Sewell noted, “Generations of Americans—many in my hometown of Selma, Alabama—marched, fought, and even died for the equal right of all Americans to vote. But today, their legacy and our very democracy are under attack as MAGA extremists target voters with new laws to restrict voting access. Ten years after the Supreme Court gutted the V…
Sewell noted, “Generations of Americans—many in my hometown of Selma, Alabama—marched, fought, and even died for the equal right of all Americans to vote. But today, their legacy and our very democracy are under attack as MAGA extremists target voters with new laws to restrict voting access. Ten years after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the fight for voting rights has never been more urgent.”
Only one quibble here--Democrats MUST start replacing the phrase "MAGA extremists" with the real attackers "billionaire Republican wanna be oligarchs". The only hope Democrats have of ousting the right wing extremists in Congress and state governments is to call out the puppet masters and let their gullible followers know how they are being manipulated and why. The manifesto is out there in Project 2025. It is time Harris and Biden and Schumer and Jeffries start pointing to it and naming names.
I believe that the extremists forcing a shut-down of the government are doing it to please their donors as a broken economy will favor Trump. The billionaires will survive another recession, and the impact of Project 2025 if enacted will only increase their wealth. The rest of us will take the hit.
The billionaires will survive another recession, and the impact of Project 2025 if enacted will only increase their wealth. The rest of us will take the hit.
If the "Great Recession" was any guide, most wealthy perpetrators made out like bandits, while the public was offered "austerity".
It will be a Depression, not a recession. In the Depression, rich white men profited enormously off everyone's misery and hard times. My greatest generation parents told me stories of local me in their community stealing the land of folks who fell on hard tomes. All perfectly legal.
Spot on Georgia... The bankroll supporting the TFG, maggots, self righteous bible thumpers, criminal fanatics, and frightened lambs did not get their bankroll from church collection plates. Let's just spill myth that far and wide. The very same bankroll source with different actors are the same who killed Abraham, Martin, John, Bobby, and more - all for power, money, and property. Some day, that all will come out. *edit in > How did this poison spread throughout the land ? What exists in every city, town, and hamlet across the U.S. ? Churches, bars, and Chambers of Commerce. Likely, those exist in most western democracies as well. Food for thought...
DAN, It Is True, This TRIPE !,,seems to have NO END ! BUT ! ,,,,, WITH FAITH! FORTITUDE, ! and Triple Down GRIT ! The MAGGOT MAMMONITE MINORITY ! Will,,,, FOLD ! ( A HOUSE , Divided ! CANNOT ! [ & WILL NOT !] STAND !! )
Totally agree. But I suggest removing "wanna be". They are. And they pull the strings of the MAGA puppets with ease. Using culture war strings. And the strings go to SCOTUS. And infiltrate the military services and police forces.
But there are many more of us than them. It's all about turnout. I think the MAGA movement and this House of Reps is committing political suicide. A government shutdown will hurt many millions and anger the millions who care about them.
Hopefully, the needless pain induced by a Looney Tunes House and the damage done by "Coach Tuberville" will convince enough voters that the GQP is under the control of those oligarchs. That the Republican party is now the MAGA tool of the uber rich.
Military families, friends of those serving, all those who post signs on their lawns saying "Support our Troops" must be having some questions...
Fern posted that only 25% of young people vote. Our focus has to be getting out the youth vote. Whether volunteering for a phone tree, door-to-door, or writing postcards, we have to do our part. (For lusts of voters who haven voted recently, check out Activate America.) My latest batch of postcards are in the mail.
The next decades, good or bad, will impact THEIR lives the most powerfully.
We who stand on the shoulders of "the greatest generation" owe it to the next generation to make sure democracy survives and they can reach their fullest potential. They must understand voting is their super power.
I hate auto everything. The internet is a spy. Word keeps reconfiguring my laptop because I'm refusing to move to Word 11 - yesterday morning it took me half an hour to be able to use my e-mail.
Cheryl, I agree 100% that our focus needs to be on the youth vote and am focusing my donations on that and abortion rights, but let's also celebrate the many signs that Gen Z is far more activated that millennials ever were. Another positive article in The NY Times today:
Georgia Fisanick, I strongly agree with truth telling about the puppeteers but I find 2 difficulties with it. One, the D Party would be biting some of the hands that feed them. Two, I worry about the masses being vocally against the wealthiest because whatever you fight becomes stronger. That would not bode well for the people. For the truth telling not to have disastrous, unintended consequences, ---- a well thought out, strategic plan and implementation rooted in for, not against, would be essential.
There are already articles in the NY Times talking about Democratic donors not funding at their usual levels--But they still are each only one vote each and energizing the Democratic base is what has to be done. If there is a government shut down I want to see an enormous March on Washington that the media has to cover with rousing speeches by Biden and Harris and Jeffries and all the best of the orators telling the truth about who is pulling the strings and what Project 2025 says about how the government will be changed. It needs to cover what the Democratic party stands for as well as the danger the Republican oligarchs pose.
Georgia Fisanick, yes, I agree they should be shouting out the perils of the oligarchs and Project 2025. But, what we think must be done is in conflict with factions in the D Party. Some are more aligned with oligarchs than the people. (There's a good article today from "The Lever", an online news organization , titled 'The Missing Inflation Data" .
It points to what we are talking about. ) The party has shifted toward the people and I am grateful but there is still a lot of inner work to be done before the majority or all of their actions and policies align with all the people. For decades, the party lost its way, so it will take time for their transformation, if they so wish. So, I'm not counting on them. I'm counting on you and me and many others to take wise action.
The rules of the game require huge sums of money to engage. No money for your campaign? Don’t campaign, cuz you’ll lose. Remove money from elections. Level the playing field. Until then, don’t blame Democrats for using campaign funding to participate in elections
I agree. There are probably many people in the country who would make good leaders, but unless they're wealthy, they won't go far. There are exceptions to this, of course. I don't think there are many, though. I do not want to live in a country where my government is telling me what I have to believe. I don't want any kids growing up not knowing anything but what they are told to believe. I cannot fathom there are people who support fascists. What a horrible time in our history.
Democrats are the only ones USING money in order to GET RID OF MONEY (aka "dark" money) in politics. We're also touting scrapping Citizens United. We're using the resources it takes in order to finally be on the path to drastically limit $$ in political parties and candidates, on BOTH sides. I don't see one shred of evidence Republicans are fighting for that. In fact, they're doing the opposite.
“Back off a bit”? Right now? Democrats can see the writing on the wall: that if a Republican wins the next presidential election, our democracy is likely to falter, if not fail. Likewise for every race down the ticket. This is hardly the time to “back off”.
If you mean commenters here, rather than Democrats in general, well, we are rather good at identifying and calling out double-speak, and commenters who are here to try to poke an ants’ nest, and trolls. Furthermore, we are not all Democrats; lots of independents and former Republicans are here. Who isn’t here is Maga. We have all put considerable time and effort into creating a community of ideas and ideals here under Dr. Richardson’s guidance, and we’re protective of it.
No. 3 Of course I do. The country is not as divided as the shit stirrers want us to think it is.
No. 4 sometimes, yes. There’s a difference between civil disagreement and trolling. For example, I heartily disagree with you, but am happy to engage politely with you, without calling you a troll.
No. 5 I’d be very happy with four more years of this, especially if we can have it without Republican congressional stupid games. I think we’d make a lot of progress that even you might like. (Try not to let the perfect become the enemy of the good.)
No. 6 (unnumbered). We will never know if Sanders could have won or not; you think he could have, and I am equally sure he’d have been annihilated. It’s unknowable which of us is right. I do not understand the surprise of Bernie supporters that the DNC would support a Democrat; after all, that’s their main function. Bernie competed well in the primaries, but he. did. not. beat. Clinton. I think it’s wonderful that he has pulled the Democratic party left and made some important issues more mainstream, and I’m glad he sparked interest from young voters. But this is a guy with very little legislative success despite many years in the Senate, not a team player, and with little foreign policy chops. He’s not what we needed then, or now. And that’s my opinion, and it’s totally fine if you don’t share it. I promise I won’t call you a troll, so long as you don’t call me one.
Dems need to compete with the hand Citizen’s United dealt them. Big money is a necessary evil until Dems can pass laws that eliminate Citizens United that the Gang of Six can’t over rule
What choice does a politician have? You can't bring a knife to a war where the enemy has howitzers. But I agree that the whole system is wrong.
I'd go with public funding of all elections. No stupid debates. Just collect signatures to qualify for a basic amount of money. Make your public statements. State your positions. Knock on doors. Get interviewed. Block PACS which are just arms of the oligarchs who fund their puppets.
You are on to something, for sure. But we have to win before we can fix it.
Dems have passed legislation to get dark money out of politics. Republicans have blocked it. “Both sides” cynicism is inappropriate here. Right now the system itself is as it is. This will only change if Dems have the votes to enact the change.
“…..start replacing the phrase "MAGA extremists" with the real attackers "billionaire Republican wanna be oligarchs"
I beg to differ ever so slightly. “MAGA extremists” are in fact “Christian Extremists” and the “billionaire Republican wanna be oligarchs" are “Christian billionaire Republican wanna be oligarchs". The maga extremists in the house are all Christians. It’s the same for those in the Senate eg: Tuberville.
We keep glossing over the fact it’s Christian Extremists who are behind each and every thing the MAGAs are doing. MAGA is a convenient label/ moniker for these extremists to hide behind, a way to deflect from who and what they really are. If they were to be called/ we were to call them what they are re: Christian Extremists, they couldn’t hide behind the “MAGA” label anymore.
Please don’t let the distractions they create muddy the waters for what is the truth about them. They are Christian Extremists, Christian Fascists, and Christian Nationalists.
The plan to undermine democracy, along with the names of people and organizations promoting it, are laid out in a number of books. Among them are Democracy in Chains (Nancy MacLean), Dark Money (Jane Mayer), Shadow Network (Anne Nelson) & The Scheme (Sheldon Whitehouse). These authors also address the topic in YouTube talks. I suspect there is relevant information in HCR’s upcoming book, Democracy Awakening, that we are eagerly awaiting.
You wrote: "I believe that the extremists forcing a shut-down of the government are doing it to please their donors as a broken economy will favor Trump. The billionaires will survive another recession, and the impact of Project 2025 if enacted will only increase their wealth. The rest of us will take the hit." I agree.
Will the shutdown also affect funding of the DOJ and efforts to hold tfg accountable for his crimes? I wonder.
While I generally agree, don't discount the MAGA extremists who have their own goals, i.e., Twitter stardom and chaos in service to their own personal aggrandizement.
Sewell noted, “Generations of Americans—many in my hometown of Selma, Alabama—marched, fought, and even died for the equal right of all Americans to vote. But today, their legacy and our very democracy are under attack as MAGA extremists target voters with new laws to restrict voting access. Ten years after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the fight for voting rights has never been more urgent.”
Only one quibble here--Democrats MUST start replacing the phrase "MAGA extremists" with the real attackers "billionaire Republican wanna be oligarchs". The only hope Democrats have of ousting the right wing extremists in Congress and state governments is to call out the puppet masters and let their gullible followers know how they are being manipulated and why. The manifesto is out there in Project 2025. It is time Harris and Biden and Schumer and Jeffries start pointing to it and naming names.
I believe that the extremists forcing a shut-down of the government are doing it to please their donors as a broken economy will favor Trump. The billionaires will survive another recession, and the impact of Project 2025 if enacted will only increase their wealth. The rest of us will take the hit.
The billionaires will survive another recession, and the impact of Project 2025 if enacted will only increase their wealth. The rest of us will take the hit.
If the "Great Recession" was any guide, most wealthy perpetrators made out like bandits, while the public was offered "austerity".
In the words of George Bailey, "Potters not selling, Potters buying."
It will be a Depression, not a recession. In the Depression, rich white men profited enormously off everyone's misery and hard times. My greatest generation parents told me stories of local me in their community stealing the land of folks who fell on hard tomes. All perfectly legal.
Spot on Georgia... The bankroll supporting the TFG, maggots, self righteous bible thumpers, criminal fanatics, and frightened lambs did not get their bankroll from church collection plates. Let's just spill myth that far and wide. The very same bankroll source with different actors are the same who killed Abraham, Martin, John, Bobby, and more - all for power, money, and property. Some day, that all will come out. *edit in > How did this poison spread throughout the land ? What exists in every city, town, and hamlet across the U.S. ? Churches, bars, and Chambers of Commerce. Likely, those exist in most western democracies as well. Food for thought...
And social media also is ubiquitous. Small social media cliques are free to circulate their lies amongst each other and no-one can intercede.
DAN, It Is True, This TRIPE !,,seems to have NO END ! BUT ! ,,,,, WITH FAITH! FORTITUDE, ! and Triple Down GRIT ! The MAGGOT MAMMONITE MINORITY ! Will,,,, FOLD ! ( A HOUSE , Divided ! CANNOT ! [ & WILL NOT !] STAND !! )
Please, refrain from using upper case unless required for grammar. It dilutes your message. Thank you
[Too much upper case here, GMB. But I often feel compelled to use it, as there's no access to italics here. Also for certain billboard effects.]
Totally agree. But I suggest removing "wanna be". They are. And they pull the strings of the MAGA puppets with ease. Using culture war strings. And the strings go to SCOTUS. And infiltrate the military services and police forces.
But there are many more of us than them. It's all about turnout. I think the MAGA movement and this House of Reps is committing political suicide. A government shutdown will hurt many millions and anger the millions who care about them.
Hopefully, the needless pain induced by a Looney Tunes House and the damage done by "Coach Tuberville" will convince enough voters that the GQP is under the control of those oligarchs. That the Republican party is now the MAGA tool of the uber rich.
Military families, friends of those serving, all those who post signs on their lawns saying "Support our Troops" must be having some questions...
"there are many more of us than them"
Fern posted that only 25% of young people vote. Our focus has to be getting out the youth vote. Whether volunteering for a phone tree, door-to-door, or writing postcards, we have to do our part. (For lusts of voters who haven voted recently, check out Activate America.) My latest batch of postcards are in the mail.
The next decades, good or bad, will impact THEIR lives the most powerfully.
We who stand on the shoulders of "the greatest generation" owe it to the next generation to make sure democracy survives and they can reach their fullest potential. They must understand voting is their super power.
*lists of voters (hate autofill)
I hate auto everything. The internet is a spy. Word keeps reconfiguring my laptop because I'm refusing to move to Word 11 - yesterday morning it took me half an hour to be able to use my e-mail.
Cheryl, I agree 100% that our focus needs to be on the youth vote and am focusing my donations on that and abortion rights, but let's also celebrate the many signs that Gen Z is far more activated that millennials ever were. Another positive article in The NY Times today:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/20/opinion/young-voters-2024.html
I need the optimistic news, too! :)
Georgia, this is a spot on assessment. The "MAGAt Extremists" are the window dressing, the multibillionaire RepubliQan oligarchs are the true enemy.
Georgia Fisanick, I strongly agree with truth telling about the puppeteers but I find 2 difficulties with it. One, the D Party would be biting some of the hands that feed them. Two, I worry about the masses being vocally against the wealthiest because whatever you fight becomes stronger. That would not bode well for the people. For the truth telling not to have disastrous, unintended consequences, ---- a well thought out, strategic plan and implementation rooted in for, not against, would be essential.
There are already articles in the NY Times talking about Democratic donors not funding at their usual levels--But they still are each only one vote each and energizing the Democratic base is what has to be done. If there is a government shut down I want to see an enormous March on Washington that the media has to cover with rousing speeches by Biden and Harris and Jeffries and all the best of the orators telling the truth about who is pulling the strings and what Project 2025 says about how the government will be changed. It needs to cover what the Democratic party stands for as well as the danger the Republican oligarchs pose.
Georgia Fisanick, yes, I agree they should be shouting out the perils of the oligarchs and Project 2025. But, what we think must be done is in conflict with factions in the D Party. Some are more aligned with oligarchs than the people. (There's a good article today from "The Lever", an online news organization , titled 'The Missing Inflation Data" .
It points to what we are talking about. ) The party has shifted toward the people and I am grateful but there is still a lot of inner work to be done before the majority or all of their actions and policies align with all the people. For decades, the party lost its way, so it will take time for their transformation, if they so wish. So, I'm not counting on them. I'm counting on you and me and many others to take wise action.
How can the Dems. point out names when they too are beholden to big money?
Repubs can do that too.
The rules of the game require huge sums of money to engage. No money for your campaign? Don’t campaign, cuz you’ll lose. Remove money from elections. Level the playing field. Until then, don’t blame Democrats for using campaign funding to participate in elections
I agree. There are probably many people in the country who would make good leaders, but unless they're wealthy, they won't go far. There are exceptions to this, of course. I don't think there are many, though. I do not want to live in a country where my government is telling me what I have to believe. I don't want any kids growing up not knowing anything but what they are told to believe. I cannot fathom there are people who support fascists. What a horrible time in our history.
Democrats are the only ones USING money in order to GET RID OF MONEY (aka "dark" money) in politics. We're also touting scrapping Citizens United. We're using the resources it takes in order to finally be on the path to drastically limit $$ in political parties and candidates, on BOTH sides. I don't see one shred of evidence Republicans are fighting for that. In fact, they're doing the opposite.
Well yeah because without billionaire funded propaganda, Republicans lose on the battlefield of ideas and freedoms
I was not complaining I was stating a point by another commentator.
I do wish you Dems. would back off a bit.
“Back off a bit”? Right now? Democrats can see the writing on the wall: that if a Republican wins the next presidential election, our democracy is likely to falter, if not fail. Likewise for every race down the ticket. This is hardly the time to “back off”.
If you mean commenters here, rather than Democrats in general, well, we are rather good at identifying and calling out double-speak, and commenters who are here to try to poke an ants’ nest, and trolls. Furthermore, we are not all Democrats; lots of independents and former Republicans are here. Who isn’t here is Maga. We have all put considerable time and effort into creating a community of ideas and ideals here under Dr. Richardson’s guidance, and we’re protective of it.
NO1. Dems are owned by big money?
NO.2 I am anti-Trump but I do recognize that Dems are also corrupted by big money.
No.3 Do you really think that the US now can avoid a Civil War?
No.4 Do you think that anyone commenting on here, regarding the Dems., is correct. eg Calling one a troll if they don't agree with you.
No5. Do you really think that by voting for Biden you will not get the same in 4yrs time?
Change needs to happen now.
Bernie Sanders could have made it to the Presidency but on behalf of the DNC he was annihilated and you did nothing.
Nos. 1-2 repeal Citizens United
No. 3 Of course I do. The country is not as divided as the shit stirrers want us to think it is.
No. 4 sometimes, yes. There’s a difference between civil disagreement and trolling. For example, I heartily disagree with you, but am happy to engage politely with you, without calling you a troll.
No. 5 I’d be very happy with four more years of this, especially if we can have it without Republican congressional stupid games. I think we’d make a lot of progress that even you might like. (Try not to let the perfect become the enemy of the good.)
No. 6 (unnumbered). We will never know if Sanders could have won or not; you think he could have, and I am equally sure he’d have been annihilated. It’s unknowable which of us is right. I do not understand the surprise of Bernie supporters that the DNC would support a Democrat; after all, that’s their main function. Bernie competed well in the primaries, but he. did. not. beat. Clinton. I think it’s wonderful that he has pulled the Democratic party left and made some important issues more mainstream, and I’m glad he sparked interest from young voters. But this is a guy with very little legislative success despite many years in the Senate, not a team player, and with little foreign policy chops. He’s not what we needed then, or now. And that’s my opinion, and it’s totally fine if you don’t share it. I promise I won’t call you a troll, so long as you don’t call me one.
Back off what? Rejecting GOP attempts at destroying our democracy and economy?
Dems. are a BIG money party too.
I am sick of being called a Troll when any comment I make is different from most viewpoints.
Did I call you names? Nope
Dems need to compete with the hand Citizen’s United dealt them. Big money is a necessary evil until Dems can pass laws that eliminate Citizens United that the Gang of Six can’t over rule
Jenny, literally no one has called you a troll.
What choice does a politician have? You can't bring a knife to a war where the enemy has howitzers. But I agree that the whole system is wrong.
I'd go with public funding of all elections. No stupid debates. Just collect signatures to qualify for a basic amount of money. Make your public statements. State your positions. Knock on doors. Get interviewed. Block PACS which are just arms of the oligarchs who fund their puppets.
You are on to something, for sure. But we have to win before we can fix it.
All of this was in the voting rights bill that would have turned back Citizen's United.
How about large gift$ to PACs?
Ban PACs - tools of the devil.
Dems have passed legislation to get dark money out of politics. Republicans have blocked it. “Both sides” cynicism is inappropriate here. Right now the system itself is as it is. This will only change if Dems have the votes to enact the change.
Rubbish.
What makes you say that? Have you been following the Disclose Act or the For the People Act?
That too
“…..start replacing the phrase "MAGA extremists" with the real attackers "billionaire Republican wanna be oligarchs"
I beg to differ ever so slightly. “MAGA extremists” are in fact “Christian Extremists” and the “billionaire Republican wanna be oligarchs" are “Christian billionaire Republican wanna be oligarchs". The maga extremists in the house are all Christians. It’s the same for those in the Senate eg: Tuberville.
We keep glossing over the fact it’s Christian Extremists who are behind each and every thing the MAGAs are doing. MAGA is a convenient label/ moniker for these extremists to hide behind, a way to deflect from who and what they really are. If they were to be called/ we were to call them what they are re: Christian Extremists, they couldn’t hide behind the “MAGA” label anymore.
Please don’t let the distractions they create muddy the waters for what is the truth about them. They are Christian Extremists, Christian Fascists, and Christian Nationalists.
The plan to undermine democracy, along with the names of people and organizations promoting it, are laid out in a number of books. Among them are Democracy in Chains (Nancy MacLean), Dark Money (Jane Mayer), Shadow Network (Anne Nelson) & The Scheme (Sheldon Whitehouse). These authors also address the topic in YouTube talks. I suspect there is relevant information in HCR’s upcoming book, Democracy Awakening, that we are eagerly awaiting.
Actually, ‘MAGA Extremists’ must be changed to ‘PUTIN via TRUMP Extremists’.
You wrote: "I believe that the extremists forcing a shut-down of the government are doing it to please their donors as a broken economy will favor Trump. The billionaires will survive another recession, and the impact of Project 2025 if enacted will only increase their wealth. The rest of us will take the hit." I agree.
Will the shutdown also affect funding of the DOJ and efforts to hold tfg accountable for his crimes? I wonder.
While I generally agree, don't discount the MAGA extremists who have their own goals, i.e., Twitter stardom and chaos in service to their own personal aggrandizement.