This is just one of the myriad times, over the past 6 years, that I sit in utter disbelief over the absolute chaos the Republican Party has created - all in the service of that narcissistic sociopath in Florida who wants to destroy our democracy because he lost the 2020 election.
The narcissistic sociopath in Florida is not the force driving the Republican Party. He is a very useful front man for the billionaire autocrats that fund the Heritage Foundation and Federalist Society. They are the ones who since Regan have engineered policies that have driven the increase in wealth disparity in this country and are behind trickle down economics and the drive for less government regulation of business.
When Mitt Romney said that the Republican Senators laughed after Trump left the room they could do that only because they saw him as a front man and were secure in their campaign funding from their big money donors.
It's time to lift the curtain and point to the real puppeteers of the disfunction.
"Reaganomics" was about replacing democracy with plutocracy from the get go, which has been on quote a roll for the four decades since.
Said yesterday's Guardian:
" Humanity has 'opened the gates to hell' by allowing the climate crisis to worsen, the secretary general of the United Nations has warned at a climate summit of leaders that saw angry denunciations of the fossil fuel industry but was undercut by the absence of many of the biggest carbon-emitting countries."
That's just one of modern existential threats greatly exacerbated by the deliberate sabotage by big money to block any concerted, rational response. For what? For whom?
I wonder if these people with all that money they like to throw around to get what they want realize that climate change doesn't care, at all, about their money. These fools will suffer the effects of climate change along with us poor people. Money won't help.
Well, their money will help insulate them from the weather extremes--for a while and only to a point.
But those who depend on this money to save them are classic "focus-on-the-short-term" thinkers who think only in terms of quarterly reports. Not in terms of the survival of the current ecosystems and of humanity itself.
You have in one T L. They think their money will save them, but in the end, coming sooner than they expect, it will not save them. Tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and hurricanes do not care how much money people have. It's just sad that our beautiful natural world will go to hell as well. As I grow older, I become more and more a misanthrope.
35 years ago we had snow on the ground (and lots of it) in northern Michigan from November 15th to April 15th. Ski! Sled! Skate! Shovel! (My favorite sport). Today's winter weather forecast? "Ground may be bare in spots again in January and February..."
Already climate change has cost us far more than remediation efforts, in case you haven't noticed. Maybe a climate corps will not make much of a difference. But maybe it will. It's certainly worth the effort. ANY remediation efforts are worth trying.
And our debt rating was downgraded because of Republican brinksmanship.
"If banks really believe the sea was going to rise at catastrophic rates, why WOULD they ever lend to anyone that lived on the coast?"
It's just a matter of time before they refuse to loan to anyone buying property under X feet above sea level (my own threshold is 100, for what it's worth; 150 would be better).
Already, property insurers are pulling out of Florida, in case you haven't been paying attention.
Yes, but they will be “right” for the time being, and that is what matters most to them. Like the slaves they perceive us to be, they will so own us. Money buys insanity for some.
BC , As " It Is Written ! " The WORLD < will END, in FIRE ! IF ! , MANKIND ! Does NOT, WAKE UP ! , It WILL BE, ,,,,, SOONER, Than LATER! ( The OVEN ! ,,,, is Getting PRE warmed ! )
Did you ever see the movie "Don't Look Up?" The US government is warned of a planet destroying asteroid which will crash into the earth. There is time to do something, but the president and her puppet advisors do nothing until it is too late. Just before the crash, it seems that they have made space ships to evacuate the politicians and rich people. This sounds like something that could happen here.
I have not seen that movie, but from your description, it sounds plausible for today. MAGAs follow trump, a man who would only save himself and (maybe) people who pledge their undying loyalty to him. I find this horrifying.
but don't you think that trump could protect his palace with his ever present Sharpie? Surely, all he would have to do is draw a completely new line the hurricane could take and being as powerful and god-like as he is the hurricane would obey, it would keep in mind the threat of its being nuked if it did not comply!
Their money buys a lot of insulating from climate repercussions/ justice repercussions/ social repercussions. They are betting that they can continue that trajectory for them and their friends. And so far they have been able to do that. Multi millionaires and billionaires live in a different, insulated world from “us”. They really see no use for us. The sooner we die and get out of the way and off their “conscience”, the better. They view regular people - the 99%- as cogs, serfs, playthings, or useless, depending on who we are. They believe they are “The Chosen”. And that they deserve dominion over the world. I always ask: Can we have a sane world AND billionaires? I guess not.
J L Graham, Thom Hartmann has a great piece on the application of the Two Santa Clause method that Reagan proved worked to perfection. ie, run up the deficit when the House is controlled by the GOP and then bash the Dems for it.
He's a troll. That's what trolls do - make stuff up. The only part he got right is that millions of stupid people worship Saint Ronald of Reagan. His second term of office was marred by his wife and close associates' efforts to conceal his rapidly advancing dementia.
Georgia, you are correct IMO - the wealthy keep engineering the process for their own financial benefit, and it has paid huge dividends. That $32 trillion that is now the national debt went principally into the coffers of the ultra wealthy, the funders and backers of the Heritage Foundation, Federalist Society and other such groups, such as Mason University. Thomas Frank writes about this in "What's the Matter with Kansas?" For a time these manipulators used wedge issues such as abortion, gay marriage and school prayer to persuade average Americans (social conservatives) to vote against their own best economic interests. After the elections, nothing happened for them. But, but then the "Old South" and the "Old Ku Klux Klan" raised their ugly heads, the catalyst in part being the election of a Black President. So, the billionaire autocrats were handed a gift - Donald John Trump ,who gave the racists just what they wanted, a vicious leader who would punish the "line-cutters," those getting what they don't deserve, hatred of foreigners, Blacks, Muslims and immigrants. It is all in the study, "The Anger Games: Who Voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Election, and Why?" Google it. The billionaires are slapping their thighs in glee.
On target. Jane Mayer wrote Dark Money. Kochland takes us through the dark world of the Koch brothers and the stealth infiltration of the libertarian ideas into the republican party. Thom Hartmann documents a lot of this in his hidden history series
Good questions. How about; what is the end results of our/your beliefs and who would benefit the most? Who would suffer more or gain more if what you wanted came to fruition? Just asking.
Those are questions that have never occurred to the wealthy elite who manipulate the gullible, nor the gullible to want to crush the "undesirables." The one thing that no one ever has enough of is money. The idea that MAGA/KKK Republicans are Christians (Matthew 25:34-46) is an exercise in make believe. and then: Matthew 7: 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them."
So I ask this question and I think we all should take a step back and truly ask these questions of ourselves. And in all honesty, let's remove our personal bias -- and look at our country with this fresh lens.
let's ask ourselves, are we, the citizens, under a propaganda attack, by our country, on all fronts:
That’s the history we were taught. But “Carnegie Endowment,” Carnegie Hall, and libraries ring loud. There is also the Rockefeller Foundation. But we object as a country to having government fund the arts and sciences as many countries do not. Our medical system could be vastly improved by national oversight and our regional orchestras could flourish if all the money were not at the top. We have to work very hard to keep our democracy and improve it. All of US.
Thank you Georgia. And Heather too, the force of truth is apparent. It’s up to the voters now : for those not registered to register and for the majority force *Democrats* to show up on day 1 of voting ‘24;,’26,; ‘28 and from then on .
Put this circus out-of-business.
It will take several times to the ballot box to complete the eradication of such people -J.Jordan, Gaetz , Conner, Paxton, MTG,Boebart , fill in the list thoroughly my fellow Americans - it.needs.done.
We The People are competent and well aware/convinced (as are many Republicans) what has happened for quite some time. We have a bunch of issues come to light over this period of our own muddled pies and the need to address laws/ practices long swept under the carpet.
It’s a stiff climb out of the debacle no doubt. A lot of serious money is solidly entrenched in fists too tight, too entitled and many serious issues to work towards solving.
Patricia Davis, right on! There are many of us in Virginia who know with great certainty that turnout in the upcoming election and those that follow are of the utmost importance. Starting at the level of the local school board it will take time and effort to effect change. Many of us are funding candidates running in jurisdictions beyond our own.
Truth. Leonard Leo and Rupert Murdock and their cohort are the Wizard behind the curtain, pulling the strings of weak, ridiculous, self-important nincompoops.
We know who the puppeteers are. They hide behind groups like the two supposedly legitiamate ones you mention, and the G.O.P. label which they have bought. One of the problems is that the defeated former president doesn't know he is just the front man for today's version of the same treasonous puppeteers that were called Tories in 1776 and Secessionists in 1861. He's like an actor who has so bought into a script that he has lost his real identity, if he ever had any.
Exactly, Georgia. Trump is too ignorant to have engineered this chaos without explicit direction from people who knew exactly how to orchestrate it. Between our oligarchs and puppeteers and foreign agents, we are currently in an apocalyptical battle.
Marycat, and he's just one of many. Leonard Leo played him like a piano for SCOTUS, and we all know that there are foreign influences as well. When the Repugnants refer to the Democratic "deep state" the irony is immense.
Bannon was one of the first dirtbags Trump was associated with in 2016, which is why he popped into my mind. There are others, of course, such as Vladimir Putin.
Yes. These actions are being purchased with money from rich folks behind the scenes. Someone needs to follow the money going to politicians and make bribery illegal. This is RICO at the National level.
Exactly, Georgia! Now, how do we raise the curtain so the tRumpers will see and hear this truth? I have very intelligent relatives and friends who cannot see or hear beyond Faux news and their holy faux ministers.
I would “like” Georgia’s comment a hundred times. Trump followers are uninformed, intentional duhhh-niers. The brash lies fit their National inquirer diet.
The elite use their propaganda to manipulate the MAGA/KKK Republicans to vote against their own best economic and social interests. G.W. Bush was correct in his speech at the 2001 White House Correspondents' Dinner: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on." Spoken by a narcissist, but a pure amateur when compared to DJT.
He would weep (and fume) for the betrayal of government of the people, by the people, for the people, but disown the party that only pays lip service to him. These genuine RINOs even switched sides on the Civil War.
"The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves -- in their separate, and individual capacities." - Lincoln
"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help." - Reagan
The "GOP" gleefully sold its soul for domineering power, perhaps the thing Lincoln hated most.
"As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy." - Lincoln
I genuinely do not understand. HOW can Matt Goetz of Florida and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama have so much influence over the whole of the government? (Anyone ?) How does on small group’s “no” determine the course of our nation?
What mechanisms are in place to prevent the small group from destroying the country at their whim?
I am no expert in government, but I believe that the rules that have evolved in the House and Senate have largely created this situation where a single person or very small group can hold up the entire government. For example, the filibuster is not a law. It is simply a rule made by the Senate, and it can be undone by the Senate. I believe there are many such rules, and BOTH HOUSES need to revisit a lot if them@
Yes! Please! Democracy is about majority rule...no? If a couple of idiots can use antique rules to block the normal functioning of our government, change the damn rules!
When Ben Franklin advised Democracy would only work if you can keep it relied on his instinct of human weakness. Representative Government relies on trust and good intentions to govern in the Public or Common good.
In this Century the Republicans have turned trust on its head and have learned to use the normal tools of Parliamentary Procedures as tools of propaganda. With near criminal news and media enterprises willing to spread their poison we are at the threshold of permanent chaos.
While we are at it, we should update the metrics of Congressional Apportionment so every state and district gets the accurate representation. Also statehood for DC and PR!!!
Schumer finally did an end around Tuberville yesterday and is moving three high level military nominations through. About time Schumer stood up to Tuberville’s treasonous BS.
Dirty pool politics, nothing more. Roger Stone and a few others, then Newt Gingrich decided to start using such tactics in earnest back in the 90s, not that things were lily white beforehand. But this was the beginning to GOP push on underhanded behavior. Oh, and of course, "stolen elections"... what a farce, but look what it's done!
Trump and DeSantis represent their desire to punish the gays, immigrants, Jews, Muslims, Blacks and more. They prefer a domineering leader who will crush those people. The idea of not voting in a Presidential Election sounds like more propaganda from the billionaires.
I do not agree he "wants to destroy our democracy." I do not believe he cares enough to want to destroy it. He doesn't have a clue!!! His focus is only on his own ego, not its implications.
TFG demonstrated to the Republicans how to successfully use the politics of big lies, victimhood and retaliation and they learned fast. Some of them are like teenagers who jumped on the alligator for a thrill and now don’t dare let go while others love the thrashing that destroys all vegetation in the area.
We must take note of the big liners and work to get them out of office in ‘24.
Thank you Heather. All who are dedicated to the concept of freedom the importance of democracy must rise up and commit in our mind, heart, and actions as AG Garland stated about the DOJ: “We will not back down from defending our democracy.” Together we must bend the moral arc of the universe back toward justice.
Tired of the criticism of Garland. Too many people, even on this Substack, have been whining about Garland's speed to indict Trump. The unprecedented process of indicting a former US President is very, very complex and to suggest that Garland should have gone quicker only shows the lack of understanding by those who criticize.
I wasn't speaking about the Trump indictments. I was referring to his remarks yesterday about his defending the independence of the DOJ. He should have been saying that forcefully since Day 1 of the Biden administration. He hasn't.
There was no reason for him to “defend” himself any earlier. It was only because he was called into this ridiculous inquiry. Most should be aware that the DoJ is one of many government agencies that exist no matter who holds political power.
I am tired of the criticism of Garland, also. He is a person who thoroughly investigates thoroughly before issuing a statement. I trust that approach far more than the snap judgement of more ill-informed individuals.
Yes, we wait for outcomes but with matters of the law, it takes time to study the facts and follow the law to find the TRUTH. In this insane time, truth is a rare thing to find.
I feel we have had a concerted voice these past eight years. But I do notice the lack of amplification by MSM. The grifter make MUCH more money for them. We are Cassandra, complete with the “being driven insane” part. “Flood the Zone with Shit” Master Bannon prescribed, drown their truth in shit is the effect. The incentive for MSM and Social Media is $$$$ by any means necessary to please the shareholders. Change the incentive and we might get a level playing field and a bit more amplification. But I don’t see that equation happening any time soon. It’s too sane.
They are so rude, not at all interested in responses, talk over everyone, don’t listen, and on and on. They just want to get on their soapboxes! Can’t back up most of what they say. Don’t deal in facts just their almighty righteous opinions!
DOJ employees have heard that voice a number of times not as a "sound bite' but, as the part of the executive administration of a critically important Agency, DOJ, emphasis on the "J" for justice. But, you are correct Georgia, it was directly on point for Garland to say (paraphrasing),. "As the President said, I am 'not his Attorney' & will I add 'I am not the Congresses' Prosecutor".
Yes, Emily, I stated this same thing to a friend who criticizes Garland for slow-walking tfg's indictments. I said Garland most probably was waiting for Jack Smith to become available - the right man for the job. (He was, apparently, correct to do so.)
Hi Julia Marie! Thanks for the affirmation and for letting me know you’ve been saying the same thing. The delay was agonizing but the Justice Department was not sitting on its hands, either, and the J6 committee was informing the public. Jack Smith is indeed the right man for the job; furthermore, the seeming delay and the appointment of a Special Council makes the investigations and indictments clearly apolitical — to anyone with any discernment.
Got that right Emily; I get regular updates from the DOJ DC Office recording & publishing the Declrations of Evidence, "informations" photos, complaint up to four(4) amended Indictments, the guilty pleas & the now over 1100 J6 convictions including seditious conspiracy convictions. Prosecutions & arrests continue.
Many of the admissible facts from those cases are now "res judicata" (RJ) in present prosecutions. RJ means "already decided". Currently active Court proceedings need only take "Judicial Notice" of those facts per the Federal Rules of Procedure (FRCP). All that work was under the direction of a former 20 Year Federal Judge, MERRICK GARLAND., US AG.
Garland was also supervising the investigation of the most important, complex, notorious, sleazy mobster insurrectionist this country has ever experienced. And painstakingly, legally convicting and dismantling that traitor's "Proud" Brown Shirts army so that our democracy would not be destroyed in a manufactured civil war. I am in awe of AG Garland and his team.
If you wrote a substack letter once in a while, I think you would have a batch of subscribers. No pressure. Just a strong interest in your thinking and talent for composition. Sign me up if you do...
Thank you. Working on Substack's Rules of the Road, if you will, so I can Comment on the Rule of Law without Trolls disruptions in the next 14 Months into November 2024. I have over 30 years as Litigator-Trial Attorney CA state & Federal, California Northern & Central Districts, but, also very interested revolutionary microbiology & "Precision Medicine". Also, I have done over 35 years of Pro Bono work sorting out medical billing hassles for Patients. I continue on both fronts.
Okay, it's your fault, Bryan, that I, an MSN RN x 50 years, who loves microbiology and hates IMprecise medicine, just spent an hour researching your above mentioned topics. Wow! Thank You! As an RN patient advocate in private practice for the past 13 years of my career, I look forward to the day when advances such as these put me out of business. By the Way: Currently reading the riveting "Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President" by Candace Millard. She deftly weaves 1880 medical and physics discoveries with political mayhem circa President Garfield's administration.
Thank you for the Candace Millard capsule review. I will check it out. On Med matters, I am a Subscriber to Dr. Jeremy Faust's Substack "Inside Medicine". Dr Faust is an ER Doc. I love the way ER Staff, all of them, process critical facts into immediate medical treatment. I hang out a lot at UCSF Medical Center in "Mission Bay" in SF learning as much as I can. Rapid progress on many fronts.
The Fascist GQP should get the blame, they are the ones that are ALWAYS the party that are totally responsible for the government shutdowns. They are the party of treason and extortion, other than that, they are totally useless getting paid for this mayhem with our tax dollars..
Some representative suggested a bill that is the government shuts down, then Congress should be included in the “no pay” during the shut down. Maybe they could get their shit together if they were personally impacted????
Is that for sure true, Bill? Facebook uses any excuse to shut political posters down (temporary suspension). I always use symbols - better safe than silenced!
Sometimes I say the nasty, but I think inviting the reader to fill in the blank is often stronger and sometimes, more civilized. "Damn" way milder that the things our civic leaders often spout these days.
I just used that damned word in a previous comment above and the comment still exists. I think you should feel free to embellish your already excellent comments - only if you are so inclined :)
Thanks, Bryan and Bill! I'm not really worried, just honestly wondering about Substack's policies because so many friends have been dinged on FB. Working as a screenwriter I learned to get creative about alternative swears to keep things PG-13. Bigger audience potential! I don't miss it.
Got it; the Screenplay Writer's work can be wrecked by studios-too many sad tales to be told there.
On Substack Inc's counsel, have written to Substack's lead Counsel "Tim" Huang via his New Jersey office about Platform responsibilities to 'Authors & Readers' under the 2023 Substack Terms of Use (TOU).
If I can sort out some particulars about Substack Inc handles Trolls, I will launch my own Substack platform tentatively titled "Justice is Coming".
I renewed my Facebook page because I need to promote my book and my art but I pay someone to do that. I don’t like that Zuckerman monstrosity and rarely open it.
Oh sure Bill, if you are a tortious Troll you can even trample all over the 2023 Terms of Use (TOU) & 'Authors' and 'Readers', while you are at it. But, good news, Substack Inc's counsel has finally surfaced even if they are terribly Mediation shy including "Tim" with highest bar number based in New Jersey & "Lea (Leafan) with the lowest Bar number, but, formerly with EFFoundation.
Policy Changes Needed: As TCinLA has sated on his Substack platform, TAFM, the policy of limiting Comments to paid Subscribers, damn it, has made TAFM Troll Free
That was a strange comment. But we all have that right to be strange even in the rain — recalling Jim Morrison’s lyrics. Ahm… I’m not a troll if that was your response. I’m filled with opinions one being that so many on both the left and right become so inflexible with their/our political opinions. I lack orthodoxy on this. Very liberal but not some stuff and fiscally conservative. In essence, I think out issues for myself. I follow no party lines. I’m lonely in this because most people feel comfortable with a set direction. I don’t. Lastly, if Trump wins, there is a real thought for me to vacate this country and give up my passport.
If the public was fully aware of the full loss and damage those shut-down stunts actually result in, Republicans would get far more blame than they have up til now.
American exceptionalism is a worthy but abstract concept that sometimes actually materializes in tangible and quite beneficial ways. But Republicans now are turning the idea into a joke. They're intentionally ruining the nation and embracing chaos at a juncture when exactly the opposite is needed.
The tragic truth is that our system of government at the federal level is fundamentally flawed. How else to explain that Congress can vote to not meet financial obligations it already approved? How else to explain that a single senator can block approval of hundreds of military appointments, including those at the very top.
Breaking news: this is not democracy. It's authoritarian rule by a small minority of radicals who care nothing about the will of the people.
Good comment, Michael. I think we have already gone way farther down the authoritarian road than even most Democrats realize. It has been a 40+ years long road deliberately chosen by the GOP, a tragic drama scripted by the likes of Tricky Dickie, Saint Ronnie, Newt Gingrich (requires no embellishment) and Mitch the McCon man, and now we are nearing a fork and a choice: left or right.
Abraham Lincoln made the right choice and paid for that with his untimely death at Ford's Theater. Now Joe Biden and the rest of the Democratic leadership, facing the same Civil War many of us thought had been won at Appomattox, must prepare for the unthinkable, including federal prosecution of elected Representatives for treason, use of the regular army to help keep the peace, and even suspension of the Constitution, our venerable and beloved founding document in grave need of modernizing improvement.
I have no reason to think the next election will solve our problem unless it is an unprecedented Democratic landslide, so we must be psychologically prepared for.....the worst.
But vote for the Democratic landslide. We may be surprised if we work hard enough. Dobbs is a good start. Climate change is a second. And the tantrum stupidity of Trump and general stupidity of the rest of the Republican presidential “hopefuls” is a third (or second).
Virginia, if Charles Blow (NYT) is correct, a Dem landslide could well happen if the under-40s get out and vote in larger numbers than usual. I suspect working to get the young'uns involved is the best thing to do and/or contribute money to, and there are several national organizations that seem to be pretty serious about getting it done.
David, I share your concern. We are indeed much closer to the precipice than we want to believe. And by we I mean people who are well informed. And we are a minority. So much of America is tuned out, often by the challenges of just getting by.
A Democratic landslide of historic proportions could be in the cards. But there are so many big Ifs. First and foremost is the turnout. Will a Biden-Harris ticket excite the electorate of Democrats and Independents? It should under the circumstances, but this is a country obsessed with candidates who are charismatic and entertaining. Is No Labels the Republican ace in the hole? Will a strong economy hold? And so many other questions that will keep us on edge, metaphorically and literally.
I for one believe the damage and divisions are so deep, and flaws in our system so hard to fix, that a glorious election outcome in 2024 would mark only the beginning of a decades-long effort for the nation to restore itself.
Michael, I agree with you 100% . I think the biggest flaw in our system is that we are still enamored of our exceptionalist myths. One is that anything is possible if we just work hard enough. Another is that we can find a solution to any problem if we just leave it to the private sector. Another is that government is -- at best -- a necessary evil to be drowned in the nearest bathtub at the first opportunity. And another is that we think we are superior to everyone else in the world and have nothing to learn from our "inferiors".
In short, it may be that there are not enough of us with our heads screwed on straight to save the rest of us from ourselves.
It is remarkable that all the things you list are drilled into us. Together they add up to a formula for not progressing in an ever-complicated world beset with complex and serious problems.
And some of us hopefully call ourselves “progressives” for the very reasons you call out, Michael. IMHO, the term progressive implies forward moving, adjusting to our ever-changing world.
Wonderful letter today! Your last sentence, Heather, says it all. Not just about the DOJ, bur about US. “We will not be intimidated,” he added. “We will do our jobs free from outside influence. And we will not back down from defending our democracy.” After hearing your live discussion about your book and how it came to be last night, I truly believe, as do you, that there are multitudes of caring, wonderful people in the United States who will not be intimidated and who will not back down from defending our democracy. I am just one! Thank you, Heather, as always!
I will not back down either.I think there are a lot of us thanks to the wisdom and words of HCR and others who are beacons of light in these very trying times.I am eternally grateful that we of like minds and spirits dedicated to preserving our democracy have been given a vehicle to keep us informed, united and willing to carry on.☮️
Thank you. Good summary of todays events. I’ve reached the conclusion that the MAGAS not only want to divide & conquer; they want to wear us out & conquer. Just same old, same old BS. I’m fed up. Constantly holding the nation hostage with their insane demands. It wouldn’t be so hard to take if they actually believed what they say. But it’s all for the sake of gaining control over the middle & lower classes. They have no interest whatsoever in the national debt. DT proved that. This is a simple power grab. A last ditch effort to create a fascist regime.
How many times have I seen those bombed out apartment houses and thought how remarkable the Ukrainians are? Those are not military targets, it's terrorism.
Some day (if academic freedom is still legal and permissible) someone will write a PhD thesis on the American political system from Obama through Biden. I know that Heather Cox Richardson will provide that person with rich resources. Another excellent summary. Thank you!
It’s always a good day to remember how the vulgarian, dog-whistling, anti-government zealotry of Ronald Reagan assembled the launchpad for this current Hindenburg of a GOP debacle.
There is evil methodology in the madness. And yeah, it Joe McCarthy's decency-free hyper-treachery seemed to infect the whole Republican agenda after Nixon.
It's infuriating how adept the Republican extremists have become at performing for the right wing media. Their shouting, and grandstanding, and utter disrespect for the institution they are sworn to defend serves to further undermine trust in our democracy. Wrecking balls swing back and these fools are in the path of the one they think they are using cleverly, government shutdown. It will exact a toll, but alas, not before they cause a great deal of suffering. They truly are like those that would destroy it all to rule over the rubble.
Well, he is my House rep and it s*cks badly. He is rarely ever in his district and when he is, he hides from his constituents. How does he remain in office, you say? Big time gerrymandering and an uninformed/malignant voting base combined to make this place the perfect hellscape for his and other like-minded democracy deniers, is how. We are getting wiser here in Ohio,though. Look what we did when we voted down the extremely regressive Issue 1 in our recent August special election that would have made it nearly impossible to amend our constitution.The times they surely are a'changin"!
I am mystified that voters would elect sports coaches to congress. Or anyone else who has no knowledge of the law or how government functions. I wouldn’t hire a carpenter to repair my refrigerator. I suppose people believe they “hate politicians” so they try for someone else. Celebrities are especially liked!
This is just one of the myriad times, over the past 6 years, that I sit in utter disbelief over the absolute chaos the Republican Party has created - all in the service of that narcissistic sociopath in Florida who wants to destroy our democracy because he lost the 2020 election.
The narcissistic sociopath in Florida is not the force driving the Republican Party. He is a very useful front man for the billionaire autocrats that fund the Heritage Foundation and Federalist Society. They are the ones who since Regan have engineered policies that have driven the increase in wealth disparity in this country and are behind trickle down economics and the drive for less government regulation of business.
When Mitt Romney said that the Republican Senators laughed after Trump left the room they could do that only because they saw him as a front man and were secure in their campaign funding from their big money donors.
It's time to lift the curtain and point to the real puppeteers of the disfunction.
"Reaganomics" was about replacing democracy with plutocracy from the get go, which has been on quote a roll for the four decades since.
Said yesterday's Guardian:
" Humanity has 'opened the gates to hell' by allowing the climate crisis to worsen, the secretary general of the United Nations has warned at a climate summit of leaders that saw angry denunciations of the fossil fuel industry but was undercut by the absence of many of the biggest carbon-emitting countries."
That's just one of modern existential threats greatly exacerbated by the deliberate sabotage by big money to block any concerted, rational response. For what? For whom?
I wonder if these people with all that money they like to throw around to get what they want realize that climate change doesn't care, at all, about their money. These fools will suffer the effects of climate change along with us poor people. Money won't help.
Well, their money will help insulate them from the weather extremes--for a while and only to a point.
But those who depend on this money to save them are classic "focus-on-the-short-term" thinkers who think only in terms of quarterly reports. Not in terms of the survival of the current ecosystems and of humanity itself.
Humanity does not exist in their world view. Only wealth and privilege.
I find that abhorrent. They shall get what they give in the end.
What delusional world do you live in? CLiches?
Which party represents the middle class in America?
Answer? Republicans
They carry all the small towns, blue collar, and industrial areas.
Their constituents are rural, church goers, high school educated, middle class, military, police, and middle income
What is the party of the elite, educated, and rich?
Answer? Democrats.
Their constituents are wealthy NY, SF, DC, LA, et cetera, inner city,
elites, college educated, lawyers, et cetera.
The demographics are clear.
Get your facts straight before you embarrass yourself again
You have in one T L. They think their money will save them, but in the end, coming sooner than they expect, it will not save them. Tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and hurricanes do not care how much money people have. It's just sad that our beautiful natural world will go to hell as well. As I grow older, I become more and more a misanthrope.
35 years ago we had snow on the ground (and lots of it) in northern Michigan from November 15th to April 15th. Ski! Sled! Skate! Shovel! (My favorite sport). Today's winter weather forecast? "Ground may be bare in spots again in January and February..."
As the hedge fund managers say before they collapse the economy, "Who cares, IBGYBG" (I'll be gone, you'll be gone").
Wall Street gives most of its money to Democrats. They continue to offer Wall Street special tax breaks. Its all inside and circular.
Really? Pouring billions into climate corp is going to cool the planet?
Explain exactly how that is going to happen? I'm all ears.
Lets be honest it will create another government boon daggle that waste billions and produce nothing other wealth for all of their friends.
We have a 33Trillion deficit, our national debt was downgraded by Moody's, and all of this government spending is inflationary.
Some adult has to stand up and say enough is enough.
Already climate change has cost us far more than remediation efforts, in case you haven't noticed. Maybe a climate corps will not make much of a difference. But maybe it will. It's certainly worth the effort. ANY remediation efforts are worth trying.
And our debt rating was downgraded because of Republican brinksmanship.
Weather Extremes? According to who? And compared to what?
Do you have an idea what you are talking about?
If climate warming is so "catastrophic" why do so many rich "climate dooms dayers"
fly around in private jets and live enormous carbon generating lives.
There was weather variable before 1990? The warms and cools.
How much change in the weather is made made? 10% 20% 80% Exactly?
Since India and China emit 80% of the CO2 released in the atmosphere, why exactly
are importing our oil from Venezuela and Russia instead of producing our own oil?
And why are we wrecking our economy?
Why blame any American when they such an enormously small piece of the problem?
BTW
If banks really believe the sea was going to rise at catastrophic rates, why WOULD
they ever lend to anyone that lived on the coast?
"If banks really believe the sea was going to rise at catastrophic rates, why WOULD they ever lend to anyone that lived on the coast?"
It's just a matter of time before they refuse to loan to anyone buying property under X feet above sea level (my own threshold is 100, for what it's worth; 150 would be better).
Already, property insurers are pulling out of Florida, in case you haven't been paying attention.
Yes, but they will be “right” for the time being, and that is what matters most to them. Like the slaves they perceive us to be, they will so own us. Money buys insanity for some.
Yes, I suppose it does buy crazy. Sad.
A group of billionaires is having a lunch of greenbacks. One asks:”Where’s the catsup?” I’ll repeat that until doomsday or a new tax code.
they believe that their wealth will protect them
For a while. Money can do a lot, but can't buy the weather. Their money is what will destroy them and everyone else. Greedy people.
DITTO ! , BC ! " MAMMONITES !!"
BC , As " It Is Written ! " The WORLD < will END, in FIRE ! IF ! , MANKIND ! Does NOT, WAKE UP ! , It WILL BE, ,,,,, SOONER, Than LATER! ( The OVEN ! ,,,, is Getting PRE warmed ! )
Did you ever see the movie "Don't Look Up?" The US government is warned of a planet destroying asteroid which will crash into the earth. There is time to do something, but the president and her puppet advisors do nothing until it is too late. Just before the crash, it seems that they have made space ships to evacuate the politicians and rich people. This sounds like something that could happen here.
I have not seen that movie, but from your description, it sounds plausible for today. MAGAs follow trump, a man who would only save himself and (maybe) people who pledge their undying loyalty to him. I find this horrifying.
An Atlantic hurricane could wipe Mar-a-Lago off the map. Wouldn't that be poetic justice?
but don't you think that trump could protect his palace with his ever present Sharpie? Surely, all he would have to do is draw a completely new line the hurricane could take and being as powerful and god-like as he is the hurricane would obey, it would keep in mind the threat of its being nuked if it did not comply!
Their money buys a lot of insulating from climate repercussions/ justice repercussions/ social repercussions. They are betting that they can continue that trajectory for them and their friends. And so far they have been able to do that. Multi millionaires and billionaires live in a different, insulated world from “us”. They really see no use for us. The sooner we die and get out of the way and off their “conscience”, the better. They view regular people - the 99%- as cogs, serfs, playthings, or useless, depending on who we are. They believe they are “The Chosen”. And that they deserve dominion over the world. I always ask: Can we have a sane world AND billionaires? I guess not.
that ideation was well represented on the television show Succession
J L Graham, Thom Hartmann has a great piece on the application of the Two Santa Clause method that Reagan proved worked to perfection. ie, run up the deficit when the House is controlled by the GOP and then bash the Dems for it.
Here we go again with the "REAGAN" lie.
Unfortunately there are facts and history. Here they are AGAIN:
-20 Million new jobs created
- Inflation dropped from 13.5% to 4.1%
- Unemployment fell from 7.6% to 5.5%
- GDP average 3.6%
- Net Worth of Families between $20,000 to $50,000 rose by 27%
- Won the Cold war
- NO WARS
Reagan won reelection carrying 49 out of 50 states.
Popularity of 63% post presidency - highest in modern era
https://soapboxie.com/us-politics/21reasonsReaganwasaterriblepresident
Yeah, what a guy.
Thank you for the reference Marycat. JamesA doesn't do citations. Apparently, he just makes stuff up.
He's a troll. That's what trolls do - make stuff up. The only part he got right is that millions of stupid people worship Saint Ronald of Reagan. His second term of office was marred by his wife and close associates' efforts to conceal his rapidly advancing dementia.
Maybe James A doesn't know how to link citations? It looks as if he has a newsletter of his own though, so he ought to have that skill
Or simply parrots what right wing media tell him. These people never fact check anything.
What a stupid reply. My evidence was fact based. Numbers don't like.
Especially when you win reelection with 49 out of 50 states. Bring inflation
down, create 20MM new jobs, and grow wealth for every income level.
Its time to leave your leftist NEO Marxist bubble. Your article is sad reminder
of the famous Pauline Kael quote about Nixon when he won 49 out of 50 states
"I don't understand how Nixon won, all my friends voted for McGovern."
Yours article is the kind of delusional reply you make when you are deaf to history and facts, and only driven by your agenda and ideology.
Actual job creation numbers. Oops: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jobs_created_during_U.S._presidential_terms#/media/File:Job_Growth_by_U.S._President_-_v1.png
Inflation has expanded almost every year *regardless of POTUS* except for the two worst years of COVID-19. If you want TFG to take credit for the pandemic, go ahead: https://www.investopedia.com/inflation-rate-by-year-7253832
"grow wealth for every income level": exactly the opposite of reality https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/01/09/trends-in-income-and-wealth-inequality/
I could go on but, really, what would be the point? If it doesn't suit you incoherent ideology it can't be true.
P.S. Light most RWNJs you keep throwing the word "Marxist" around even though you clearly don't know what it actually means.
James, please share links to your sources.
Georgia, you are correct IMO - the wealthy keep engineering the process for their own financial benefit, and it has paid huge dividends. That $32 trillion that is now the national debt went principally into the coffers of the ultra wealthy, the funders and backers of the Heritage Foundation, Federalist Society and other such groups, such as Mason University. Thomas Frank writes about this in "What's the Matter with Kansas?" For a time these manipulators used wedge issues such as abortion, gay marriage and school prayer to persuade average Americans (social conservatives) to vote against their own best economic interests. After the elections, nothing happened for them. But, but then the "Old South" and the "Old Ku Klux Klan" raised their ugly heads, the catalyst in part being the election of a Black President. So, the billionaire autocrats were handed a gift - Donald John Trump ,who gave the racists just what they wanted, a vicious leader who would punish the "line-cutters," those getting what they don't deserve, hatred of foreigners, Blacks, Muslims and immigrants. It is all in the study, "The Anger Games: Who Voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Election, and Why?" Google it. The billionaires are slapping their thighs in glee.
On target. Jane Mayer wrote Dark Money. Kochland takes us through the dark world of the Koch brothers and the stealth infiltration of the libertarian ideas into the republican party. Thom Hartmann documents a lot of this in his hidden history series
I hesitate to say this, but it is what comes to my mind: the Trumpsters, i.e., KKK, are useful idiots. If only they could be put to this test:
Think of something that you believe is true . . . .
1. How SURE are you that it's true? (0-100%)
2. What is the SOURCE of the belief?
3. What are your REASONS for believing it's true?
4. How could you FIGURE OUT if it's true?
5. How would you FEEL if you were WRONG?
6. What facts would CHANGE YOUR MIND?
Rational approach, but these people are not rational
5. “How would you FEEL if you were WRONG?”
Hopefully many have already discovered they are wrong but can’t publicly admit it. The ballot box is the way to save face.
Good questions. How about; what is the end results of our/your beliefs and who would benefit the most? Who would suffer more or gain more if what you wanted came to fruition? Just asking.
Those are questions that have never occurred to the wealthy elite who manipulate the gullible, nor the gullible to want to crush the "undesirables." The one thing that no one ever has enough of is money. The idea that MAGA/KKK Republicans are Christians (Matthew 25:34-46) is an exercise in make believe. and then: Matthew 7: 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them."
So I ask this question and I think we all should take a step back and truly ask these questions of ourselves. And in all honesty, let's remove our personal bias -- and look at our country with this fresh lens.
let's ask ourselves, are we, the citizens, under a propaganda attack, by our country, on all fronts:
https://unorthodoxy.substack.com/p/september-11th-and-menticide#details
What are Readers supposed to be.curious about about your Barker's Pitch" under a propaganda attack": & click off the LFAA platform! No ads please.
Dark Money was the most informative book I ever read.
It definitely was a compelling investigation and analysis.
That’s the history we were taught. But “Carnegie Endowment,” Carnegie Hall, and libraries ring loud. There is also the Rockefeller Foundation. But we object as a country to having government fund the arts and sciences as many countries do not. Our medical system could be vastly improved by national oversight and our regional orchestras could flourish if all the money were not at the top. We have to work very hard to keep our democracy and improve it. All of US.
Billionaires have been shaping US affairs for quite some time now. Since the very 1st billionaire in JD Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie
https://unorthodoxy.substack.com/p/donating-to-a-good-cause-how-billionaires
Thank you Georgia. And Heather too, the force of truth is apparent. It’s up to the voters now : for those not registered to register and for the majority force *Democrats* to show up on day 1 of voting ‘24;,’26,; ‘28 and from then on .
Put this circus out-of-business.
It will take several times to the ballot box to complete the eradication of such people -J.Jordan, Gaetz , Conner, Paxton, MTG,Boebart , fill in the list thoroughly my fellow Americans - it.needs.done.
We The People are competent and well aware/convinced (as are many Republicans) what has happened for quite some time. We have a bunch of issues come to light over this period of our own muddled pies and the need to address laws/ practices long swept under the carpet.
It’s a stiff climb out of the debacle no doubt. A lot of serious money is solidly entrenched in fists too tight, too entitled and many serious issues to work towards solving.
But...
Togetherness .Will. Work.
💙💙VOTE EVERY TIME💙💙
Patricia Davis, right on! There are many of us in Virginia who know with great certainty that turnout in the upcoming election and those that follow are of the utmost importance. Starting at the level of the local school board it will take time and effort to effect change. Many of us are funding candidates running in jurisdictions beyond our own.
Excellent , me too. I’m on a fixed income but a $5 bill goes a long way when thousands ‘pitch in’! Right now it’s Virginia!
Truth. Leonard Leo and Rupert Murdock and their cohort are the Wizard behind the curtain, pulling the strings of weak, ridiculous, self-important nincompoops.
I believe Senator Whitehouse is doing his job to make this known to the public....if only the public would listen or be interested.
We know who the puppeteers are. They hide behind groups like the two supposedly legitiamate ones you mention, and the G.O.P. label which they have bought. One of the problems is that the defeated former president doesn't know he is just the front man for today's version of the same treasonous puppeteers that were called Tories in 1776 and Secessionists in 1861. He's like an actor who has so bought into a script that he has lost his real identity, if he ever had any.
Exactly, Georgia. Trump is too ignorant to have engineered this chaos without explicit direction from people who knew exactly how to orchestrate it. Between our oligarchs and puppeteers and foreign agents, we are currently in an apocalyptical battle.
Steve Bannon is still manipulating Trump.
Marycat, and he's just one of many. Leonard Leo played him like a piano for SCOTUS, and we all know that there are foreign influences as well. When the Repugnants refer to the Democratic "deep state" the irony is immense.
Bannon was one of the first dirtbags Trump was associated with in 2016, which is why he popped into my mind. There are others, of course, such as Vladimir Putin.
There is an entire choir, and Putin's right up there as the choir master, Marycat, and the majority of Republicans are absolutely blind to all of it.
What you said Georgia.
Yes. These actions are being purchased with money from rich folks behind the scenes. Someone needs to follow the money going to politicians and make bribery illegal. This is RICO at the National level.
Exactly, Georgia! Now, how do we raise the curtain so the tRumpers will see and hear this truth? I have very intelligent relatives and friends who cannot see or hear beyond Faux news and their holy faux ministers.
I would “like” Georgia’s comment a hundred times. Trump followers are uninformed, intentional duhhh-niers. The brash lies fit their National inquirer diet.
Agreed, Georgia.
You've got that right, from my perspective!
The former "Party of Lincoln" has become a cult of malignant narcissism, powered by the obsessive love of money.
Not money, power.
Both money and power are inextricably intertwined.
The elite use their propaganda to manipulate the MAGA/KKK Republicans to vote against their own best economic and social interests. G.W. Bush was correct in his speech at the 2001 White House Correspondents' Dinner: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on." Spoken by a narcissist, but a pure amateur when compared to DJT.
One is the other. Practically speaking.
Both money and power. And keeping superstition alive.
Wow-thank you. Perfectly stated. And their money buys them power.
Northern Sun has a wonderful pin with Lincoln on it that reads”It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to”.
He would weep (and fume) for the betrayal of government of the people, by the people, for the people, but disown the party that only pays lip service to him. These genuine RINOs even switched sides on the Civil War.
"The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves -- in their separate, and individual capacities." - Lincoln
"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help." - Reagan
The "GOP" gleefully sold its soul for domineering power, perhaps the thing Lincoln hated most.
"As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy." - Lincoln
Now it's Donald's turn to cry, and boy, is he having a tantrum. He just cannot bear to hear the word "NO".
I genuinely do not understand. HOW can Matt Goetz of Florida and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama have so much influence over the whole of the government? (Anyone ?) How does on small group’s “no” determine the course of our nation?
What mechanisms are in place to prevent the small group from destroying the country at their whim?
I don’t understand the math.
I am no expert in government, but I believe that the rules that have evolved in the House and Senate have largely created this situation where a single person or very small group can hold up the entire government. For example, the filibuster is not a law. It is simply a rule made by the Senate, and it can be undone by the Senate. I believe there are many such rules, and BOTH HOUSES need to revisit a lot if them@
Yes! Please! Democracy is about majority rule...no? If a couple of idiots can use antique rules to block the normal functioning of our government, change the damn rules!
When Ben Franklin advised Democracy would only work if you can keep it relied on his instinct of human weakness. Representative Government relies on trust and good intentions to govern in the Public or Common good.
In this Century the Republicans have turned trust on its head and have learned to use the normal tools of Parliamentary Procedures as tools of propaganda. With near criminal news and media enterprises willing to spread their poison we are at the threshold of permanent chaos.
While we are at it, we should update the metrics of Congressional Apportionment so every state and district gets the accurate representation. Also statehood for DC and PR!!!
Sounds good to me!👍
Gaetz is able to do so because Kevin has no spine. Tuberville is able to because of senate rules.
Schumer finally did an end around Tuberville yesterday and is moving three high level military nominations through. About time Schumer stood up to Tuberville’s treasonous BS.
About two months too late.
Shuck, meet Jive.
Flunkies doin' they flunkin'.
No one expected such treason in a young America. Hanging or death by firing squad was the fate of traitors.
Obviously, not much.
Just as he lost the 2016 one (ignoring the Electoral College fiasco).
Dirty pool politics, nothing more. Roger Stone and a few others, then Newt Gingrich decided to start using such tactics in earnest back in the 90s, not that things were lily white beforehand. But this was the beginning to GOP push on underhanded behavior. Oh, and of course, "stolen elections"... what a farce, but look what it's done!
Trump and DeSantis represent their desire to punish the gays, immigrants, Jews, Muslims, Blacks and more. They prefer a domineering leader who will crush those people. The idea of not voting in a Presidential Election sounds like more propaganda from the billionaires.
I do not agree he "wants to destroy our democracy." I do not believe he cares enough to want to destroy it. He doesn't have a clue!!! His focus is only on his own ego, not its implications.
It's crazy because there are a lot of morons who still believe that Trump won.
TFG demonstrated to the Republicans how to successfully use the politics of big lies, victimhood and retaliation and they learned fast. Some of them are like teenagers who jumped on the alligator for a thrill and now don’t dare let go while others love the thrashing that destroys all vegetation in the area.
We must take note of the big liners and work to get them out of office in ‘24.
Love your comment, T Resnick : Short, sharp, astute, shocking.
Thank you Heather. All who are dedicated to the concept of freedom the importance of democracy must rise up and commit in our mind, heart, and actions as AG Garland stated about the DOJ: “We will not back down from defending our democracy.” Together we must bend the moral arc of the universe back toward justice.
Glad Merrick Garland found his voice. Wish he had done so sooner.
Tired of the criticism of Garland. Too many people, even on this Substack, have been whining about Garland's speed to indict Trump. The unprecedented process of indicting a former US President is very, very complex and to suggest that Garland should have gone quicker only shows the lack of understanding by those who criticize.
I wasn't speaking about the Trump indictments. I was referring to his remarks yesterday about his defending the independence of the DOJ. He should have been saying that forcefully since Day 1 of the Biden administration. He hasn't.
There's probably more to it that we're not privy to. I believe in Garland.
There was no reason for him to “defend” himself any earlier. It was only because he was called into this ridiculous inquiry. Most should be aware that the DoJ is one of many government agencies that exist no matter who holds political power.
I agree 100%.
I am tired of the criticism of Garland, also. He is a person who thoroughly investigates thoroughly before issuing a statement. I trust that approach far more than the snap judgement of more ill-informed individuals.
Yes, we wait for outcomes but with matters of the law, it takes time to study the facts and follow the law to find the TRUTH. In this insane time, truth is a rare thing to find.
Kudos to you, Cathy.
I wish the Democratic Party, and more so, we the people, had found our concerted voices sooner.
I feel we have had a concerted voice these past eight years. But I do notice the lack of amplification by MSM. The grifter make MUCH more money for them. We are Cassandra, complete with the “being driven insane” part. “Flood the Zone with Shit” Master Bannon prescribed, drown their truth in shit is the effect. The incentive for MSM and Social Media is $$$$ by any means necessary to please the shareholders. Change the incentive and we might get a level playing field and a bit more amplification. But I don’t see that equation happening any time soon. It’s too sane.
He's always done do in these hearings but usually in his soft-spoken way. What made today's different was the ferocity of the extremists.
They are so rude, not at all interested in responses, talk over everyone, don’t listen, and on and on. They just want to get on their soapboxes! Can’t back up most of what they say. Don’t deal in facts just their almighty righteous opinions!
DOJ employees have heard that voice a number of times not as a "sound bite' but, as the part of the executive administration of a critically important Agency, DOJ, emphasis on the "J" for justice. But, you are correct Georgia, it was directly on point for Garland to say (paraphrasing),. "As the President said, I am 'not his Attorney' & will I add 'I am not the Congresses' Prosecutor".
I think all along Garland was waiting for Jack Smith to finish his work at The Hague.
Yes, Emily, I stated this same thing to a friend who criticizes Garland for slow-walking tfg's indictments. I said Garland most probably was waiting for Jack Smith to become available - the right man for the job. (He was, apparently, correct to do so.)
Hi Julia Marie! Thanks for the affirmation and for letting me know you’ve been saying the same thing. The delay was agonizing but the Justice Department was not sitting on its hands, either, and the J6 committee was informing the public. Jack Smith is indeed the right man for the job; furthermore, the seeming delay and the appointment of a Special Council makes the investigations and indictments clearly apolitical — to anyone with any discernment.
Got that right Emily; I get regular updates from the DOJ DC Office recording & publishing the Declrations of Evidence, "informations" photos, complaint up to four(4) amended Indictments, the guilty pleas & the now over 1100 J6 convictions including seditious conspiracy convictions. Prosecutions & arrests continue.
Many of the admissible facts from those cases are now "res judicata" (RJ) in present prosecutions. RJ means "already decided". Currently active Court proceedings need only take "Judicial Notice" of those facts per the Federal Rules of Procedure (FRCP). All that work was under the direction of a former 20 Year Federal Judge, MERRICK GARLAND., US AG.
Thank you Your Honor.
Thank you Bryan!
Garland was also supervising the investigation of the most important, complex, notorious, sleazy mobster insurrectionist this country has ever experienced. And painstakingly, legally convicting and dismantling that traitor's "Proud" Brown Shirts army so that our democracy would not be destroyed in a manufactured civil war. I am in awe of AG Garland and his team.
Me, too, MaryPat! The work of the Justice Department and AG Garland has been meticulous.
That's the word! It had to be meticulous.
If you wrote a substack letter once in a while, I think you would have a batch of subscribers. No pressure. Just a strong interest in your thinking and talent for composition. Sign me up if you do...
Thank you. Working on Substack's Rules of the Road, if you will, so I can Comment on the Rule of Law without Trolls disruptions in the next 14 Months into November 2024. I have over 30 years as Litigator-Trial Attorney CA state & Federal, California Northern & Central Districts, but, also very interested revolutionary microbiology & "Precision Medicine". Also, I have done over 35 years of Pro Bono work sorting out medical billing hassles for Patients. I continue on both fronts.
Okay, it's your fault, Bryan, that I, an MSN RN x 50 years, who loves microbiology and hates IMprecise medicine, just spent an hour researching your above mentioned topics. Wow! Thank You! As an RN patient advocate in private practice for the past 13 years of my career, I look forward to the day when advances such as these put me out of business. By the Way: Currently reading the riveting "Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President" by Candace Millard. She deftly weaves 1880 medical and physics discoveries with political mayhem circa President Garfield's administration.
Thank you for the Candace Millard capsule review. I will check it out. On Med matters, I am a Subscriber to Dr. Jeremy Faust's Substack "Inside Medicine". Dr Faust is an ER Doc. I love the way ER Staff, all of them, process critical facts into immediate medical treatment. I hang out a lot at UCSF Medical Center in "Mission Bay" in SF learning as much as I can. Rapid progress on many fronts.
Thank you for that work, Bryan!
Ditto!
Amen
“Name one time that we’ve shut the government down and we haven’t got the blame.”
Good Lord.
I say, if the shoe fits
Of course they get the blame, they’re the perpetrators. Every, d@^^n, time!
SMHOH
The Fascist GQP should get the blame, they are the ones that are ALWAYS the party that are totally responsible for the government shutdowns. They are the party of treason and extortion, other than that, they are totally useless getting paid for this mayhem with our tax dollars..
Some representative suggested a bill that is the government shuts down, then Congress should be included in the “no pay” during the shut down. Maybe they could get their shit together if they were personally impacted????
You are allowed to say “damn” here. :)
Is that for sure true, Bill? Facebook uses any excuse to shut political posters down (temporary suspension). I always use symbols - better safe than silenced!
Sometimes I say the nasty, but I think inviting the reader to fill in the blank is often stronger and sometimes, more civilized. "Damn" way milder that the things our civic leaders often spout these days.
I agree, JL! Plus with little kids around, I save those power words for when I really want to get their attention. :)
Darn straight!
Lol
I just used that damned word in a previous comment above and the comment still exists. I think you should feel free to embellish your already excellent comments - only if you are so inclined :)
Alexandra, with your chops & cred, no symbols are needed here. :)
Thanks, Bryan and Bill! I'm not really worried, just honestly wondering about Substack's policies because so many friends have been dinged on FB. Working as a screenwriter I learned to get creative about alternative swears to keep things PG-13. Bigger audience potential! I don't miss it.
Got it; the Screenplay Writer's work can be wrecked by studios-too many sad tales to be told there.
On Substack Inc's counsel, have written to Substack's lead Counsel "Tim" Huang via his New Jersey office about Platform responsibilities to 'Authors & Readers' under the 2023 Substack Terms of Use (TOU).
If I can sort out some particulars about Substack Inc handles Trolls, I will launch my own Substack platform tentatively titled "Justice is Coming".
I renewed my Facebook page because I need to promote my book and my art but I pay someone to do that. I don’t like that Zuckerman monstrosity and rarely open it.
Oh sure Bill, if you are a tortious Troll you can even trample all over the 2023 Terms of Use (TOU) & 'Authors' and 'Readers', while you are at it. But, good news, Substack Inc's counsel has finally surfaced even if they are terribly Mediation shy including "Tim" with highest bar number based in New Jersey & "Lea (Leafan) with the lowest Bar number, but, formerly with EFFoundation.
Policy Changes Needed: As TCinLA has sated on his Substack platform, TAFM, the policy of limiting Comments to paid Subscribers, damn it, has made TAFM Troll Free
That was a strange comment. But we all have that right to be strange even in the rain — recalling Jim Morrison’s lyrics. Ahm… I’m not a troll if that was your response. I’m filled with opinions one being that so many on both the left and right become so inflexible with their/our political opinions. I lack orthodoxy on this. Very liberal but not some stuff and fiscally conservative. In essence, I think out issues for myself. I follow no party lines. I’m lonely in this because most people feel comfortable with a set direction. I don’t. Lastly, if Trump wins, there is a real thought for me to vacate this country and give up my passport.
That was my thought. Does the man not know that?!
What does SMHOH mean? Sorry too many abbreviations to figure out.
Shaking My Head Oh Mercy
(Saved you a few clicks 😊)
Every time I don’t know what abbreviations mean, I just Google it. Every time, my question has been answered.
Quit being lazy, just spell it out!
Shaking my head over here :)
That’s what The Beatles did: they shook their long hair and made the teen girls scream in delight. What an old YouTube film.
If the public was fully aware of the full loss and damage those shut-down stunts actually result in, Republicans would get far more blame than they have up til now.
Every accusation is a confession.
Ironically myopic and self incriminating, huh?
“Every time they catch me with my hand in the cookie jar, they blame me for missing cookies. If they’d just stop catching me, I’d be blameless”
Did they never learn how to construct a logical sentence?
Love the apt 'cookie' reference. They are shameless, but not blameless.
Not to put too fine a point on it, no.
I know, right? The typical Repubbie is not much of one to observe and question their own behaviours as any part of the consequences, are they?
They deserve the blame. They’re the ones who shut it down.
Can't tell if it was a whine, or an admission of chagrin. Will have to view the tape...
Geez...and that is a surprise?
American exceptionalism is a worthy but abstract concept that sometimes actually materializes in tangible and quite beneficial ways. But Republicans now are turning the idea into a joke. They're intentionally ruining the nation and embracing chaos at a juncture when exactly the opposite is needed.
The tragic truth is that our system of government at the federal level is fundamentally flawed. How else to explain that Congress can vote to not meet financial obligations it already approved? How else to explain that a single senator can block approval of hundreds of military appointments, including those at the very top.
Breaking news: this is not democracy. It's authoritarian rule by a small minority of radicals who care nothing about the will of the people.
Good comment, Michael. I think we have already gone way farther down the authoritarian road than even most Democrats realize. It has been a 40+ years long road deliberately chosen by the GOP, a tragic drama scripted by the likes of Tricky Dickie, Saint Ronnie, Newt Gingrich (requires no embellishment) and Mitch the McCon man, and now we are nearing a fork and a choice: left or right.
Abraham Lincoln made the right choice and paid for that with his untimely death at Ford's Theater. Now Joe Biden and the rest of the Democratic leadership, facing the same Civil War many of us thought had been won at Appomattox, must prepare for the unthinkable, including federal prosecution of elected Representatives for treason, use of the regular army to help keep the peace, and even suspension of the Constitution, our venerable and beloved founding document in grave need of modernizing improvement.
I have no reason to think the next election will solve our problem unless it is an unprecedented Democratic landslide, so we must be psychologically prepared for.....the worst.
And we must be physically prepared and active enough to make sure that "the worst" doesn't get to happen.
But vote for the Democratic landslide. We may be surprised if we work hard enough. Dobbs is a good start. Climate change is a second. And the tantrum stupidity of Trump and general stupidity of the rest of the Republican presidential “hopefuls” is a third (or second).
Virginia, if Charles Blow (NYT) is correct, a Dem landslide could well happen if the under-40s get out and vote in larger numbers than usual. I suspect working to get the young'uns involved is the best thing to do and/or contribute money to, and there are several national organizations that seem to be pretty serious about getting it done.
David, I share your concern. We are indeed much closer to the precipice than we want to believe. And by we I mean people who are well informed. And we are a minority. So much of America is tuned out, often by the challenges of just getting by.
A Democratic landslide of historic proportions could be in the cards. But there are so many big Ifs. First and foremost is the turnout. Will a Biden-Harris ticket excite the electorate of Democrats and Independents? It should under the circumstances, but this is a country obsessed with candidates who are charismatic and entertaining. Is No Labels the Republican ace in the hole? Will a strong economy hold? And so many other questions that will keep us on edge, metaphorically and literally.
I for one believe the damage and divisions are so deep, and flaws in our system so hard to fix, that a glorious election outcome in 2024 would mark only the beginning of a decades-long effort for the nation to restore itself.
Michael, I agree with you 100% . I think the biggest flaw in our system is that we are still enamored of our exceptionalist myths. One is that anything is possible if we just work hard enough. Another is that we can find a solution to any problem if we just leave it to the private sector. Another is that government is -- at best -- a necessary evil to be drowned in the nearest bathtub at the first opportunity. And another is that we think we are superior to everyone else in the world and have nothing to learn from our "inferiors".
In short, it may be that there are not enough of us with our heads screwed on straight to save the rest of us from ourselves.
It is remarkable that all the things you list are drilled into us. Together they add up to a formula for not progressing in an ever-complicated world beset with complex and serious problems.
And some of us hopefully call ourselves “progressives” for the very reasons you call out, Michael. IMHO, the term progressive implies forward moving, adjusting to our ever-changing world.
When the Founders wrote about mob rule they unfortunately did not make the point that a mob could be a minority of people.
A tiny minority of terrorists.
It's partly that anyway. We need to scramble to keep it from taking everything.
The Republican faces and voices presented in the MSM, including Trump, are a sorry lot. A nation cannot survive under such inane leadership.
Wonderful letter today! Your last sentence, Heather, says it all. Not just about the DOJ, bur about US. “We will not be intimidated,” he added. “We will do our jobs free from outside influence. And we will not back down from defending our democracy.” After hearing your live discussion about your book and how it came to be last night, I truly believe, as do you, that there are multitudes of caring, wonderful people in the United States who will not be intimidated and who will not back down from defending our democracy. I am just one! Thank you, Heather, as always!
I will not back down either.I think there are a lot of us thanks to the wisdom and words of HCR and others who are beacons of light in these very trying times.I am eternally grateful that we of like minds and spirits dedicated to preserving our democracy have been given a vehicle to keep us informed, united and willing to carry on.☮️
Elisabeth, here’s a fitting tune to rev our resolve, the Tom Petty song “I Won’t Back Down”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUTXb-ga1fo
YES!! I heard that as I read the original post!
Ha! Ally, I even started singing it as I read her comment!! An iconic phrase that will ever after have a theme song thanks to Tom!
Elizabeth, once again, you spoke my heart. Thank you! 😊. All I can say is “Ditto!”
The Republi-con party needs to be reclassified as a "domestic terrorist organization".
Thank you. Good summary of todays events. I’ve reached the conclusion that the MAGAS not only want to divide & conquer; they want to wear us out & conquer. Just same old, same old BS. I’m fed up. Constantly holding the nation hostage with their insane demands. It wouldn’t be so hard to take if they actually believed what they say. But it’s all for the sake of gaining control over the middle & lower classes. They have no interest whatsoever in the national debt. DT proved that. This is a simple power grab. A last ditch effort to create a fascist regime.
You can't just say you are "fed up" when you are being attacked.
The people in Kyiv wouldn't last long with "we're fed up with this now"
How many times have I seen those bombed out apartment houses and thought how remarkable the Ukrainians are? Those are not military targets, it's terrorism.
It's the Russian way.
They did the same in Syria, Georgia and Chechnya, but nobody helped those guys.
November 2016 diary entry...
Syria: dress rehearsal for what will be done to all those who resist oligarchy?
That is sadly true, and seems always true. How long did it take before people finally united to defeat Hitler? Quite a while.
My daughter has an awesome boss, working for the DOJ. I've never doubted that Merrick Garland was up to the job.
Time is of the essence, but so too is an airtight case. Fools rush in.
Some day (if academic freedom is still legal and permissible) someone will write a PhD thesis on the American political system from Obama through Biden. I know that Heather Cox Richardson will provide that person with rich resources. Another excellent summary. Thank you!
Books and movies will be numerous unless writers lose out to AI.
Will it be titled "The final chapter in a once democracy?"
It’s always a good day to remember how the vulgarian, dog-whistling, anti-government zealotry of Ronald Reagan assembled the launchpad for this current Hindenburg of a GOP debacle.
There is evil methodology in the madness. And yeah, it Joe McCarthy's decency-free hyper-treachery seemed to infect the whole Republican agenda after Nixon.
Coolest button thing award 🏆
That is spiffy and eye-catching, isn't it?
I’ve always believed that Reagan was a puppet mouthpiece. Sound familiar? He was not smart enough to come up with such a plan.
Yeah, look for the men in the shadows (and it’s almost always men).
But, as now, was Reagan the brains behind it? No. The no-tax rich guys buy what they want in the RICOP (RICO Party, aka GOP)
It's infuriating how adept the Republican extremists have become at performing for the right wing media. Their shouting, and grandstanding, and utter disrespect for the institution they are sworn to defend serves to further undermine trust in our democracy. Wrecking balls swing back and these fools are in the path of the one they think they are using cleverly, government shutdown. It will exact a toll, but alas, not before they cause a great deal of suffering. They truly are like those that would destroy it all to rule over the rubble.
Thinking how hard it must be to work alongside the likes of Jim Jordan.
Well, he is my House rep and it s*cks badly. He is rarely ever in his district and when he is, he hides from his constituents. How does he remain in office, you say? Big time gerrymandering and an uninformed/malignant voting base combined to make this place the perfect hellscape for his and other like-minded democracy deniers, is how. We are getting wiser here in Ohio,though. Look what we did when we voted down the extremely regressive Issue 1 in our recent August special election that would have made it nearly impossible to amend our constitution.The times they surely are a'changin"!
Stand tall, Victoria!
I am mystified that voters would elect sports coaches to congress. Or anyone else who has no knowledge of the law or how government functions. I wouldn’t hire a carpenter to repair my refrigerator. I suppose people believe they “hate politicians” so they try for someone else. Celebrities are especially liked!
They make voters feel that they are being screwed and tell voters that they will save them. Trump does it regularly. He is their Savior.
I'm so sorry he's your representative. He sure as hades isn't representing you.
Victoria, my Senators are the ancient Grassley and Ernst. I commiserate!