Close Tax loopholes for the rich, reinstall Stegall-Glass; none of this will happen without a true Democratic majority in the Senate and the Democrats retaining the House. Since the GOP's default leader has declared himself a fan of Qanon, the Democrats need to to make this mid-term (and all future elections) Dems vs Qanon until republicans regain some semblance of sanity among their leadership. If not the future of the country looks seriously dystopian.
The condition precedent to everything mentioned is to sweep the mid-terms. Still time to register more democrats in key states. We are threatened with the specter of Fascism destroying us and we need to come together.
As I said the other day, California sued Amazon for price fixing. Unfortunately, at present the federal government doesn't have that authority. Attached is a link to an energy price gouging bill. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text
Jen, I agree with your assessment, especially when it deals with the Hispanic citizens. A high percentage of Hispanics have no idea of the importance of the vote and that elections do have consequences. Many Hispanics also have no idea how our government works; those that have come from countries ruled by dictators and that they consider socialist are scared by the Republicans that feed them the lie that Democrats are SOCIALIST. I have not heard the Democrats respond to these allegations. The Democrats should be educating those that are ignorant of the facts as to why we are called SOCIALIST by the GOP. We are the party that looked out for the elderly, by pushing and passing Social Security and Medicare, among many other programs that help the working class and the poor. The GOP consider these programs socialist program and said so when they were successfully passed by Congress. We must educate our citizens when the GOP uses lies about the Democrats to scare the hell out of them. I do know a little bit of what I am talking about because I am a Puerto Rican American who moved to the mainland when I was 5 years old, I am now 76 years old. I have been and to a limited point I am active in the Hispanic community in many aspects. We must toot our horn and brag about all that the Democrats have accomplished for the working class and the poor.
Thanks for responding. I would have never guessed that the Hispanic community wasn't aware of Republican Lies, simply because Republicans are constantly and continually talking about building walls and disparaging the people that want to immigrate to the US. I can see your point, but how do you get through?
Jen (and everyone else here ~) I've also had this thought for quite some time, but add arrogance here too. i.e. 'Arrogance, (willful) Ignorance, and Apathy'. Or A.(w) I. A. - not to be confused with the 'American Institute of Architects'...
the - Arrogance - of those (others) who "know everything there is to know" and refuse to be/won't become educated to change their minds when presented with honest and proven truths; (willful) Ignorance - those who refuse to learn; Apathy - those that do learn but do little or decline to do anything toward solving the problems ~ ~ ~
I voted 'Impose price controls', at least until "we the people" catch up, really though all but 'continue rate hikes' sounds reasonable. Deferring to RR on this.
BUT FIRST, the republican fascists must be defeated in up coming elections or nothing changes and democracy may well be doomed in the US. Once again, "it is the most important election ever".
I'm old enough to remember the "Nixon Shock" wage and price controls and Gerald Ford's "WIN" (Whip Inflation Now) campaign. Both were failures economically although arguably Nixon got some political credit. We laughed then, I still laugh now.
if the Republicans regain the House they'll probably find some way to gum up execution of the recently passed climate legislation and definitely stop future legislation. as it stands the US is greatly challenged to go from a 1% reduction per year in CO2 over the last 16 years to A 6% or higher reduction per year through 2030 in order to avoid global climate catastrophe. This is reason enough why this election is so important.
Absolutely steveandjanereed! Climate legislation must be top of mind, the old "we'll deal with climate tomorrow" attitude of the early '70's, "80's and on and on was never going to work, but it has pacified corporate America and their campaign dollars. I think many things will be reversed, abolished or stopped in its tracks, it seems at times the repugnants do what they do for no other reason than spite. Like it's - to heck with the American people or what is best for the nation, "we are owning the libs". ?? Lunatic main stream I guess.
He appointed Paula White, a Florida televangelist often associated with the prosperity gospel, to an official White House position in the Office of Public Liaison. She led a prayer at Trump's inauguration, chaired his Evangelical Advisory Council, and has a dubious history. During the 2020 campaign, while ostensibly still a government official she was streamed on Facebook calling on "angelic reinforcement" from the continents of Africa and South America. "I hear a sound of victory, the Lord says it is done," she said. "For angels have even been dispatched from Africa right now... In the name of Jesus from South America, they're coming here." In her prayer, she was reportedly speaking in tongues. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/11/05/paula-white-trumps-spiritual-adviser-african-south-american-angels/6173576002/
Trump and White have been close for many years and she has been his liaison to evangelist groups, White evangelical voters helped deliver Trump the White House in 2016 and came out in droves to support him again four years later. According to polling data, approximately 80 percent of that community voted for Trump in 2016 and in 2020.
Why is this not a violation of the Establishment clause?
Donald Trump is a common grifter out of the tabloid culture of New York. However he is a full
blown Narcissistic Personality Disorder. By definition they see themselves as godlike relative to others and are only capable of imagining or acting on their own interest which makes Trump unfit for the office of Presidency that necessitates acting on the represented others behalves. He grifts the evangelist community to suite his personal interest. The people who will oppose Trump's autocracy on principle are not all in the same party so re-uniting the nation requires cooperation between sane Democrat's, Republicans, and Independent voters to establish a plurality who agree no one has a right to divide the nation established by the outcome of our Civil War.
I think He’s embarrassed. Working six days straight, we all know the product is a little sketchy on Friday. Saved human creation for Friday. Not His best work. Now gazelles-top notch creation. Humans, meh.
I posted most of this a few days ago. Given the discussion's title, I'll repost with more amusing details. I don't believe these things, but I'm scared that so many people do:
The Christian prophecies about Jesus's return call for there to be a false God that fools the masses.
I sort of hate to repost about my Jr High classmate preaching the Gospels and the prophecies (on the sports field, outside, after we ate our lunches). Back then, I was fascinated that anyone thought that, or wanted to hear it. I really didn't think about it for >35 years, until I met an older American living as a pauper-prophet in a tent in a Tel Aviv park; the man gave up a comfortable life in Indiana as a programmer, so he could spout similar stories as he awaited Rapture before the Armageddon preceding his Messiah's arrival. I had some time to spare before a good restaurant opened, so I was amused to listen to him, as I recalled my classmate's earlier sermons. (This pitiful fool thought Al Gore was the anti-Christ, because the masses adored his Nobel-prize winning book & movie, Earth in the Balance, and the 2000 election denied him the throne. However, the 2020 election denied #45 retaining the throne via the "stolen election"!!!)
... In the year my wife & I turned 50, she said we needed to do something extra-ordinary, which we wouldn't do, to celebrate the milestone. I am intrigued by history, and many relatives & friends had gone to Israel. I didn't, because I disliked the hawks in its government. So, I made an exception, and travelled on a very, very low budget to participate in a bike ride supporting Arava Institute's environmental peace initiative among its neighbors https://arava.org/
Here's a letter I wrote someone (who was then in a parody rock band), with an internet link, after talking to him. While I hope this amuses substack readers, please realize there are millions of ignorant, gullible voters who believe some aspects of these things, or similar stories:
I vacationed in Israel in May [2008]. I had a long, interesting chat with someone who lived in a Jerusalem park, had some interesting ideas, and considered himself the 3rd prophet Elijah, foretelling the end-times that we are in. He said he printed many CDs with all his facts, but his supply was stolen. Someone put his CD on the internet (http://www.angelfire.com/co4/judalove/oman.html), but he thought the website was full of malicious viruses.
The guy’s given name was Daniel Selma. Googling was better as Daniel Salmon. He lives in a park just off Elijah-Shma (hear Elijah) Street. Your band might love to read his website, or even speak to him, to get more apocalyptic song material. I was amused by some of his ideas, and I am trying to convey them to you as best as I can. He said nothing is a coincidence; since I may not be able to follow his teachings and save myself, then my role in the overall scheme of things may simply be to pass the message on to others.
“Jesus”-worshipping Christianity is wrong, and “Jesus”-worshippers will perish in the end-times, along with all the other mistaken people. Christianity was repackaged by the Romans and Germans, and it has strayed too far from prophet (& messiah) Joshua ben Adam’s message (see more, below).
Daniel-Elijah was more literal than the fundamentalists! Almost everyone will perish, because they were not literal enough. Everyone misinterpreted the first Commandment, and the supreme being is really upset. Daniel-Elijah believes the generally accepted English translation (“I am the L-rd, your G-d, who brought you out of Egypt, and you shall have no other g-ds…”) is wrong. Greatly paraphrasing, it is more like “My name is Yehovah, your supreme being, who…, and you shall worship no other beings… (Nor, shall you refer to me using their names!)” In other parts of the Bible, Jews are warned to avoid the Hittite people. Daniel-Elijah believes the Hittites became the Germans, g-d is the German-Hittite deity, and Yehovah is upset when people use the name “g-d”. “Jesus”-worshipping is inherently evil, because it is literally worshipping something based on the Greek name <son of Zeus>.
Greatly paraphrasing: The rich, powerful, preppy, capitalist class that wants to preserve our world’s power structure, are acting for satan. The Germans (modern-day Hittites) rule everything (the royal families of Europe were all intermarried – the Prussians, Austro-Hungarians, Queen Victoria’s lineage, the Tsars), and they are waging the silent, undeclared World War 3. The English royals are/were Masons, as are Putin & almost all powerful U.S. politicians. The Masons control most-everything. Al Gore is the head of the Masons, Daniel-Elijah says, and he controls all the world’s politicians!
According to Daniel-Elijah, when Dick Cheney made a comment that the Vice Presidency was a separate office that does not have to answer to the President or to Congress, he was stating what has been a fact ever since Reagan underwent an operation and ‘temporarily’ transferred control to Bush, Sr. The order was never rescinded. Gore made various jokes about ruling, similar to Cheney’s comment. Per Daniel-Elijah, the biblical prophecy says the evil-leader shall be denied the glory of actually, publicly sitting on the throne. When Bush Sr. threw up on the Japanese leader, at a state dinner, it was the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy (48:26) about Moab drunkenly wallowing in his own vomit, and the world laughing in derision. Daniel-Elijah views this as the start of the undeclared WW3.
Alas, Daniel-Elijah believes the end will come within 2 years. There really isn’t much anyone can do, anymore. Americans, and almost the entire world population, will be consumed in “natural” disasters which are Yehovah’s doing.
Windfall profit tax, restore Glass-Steagall, raise taxes on the wealthy. Turn the clock back to the days before Gingrich. All of this will be possible if the Dems can recapture the House and Senate, which is looking more likely by the day.
With the revelation that Trump now believes he can declassify documents merely by thinking about them, he may be actively delusional. With his loss of language (not that it was that great in the first place) it's possible that he has frontotemporal dementia. Who read the MRI when he was hospitalized at Walter Reed? Is that declassified also?
Michael, I agree with what you said + on watching (difficult to do) 45 in various campaign vids/rally's I see a man totally deluded by his own 'charisma' and with a limited and very repetitive vocabulary - rally to rally - and definitely holding 'chip(s)' on his shoulders (any sauce with them?) My dad often said about a person like this: "(he's) a graduate of the Sam Carnagie
School - of How to loose friends and insult people." and BTW Michael, you and I just might be
distantly related. My mom's maiden name was Hutchinson. Grandpa being from northern England.
On another track - I'm thinking that the relpuGlicans continuous voting against most anything the Biden Administration puts forth, legislation wise, is because they have no, let alone better
ideas to present. But (if heaven forbid) take back the House and/or Senate or both (gak), would
rewrite Biden's proposals using their own jargon, then present it all as THEIR own ideas and then
Great Klatch!: I wanted to respond to the survey with 'all but the first choice', which is what Powell is already doing'. I will see what Dr. Reich is going to say, since that is the most interesting. I am curious. I like the positive ideas about the fact that Justice is beginning to be brought in the document scuffle. I look forward to more of the same in all the court battles with TFG. What ever is done about 'inflation' needs to be viable ; that list cannot possibly all get implemented without a very strong majority in the Senate and the House. Unless there is some executive action that Biden could do.
Sep 24, 2022·edited Sep 24, 2022Liked by Heather Lofthouse
First, I want to wish Robert and Heather a good and sweet New Year. May it be so for us all.
The need by some Americans -- all too many -- for an authoritarian, "messianic" leader is evidence of psychological and spiritual problems on a vast scale. I believe these problems spring from a belief that our current system is not equipped to deal with some of the huge issues -- like climate change -- that we're facing. And so many millions have lost faith in the system.
When we Americans believe we're faced with an existential threat, we'll do crazy things. Like rounding up fellow Americans of Japanese descent and putting them in concentration camps. How else to describe the entire January 6 event but sheer craziness? (Who prepared those gallows? -- That's one thing I would love for the House Select Committee to find out.)
There's currently a big discussion going on in the US Christian community about Christian nationalism, that fascist force which is supplying a lot of the wind under any would-be "messiah's" wings. I don't see any way of properly defusing it except on a sound theological and biblical basis. Many decades ago, I was strongly anti-abortion, and it was only through looking at it from a much better grounded Judeo-Christian perspective that I realized I was wrong and completely changed my views. Prior to that, I thought I was soooo right. It was a very humbling experience, and one that I'm grateful for.
I think that Christian nationalism must be defused using theology and using the Bible. Christians were not given instruction to create a political Christian nation. They were instructed to make disciples.
Thank you, Elias. The nationalist Christians I keep tabs on would label the non-nationalists as "progressive Christians." There's quite an effort going on to draw out Christians with nationalist inclinations -- those who believe that America was founded as a Christian nation -- from progressive churches.
When I write "keep tabs on," there's a cottage industry of YouTubers with very large followings who spout the dominionist line as being the true Christians. They dismiss Christian nationalism as a "straw man." The "threat" of Christian nationalism is viewed by them as yet another progressive attempt to mislead people.
I voted with the majority, so far, for the windfall profits tax. But, that is not enough, I agree Dr. Reich, that temporary price controls (or caps) would give immediate relief. For the long haul though, which is where we need to focus, we have to reinstate anti-trust actions (not just the exiting laws) but action on them. Also I agree with Peter, close the tax loopholes, and retrieve Steagall-Glass from the dump pile of republican led congresses. Another long term benefit would be to reorganize our political parties, giving them names that tell voters what they really stand for. Democrats is not a good name, because every politician, including the trumpster and DeSatan claim to love democracy, because they know it is a catch word the average voter "feels" but doesn't really understand. I would prefer meaningful names like "The Liberal/Progressive", "The Centrists", "The Fiscal Conservatives", I don't know what to call the wingnuts, fringe, authoritarians, bigots, racists, religious fanatics, haters, white supremacists, anarchists, conspiracy theorists, climate and science deniers. I guess they'll figure it out. The latter misfits would never be strong enough to control the Country if voters knew their true beliefs, but amongst themselves they'd have a good old time, shouting, screaming, and dukeing it out.
To stop fiddling with those deck chairs, the big solution to all financial ills is Universal Basic Income.
Give everyone food, shelter, health care, and education to get a democracy where people who aren't
consumed with survival can think together. As the oligarchy comes into more and more control, we the people need to rev it up to make moves that empower us
As you stated, in Econ 101 price controls are disruptive. This is true in a free market, but as you stated, many industries are now oligopolies controlled by a very few players that are able to distort supposed free pricing models predicated on supply and demand. This distortion get exacerbated when those industries are controlling the staples and basic needs of the populace, the things we can’t live without like food, electricity, energy, public transportation, water, natural gas to name a few. Yesterday CNN released a listing of the best airlines in the world, not a single domestic airline was on the main list (Southwest was on the no frills list). This is a prima face result of the consolidation of the major domestic airlines, not to mention the Hub model, basically being able to jettison customer service and employee value in favor of excess profits. It’s high time those industries that all Americans depend be nationalized so customer concerns become the first consideration, not one that may or may not follow profits, dividends, retained earnings, stock buybacks, and shareholder value.
All fingers and toes crossed for the mid-term elections, and writing GOTV postcards like mad .... And yes, we certainly do need reality. And resilience!
To be fair, he IS the Messiah for almost a THIRD of dangerously under-educated "Americans." (I use quotes because they chose Dear Leader over our democracy.) There is no "want" involved.
The unwashed masses hate us. They revile educated people and love the strutting fascists like Trump. They feel our contempt and they deserve it, but we lose them at voting time.
Once again, I find myself an outlier on the curve, not because I disagree with anything other than raising the prime interest rate, but because I agree with all three of the other options: implement a windfall profits tax, impose price controls, and energetically become muscular about busting trusts instead of unions! I could have agreed with one option had it not been an implausible option - since that's >not< how the system works - of interfering with or otherwise stopping the Fed. But then I've been an outlier because I agreed with >all four< options!
Had the question been "what would be the first thing to do," then I'd say impose price controls, because it seems that could be put in place and relieve the pressure on those >presently< suffering under the burden of inflation. (Not serving those who can afford to keep a "war chest" of savings earmarked for >just such< an eventuality.) The other options would be more time consuming and wouldn't relieve the burden when needed - that is, immediately.
Additionally, I'd start characterizing Republi-wanker action as "waging their class warfare against those of us who work for a living" every time they start banging on about "culture wars."
Survey: I select all EXCEPT "Fed must continue to hike rates" which only punishes workers. Corporate greed is out of control. I hate being price gouged on necessities to feed the insatiable greed of corporations and their billionaire owners. Their ill-gotten gains are then used to gain control over our government, leading to even more abuse of consumers and workers. Our only hope of ending this cycle is to elect better leaders. A step in the right direction would be electing Democrat bulletproof majorities in the House & Senate on November 8th 2022. With blue majorities Democrat leaders could eliminate the filibuster, un-rig SCOTUS, restore women's rights, protect voting rights, and pass more legislation to benefits all Americans, not just billionaires. We need to get this done before SCOTUS hands states the right to overturn election results during the next SCOTUS session.
Close Tax loopholes for the rich, reinstall Stegall-Glass; none of this will happen without a true Democratic majority in the Senate and the Democrats retaining the House. Since the GOP's default leader has declared himself a fan of Qanon, the Democrats need to to make this mid-term (and all future elections) Dems vs Qanon until republicans regain some semblance of sanity among their leadership. If not the future of the country looks seriously dystopian.
The condition precedent to everything mentioned is to sweep the mid-terms. Still time to register more democrats in key states. We are threatened with the specter of Fascism destroying us and we need to come together.
As I said the other day, California sued Amazon for price fixing. Unfortunately, at present the federal government doesn't have that authority. Attached is a link to an energy price gouging bill. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7688/text
Also a senate version. https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-baldwin-schakowsky-colleagues-introduce-bicameral-legislation-to-crack-down-on-corporate-price-gouging
The problem is ignorance and apathy not easy fixes.
Jen, I agree with your assessment, especially when it deals with the Hispanic citizens. A high percentage of Hispanics have no idea of the importance of the vote and that elections do have consequences. Many Hispanics also have no idea how our government works; those that have come from countries ruled by dictators and that they consider socialist are scared by the Republicans that feed them the lie that Democrats are SOCIALIST. I have not heard the Democrats respond to these allegations. The Democrats should be educating those that are ignorant of the facts as to why we are called SOCIALIST by the GOP. We are the party that looked out for the elderly, by pushing and passing Social Security and Medicare, among many other programs that help the working class and the poor. The GOP consider these programs socialist program and said so when they were successfully passed by Congress. We must educate our citizens when the GOP uses lies about the Democrats to scare the hell out of them. I do know a little bit of what I am talking about because I am a Puerto Rican American who moved to the mainland when I was 5 years old, I am now 76 years old. I have been and to a limited point I am active in the Hispanic community in many aspects. We must toot our horn and brag about all that the Democrats have accomplished for the working class and the poor.
Hi Elias,
Thanks for responding. I would have never guessed that the Hispanic community wasn't aware of Republican Lies, simply because Republicans are constantly and continually talking about building walls and disparaging the people that want to immigrate to the US. I can see your point, but how do you get through?
Jen (and everyone else here ~) I've also had this thought for quite some time, but add arrogance here too. i.e. 'Arrogance, (willful) Ignorance, and Apathy'. Or A.(w) I. A. - not to be confused with the 'American Institute of Architects'...
the - Arrogance - of those (others) who "know everything there is to know" and refuse to be/won't become educated to change their minds when presented with honest and proven truths; (willful) Ignorance - those who refuse to learn; Apathy - those that do learn but do little or decline to do anything toward solving the problems ~ ~ ~
Sue for price fixing and price gouging. .
Started with the energy sector; sue them to recoup inflation.
I voted 'Impose price controls', at least until "we the people" catch up, really though all but 'continue rate hikes' sounds reasonable. Deferring to RR on this.
BUT FIRST, the republican fascists must be defeated in up coming elections or nothing changes and democracy may well be doomed in the US. Once again, "it is the most important election ever".
I'm old enough to remember the "Nixon Shock" wage and price controls and Gerald Ford's "WIN" (Whip Inflation Now) campaign. Both were failures economically although arguably Nixon got some political credit. We laughed then, I still laugh now.
if the Republicans regain the House they'll probably find some way to gum up execution of the recently passed climate legislation and definitely stop future legislation. as it stands the US is greatly challenged to go from a 1% reduction per year in CO2 over the last 16 years to A 6% or higher reduction per year through 2030 in order to avoid global climate catastrophe. This is reason enough why this election is so important.
Absolutely steveandjanereed! Climate legislation must be top of mind, the old "we'll deal with climate tomorrow" attitude of the early '70's, "80's and on and on was never going to work, but it has pacified corporate America and their campaign dollars. I think many things will be reversed, abolished or stopped in its tracks, it seems at times the repugnants do what they do for no other reason than spite. Like it's - to heck with the American people or what is best for the nation, "we are owning the libs". ?? Lunatic main stream I guess.
Does Trump want to be the next messiah?
In his mind, already probably is. He's been passing himself off as one.
As president he issued an executive order that I consider to be a violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment: "All agencies shall cooperate with the White House Partnerships Office [on religious groups] and provide such information, support, and assistance to the White House Partnerships Office as it may request, to the extent permitted by law." https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/02/14/executive-order-on-the-establishment-of-the-white-house-office-of-faith-based-and-neighborhood-partnerships/
He appointed Paula White, a Florida televangelist often associated with the prosperity gospel, to an official White House position in the Office of Public Liaison. She led a prayer at Trump's inauguration, chaired his Evangelical Advisory Council, and has a dubious history. During the 2020 campaign, while ostensibly still a government official she was streamed on Facebook calling on "angelic reinforcement" from the continents of Africa and South America. "I hear a sound of victory, the Lord says it is done," she said. "For angels have even been dispatched from Africa right now... In the name of Jesus from South America, they're coming here." In her prayer, she was reportedly speaking in tongues. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/11/05/paula-white-trumps-spiritual-adviser-african-south-american-angels/6173576002/
Trump and White have been close for many years and she has been his liaison to evangelist groups, White evangelical voters helped deliver Trump the White House in 2016 and came out in droves to support him again four years later. According to polling data, approximately 80 percent of that community voted for Trump in 2016 and in 2020.
Why is this not a violation of the Establishment clause?
And why is this not blasphemy?
Donald Trump is a common grifter out of the tabloid culture of New York. However he is a full
blown Narcissistic Personality Disorder. By definition they see themselves as godlike relative to others and are only capable of imagining or acting on their own interest which makes Trump unfit for the office of Presidency that necessitates acting on the represented others behalves. He grifts the evangelist community to suite his personal interest. The people who will oppose Trump's autocracy on principle are not all in the same party so re-uniting the nation requires cooperation between sane Democrat's, Republicans, and Independent voters to establish a plurality who agree no one has a right to divide the nation established by the outcome of our Civil War.
It's a horrible sacrilege and mockery and I've apologized to the Lord for many of us.(Just my personal view,people see things different sometimes.
I think He’s embarrassed. Working six days straight, we all know the product is a little sketchy on Friday. Saved human creation for Friday. Not His best work. Now gazelles-top notch creation. Humans, meh.
I posted most of this a few days ago. Given the discussion's title, I'll repost with more amusing details. I don't believe these things, but I'm scared that so many people do:
The Christian prophecies about Jesus's return call for there to be a false God that fools the masses.
I sort of hate to repost about my Jr High classmate preaching the Gospels and the prophecies (on the sports field, outside, after we ate our lunches). Back then, I was fascinated that anyone thought that, or wanted to hear it. I really didn't think about it for >35 years, until I met an older American living as a pauper-prophet in a tent in a Tel Aviv park; the man gave up a comfortable life in Indiana as a programmer, so he could spout similar stories as he awaited Rapture before the Armageddon preceding his Messiah's arrival. I had some time to spare before a good restaurant opened, so I was amused to listen to him, as I recalled my classmate's earlier sermons. (This pitiful fool thought Al Gore was the anti-Christ, because the masses adored his Nobel-prize winning book & movie, Earth in the Balance, and the 2000 election denied him the throne. However, the 2020 election denied #45 retaining the throne via the "stolen election"!!!)
... In the year my wife & I turned 50, she said we needed to do something extra-ordinary, which we wouldn't do, to celebrate the milestone. I am intrigued by history, and many relatives & friends had gone to Israel. I didn't, because I disliked the hawks in its government. So, I made an exception, and travelled on a very, very low budget to participate in a bike ride supporting Arava Institute's environmental peace initiative among its neighbors https://arava.org/
Here's a letter I wrote someone (who was then in a parody rock band), with an internet link, after talking to him. While I hope this amuses substack readers, please realize there are millions of ignorant, gullible voters who believe some aspects of these things, or similar stories:
I vacationed in Israel in May [2008]. I had a long, interesting chat with someone who lived in a Jerusalem park, had some interesting ideas, and considered himself the 3rd prophet Elijah, foretelling the end-times that we are in. He said he printed many CDs with all his facts, but his supply was stolen. Someone put his CD on the internet (http://www.angelfire.com/co4/judalove/oman.html), but he thought the website was full of malicious viruses.
The guy’s given name was Daniel Selma. Googling was better as Daniel Salmon. He lives in a park just off Elijah-Shma (hear Elijah) Street. Your band might love to read his website, or even speak to him, to get more apocalyptic song material. I was amused by some of his ideas, and I am trying to convey them to you as best as I can. He said nothing is a coincidence; since I may not be able to follow his teachings and save myself, then my role in the overall scheme of things may simply be to pass the message on to others.
“Jesus”-worshipping Christianity is wrong, and “Jesus”-worshippers will perish in the end-times, along with all the other mistaken people. Christianity was repackaged by the Romans and Germans, and it has strayed too far from prophet (& messiah) Joshua ben Adam’s message (see more, below).
Daniel-Elijah was more literal than the fundamentalists! Almost everyone will perish, because they were not literal enough. Everyone misinterpreted the first Commandment, and the supreme being is really upset. Daniel-Elijah believes the generally accepted English translation (“I am the L-rd, your G-d, who brought you out of Egypt, and you shall have no other g-ds…”) is wrong. Greatly paraphrasing, it is more like “My name is Yehovah, your supreme being, who…, and you shall worship no other beings… (Nor, shall you refer to me using their names!)” In other parts of the Bible, Jews are warned to avoid the Hittite people. Daniel-Elijah believes the Hittites became the Germans, g-d is the German-Hittite deity, and Yehovah is upset when people use the name “g-d”. “Jesus”-worshipping is inherently evil, because it is literally worshipping something based on the Greek name <son of Zeus>.
Greatly paraphrasing: The rich, powerful, preppy, capitalist class that wants to preserve our world’s power structure, are acting for satan. The Germans (modern-day Hittites) rule everything (the royal families of Europe were all intermarried – the Prussians, Austro-Hungarians, Queen Victoria’s lineage, the Tsars), and they are waging the silent, undeclared World War 3. The English royals are/were Masons, as are Putin & almost all powerful U.S. politicians. The Masons control most-everything. Al Gore is the head of the Masons, Daniel-Elijah says, and he controls all the world’s politicians!
According to Daniel-Elijah, when Dick Cheney made a comment that the Vice Presidency was a separate office that does not have to answer to the President or to Congress, he was stating what has been a fact ever since Reagan underwent an operation and ‘temporarily’ transferred control to Bush, Sr. The order was never rescinded. Gore made various jokes about ruling, similar to Cheney’s comment. Per Daniel-Elijah, the biblical prophecy says the evil-leader shall be denied the glory of actually, publicly sitting on the throne. When Bush Sr. threw up on the Japanese leader, at a state dinner, it was the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy (48:26) about Moab drunkenly wallowing in his own vomit, and the world laughing in derision. Daniel-Elijah views this as the start of the undeclared WW3.
Alas, Daniel-Elijah believes the end will come within 2 years. There really isn’t much anyone can do, anymore. Americans, and almost the entire world population, will be consumed in “natural” disasters which are Yehovah’s doing.
Don’t trust phones, e-mail, the internet, etc…
Windfall profit tax, restore Glass-Steagall, raise taxes on the wealthy. Turn the clock back to the days before Gingrich. All of this will be possible if the Dems can recapture the House and Senate, which is looking more likely by the day.
With the revelation that Trump now believes he can declassify documents merely by thinking about them, he may be actively delusional. With his loss of language (not that it was that great in the first place) it's possible that he has frontotemporal dementia. Who read the MRI when he was hospitalized at Walter Reed? Is that declassified also?
Michael, I agree with what you said + on watching (difficult to do) 45 in various campaign vids/rally's I see a man totally deluded by his own 'charisma' and with a limited and very repetitive vocabulary - rally to rally - and definitely holding 'chip(s)' on his shoulders (any sauce with them?) My dad often said about a person like this: "(he's) a graduate of the Sam Carnagie
School - of How to loose friends and insult people." and BTW Michael, you and I just might be
distantly related. My mom's maiden name was Hutchinson. Grandpa being from northern England.
On another track - I'm thinking that the relpuGlicans continuous voting against most anything the Biden Administration puts forth, legislation wise, is because they have no, let alone better
ideas to present. But (if heaven forbid) take back the House and/or Senate or both (gak), would
rewrite Biden's proposals using their own jargon, then present it all as THEIR own ideas and then
vote them through ~ ~ ~
Great Klatch!: I wanted to respond to the survey with 'all but the first choice', which is what Powell is already doing'. I will see what Dr. Reich is going to say, since that is the most interesting. I am curious. I like the positive ideas about the fact that Justice is beginning to be brought in the document scuffle. I look forward to more of the same in all the court battles with TFG. What ever is done about 'inflation' needs to be viable ; that list cannot possibly all get implemented without a very strong majority in the Senate and the House. Unless there is some executive action that Biden could do.
There is always hope with every sunrise and light always conquers dark.
(I don't want my head in the sand like an ostrich)
First, I want to wish Robert and Heather a good and sweet New Year. May it be so for us all.
The need by some Americans -- all too many -- for an authoritarian, "messianic" leader is evidence of psychological and spiritual problems on a vast scale. I believe these problems spring from a belief that our current system is not equipped to deal with some of the huge issues -- like climate change -- that we're facing. And so many millions have lost faith in the system.
When we Americans believe we're faced with an existential threat, we'll do crazy things. Like rounding up fellow Americans of Japanese descent and putting them in concentration camps. How else to describe the entire January 6 event but sheer craziness? (Who prepared those gallows? -- That's one thing I would love for the House Select Committee to find out.)
There's currently a big discussion going on in the US Christian community about Christian nationalism, that fascist force which is supplying a lot of the wind under any would-be "messiah's" wings. I don't see any way of properly defusing it except on a sound theological and biblical basis. Many decades ago, I was strongly anti-abortion, and it was only through looking at it from a much better grounded Judeo-Christian perspective that I realized I was wrong and completely changed my views. Prior to that, I thought I was soooo right. It was a very humbling experience, and one that I'm grateful for.
Diffusing it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ0vPIo9eyY
I think that Christian nationalism must be defused using theology and using the Bible. Christians were not given instruction to create a political Christian nation. They were instructed to make disciples.
Thank you, Elias. The nationalist Christians I keep tabs on would label the non-nationalists as "progressive Christians." There's quite an effort going on to draw out Christians with nationalist inclinations -- those who believe that America was founded as a Christian nation -- from progressive churches.
When I write "keep tabs on," there's a cottage industry of YouTubers with very large followings who spout the dominionist line as being the true Christians. They dismiss Christian nationalism as a "straw man." The "threat" of Christian nationalism is viewed by them as yet another progressive attempt to mislead people.
I voted with the majority, so far, for the windfall profits tax. But, that is not enough, I agree Dr. Reich, that temporary price controls (or caps) would give immediate relief. For the long haul though, which is where we need to focus, we have to reinstate anti-trust actions (not just the exiting laws) but action on them. Also I agree with Peter, close the tax loopholes, and retrieve Steagall-Glass from the dump pile of republican led congresses. Another long term benefit would be to reorganize our political parties, giving them names that tell voters what they really stand for. Democrats is not a good name, because every politician, including the trumpster and DeSatan claim to love democracy, because they know it is a catch word the average voter "feels" but doesn't really understand. I would prefer meaningful names like "The Liberal/Progressive", "The Centrists", "The Fiscal Conservatives", I don't know what to call the wingnuts, fringe, authoritarians, bigots, racists, religious fanatics, haters, white supremacists, anarchists, conspiracy theorists, climate and science deniers. I guess they'll figure it out. The latter misfits would never be strong enough to control the Country if voters knew their true beliefs, but amongst themselves they'd have a good old time, shouting, screaming, and dukeing it out.
Excellent,and we've all noticed they never have anything good to say and NADA to offer.
Call them "suckers."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ0vPIo9eyY
LOL I love your suggestion!
To stop fiddling with those deck chairs, the big solution to all financial ills is Universal Basic Income.
Give everyone food, shelter, health care, and education to get a democracy where people who aren't
consumed with survival can think together. As the oligarchy comes into more and more control, we the people need to rev it up to make moves that empower us
More like the anti-christ, methinks.
Yeah, that thing with Nse was wonderful.
As you stated, in Econ 101 price controls are disruptive. This is true in a free market, but as you stated, many industries are now oligopolies controlled by a very few players that are able to distort supposed free pricing models predicated on supply and demand. This distortion get exacerbated when those industries are controlling the staples and basic needs of the populace, the things we can’t live without like food, electricity, energy, public transportation, water, natural gas to name a few. Yesterday CNN released a listing of the best airlines in the world, not a single domestic airline was on the main list (Southwest was on the no frills list). This is a prima face result of the consolidation of the major domestic airlines, not to mention the Hub model, basically being able to jettison customer service and employee value in favor of excess profits. It’s high time those industries that all Americans depend be nationalized so customer concerns become the first consideration, not one that may or may not follow profits, dividends, retained earnings, stock buybacks, and shareholder value.
Litigation is the American way. Sue the bastards.
All fingers and toes crossed for the mid-term elections, and writing GOTV postcards like mad .... And yes, we certainly do need reality. And resilience!
To be fair, he IS the Messiah for almost a THIRD of dangerously under-educated "Americans." (I use quotes because they chose Dear Leader over our democracy.) There is no "want" involved.
The unwashed masses hate us. They revile educated people and love the strutting fascists like Trump. They feel our contempt and they deserve it, but we lose them at voting time.
See my comments above. Broad support from "religious" suckers.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/08/30/most-white-americans-who-regularly-attend-worship-services-voted-for-trump-in-2020/
Once again, I find myself an outlier on the curve, not because I disagree with anything other than raising the prime interest rate, but because I agree with all three of the other options: implement a windfall profits tax, impose price controls, and energetically become muscular about busting trusts instead of unions! I could have agreed with one option had it not been an implausible option - since that's >not< how the system works - of interfering with or otherwise stopping the Fed. But then I've been an outlier because I agreed with >all four< options!
Had the question been "what would be the first thing to do," then I'd say impose price controls, because it seems that could be put in place and relieve the pressure on those >presently< suffering under the burden of inflation. (Not serving those who can afford to keep a "war chest" of savings earmarked for >just such< an eventuality.) The other options would be more time consuming and wouldn't relieve the burden when needed - that is, immediately.
Additionally, I'd start characterizing Republi-wanker action as "waging their class warfare against those of us who work for a living" every time they start banging on about "culture wars."
Messiah? Trump is more the Anti-Christ
Naw, just the David Koresh of the decade.
Shabatai Zvi.
A Like for sending me on a fun detour to Wikipedia for Shabatai Zvi..
That's been concerning me.His supporters are more like the Jim Jones crowd,but at least he took them to another country.
(sic) do you know why there were so few' 'jokes' about the Jim Jones cult ? ? ?
"Nobody could get past the - punch line' ~
Survey: I select all EXCEPT "Fed must continue to hike rates" which only punishes workers. Corporate greed is out of control. I hate being price gouged on necessities to feed the insatiable greed of corporations and their billionaire owners. Their ill-gotten gains are then used to gain control over our government, leading to even more abuse of consumers and workers. Our only hope of ending this cycle is to elect better leaders. A step in the right direction would be electing Democrat bulletproof majorities in the House & Senate on November 8th 2022. With blue majorities Democrat leaders could eliminate the filibuster, un-rig SCOTUS, restore women's rights, protect voting rights, and pass more legislation to benefits all Americans, not just billionaires. We need to get this done before SCOTUS hands states the right to overturn election results during the next SCOTUS session.