant about Stein feeding her ego on the despair and rage of those desperate over Netanyahu's ravaging of Gaza and Lebanon. Something like a vampire needing the blood of the vulnerable to keep alive.
"Her bid can feel precision-engineered to damage Ms. Harris with key subgroups: young voters appalled by the United States’ support for Israel; former supporters of Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaigns who feel abandoned by Democrats; Arab American and Muslim voters, especially in Michigan, where fury at Ms. Harris and President Biden has been conspicuous for months ... We are not in a position to win the White House,” another speaker, Kshama Sawant, a former member of the Seattle City Council, told a crowd of about 100 inside an Arab American cultural center. “But we do have a real opportunity to win something historic. We could deny Kamala Harris the state of Michigan.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/20/us/politics/jill-stein-harris-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.T04.9AJ9.sn-lhltg3mJr&smid=url-share
"We could deny Kamala Harris the state of Michigan.” - and hand it over to Trump/Vance. Nice.
Agreed. This is blinkered idealism on the part of the Muslim voters who are being deceived, misled and used. Stein is ruthlessly exploiting those voters for the gratification of her own ego and the spectacle is revolting.
And the timing is impeccable. She and Netanyahu are in Putin’s pocket.
Watch how fast the orange traitor would ship Muslims back to "..wherever they came from." Did they not learn from his first attempt to deny them entry to the U.S.? Wake up people.
This is freedom of speech?
How to end the incessant proliferation of dirty politics…political ads can only state the voting record,future plan, and accomplishments of the candidate, end Citizens United, codify Voting Laws/Abortion Rights…we truly do NOT know what all goes on ‘behind the scenes’ ( that’s probably good). But what is right before our eyes is manipulation , lying, and out n out illegal…freedom of speech does NOT a mean you can bombard the public with lie after lie after lie….and yet….right before our very eyes IT.IS.HAPPENING.
Exactly. Turn the state over to Trump/Vance and effectively, turn it over to fascists. If Arab/Americans think things for them will be better under Trump/Vance then they have not been doing their homework. smfh
Emotion does not need homework
Now is the time to put politics aside. Democracy is on the line. If they think giving Michigan to Trump is the way to help their cause, they are mistaken. This will forever be burned in my mind, and I will not forgive or forget.
Anyone remember Ralph Nader? The spoiler of the 2000 campaign??? The reason why the last 24 years have been a sh*t show?
Ughhh... no factor! She's one loose screw!
Good lord, she has been a Putin puppet forever. The propaganda machine is overwhelming
“Historic, as in infamy?”
Let's not "cut off our nose to spite ones face". You wanna elect numb-skull? Then what? You need to STFU and get this Harris/Waltz ship fully into port where all the players are sitting. You blow this bastard up out here on the high seas and you might as well give Assad a call. A broom whose straws are scattered cannot sweep. Settle down!
Idiocracy
Such a great movie!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiocracy
I found it hilarious when I first saw it back in the late 90s- early 2000 bc it seemed so ridiculous compared to how life was at the time I watched it...if I were watching it for the first time now, I'd just be horrified...as it is too close to reality to be funny.
Which begs a question: If Fox News showed this movie would any viewers recognize themselves?
Yes! And when Dr. Richardson reminded me of how Biden was in the midst of negotiating massive prisoner swaps while negotiating a cold and a debate (in which I think he was sandbagged by CNN) and how he was excoriated by media and members of his own party I became enraged all over again. In addition to cultish behavior, this country is dealing with contempt for decency, empathy, actual accomplishments and competence on so many levels. Part of me believes that America didn't/doesn't deserve Joe Biden. I need to stop before I start a rant on the perfidy of the media and its contribution to all of the above..
Advertisers don’t pay for accuracy, reason, or empathy.
Yes, sadly there is not a dumbass vaccine.
Mida, welcome to the nut house.
Kerry, I agree with you completely. I've watched for over eight years as lazy, ignorant Americans blunder through their political decisions, and I have come to the undeniable conclusion that anyone who is willing to support Trump is dangerously stupid. One doesn't have to understand the machinations of government to grasp that, no matter whether "The Art of the Deal" is a fable or accurately depicts Trump's "expertise" he has no moral compass, and his narcissism and stupidity should disqualify him from holding any public office. Add to this his derangement and glaring dementia, and it is incomprehensible that anyone thinks that he is capable of being President. Our country faces worse threats because of Trump and his sycophants and the foreign powers and uber-wealthy who are foisting him on this country while a large percentage of our population applaud, wearing their ridiculous MAGA caps.
The GOP is collectively riding Dr Strangelove’s Nuke all the way to the ground. Can one of them holler “YeeHa”?
This is absolutely true. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a brief essay of about one page while imprisoned by the Nazis on human stupidity. I highly recommend it.
here it is, and yeah, it's good: https://nsjonline.com/article/2021/12/bonhoeffer-on-stupidity/
I like this bit: “ The fact that the stupid person is often stubborn must not blind us to the fact that he is not independent. In conversation with him, one virtually feels that one is dealing not at all with a person, but with slogans, catchwords and the like that have taken possession of him. . .Having thus become a mindless tool, the stupid person will also be capable of any evil and at the same time incapable of seeing that it is evil.”
There are "honest expressions of incredulity about the rampant stupidity" but the media is ..... I don't know what's happened there. Basically they aren't "reporters" in the original sense of reporting actual news, they are just mouthpieces for their various tv and radio stations, run by rethuglicans. There are MANY of us who have been screaming about the lunacy of the rethuglican party and how low they have sunk. Give us 8-10 more days before you write all of us off. Many of us understand how this willl affect the whole world.
For those of us in the US who understand how incredibly dangerous 45 is, it is keeping us up at night. It is terrifying that those who back him will be in charge. One of my lifetime friends threatened to kill me because I refuse to agree with his insane ideas and vote for the monster. The division is damaging families, friends and co-workers, in addition to terrifying and dividing the populace. This is a nightmare, and unless Harris wins, it will be a very long one.
When Kamala was asked on Fox if she thought Americans were stupid She replied I’d never say that about American citizens. Perfect response
Understandable. I’m not trying to get anybody’s vote or sell anything to anybody. I’m not trying to win a popularity contest or impress people. I’m too damn old to care what anyone thinks about me. I’m just calling a spade a spade.
At first glance with my wake-up cup of coffee, I thought you said "I'm watching from Catatonia" & I thought "Me, too."
Hahahahaha.
Indeed -- a cultish lunacy. I long to wake up from this nightmare . . .
I'm horrified watching from Germany and the Netherlands as well. When the narcissistic billionaire tech bros take over the US and end its democracy, I don't think democracy here in Europe will hold out long. Putin will take his chance, knowing he will be backed by his fan boys, and it could well be we'll be fighting not only Russian, but also American soldiers here on European soil in WW III...
I agree with you Steve, I'm afraid the American people will only be able to save their democracy with an armed insurrection: the Supreme Court will simply put their candidate of choice, be it Trump (if he can still speak until then) or Vance, in the president's seat, regardless of the election results. They have done it before, and you can be sure as hell they are bought and sold to do it again.
It saddens me to know that many Americans don't even know what's at stake here, and even cheer on the wannabe-dictators...
In my imagination, an armed insurrection will be quashed by a biden/harris administration because they do follow the law. Maybe they can hide behind the new immunity they have courtesy of the Supreme Court to slow a response down, but it's up to us voters. Also, in spite of all evidence to the contrary, I retain hope that Harris/Walz will win in a landslide.
Well, I meant the other way around: that the Americans who want to combat fascism have to resort to an armed insurrection, because it is very likely that SCOTUS will simply ignore the fact that Harris won the elections and install Vance in the White House.
If, however, they don't dare do so, and Harris becomes president, I don't know if the MAGAts are honestly up to an armed insurrection. Harris would be right to strike that one down, but she won't be immune - remember that SCOTUS reserves the right to determine the conditions under which this immunity applies.
You have a clear understanding, it seems, Dutch.
I still hope I'm wrong, though... :(
It seems to me that, as a lawyer, she can reason that the SCOTUS is, itself, a risk to the country, and she can put the "bad" judges in a Guantanamo corner along with other Taliban members who happen to not be Christian. If, after that, replacement SC judges say she can't do that, she can apologize and ship them to Moscow.
I fear Biden/Harris may not be willing to quash an armed insurrection. I hope I am wrong...Biden continues to surprise me.
I truly believe Harris/Walz will be willing to quash an armed insurrection. That woman doesn't back down!
I hope you are right
If there wasn't a lot of study going on regarding the Presidential Immunity gift, I would be both hugely surprised and incredibly disappointed.
From your lips to the voting booths!!
I’ve know what’s at stake for years. I’ve often wished for a political version of “The Day After Tomorrow” movie could be made to show America’s first 50 years after another extremist Republican wins the Presidency (regardless of Trump).
What I think will happen:
Economy:
Our economy will gradually get worse FIRST due to one-sided enrichment of the wealthy elites & their corporations (we know this because of Reaganomics/Trickle-down economics).
Once illegal immigrants (and very likely legal but brown immigrants) are rounded up and deported en masse, many labor jobs will lack skilled and unskilled workers. Many companies will end up closing down and others will be forced to pay higher wages, which will rapidly drive up costs.
After that, when abortion, no matter the circumstances, is banned nationwide, more women will start having more trouble staying in school or getting and keeping jobs. This will affect how employers choose their employees, since hiring women of childbearing age will become more risky due to potential pregnancy complications and other factors.
Either at the same time or some time afterward, some or all contraceptives will be banned. Huge numbers of women will be forced out of the workforce because they can’t control when or how often they become pregnant and day care is barely affordable for one child, let alone more than one. Men will pick up some of the jobs women leave because they’ll likely need multiple jobs to afford all their unplanned children. But there will still be a huge gap in the workforce. This will force a lot of businesses to close down.
Social Changes:
Women will become dependent upon their fathers, brothers, and husbands for support because most won’t be employable due to inability to control pregnancies and due to religious censure of women in roles they do not want them to have.
Women won’t be able to live their dreams.
They will learn to become manipulative as a form of survival. If men think women are already manipulative, just wait.
Women will be forced to marry their rapists, men they don’t care for, and remain in abusive situations at home or in the workplace (if they can work outside the home).
Education for the masses will be limited for most and higher education only allowed for the wealthy and for groups of people and others with permission.
Crime will increase drastically because people won’t be able to afford the things they need and the lack of education will exacerbate it. People will band together in organized crime groups.
Global
America has long been in a linchpin position, helping keep other countries economies stable and helping keep our allies safe from predatory countries like Russia & China. With America no longer able to do either, other countries economies will fail and weaken, leaving them vulnerable to internal violence & disorder and external threats. Bonds between other nations will fail and they will eventually fall like dominoes.
Climate
Climate disasters will kill millions since climate change will progress unchecked and the U.S. Government will not help its citizens. Big Corporations who want stability will become like feudal overlords and provide housing and protection in order to have some stability in trained workforce.
I’m sure there is so much more, but I don’t have the time.
My worst nightmare and a sweet dream for so many…
Additional changes
Economy: deporting millions of immigrants will take billions of federal dollars to transport, feed and place in holding camps, and for how long, before they starve them to death. Immigrants contribute billions to our economy. Say bye bye to those billions. Children will be used as labor.
Social Changes: hospital nurses are predominantly female. Given the changes, there will be fewer nurses to take care of the population. Hospitals will close beds.
Yes, those definitely deserve to be highlighted - particularly the nurse shortage. We’re experiencing one now. Nowhere is it more obvious than on long term care facilities like nursing homes.
Terrifying
You sound as if you might know what COVERTURE is…it is what has prevented women from being full citizens,ugly head since before the constitution (that’s right, BEFORE). COVERTURE means the woman is covered by the man. She is invisible in so many ways—I have a collection of the ways that it is still here, it’s ugly head visible if you understand it, it’s really about power. The abortion discussion is only a small part of it. How long did it take for the women in Afghanistan to become muted? Lose jobs? Education? Lose all rights? This it can’t happen here? The history of COVERTURE tells us that it can. Yes it can. You are t
Willing part of the story of COVERTURE without knowing the name. Now you can please continue your research into COVERTURE.”
I agree....if democracy in the US goes, democracy in Europe will go. I think the world knows it and is watching to see the direction the winds blow. In essence, this is probably not just about freedoms for us as it is about freedom for the world. If Trump wins...world chaos wins.
I'm getting the same message from the readers of Le Monde.
Murdoch, Mega-monied men, and those who want to tear down what has been built up
for centuries have been combining their ambitions to this election.. They prop up Trump, hoping he can stay upright until Vance takes over.
We, the little people, who read the NYT, canvass enthusiastically, and hope to see Harris/Walz win, are despondent at what the US has become.
Many have no clue in Texas
While we have no one to blame but ourselves, it is still a most unwelcome cross to bear.
I sincerely hope American boys will never be fighting against European boys and that enough Americans are aware of the stakes to prevent them. I'm sure Mexico and Canada are very concerned being our closest neighbors.
I sincerely hope so, too, but God Emperor Trump, Witch King Vance and Darth Musk will, when they come to power, be ordering the US military to help their friend and idol, the Sauron in the Kremlin, when he invades Europe. The question is, will the US military simply follow their orders, or will they refuse and say "'til here and NO further!"
If it happens..how long before they’re saying ‘Oh Sh*t!’ What then…? It won’t take long….
Look to Russia to see how long it takes. Putin's propaganda machine has been in full force for years, using the tactics that Trump and the Republicans are now using to align masses of voters. People have stopped trying and the rest are unwitting or bought off fans. Their country and the countries of others are telling in regard to the question, what do people do when they realize what they've done? A few try to stop it, and they die trying. Then we become a lackadaisical people without power who realize voting makes no difference, unless, of course, you are told or paid to vote for a candidate (like Musk is now trying); then you show up and punch the card against you own interests. That is what history shows us happens for years and years and years in almost all situations and there will be no USA military who tries to stop it.
I believe Germany was what 12-14 years under Hitler’s Holocaust Regime… thanks Dee 🫶…I wish more people could read Substack , the many writers truth/facts/testament. I share from WV ..suspect their numbers voting in 2020 (66%) for the Coup et al reflects the prominent Republican complicit chaos accurately.
I still hope for a needed BLUE TSUNAMI which I projected with hope ..America has always shown resilience through catastrophic happenings. Some stats given (appallingly little coverage) at news levels -by a growing number of buy outs of minority ‘the rich’ intend to kill democracy.
I applaud those standing in swelling numbers telling the truth..the plot long and well orchestrated.
Substack needs more publicity , the eloquence written and provided educated commentary , is amazing🫶, many have forgotten, many never knew, many have been bought. What price a person’s soul worth ..the price for a puppet..🤦♀️
The right to Lie is very important to politicians. Equal time for a rebuttal is not. Reagan killed off rebuttal opportunity. Does anyone care if Trump’s commercials are 80% lies and distortions?
Substack staff, why does my like not work? Too old IOS?
I tried googling that question; my guess is that there is a glitch within the IOS system, especially if it is more than a few updated versions old. This is a WAG, however.
WildAssGuess.
I would give you a Like if I could.
If you are horrified from France you really don't want to be living about 40 miles from the White House. I can't believe he's still in this race. He's the worst I've ever witnessed...by a LOT.
Actually he isn't (in this race) any more, he's just playing because it doesn't matter, and that's the scariest bit.
Vance is the really scariest bit.
For Vance read Peter Thiel.
For both of them read Curtis Yarvin. “They (meaning we the people) are going to have to get over their dictator phobia.”
I agree, at this point Trump is just a husk of himself, a tool. The cynicism and arrogance of the leaders on the right is terrifying. They aren’t even trying to hide it anymore.
When did they last hide their cynicism and arrogance?
Did they ever hide it?
Touché. OK, now they are displaying it like peacocks.
TFG, Vance, the MAGA Mob…they’ve all been put in place, they’re puppets, by greedy puppeteers. It won’t be pretty, an internal coup that will turn on itself very shortly .
Democracy takes a VERY LONG TIME to pick up the pieces.
Napoleon's 18th Brumaire coup... Hitler's Night of the Long Knives, Stalin's show trials and murder of Trotsky, purging the Party of all the old Bolsheviks who had made the revolution... and anyone whose ability and popularity might rival his power.
So much so that he'd beheaded the High Command before Hitler's Blitzkrieg invasion...
Agreed: it is so obvious that Elon Musk and Peter Thiel have offered Trump a deal. Trump doesn’t want to work. He never wanted to do the job of being a president. He’s so exhausted and out of his mind the only thing he wants is money and not to be thrown in jail. They probably said will give you your own brand new plane. Just kindly turn over the keys to JD Vance in two weeks, after you have the fancy parties. Everybody was worried about Leonard Leo and the Koch brothers. It turns out it was the Tech Bros.
All of the above.
And I am in that distance from the White House and a senior citizen wondering where all the truly illiterate people are who at the instructions of the lying campaign of Trump and worse Vance are being thrust on us as a legitimate choice. Those of us with children and grand children wonder what will happen to them most of all
My worry.
My worry too, Carol as I have two granddaughters.
Don’t discount the fact that many have lost faith in Democracy and believe Autocracy will serve them better.
Or, less than a mile away, where I am.
I used to live about 12 miles from the White House as the crow flies. I escaped.
I think the only parts of a farm bill that Trump understands is the one that keeps insuring a steady stream of red meat beef burgers shoved down his gullet in mass every day insuring massive expansion of his underwear and an untimely passing and my candles are lit on this account.
I voted absentee. I donated money. I will now sit at a table on the avenue in front of the White House dispensing my book and singing my songs for 3 days leading to Election Day. Yes I will join the other crazies there and know that I have done everything I could to help save American democracy.
I'm glad you will be there. I've mailed my postcards and letters to voters in swing states, made a zillion small donations up and down state and federal tickets and proudly wear my Harris hat, my Chucks and my pearls as a talisman. To paraphrase Bette Davis - fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy two-weeks.
Lauriemcf, I too am wearing my pearls everyday, in honor of KH. Sometimes I feel like I should be going to the country club, instead of the supermarket, but pearls, like diamonds, go with everything!
According to Arnold Palmer’s daughter, Palmer detested Trump and was disgusted with Trump as head of the party Palmer always supported. Trump won’t last long as President because it’s likely he has PSP or a similar brain disorder, and his cabinet would oust him under the 25th Amendment. Neither Trump or Vance are appropriate candidates:
Musk is engaging in blatantly illegal conduct by paying PA voters, and what adds insult to injury is that Musk, who pays a pittance in income tax compared to his income, has managed to make a fortune out of funding by the Federal Government he wants to destroy.
Spot on!! Unfortunately people continue to purchase Teslas which gives him the resources needed to spew his hatred. If people boycotted Teslas, driving Tesla out of business, that would shut Elon up and drive him back to whatever cave he came from.
Most Tesla owners are upside down in cost as the cars/ truck have lost value. Musks income sources are Starlink and Space X, and the government who have turned over space management to them. Nationalize ’em. This is what happens when functions previously run by government are privatized, and there are many more in the Project 2025 pipeline.
I agree with nationalize Space X.
I just find myself arguing each position. But then I realize how Ayn Rand, and libertarianism molded my thinking. I think I was 15 when I abandoned it. 😂
Government contracts pay him plenty. NASA’s bug mistake.
Maureen, we are doing just exactly that despite Tesla still maintaining its lead over the rest of the industry in battery technology! We are voting with our feet!
Pennsylvania statute. https://casetext.com/statute/pennsylvania-statutes/statutes-unconsolidated/title-25-ps-elections-electoral-districts/chapter-14-election-code/article-xviii-penalties/section-3539-bribery-at-elections
Section 3539 - Bribery at elections
Any person who shall, directly or indirectly, give or promise or offer to give any gift or reward in money, goods or other valuable thing to any person, with intent to induce him to vote or refrain from voting for any particular candidate or candidates or for or against any constitutional amendment or other question at any primary or election; or who shall, directly or indirectly, procure for or offer or promise to procure for such person any such gift or reward with the intent aforesaid; or, who with the intent to influence or intimidate such person to give his vote or to refrain from giving his vote for any particular candidate or candidates or for or against any constitutional amendment or other question at any primary or election, shall give to or obtain for or assist in obtaining for or offer or promise to give to or obtain for or assist in obtaining for such person any office, place, appointment or employment, public or private, or threaten such person with dismissal or discharge from any office, place, appointment or employment, public or private, then held by him, shall be guilty of a felony of the third degree, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be sentenced to pay a fine not exceeding fifteen thousand ($15,000) dollars, or to undergo an imprisonment of not more than seven (7) years, or both, in the discretion of the court.
The big question is are more Americans decent or indecent. I have always believed the latter until now as I learn more about Christian Nationalism and the newer branch The New Apostolic Reformation and their wishes to take over the Country, as I read Project 2025 in a Democrats Abroad Book Club. The Heritage Foundation is run by Christian Nationalists, and by virtue of what they are proposing and believe should certainly not be given tax exempt status. The question is how many Americans are either CNs, or White Supremacists or in the space where they overlap? And, why are so many Young men of Color admiring Trump? I have heard it said, because he gets away with things, called "getting over," and that is to be admired and emulated. For most that would mean prison.
"Christian Nationalists" are the least Christian people I have ever seen!
Kevin Roberts is a Catholic, as am I, but I don’t have much in common with him as he’s forgotten the obligation to help the needy, feed the hungry, and to clothe people in need of clothing. His policies will only make many more people needy, even as the plutocrats’ fortunes swell.
Are you a Christian Nationalist because he is. That means more Opus Dei like Catholic. CNs believe a certain set of beliefs. Here is what Andra Watkins had to say about it to Democrats Abroad in a zoom webinar on Sunday. It is long, but this explains the difference.
https://youtu.be/fc6FRXIY7cU?si=P6gy02RDJ9VoQnst
“Christian Nationalists”. A misnomer if ever there was one.
Totally! The icing on the cake with that misnomer is that they believe absolutely everyone who does not think like they do are practicing witchcraft from Evangelical Christians who are not CN, to Muslims, Atheists, Secularists, (not Jews though) and are beasts. We women are Jezebels, and should certainly not lead. So, since they have a region that proselytizes that people should vote for Trump because God says so. How are they allowed to get away with tax exempt status?
As for being Jewish. It is not necessarily a pass. Israel is more important to them than the Jews, but many believe that being the chosen people God will offer them the opportunity when He takes CNs to Heaven with Him, that they can convert and become CN and will be taken with him too. How is that for twisted religious thinking.
The sexists, racists, and hypocrites are as twisted as the most complex labyrinths, - or pretzels. It’s propaganda which is the direct opposite of reason and truth.
It’s an oxymoron.
Better description
Let's roll up our sleeves and discuss this.
Jesus and his family were political refugees – that is the Christmas story; the former president rejects refugees.
Jesus stood for helping the stranger; the former president rejects them. Jesus was about challenging the power structure; the GOP nominee lusts after it.
Jesus stood for the disenfranchised and deviant; the GOP hates them.
Jesus stood for helping the poor and disabled; the GOP is about mocking and making life even more difficult for them.
Jesus called on us to sacrifice; Trump is all about consumption instead.
Jesus fed the hungry; Trump would starve them.
Trump and his party are all about conformity; Jesus, who consorted with tax-collectors and prostitutes, is all about the disenfranchised and the deviant.
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees as hungry for gain and as hypocrites; Trump embodies the same hypocrisy and selling of religion.
Trump says “pick up your guns”; Jesus says put away your sword.
Trump and his party persecute the sexually different; his apostles welcomed them into the fold, as in the case of Philip and the eunuch.
Is the former GOP president the Anti-Christ? No. But he and is party are as anti-Christian as anything that can be imagined.
Because if Caesar is right, then Jesus is wrong. If guns are right, then Jesus is wrong. If supporting power and laying the weak by the heal is right, then Satan and Trump are right, and Jesus is wrong.
I have no idea what scripture the GOP reads. I’ve had the good fortune to pour over it in Greek and publish books on Jesus’ radicalism. Jesus was a wildly radical Jewish heretic.
The GOP? Intellectually and morally sloven and shabby. Like their candidate for president.
This is not about making sense. If CNs were so logical they would not be voting en mass for Trump. Here is a video of Andra Watkins, expert on CN who talked to Democrats Abroad on Sunday. https://youtu.be/fc6FRXIY7cU?si=P6gy02RDJ9VoQnst
The cretins have twisted every word in the Gospels, Lord, and the Christian churches haven’t even noticed.
While your points are valid..is there any truth to ‘their claims/stories’little I hear including the poll BS is anything , self admitted lies. The ends are self evident from every autocracy some newer ones are just in the beginning stages but it’s downhill for the average guy..be it that there WAY more of us than them…we might need to band together and become as self sufficient as possible…sounds like what a bunch of us did in the late 60’s ..it ain’t easy . At 81 the road is even tougher.
I think it was a huge disservice to democracy when Lincoln's birthday was unceremoniously dropped as a national holiday. That's only part of the problem, but the contrast of Lincoln's values contrasted with the "GOP" today would be stark if we bothered to look at them. We did so in my youth, if only in a superficial way, in recognition of holiday. We desperately need the better angels of our nature.
Steve, excellent comment! You captured my thoughts exactly—thank you. Vance is their ace in the hole. Trump may be the figurehead for his cultists, but Vance is their real player, ready to follow orders like any paid sycophant. If they get elected, Americans will fully deserve the consequences. The ignorance and stupidity of Trump supporters is beyond comprehension. After speaking with some of them, it’s clear their reasons for supporting Trump are just hollow rationalizations built on pure nonsense.
Vote, don't vomit. We the people are going to do Moscow Mitch's job for him in a couple of weeks. More votes, less vomit. Today is my birthday, as it is first day voting. Like President Harris, I'm Libra. We are in good hands with Kamala Harris.
Professor Richardson is also a Libra. Signed, an Aries, the zodiac opposite of Libra.
I am honored that Heather and I share a birthday.
I share a birthday with Doug Emhoff, another Libra. Libras unite for Democracy!
Happy Birthday Jim. Stay the positive regardless of all the noise there’s a TREMENDOUS movement happening colored BLUE , it’s far more silent than most wish, but surprises often are. I am still holding my flag , committed to doing the most I can from poverty level subsistence, and will vote. BLUE IT IS!
I voted from abroad several weeks ago as did my wife. We were happy and proud to have voted for Harris.
So true. It has been apparent for some time that the Republican plan is too get Trump elected at any cost and dump him as soon as he has taken the oath. The so-called technocrats led by Thiel and Musk are the public face of them and the project 25 group buying off America for their personal empire which they will run autocratically. Vance is their true puppet.
I hope the Democrats have a plan to thwart this but I am increasingly anxious that they believe they can overcome this by traditional electioneering and throwing even more money at the media. The amount of money spent so far is also beyond obscene!
Many of us are outraged by the rantings but the reality is that Trump is the best candidate for the usurped Republican Party as he will be easily jettisoned once they have outwitted their Democratic opponents. If ever I wanted to be wrong this is the time...
I would add Obama, Carter and Biden to the list of GOOD Presidents.
Me too Steve…but even more concerning is the numbers of people that have and still WILL overlook all of this -the LIES, the ‘weave’ , obvious cognitive failure, lack of justice, the coup ongoing, the threat of what if he becomes President ‘and will STILL vote for him…especially here in WV…. The MAGA Coup: America Set-up.
Only a BLUE TSUNAMI will work …
I’ll be voting Blue💙🇺🇸🫶
Not just "overlook" the lies, but eat them up like candy and beg for more. I really dislike what has become of people that I used to work with...
A story in the WaPo this morning likens his audience's reactions to being "entertained," and eggs him on. I, for one, am not "entertained."
It really is a curious thing. I subscribe to Ruth BenGhait ‘Lucid’ too, and she says this is how it’s done..the autocratic movement/backers/puppets. Such a slow insidious plan.
I find it oddly fascinating, and somewhat surprising.
I look back upon my life (struggled) that had little time to pay attention to the particulars , my ‘guy’ didn’t always win either and why he didn’t becomes more clear. The rich have little clue what the majority endure. The middle bracket is wiped out..it follows their plan.The majority of us DO struggle , family, jobs, problems, immaturity, mistakes, let alone sone traumatic times, and I with four college years are a minority in a woman’s world -changed not to long ago I believe …said/says so much. Education is key. That whole ballgame is under siege and we know why.
Will America rally forth that unite and bind together is in question.
Thanks for your input and wisdom.
I’m talking/replying to myself…this is not new folks LOL! Just me again today….IT IS NOT TRUMP THATS THE PROBLEM….he is just a pon , the con used for perfect distraction . In the meantime the backers , the plotting of the oligarchs , same old hidden story, collude to pitch the division , focus on , while the underground moves its players into position for the final thrust. Corporate America is an integral piece but still not the kingpins. Most of them stay very silent out of the limelight..a few boisterous and blather , are obvious.
Still we can win this IF WE JOIN HANDS , UNITE.
VOTE BLUE.STOP THIS COUP…and got to keep it up for 3-4 election cycles…you know who they are
" If political society is to enable flourishing lives, then we need a political and economic system that can provide that kind of stability. This requires more than mere rhetoric. If we fail, Leviathan is waiting in the wings”
Jennifer M Mortonis ( Presidential Penn Compact Professor of Philosophy, with a secondary appointment at the Graduate School of Education, at the University of Pennsylvania.)
For an in depth discussion on a ground breaking “political and economic system that can provide that stability," check out the Crisis and Transition Substack https://crisistransition.substack.com/. You will likely wnat to subscribe.
Ditch Musk and Murdoch, and tar and feather a few home-grown “Heritage” types. Problem solved. My dream…
Thiel (German born), and Musk (South African Born), are not eligible to be President but they are the most dangerous supporters of the supposed puppet and backup puppet they think they can use to warp America to their wishes. I am a bit in doubt as to which they really most want, which appears to be Vance since even Putin has given up hope of Trump being able to do much more than get elected to let Vance takeover.
Ironic, given that much of his diet comes from McDonalds, with plenty of Diet Coke to wash it all down.
I hope they watched him carefully to be sure he didn't sneak out a bag of Big Macs when he clocked out.
We all know where this is headed.
A Harris victory means prison for Trump.
A Trump victory means a lifetime of golfing for a retired, pardoned Trump.
He gave us the plan in 2020, saying that if Biden won, he’d quit in a month and Harris would become President.
We cannot afford anything other than a Harris victory.
If the corporate media, calls out Trump's mental incapacity with the same fervor they did with Biden in July and even now, Trump will most certainly lose. This includes FOX which isn't a news service but if they act like on for the next 3 weeks instead of an RNC propaganda outlet, Trump will lose. And so will the rich Republican Senate candidates.
We need to do what we can to shame them into it because they are in love with the $$$$.
WaPo is now going at him with all guns blazing. A bit late.
Hardly “guns blazing”, but better than before. Print and electronic media need to call Trump out as a liar, a cheat, and unfit for any elected (or unelected) office. We fired him once for incompetence, ineptitude, and inability, why would we hire him again? But I’m singing to the choir on this page.
They are not saying out loud but I am certain that they all see Vance taking over and he is as rotten as tRump and would deliver exactly what they want.
Vance is absolutely as rotten. I have to wonder, though, if Vance would exhibit the same desire for revenge and retribution, including imprisoning Trump's enemies, if he takes over the helm.
He will lie about being a President of the People. Then he will begin the purge, the pogrom, the persecutions and punishments.
There is no worse purveyor of revenge than a hillbilly who feels they were wronged.
Though more intelligent, Vance is little better than Trump. “Now comes J.D. Vance. The circumstances of “Hillbilly Elegy” (Vance, 2016) could not be more unlike the real estate empire in which Trump was raised. But the isolation is similarly profound and, in spite of great differences in family background, it similarly grows into alienation, othering of opponents, valuing of aggression, and consequent danger.” Edwin B. Fisher, Ph.D. From “The More Dangerous Case of Donald Trump” edited by Bandy Lee, MD, MDIV
Fox will not become anything different than what it's been for years. And they feel no shame.
The WSJ is sounding like a T**** megaphone with its biased coverage of Harris. No help there...
They're not. CBS Morning mentioned it as a footnote. Instead they focused on the staged McDonald's gambit with Trump serving French fries, saying he liked and could do the job (he really wasn't and only did what he did do, which was serving French fries without taking money or making change) for ONLY 15 minutes!
WaPo included that the shop was shut, and the "customers" were Trump fans who had practised the role.
all ready cooked fries. Cooking fries involves getting splattered with some hot grease.
If we could only shut Fox News down, I think all problems would be solved.
I like the idea of cancelling their news licence and degrading them to the propaganda platform they really are.
Ron, exactly! Fox is poisoning our country to death.
If we lose this race, the nation will be run by Vance as a figurehead. Thiel, Musk and assorted other oligarchs will turn this country upside down. And for jollys, they will put Miller in charge of Homeland Security. We will have installed a complete Kleptocracy with racism and misogyny at its core.
Absolutely! Thiel, Musk, et al will throw money at the Orange Guy and he’ll gladly bail. That’s why we cannot have anything besides a resounding Harris victory.
A Trump victory means a Vance presidency. That's a fact. He's waiting in the wings and chomping at the bit.
*Champing.
(Sorry, I'm an incurable pedant)
None of us is perfect, but … it takes a pedant to ensure that contributors to public fora—such as Professor Richardson’s “Letters From an American”—are toeing the line. You feel me? 🤨
“,,, it takes a pedant ….”
I Roger that.
So am I! Thanks!
Let Vance wait until he's blue in the face. Harris will win this election.
Yes that's the spirit!!! We must move forward and help Kamala win this election.
My husband has Lewy Body Dementia and he speaks better than the donvict.
We both saw signs way back when he was first running.
It's a sloooow disease that eats your brain and in the donvicts case, it will run its course faster because his brain is tiny like his hands.
They want him to win, so the can invoke the 25th and then the couch lover will be in charge. Also thiel and muskie.
Why do you think they're putting so much money into helping the donvict win?
Vote!
and Musk now prancing and dancing at rally events.... cripes!
🤮
I am so sorry for this diagnosis, Beth, the journey, and the inevitable. Your strength is evident. May it sustain you both.
I'm so sorry, Beth. That is a terrible path.
Vance is the name of the game!
It's not just an "incapacitated" candidate for president, as Heather writes here.
Nor is it the "crickets," as Heather adds at the end, by which his party fawns over his lies, madness, and meandering, self-indulging vulgarities.
It's a mass, industrial-scale rape we scarcely see or can admit.
The tens of million working class Americans who lost their jobs to offshoring – beginning around 1980 – suffered that rape in silence. They could see media and political elites paying no attention to their suffering: gratis approval for the corporate and banking elites profiting by the mass offshoring.
They stewed in silence, U.S. abandoned working classes. But what galled them more was seeing what their kids got in schools.
The Powell memo was 1971. The Heritage Foundation amped up in 1973. ALEC, that far-right lobbying agency for all U.S. state legislatures and the U.S. Congress, began in 1974. The Hoover institution joined them through the 1970s to lay the groundwork – get one thing done – before the offshoring (the systematized rape).
That one thing was not only to void humanities in schools, but also to recast thinking so all would be not only dehumanized, but also additionally numb.
Two prongs of standardized testing did the numbing. 1), emphasizing categories, reducing life to abstractions and to groups. 2), equal emphasis on the linear, also reducing life to units all in a row.
Reduction to categorical and linear thinking guarantees human loneliness. Nothing personal anywhere. All abandon the human. Add units to your life of opioids ingested. Add units to your life of hours spent on social media.
Damage to U.S. schools was done by 1980 – pie then for our billionaires to finish their rape of America. An accepted mass rape whose other symptoms merely include the lying, meandering orange felon.
“So long as they (the Proles) continued to work and breed, their other activities were without importance. Left to themselves, like cattle turned loose upon the plains of Argentina, they had reverted to a style of life that appeared to be natural to them, a sort of ancestral pattern...Heavy physical work, the care of home and children, petty quarrels with neighbors, films, football, beer and above all, gambling filled up the horizon of their minds. To keep them in control was not difficult.”
George Orwell, 1984
Of course, you know, Heather, that Orwell abhorred the stereotyping he lampoons here.
"Politics and the English Language" remains his testament to how we all can avoid falling into the black hole and blinding helplessness of stereotyping.
True. He was speaking from the Big Brother point of view here, where using stereotyping top-down and between the proletariats worked so well to subjugate them.
So pathetically true today. Heathers newsletter explains their attraction to Trump.
Great literature
"The tens of million working class Americans who lost their jobs to offshoring – beginning around 1980 – suffered that rape in silence."
When you are officially a "Job Creator" they let you do it.
I can speak from experience of being within all that offshoring JL, and watching in horror as it progressed - predictably.
They were doing it openly even at the depths of Subprime Crisis unemployment, but anything to help workers, updated minimum wage, or worker protections, is labeled "job killing". Any help for those who struggle labeled "moral hazard".
Well put, JL.
I have thought that the manipulation of the education system has resulted in a deliberate dumbing down of the electorate. Thanks for a (dispiriting but useful) elucidation of the process.
It is not the dumbing down of the education system, but rather the dumbing down of popular media from newspapers to television, but mostly television just as Edward R. Murrow predicted. The totality of our popular media and popular entertainment has become little more than bread and circuses.
So true
I think that one of the things that has also happened is that we have ways of assessing information (through various media and mediums) that is done in very short bits (less than 30 seconds) at a very rapid pace. This takes place with both sound and vision, with th sound at a loud volume and the visual images cycling rapidly. There is a fellow* who has done research on the correlation of video games to changes in brain activity whose theory is that because of the relationship to the optic nerves location and path to the brain, the rapid feed of visual information (often accompanied with sound) has fundamentally changed brain activity. His focus was on violent video games, and where I noticed it in my own life was in the late 1990's when the opening lede for the NFL Monday Night Football game went to rapid images with loud music (still Hank Williams Junior, but instead of 10 second images they were cut to about 1 second). I couldn't watch.
I also note (not empirically, but self-observation) that attention spans have changed with the advent of instant access to just about anything, via our smart phones or computers. Gone are the days of "looking it up" to see just when a president was elected, or what years are considered to be the time mark for the Vietnam War; I just punch in the query and am immediately rewarded with numerous sources, some of them suspect.
* Said "fellow" is Lt. Col. David Grosman, also the guru of the "warrior mentality" component of law enforcement. He paid his kids handsomely not to let his grandchildren watch videos or play video games until they were at least 10 (per his self-report.) A lot of what this guy teaches/preaches is spot on, but where the next generation of trainers has taken it is beyond what it should be (in my somewhat educated and not very humble opinion.)
Ally, your comment is brilliant. Spot on. And unusual -- you have shown yourself to be a sharp observer, able to detect patterns that escape most of us. I guess your professional training must have helped develop this ability.
A long, long time ago, even before he moved from watching films analytically to taking part in making documentaries, my son was horrified by this vicious, aggressive cutting, typical of the Japanese mangas fed to the kids in the 1970s. Pure poison, he called it. Mind poison.
Ally, ditto Peter's comment. 🎯
Your Lt. Grossman comment triggered my NIH, National Center for Biotech Center to locate "Attention Awareness & Perception of Auditory Scenes". Use of the word "Scenes" is fascinating as a descriptor by lead Author Joel S. Snyder. PMID #22347201.
Please excuse my oversimplification but, my take is that low-level & high-level neurological processes interact with each other which great impact on the brain's 'perceptions'.
Indeed they do!
Thank you for your kind words. Yes, professional training had a LOT to do with that, plus having a front row seat to all kinds of human behavior for 30 years.
Bravo Phil ! I offer this for you and anyone else to consider. > https://aeon.co/essays/why-liberals-fear-mongering-about-trump-should-read-hobbes?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us
I like best, D4N, this essay's penultimate line:
"Freedom is meaningless if you cannot count on a stable connection between the work you put in today and a good life tomorrow. But this is precisely the connection that has become severed for so many."
Richard Wolff discusses the basic madness we all inhabit today in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8iOadxZHvs
Thanks for that link - very interesting - but I'd love to know which of the rather large collection of existential issue Richard Wolff is referring to. Loss of Empire or Global warming, or overpopulation or .....
He gets to it more clearly later on, Hugh.
It's how U.S. elites just totally lost touch with most American people.
Not only that, but being so out of touch has also let them trust older habits that just bear no relevance to our changed world. Thus the U.S. remains embedded in Netanyahu, for instance -- with no ability at all to manage or modify any of his actions.
Same for lack of maneuverability on the part of many of our finance and corporate elites, also wed to dictators, autocrats, and nationalists around the world for purely short-term commercial "interests."
I wish he would have seen how the schools our billionaires corrupted brought about this severance from contemporary realities, in service to some blinding categorical and linear thinking as standardized testing now inflicts on all.
Thanks, Phil, for this revelation from Richard Wolff. He cuts through to the core of our dilemma.
From that essay: "Trump’s proposed solution is authoritarianism (as he said in 2016: ‘I, alone, can fix it’). The problem with this solution is that it ends up trading one source of insecurity – our fractured political system – for another – the whims of an individual whose principal interest is his own power rather than the wellbeing of the body politic. But even if we reject this solution as flawed, we cannot dismiss the concerns that drive many to consider it. The democratic party has a new candidate now, but it isn’t clear whether Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s policies will address the need for security and stability."
It isn't clear? Really? I find this essay to be a good bit of hogwash.
James Vander Poel,
I believe in Kamala Harris' ability to bring forth to American citizens cogent arguments compelling our vote for her as our next President. I expect proper actions to be brought forth that will "lift up" all the citizens of our country.
She is interested in common sense ways to improve the lives of regular Americans.
She will listen to our input....she already knows about our struggles. She also knows about the power of family....a force to be cherished.
She wants us to find ways to build up one another...not "tear down" someone for personal gain...NOT to cheat those who are vulnerable....not to feed prejudices to gain power.
I believe she will work with world leaders to support Democracy. She will put together a group of diplomates who are intelligent and capable and experienced to encourage goodwill and support.
She will stand with Ukraine and find ways to stop Putin from advancing his plan to build back "old Russian borders" through war and violence.
I believe, where possible, she will work to maintain relationships even with our enemies for the sake of all humanity. (not a smart move to place high tariffs on goods from China...will negatively affect the purchasing power of regular US citizens)
And remember...along with the strength of Kamala's goodness and brilliance.... is the fact that she has also been a successful prosecutor.
I agree... we are indeed fortunate to have her as a candidate. I cast my ballot for her Saturday, as early voting opened in Massachusetts. (And for Elizabeth Warren).
Thank you James; Somehow, I just 'knew' you would dissect the conclusions. *edit - And by the way, I agree; I believe we're fortunate to have her and Walz. That said, I was not unhappy with Biden and didn't believe for a minute that he wasn't 'up to the task' , and still don't. I do however understand the dynamics of the decision.
Ah, the ivory tower of academia. I second the hogwash vote.
Phil, to understand better the alienation and extreme mental poverty imposed on the world by these philentropists (sic) people could do worse than read Edwin A. Abbott's little book, FLATLAND, A Romance of Many Dimensions... Especially Section XIII, How I Had a Vision of Lineland... Don't be put off by a bit of lighthearted Victorian misogyny but read on to the passage in which the narrator (A Square) meets the King of the Straight Line... which Line he firmly believes to be the whole world...
Such inspiring statements by His Majesty as "The birth of children is too important a matter to have been allowed to depend upon such an accident as proximity"...
Above all, Section XIV, How I Vainly Tried to Explain the Nature of Flatland... His Majesty the King of the Straight Line's horror at the very notion of FEELING, and "what you call TOUCHING"...
The poor monarch, whose subjects are points, is radically unable to conceive of left and right. For him, to step "out of my Line" would be to step out of the world... to step "Out of Space"...
Something horribly familiar about this kingdom and its inhabitants...
Many of our greatest poets have spoken to this stepping out of line.
Joseph Brodsky. W. H. Auden. Eugenio Montale. Robert Frost. And of course more.
Poetry's first impulse is to listen for the serendipitous, the unlikely, the "loose ends" that suddenly apt connect and free us of imaginative straightjackets without our realizing it we've been wearing.
For the most vulgar of our billionaire classes, we've of course had to shut down humanities -- as more than anything our arts put in human and natural perspective what our nihilist rich aim at in their alliances with despots, autocrats, dictators, nationalists, and U.S. wannabees Trump, Vance, Thiel, Mike Johnson, Musk, Mitch McTurtleface, boy Lindsey Graham, and all the perjured of the Clarence court.
Phil, do you ever read Elizabeth's (I thing) haiku here? She posts some good ones.
Will be on the lookout, Ally.
At the moment, it is an attempted rape, in slow motion.
Slow, Jerry, deliberate, well-funded motion.
We watched Mike Johnson—-2d in line after Vance should push come to an actual shove- in a stunning interview with Jake Tapper Sunday. I could hardly breathe during and was near full cardiac arrest after. This is such a dangerous person who has slipped into immense and immediate power like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
I have been pointing out the Mike Johnson danger for some time since he's been an insidious danger from the start appearing to agree but always kissing Trumps hind end, far more dangerous in his Southern strategy from one of the most catastrophic states with so many problems at home. And the people of his district keep electing him. Exactly the Christian nationalist we should abhor.
So I'd Vance became president, would Johnson become VP? I'm still focusing my attention on Harris winning but I'm also doing what many others are doing here today of hoping for the best while preparing for the worst.
I read somewhere on Substack that Don Je cut a deal with JD that he would be his VP.
Thank you Professor Richardson.
Understanding the importance of the farm bill would express an interest in governing. Choosing competent, knowledgeable leadership is an expression of an interest in governing. Convicting a President who has performed serious illegal actions against the United States is governing.
It should be quite clear to all that the former political party known as the "GOP" has become a criminal organization. Their only interest is in concentrating wealth and acquiring more power.
Failure to hold Trump, his co-conspirators, and his accessories after the fact accountable for serious criminal acts has left democracy in a weakened, and perhaps unrecoverable state in the United States. The next two weeks will determine who we are as a society.
George, In my view, the next several weeks will reveal whether the struggle for decency and dignity will be preserved well into the twenty-first century or whether indescribable forms of agony and anguish will be unleashed. Admittedly, what I value most about the LFAA community is that none of us plan passively to sit and watch and wait. Instead, I imagine each of us is playing as pivotal a role as any single individual can to preserve our cherished, albeit flawed, American experiment.
Beautifully articulated Barbara.
George, Thank you for writing. I very much appreciate your thoughtful words.
As election day draws nigh, I get increasingly 'nervous'.... it is hardly just Americans who will have to bear the brunt of a Maga takeover of American government and its international outreach.
Indeed. It wil also destroy European democracy, and fascism will rule. The biggest loser in this story, however, will be Nature. Fascists always hate environmental protection and prefer to ignore climate change.
Dutch, Contrary to what I hear and read, I believe, because Europe, collectively and for some time, has been preparing for a MAGA takeover in the States, neither the UK nor the European Union necessarily would be subjected to our fate should we fail in the struggle to preserve our democratic institutions. Frankly, I would hope their resilience would make us more inclined to put up a fight.
I certainly hope so, but I think we need America's support in this fight. And, as Frank Loomer said, we have our own problems to deal with here. In Germany, where I live, the nazis are gaining power in the east of the country. Even the Netherlands, where I come from, now has a far right administration.
Dutch, As with most struggles, the odds might not be in our favor. Still, just as that didn’t stop those who came before us, it ought not stop us either. Admittedly, I take heart from the presence of so many both here in the States and abroad who also are in this fight. It helps knowing that none of us are alone.
No, we definitely shouldn't just lay down and let the Nazi tech oligarchy take over and do what they want. But we should realise what we're up against; "never underestimate your enemy" is one of the first rules in the Art of War.
Europe has for some time been dealing with its right-wing demons, to wit Orban in Hungary, Poland is still figuring out how to purge its government from entrenched right wingers in its ranks. Look at the recent French elections which had to beat back Marine Le Pen. Macron now has put together a more right oriented executive because of a hung parliament. Italy has Giorgia Meloni . Germany struggles with right wing regional victories. Much if not all of this stems from the huge influx of emigrants from the Middle East, and Africa, originally to cover workforce shortages, but then people in flight from ISIS terrorism in Syria and terrorist intrusions in Europe itself, esp France. And of course, there has been Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Frank, I’m quite aware that far right surges abound. My point was to challenge the inevitability of a MAGA takeover in the States invariably “destroy[ing] European democracy.”
As long as it's only the little people drowning or burning, their response is likely to be like Putin's classic comment on the sinking of the nuclear submarine Kursk...
"IT SANK."
I agree, and am buoyed by the record first-day-of-voting turnouts in Georgia and North Carolina. Even in my small town in Massachusetts, Saturday's start of in-person voting showed a strong turnout. That, I've read, favors Democrats.
If only it will be over in 2 weeks!! 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼🌊🌊🌊🗳️🗳️🗳️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸☮️☮️☮️
At this point there may be too many “R’s” who will have lost their appetite for additional chaos and confusion. For them it’s a long game anyway -so we will see. It is beyond disturbing that we won’t know if the popular vote will align with the racist foundation of the electoral college, or if there will be delay and confusion -in which the convicted felon will appeal to the courts to intercede on his behalf.
Variation on the last six of your well-chosen words: "whether or not we still are a society"...
Criminal organization, Putin’s mob. Are the Heritage cretins on Putin’s team. All seem to have the same feathers.
Indeed they will, George. Are we going to be able to keep our Republic? Who are we (globally) if we can't?
- Pulled Quote -
''The fact that someone on Trump’s campaign leaked to Politico that he is “exhausted” is almost certainly a sign that people down the ranks are deeply concerned about his ability to finish the campaign, let alone run the country. But party leaders continue to stand behind him, raising echoes of their staunch support during Trump’s two impeachment trials.''
What would a J.D. Vance presidency look like?
Keep your eyes on him for the next two weeks.
What happened to that woman he was hanging out with, Laura Loomer? She disappeared from public view pretty quick.
Going by what I read elsewhere today, Donald Trump Junior is very much a Maga/gop actor behind the scenes, and it was he who put Vance's name into the pot re: vice president.
That same 'conversation' suggests that Vance has TrumpJunior lined up as his future VP, suggesting he knows full well that he is going to be elevated to President … and not at an election.
Is there not one of the amendments, or clauses therein regarding someone taking over a presidency due to a sitting president being unable to fulfil their term? I think I read that is the only way a person may in effect serve more than two terms, to become the incumbent after a health or accident issue of a sitting pres., and then gain the presidency in their own right.
I am probably off the mark there, but if Vance gets in for a couple plus a bit terms, (rigged no doubt) with Trump Junior right up his butt to take over after the two term limit it allows an awfully long term of maga to rewrite the constitution, if they massage the numbers, to remove the two term limit. Then they can leapfrog each other and you have the russian system of swapping scumbags in and out. A bit dystopian … but it does keep me awake during the wee small hours.
You are right ON the mark. Look what happened to the Republican National Committee’s Leadership and for that matter, SCOTUS.
Mary L. Trump shared some very recent evidence of Donald Trump’s unfitness for office:
1. In the middle of a townhall, he stood on stage and listened as a random and very weird playlist for 39 minutes.
2. He insulted American autoworkers, claiming a child could do their jobs.
3. His supporters flew swastika and Trump 2024 flags at a boat parade in Jupiter, FL.
4. He insulted Detroit while he was in Detroit.
5. Kamala Harris reminded us that Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Trump administration said Donald was “fascist to the core.”
6. He doubled down on calling Democrats “the enemy from within.”
7. He continued to threaten to revoke CBS broadcasting license because he didn’t like the way they edited excerpts of Vice President Harris’ interview.
8. After his mic stopped working, he wandered around the stage for 20 minutes until the problem was fixed.
9. He called Pres. Biden a “fat pig,” and told Jill to slap him around.
10. He showed up for a softball interview with fellow fascist Dan Bongino and seemed to defend Harvey Weinstein, saying he’d been “schlonged.”
11. He ended that interview 30 minutes early, because he had forgotten it was streaming live.
12. He went on at length about how many guys, who saw Arnold Palmer in the shower, marveled at the size of his penis.
13. And yesterday he showed up at a McDonald’s, which was closed to customers, to “work.” It did not go well.
credit to Mary Trump
My son-in-law is an agrologist, working until recently, for the Canadian government. He is technical information savvy, and convinced if we don't step up long-term agricultural planning now, we will see food shortages sooner or later. He thinks that climate impact will be a very big deal.
housed hydroponics et al, here we come? in the developed economies that can afford that, that is? Whither the rest of the world where that is beyond reach and huge regions become uninhabitable for human beings, let alone our biological cousins, both near and distant?
Certain people in developed economies can afford that. I saw Soylent Green about 50 years ago. We might be headed that way.
i remember that. tba on scaling up human ingenuity in the agricultural sector. I did see a Hong Kong documentary where a biofood firm was doing just all of this and selling into the fresh produce market with considerable success.
Maybe you'd be interested in "lean micro-farming", like at Clay Bottom Farm -- small and local: https://www.claybottomfarm.com/.
Interesting to read that Clay Bottom Farm quotes both George Washington Carver and Elon Musk as big thinkers who influenced their approach to food production.
Oh God I hope not!! Horrible thought
Well then we would need a full scale army at every border which is exactly why the GOP want that in place now, not later, because they are planning for that day. It’s not that they don’t understand global warming, they just don’t want to have to change their gluttonous lifestyles.
I waffle between the hope that the truly undecided voters will fall into the Harris camp to vote for the survival of our country and despairing of the possibility that Trump will be elected again. It is a miserable place to be. I’ve seen my doctor because I have been experiencing a number of symptoms that need to be addressed. One of the symptoms is an unrelenting headache. Maybe I don’t need a doctor for my headache. Maybe what I need is a good result on November 5th.
The several kinds of practitioners I see all agree that our bodies and our bodies health are showing up in their offices as a result of the tension we are all under about this election
so it is also up to each of us to keep our health as vigorous as possible for everything that comes before us no matter the results of the election. But isn't it helpful to consider what a victory party will look like in our neighborhoods and elsewhere? Another note for us is that the legal entities like police departments sheriff's et al are even now practicing for November 5th and beyond to keep us as safe as possible. This is re: a recent interview I read, believe it was Joyce Vance's in the last week or two, of the preparations across the country for this event with an attorney (not Marc Elias)
who works on security with all kinds of jurisdictions. Take heart - take hope.
Thank you, Dr, Richardson. The Farm Bill is one of the most important bills for all Americans - and thanks for pointing out it is SNAP not food stamps that help those in need. The school lunch program is also on the line, but over above all the food we cook and eat is totally dependent on the Farm Bill. Just because we "city dwellers" think that all food comes from the super market, doesn't make that a true statement. It is the framers and ranchers that grow and provide that food.
As to trump, at this point in time he is the stand up puppet for jd vance, who is so disliked and unpopular he couldn't win the Presidency on his own. What those who vote for trump might get - if he wins- is jd as their dictator for life. He's really the dictator Project 2025 wants.
Precisely the plan: a Vance Dictatorship.
Agreed
As Democrats cover the country with solid plans, dedication, understanding and enthusiasm; Republicans lie, scare, and support incompetence…and given these choices Americans are divided 50/50. It’s STUNNING!!
Echoing unscrupulous McConnell, this is all a grab for power, ultimately by guys like Musk, with treacherous toadies like McConnell and Thomas as their proxies. It is everything the Constitution was crafted and amended to avoid.
I notice that Mitch is no where to be seen these days. No opinions about anything and Graham has gone silent. They both have so much of this horror on their shoulders because they were 2 of the primary enablers....and they both know how dangerous he really is. I know this a fantasy, but I'd love to see them come out on stage with Liz Cheney and say, "you're right...Trump should never be POTUS again or step foot in the White House. Harris is the only sane choice." But that ain't going to happen. This up to voter turnout in 6-7 states.
It's hard to believe that those two are even constitutionally capable of telling the truth in public though they might do that if it means saving their own skin somehow. But it will never be the full truth and only the truth.
I saw that Graham was on "Meet The Press" yesterday; I could not bring myself to watch that beyond loathsome person.
Graham is being plenty vocal, and it’s not good!!
https://www.axios.com/2024/10/20/trump-lindsey-graham-republicans-supporting-harris
WTF. “They tried to blow his head off.” Who is “they”? From all reports the attempt at assassination was one disturbed individual, but of course Graham wasn’t fact checked.
"they" is other Trump supporters but Lindsey isn't saying that part out loud. He doesn't want to bring attention to the fact that both shooters were Republicans..so he's using the generic "they" instead.
the Republicans know Trump is failing. As soon as the election is won ( god forbid) they will install Vance, and Musk and Thiel and friends will start pulling the puppet-strings. And 2025 gets implemented. It’s so simple.
I also predict that if you see Niki Haley out campaigning, she will have negotiated moving into the VP slot when JD moves into President. Sick and scary.
I think Trump Jr. is in the wings.
"Only crickets" because they are hoping to get trump in office, and then the plan is to "buy" him off (easy to do) and install Vance asap. Vance will be even worse! He is evil. t is only the vehicle to get a true extremist in the White House!!! Why isn't anyone talking about this?!
Quite clearly the American dream has gotten entangled with corporate capitalism that sells the dream, completely ignoring that a dream cannot be sold in reality except to people who wish to believe that it can. Thereby lies enormous ignorance with all that follows such as teach to the test so you can later buy the dream in all your ignorance, such as a kind of devolvement into tribal warring factions vying for the political pie, such as twisting the Constitution to your own benefit, and on and on. Seems the ongoing need for healers of the mind and emotions will be a huge job development very shortly if not now.
One quick observation before I finish today's letter. Trump has a felony on his record, he could not be considered for a job at McDonalds or anywhere except if elected President but he's not mentally stable enough for that job.