Before Reagan cronies eliminated the Fairness Doctrine in the 1980s, using the public airways for broadcasts required you to present credible counter-views to your editorial content. Private cable was barred from being regulated by the 1st Amendment, so the Fairness Doctrine had to go.
With cable being privately owned technology (mostly), this left cable with an advantage over radio and tv. They could lie any way they wanted and had no responsibility for credibility or truth or other opinions. NOW THEY CAN ALL LIE FOR PROFIT.
The truth is now that the media LOVE TRUMP. He generates huge income through advertising. The more outrageous he is, the more money they make. The only solution is to read/view MANY SOURCES of news.
No, there is another solution, Repeal the Act that allowed cable to be unregulated, Reinstate the Fairness Doctrine. Then remove the licenses to operate for outlets that refuse to label their lies as untruths or fantasies
Nope. Because the people do not own the communication media (cable, streaming, etc) the first amendment prevents government regulation. SCOTUS agrees. The best way is to use taxes or other incentives to affect profits of corporate media to encourage the same effect as the old fairness doctrine. I have been thinking about this for forty years
Thanks William. I submit to your greater experience with this subject. My personal way of dealing with the untruthful media was to disconnect my cable, so now I only use the TV to watch DVDs. I get my news from select online sources. I still subscribe to NYT but only read articles in which I am interested.
Those news divisions respecting the Fairness Doctrine would be tax-free for profits in the first year and half-tax in subsequent years. AND-OR Would have enhanced access to directors of government departments AND-OR other benefits
It did not address ownership of the media by the public! In fact, "The Fairness Doctrine mandated broadcast networks devote time to contrasting views on issues of public importance." The Covid debacle is a case in point. Under the Fairness Doctrine, Dr. Fauci would have been allowed to speak clearly and precisely without being constantly humiliated by a rogue president and harassed by his cult followers. I'm curious about where you got your information.
The Fairness Doctrine mandated broadcast networks devote time to contrasting views on issues of public importance. Congress backed the policy in 1954 and by the 1970s the FCC called the doctrine the “single most important requirement of operation in the public interest – the sine qua non for grant of a renewal of license [over the publicly owned airwaves].
The Supreme Court upheld the doctrine. In 1969’s Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. FCC, journalist Fred Cook sued a Pennsylvania Christian Crusade radio program after a radio host attacked him on air. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court upheld Cook's right to an on-air response under the Fairness Doctrine, arguing that nothing in the First Amendment gives a broadcast license holder the exclusive right to the [public] airwaves they operate on.
Fay, you are right. It is almost as though those who ditched the "Fairness rule" wanted lies to be pumped out as though people have a right to lie in ways that cause harm, let foreign money into our politics, and pretend it is all OK. It isn't because our media gives some lies more traction. Free speech does not mean there should not be consequences for your free speech. You are free to say it, but there can and should be ways to curb the lying, particularly when it is for profit or to do harm.
Thank you Ruth. Even after this election, we need to stay diligent. We can, and I believe will, defeat trump again this time. But, like the fabled hydra, cutting off one head just results in another. We, including me, weren't noisy enough or active enough when Reagan started this increasing effort to move wealth from the middle to the top. I just complained among friends and family - I should have been shouting from the roof tops, like I did during the civil rights and anti-war movement.
Fay, join the club. I knew a little of what was going on, particularly the firing of all the traffic control workers, putting many American's lives at risk to prove a point and to undermine unions. I complained locally, but didn't know where to go with it. My mother's union protested, but who cares about school staff? The other changes were done a bit at a time while covering other news like Iran-Contra and foreign affairs with the USSR as well as the Challenger disaster. People didn't understand enough of "trickle-down economics to get a handle on just how destructive that economics system would be. That is just as Reagan's crew wanted it, do it a bit at a time and people might get mad at a few things, but won't ever see the big picture of jobs being sent overseas, cars getting bigger and bigger, using more and more gas despite the oil corporations knowing what it was doing to our planet, cutting funding for solar power research, and on and on. Reagan was a terrible president nearly as bad as Trump, but his grandfatherly approach, his acting skills really, let even Obama think it a good idea to quote Reagan and cite him as someone to emulate. In reality, he was a jerk who was very self-centered, liked being in the limelight, but didn't want to take responsibility for anything. Being shot made him a hero and he never looked back until he moved into Alzheimer's in the second term. He then couldn't even protest that he was being used by his handlers because he didn't know and neither did We the People.
Yes you are right. See my post. We must establish fair and honest elections by reforming them to Solely Public Funded and Regulated use of Our Public Media. Eliminating the inequitable "pay to play" on public Media ELIMINATES need and desire of corporations to "contribute" to federal campaigns, to partisan political parties. We can achieve this under existing laws and legal practices - like model of restrictions on speech and behavior in courtrooms, and ethics of factual verification for all government employees and for bidding contractors for government contracts (wealthy corporations).
We also need to overturn Citizens United. Money is not synonymous with speech. And the Supreme Court was WRITING legislation, which they are forbidden to do, by removing any caps on political donations - previously $2500 per candidate or cause per year (excluding charitable donations) a law that was in effect prior to 2010. No where in the Constitution does it even remotely suggest that our elected government is or should be up for sale.
Of course the political parties were overjoyed with the money flowing into their coffers. As were the TV networks making billion on TV political ads. So we, the ordinary citizens, will be fighting an uphill battle, but I do believe it's worth the effort.
I’ll add introduce regulating/limiting private and corporate gifts to SCOTUS justices and term limiting their tenure. Along with undoing Citizens United and enacting a more inclusive Fairness Doctrine, this is the Trifecta needed to help undo the GOP’s creation of the ‘best’ democracy which lies and money can ‘buy’!
Citizens United opened the dark forces -warped our democratic process into a bribery scheme, a pay for play open season and the Supreme's knew it would make money king. The Supreme's had covertly influenced laws prior to that - but the Citizen's success showed them their power. Now they just boldly REWRITE THE LAWS and LAUGH all the way to Leonard Leo's home. We need courageous vision and leadership to reclaim the narrative and change the power structures and get the Mill/Billionaires out of government.
Historic context: Citizens Untied v Federal Election Commission was ruled on in about 2000. The original case of reactionary, panicked old white male politicos came after the Powell Memorandum speeches that Lewis Powell gave in the 1970s.
These speeches came to attention of Richard Nixon. Nixon nominated Powell to Supreme Court, and eased him in. the Powell SCOTUS court passed the Buckley v Valeo case that attempted to create a "care out" or legal exception to the crime of bribery,, undue influence, and interference with civic federal elections, by distorting reality with a claim that corporations possess some right of "free speech" comparable or equal to all U.S. Citizen-Voters/Citizen-Jurors. It is not based on law.
See 34 short YouTube videos by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse which summarize his efforts to hold the U.S. Supreme Court accountable for some obvious recent crimes, but trace these origins of the criminal conspiracy of the Federalist Society leader Leonard Leo, acting to intentionally politicize the SCOTUS Court by packing it with sworn life-members of the Federaiist Society - and all the money they can drown them with. It made the Koch family over $6 Billion dollars the first year the law was passed. It only cost the Koch's about $560 Million dollars. (The 2 Koch brothers were each worth at least $40 Billion, so almost "peanuts" to them.)
Buckley v Valeo became law in 1976, permitting corporate control of federal politics with the advantage for the legacy Duopoly partisan political parties already in existence when the ruling was issued - a foreseeable violation of equitable treatment of any potential 3rd parties, and an invitation for corporate bribery to become "legally permitted", and ALL Americans had our rights disenfranchised, diminished, diluted, or negated, due to this egregious violation of reason and of civil rights.
William, I'd like to see a counter argument to THIS article; one that is as factual as Robert Reich's but from the Republican point of view. I've heard before that Republicans run on creating fear of change and Democrats run on creating hope via change. I copied the link to this article and started to send it to my entire email list (BCC) and then figured it would only make everyone angrier.
The Fairness Doctrine has become a pipe dream. I just want a restart button for the world but this time everyone has the power of and desire for empathy. There's probably as much chance for the former as the latter.
... so it produces a wide range of behaviours and skills for the best chance at some of the parents begetting successful offspring. It is a genetic gamble against good or bad times coming.
A billion years of evolution has created a spectrum of human, from insanely greedy through to hopelessly charitable.
During famine and bad times, the selfish and greedy are more likely to survive and pass on their (selfish) genes to the future.
During good times and plenty, the charitable build societies and civilisations freely and openly for the good of all, and in such a society most human's genes (including the selfish) are likely to be passed on to the future.
We might not imagine having children with greedy personna, but if we were starving, we might have no choice.
This is why society tends 50/50 liberal/conservative
To the tribal mentality there is only one truth: the primacy of the tribe. The primacy of the tribe depends on the skill and strength of it chieftain, hence loyalty to the chieftain is the highest good.
Until its clear that the chief - the emperor has no clothes, until the rotten core - the underbelly that forsakes all the ideals of this democratic experiment that has been blinding us with our own eyes and the cult followers finally see the horror of it all. It's going to be a bumpy ride ... BUT I keep feeling that something, or some collection of things are coming soon that will be what breaks the fever. I pray that in the aftermath - that they are forced to pay for their betrayal of our constitution, for their failure to tell the truth, to lead, to hold dear the responsibilities they were given as our country's leaders. I want them to make amends for how much they have cost our country.
Trump gained the loyalty of his followers by telling them that they are "the country", and that he will lead them to regain control of it. In their view it is you who must make amends--if they deign to give you the chance.
Good discussion. But SOMETHING needs to be done to reign in the factory of lies being put out in the name of "news". How do the UK and EU nations deal with this? They certainly seem to be more in control, and more regulated. There HAS to be a middle ground between freedom to say what
you want as an individual and RESPONSIBILITY to TRUTH when acting as a "news organization". The lawsuit against FOX evidently did NO GOOD as they have continued their Network of Lies and Liars!
One good purpose of AI technology would be to fact-check information in real time as it is broadcast. For example, a TV or media interview could use a tickertape type Fact Check stream across the bottom of the page to confirm or refute the information allowed under 1st Amendment rules.
I look forward to a future when I can wear an earpiece so I can listen to a politician speak and a bot can fact check in real time, back into my ear!
Actually, come to think of it, it would have been handy for when I was with one of my wives too..........! 🤔
YES!!! YES! Let's have a large bell that rings DING DING DING - with a flashing LIE tally that runs across the bottom of the screen. Before they start - the facilitator makes it clear - You say one fib, or share a few alternative facts here or there... everyone watching will see your score. BUT when you get 10 LIE DINGS - you are taken from the stage or cut from the feed. And the moderators take a moment to explain why truth matters - how trust is lost or created based upon one's integrity and character... they continue on with the program with one less bamboozler getting a nanosecond's extra attention.
Bill, I have an "idea" that trolls believe Fox... Even after Tucker Catlson's lawyers argued that people should know it's entertainment.
From Findlaw: Joseph Fawbush, Esq. | Last updated on August 10, 2021
"When Tucker Carlson says on his show “[r]emember the facts of the story; these are undisputed" no reasonable person would believe that he was about to state facts. At least, that was Tucker Carlson's own argument in defending himself from a libel suit.
That argument convinced U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, who dismissed a lawsuit brought by model and actress Karen McDougal. McDougal sued for defamation, alleging Carlson baselessly told his audience she was extorting the President. President Trump allegedly paid $150,000 to help keep quiet a year-long affair with the former Playboy model.
"Bloviating for the Audience"
Back in 2018, Tucker Carlson told his viewers that Karen McDougal's claim “sounds like a classic case of extortion." This was part of a broader discussion defending President Trump from accusations that he violated campaign finance laws in spending money to keep affairs with two women quiet. Michael Cohen was convicted on charges related to these events and is currently serving out the remainder of his term in home confinement.
According to Judge Vyskocil, “Fox persuasively argues . . . that given Mr. Carlson's reputation, any reasonable viewer arrives with an appropriate amount of skepticism about the statements he makes." She doesn't stop there, writing that “[w]hether the Court frames Mr. Carlson's statements as exaggeration, non-literal commentary, or simply bloviating for his audience, the conclusion remains the same—the statements are not actionable."
Judge Vyskocil also pointed out that Carlson said “sounds like" prior to saying the word extortion, which “would put any reasonable viewer on notice that Carlson himself doubts the veracity of the source of these statements and that the listener should as well." President Trump appointed Judge Vyskocil to the bench in 2019..."
I believe a free society must tolerate a great deal of objectionable speech. Just being appalled by what someone is saying is not enough for a legal action. However some lies can kill, and demonstrably do. Though it was misused, the example of falsely shouting "fire" in a theater had claimed real victims; and lying in a courtroom can get you prosecuted. Judge Vyskocil would have a better case if the lies promoted on Fox had been heard in a stand-up comedy venue. They are not. Fox News pretends it is vending news, which strikes me as fraudulent. Anyone can spout wacko heath recommendations, but I would not be permitted to do so by falsely claiming to be a doctor. I also can't get away with selling counterfeit goods, claiming they are genuine. Context matters and empirical harms matter.
Authority matters, or should matter. We trust the authority of doctors because they have been vetted, and are bound to certain guidelines. The dividing line for free speech is not always clear cut, but if we can be prosecuted for lying to the government, members of the government somehow be held liable for deception, in the court of public opinion if no other, for provably, deliberately and substantially lying to us. Racism and similar hate speech are lies that kill; and have done so dramatically over the course of history. Military aggression is typically enabled by lies. Cynical misinformation from people in positions of profound public responsibility greatly exacerbated the million plus COVID death toll. The USA may also, in the words of the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, fall into the hands of a "wannabee dictator". We can't be passive about deliberate, weaponized lies going septic and assume it will all work out to the good in the end. Our hour upon the stage as a species may go down in lies.
I often wonder if it would matter if our country, by some miracle, reinstituted the fairness doctrine and enshrined it as a legislative act. It appears that there is a considerably large population who not only believe these distortions, but want to. Need to.
It's why many of them already bailed on Fox when they felt it was "too woke" (as if there's any danger of that with its ownership), and turned to more extreme outlets hosted on the Internet, or other new infotainment channels, like Newsmax, erected specifically for this demographic.
Disinformation and misinformation are a problem but so is the appetite for it. People wanting propaganda broadcasts, agreeing with their predetermined source of problems and propping up their opinions, have and seemingly will continue to find them over being objectively informed.
The fairness doctrine wouldn't apply to cable news networks like Fox or to social media platforms. The First Amendment could allow for the fairness doctrine because it only applied to radio and TV stations that used the public airwaves and so could be forced to abide as part of their licensing agreements.
It doesn't seem like it could be used to apply to social media but it might be applicable to Fox in some markets. My own local market's Fox station broadcasts over the air and digital antennae pick it up clear as day.
If my understanding of your explanation is correct, the Fox stations broadcasting an antenna signal, like in my region, would have to bring themselves in line or risk fines or license loss. Their other choice would be to abandon public airwaves in those markets and offer on cable only, as the nation continues cutting the cord in rising numbers. Seems like a win, at least in some areas, anyway.
Yes, there is a difference between the Fox News cable network and the local Fox stations that are broadcast over the airwaves. The former is really the issue but wouldn't be subject to the fairness doctrine.
Some of the worst offenders are the talk radio stations and they could certainly be brought under any such new law.
Thanks for the clarification. I thought the licenses were one and the same, since the local affiliates all carry most of the FNN cableprop programs. I also believed that cable was a less expensive license because of limitations on reach, and the OTA probably was more expensive, and allowed for broadcast on both. It seems you're saying that the OTA is specific to that broadcast right, and provides license for that broadcast means only. I appreciate the additional information.
The First Amendment is important. But I think it should be illegal for politicians and the media to lie. We have to somehow protect the First Amendment and at the same time, protect US from these assaults.
I am afraid it is too late as SCOTUS and the Congress are ineffective in dealing with the issue. The reality of the loss of power by confronting obvious falsehoods has more than definitively been proven to be costly. Those who use truth, loose their public office and/or funding, or are attacked with actual violence or threats of violence against their families and friends.
We must admit to the fact that there needs to be a drastic solution to effectively penalize persons, no matter who they are, from creating and spreading misinformation as it is painfully obvious as to how much damage it can do. Executive action is and/or was the best and perhaps the only way to enact such a policy.
The present administration is placing a dangerous bet on believing that if they let this nonsense play out, close to voting time, people will recognize the reality of their predicament and push back. I don't think that will work, the reality is, money talks...and the big money has control of the Supreme Court, 63 to 72% of the Republican party, the antiquated electoral voting scheme, major monopolized supply and service industries, and confused or conned under educated, and in some cases, violent or scared voters.
The private sector has taken over most all of the the government through the many back doors it has been building with lobbyists and others over the last 60 or so years. The only controlling entity option lies within the Executive branch. If Trump is elected due to the falsehoods that are allowed to continue, Democracy will become a failed political system due to the inaction of just a few good men, who failed to do the right thing, make the difficult choices, of which they had the power to initiate. These leaders decided to allow the vulnerable to people to decide for them.
Biden may be too cautious a leader when it comes to stepping outside the lines of conventional behavior of the office of the Presidency. He is excellent at his conventional role, and has accomplished everything he perceived as being necessary. Now he has to look to extra conventional actions to wrestle back control of the government not only from big business but all those that are consciously lying to the public and threatening all public officials from the President all the way down to the local school board members. The crime of lying to the public needs to be addressed by all law enforcement, from local to national, overseen by temporary commitees comprised of trustworthy individuals, of which there are many to choose from. Yes, it will cost money...a lot of money... weighed against the cost of the loss of Democracy?
Will it be challenged? Yes it will be challenged, and the courts systems will be swamped. But better they be swamped now with these truth related challenges that will clog the courts for years than be swamped after the election if Trump and associates wins or doesn't win. I think it better to fight fire with fire. Clog the courts now and let Trump stand in line after the election waiting for the dockets to clear which possibly could take 5 to 10 years? Make a move on those that are undeniably high profile liars and shut them down as a danger to the public...Which they are. The Commander and Chief needs be flexible enough, to have the courage to think within... and outside the box, and act decisively against the most obvious of the requirement to protect the country from enemies both foreign and domestic, using the "Official" powers of the Presidency as defined by the present Supreme Court... he has total immunity as saving/defending the country and democracy form all threats foreign and domestic is in his wheel house of responsibilities. Sometimes "KISS" can be applied and it is okay to do so.
"using the "Official" powers of the Presidency, as defined by the present Supreme Court... he has total immunity as saving/defending the country and democracy form all threats foreign and domestic is in his wheel house of responsibilities. " Yes!! Now is the time to use the decision of SCOTUS against them. Democracies fail when the principled actions of one side allow the autocratic intent of the other to manipulate the system. Trump will definitely lose the popular vote (as he did before), but the barriers that he and his "masters" have built into our current system over the past 30 years, will deny Kamala Harris the Presidency if action is not taken now!
Just basing my concern on recent years of political and legal activities. What is our reality of the present and what could be the reality of the future, given the options and the pathways that exist.
Whether people know this or not, "The Supreme Court has no power to enforce its decisions. It cannot call out the troops or compel Congress or the president to obey. The Court relies on the executive and legislative branches to carry out its rulings. In some cases, the Supreme Court has been unable to enforce its rulings. Now is the time to test this!
I agree, the question is how do we get it to happen....anyone know any of Biden's advisors...most any I know(knew) of any consequence are dead, gone or out of the loop, by choice, some not by choice.
Henry, you are totally and credibly correct. This is also why so many good strong ethical Americans are frightened in a way we have never been. Our side is not protecting us from the gravely dangerous LIES. We need support! Where are you ???? Lies are not free speech.x guns are not freedom! Abortion is none of your business!!! Get the truth to arrest the lies! For god sake wake up!
I honestly don't know what to tell you. Biden and crew have all the evidence they need to go in and clean house and then let SCOTUS attempt to back peddle their immunity decision, without any hope of any support from any, except the accused...who have no credibility, what so ever, except in their own twisted self centered minds. Long before Biden leaves office he has to retain the option of military support, as Trump's plans are to capture control over them immediately, to do his bidding. It couldn't be more obvious...he keeps saying it all the time. "Official acts" equals employing the insurrection act...could it be more obvious?
Legislators, public employees, and other public servants may face severe consequences for violating the public trust. The range of penalties includes censure, removal from office, permanent disqualification from holding any state position, restitution, decades in prison, and fines up into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Not all ethics violations are treated equally. Punishments correspond to how bad an instance of misconduct is viewed in the eyes of a state and in consideration of the harm a violation may cause. The most severe consequences are normally reserved for cases of bribery involving large sums or similar types of intentional violations of ethics or anti-corruption laws. Like most issues in ethics, however, states vary widely on the details.
I have to say...40+ felony convictions, inciting a riot to overthrow the government in order to be able to stay in office, rape, and so on qualify Trump and associates for multiple lifetime jail sentencing...Perhaps? A slight violation of public trust?
Unfortunately, lies ARE free speech, except in certain limited cases. I don't like it any more than you do, Jean, but that's the way the Constitution is written.
The corollary question arises, who decides what is a lie? Some assertions are readily disprovable (e.g., the size of TMURP's inaugural crowd), but others aren't as clear in terms of what will stand up in court. As the saying goes, what you know and what you can prove in court are two different things.
Best post I will read today. By far. But I'm not sure what executive action(s) will have desired effects. Moot point since Biden won't do it, esp. close to the election which has a moderating effect on administration actions. But I agree, his action is the only possible option with the Congress and SCOTUS we have.
It all seems much clearer now in retrospect: the many factors that led to this "perfect" storm.
One by one those features and policies supporting our democracy were kicked aside, allowed to atrophy. The list is long and no single thing was determinative but cumulatively...wow. Like Milton coming down.
You have summed it up exactly in reference to timelines and acceptance of the unacceptable. These are extraordinary times and Biden can't let this play out with the vote, either way it goes, as it may/will not make a difference either way.
Extraordinary times allow and demand extraordinary actions. These actions are possible, legal and very necessary before we have to deal with the consequences of not acting. We know what not acting will bring. How could Trump and followers be more clear? They shout it out for all to hear at most all of their Rallies. Rally goers love it. They love the criminal/convicted felon.
I believe that not acting is not an option. If we are going to set an example for the rest of the world we, Biden and advisors need to do it at home first. It's called cleaning out the swamp, tidying up the house, and regaining control of the government. The government should not be the tool of big business and wealthy oligarchs...that just doesn't make sense... unless you want to end up like Russia.
The Supreme Court has no power to enforce its decisions. It cannot call out the troops or compel Congress or the president to obey. The Court relies on the executive and legislative branches to carry out its rulings. In some cases, the Supreme Court has been unable to enforce its rulings.
So...I was so involved in all that I was doing, that I forgot about the fact that they don't have any control over the military. If the Supreme Court has no teeth with the use of the military, can they exercise enforcement through the DOJ or are they without any recourse without specific Congressional approval? Even if they have no credibility in the majority of the public sector? Or can Congress in a roundabout maneuver gain control of the military, legally do you know? Of course they can if President and VP are disposed of.
If Congress is in Republican hands...we have a problem. If the executive branch is in Trumps hands we have a problem. If the Republicans and Trump are in control we have a real problem. If Trump is not elected we still have a problem...but perhaps not so big a problem at least, we hope ,not militarily speaking... although the local militias and certain law enforcement groups are still an issue to be dealt with in many of the so called red states and perhaps others?
I completely agree with your analysis and your inclinations, Henry.
That said, the First Amendment does NOT ban lying to the public. Politicians have been lying since there were politicians. There's no way to eliminate the MAGA lies unless they can be directly tied to harm, and that's a heavy lift. I take your point about clogging up the courts, but cases based solely around stopping lies would never be heard, AFAIK.
Yes, in the body of every living American citizen! We are staring over the precipice of Civil War 2.0 and no one has the BALLS to step back and realize just how good we have it!! Make America Great Again is insulting to the adults trying to "Make a more perfect Union"! Try reading, understanding, and living the Constitution before wiping your ASS with it!
"Yes, in the body of every living American citizen!"
Problem is, a significant petcentage of those American citizens think TMURP is their saviour and North Carolina is being denied FEMA aid. Those people are every bit as convinced of those things as you and I are of the opposite.
There aren't enough hours in the day to parse all these issues out to find objective proof. That's by design, of course.
The MAGAs wouldn't trust anyone outside the cult to speak truth and cite facts. It's a vicious circle.
This unfortunately is true, due to X, Fox, WAPO, Newsmax and others. These individuals are isolated and extremely pliable. The GOP has done a good job at achieving their long term goals using threats, lies, conspiracy theories and money as tools of their trade...perhaps just like any good criminal enterprise would?
It has been said by educated, people in the know … there well be another civil war .. If Frumper loses .. J6 all over again . and some… I feel so sorry for the USA … good luck … ⭐️⭐️🇺🇸🇺🇸
No. I just want the President and his crew to do what they were entrusted to do... what we entrusted them to do. Protect the us and the Democracy. This can be easily accomplished by throwing the criminals who threaten us daily, into a place where they can no longer threaten our citizens or the Democracy.
SCOTUS has provided that option with official act immunity...so what's the hold up. Even if it might be considered extra legal, it would be tied up in the courts for years or perhaps decades...they will most likely be deceased at the close of any court case and it won't matter...but they will have saved the country from becoming and oligarchical state?
So write the president, Henry! Call the president! Email Biden! Talking about it to us -- what good does that do??? Last nite, I called the DOJ three separate times, each time leaving angrier and angrier messages to Garland and Wray about their gross failure to put Trump away! DO SOMETHING!!! DON'T JUST TALK ABOUT IT!
Guess what? We empanel around 12 members for such work every day in EVERY COURTROOM IN THE U S .? Their is instant on-duty enforcement against such falsehood presentations by restricted speech in that other civic duty of most serious weight. Do you understand who determines the facts in trials?
Do you understand that every person seeking employment by U S givernment agencies must be subjected to federal background checks the same with commercial contract bidders?
In Springfield Ohio not so much. The Haitian Bridge Alliance brought charges against tfg and Vance for their lies and actions that caused harm to the city of Springfield. The case has been referred to the Prosecutor instead of moving forward as is the precedent in such cases. The Judge corrupted the system in favor of the liars. When will this jackass and his lackey ever answer for this crap? This is a broken record that has been playing for a decade.
I totally agree. It should be illegal to spout lies on the national forums at anytime especially during campaigns for office. It is unfair to expect an opposition candidate to fact check his or her opponent while trying to deliver their message to the electorate. I suppose it is a pipe dream to think that there could be an independent nonpartisan fact checker present to simultaneously check what is being said. That’s what the American independent press is supposed to do. The protection of the truth!
If a major media organization can’t make a moral decision regarding information being disseminated to the public in that it must be correct within the reasonable limits of error then the FCC should remove their license. Is that possible? Is it too simple an answer?
Democracy is inherently messy, which is part of why simplistic, authoritarian pronouncements remain appealing to many. Democracy has to cope with a lot of "damned if you do and damned if you don't" situations; and optimal justice is often imperfect. Justice worthy of the name reflects provable, empirical truth insofar as we bumbling humans are capable of discerning it. Is that not how a court trial ostensibly works (though in practice is a lot more complicated)? There just are limits to the degree that we can responsibly ignore real harms from our codified practices, and there are no tools, physical or legal, the cannot be turned into aggressive weapons when applied in bad faith (as "Republicans" now demonstrate big time).
If we really believe in the primacy of "government of the people, by the people, for the people", then we receive an active share of responsibility for our society's outcomes along with a share of choice, and those who are already most deprived tend to suffer most when our choices are poorly informed and careless.
good question...It has little to nothing to do with election interference...election interference has been in place with Trump and associates for the last 45 or more years through his injection of lies about politics, politicians and criminal behavior... affecting government laws, policies and regulations. It may seem subtle to some but his actions have been connected politically for many years beginning way back to his travels from Brooklyn to NYC while his dad was still alive.
Please don’t over use the word treason leave that to the GOPee. Treason is defined in Art 3 Sec 3 of the Constitution. The folks you refer to are a collection of corrupt fools and/or criminals but not traitors.
It is so narrowly defined because English monarchs kept accusing people they didn't want around by charging them with treason and chopping off their heads. The authors of the constitution knew their English history and didn't want to repeat it in the US.
I agree that treason is too narrowly defined in the Constitution. Too much has happened in history and technologyto be able to accommodate its original definition. That is why we need a game changing amendment to redefine and enforce acts of treason. Of course this is not going to happen before the election but for right now I also agree with the above comments that President Biden using the Supreme Court immunity grants can certainly rein in the top echelon of crooks and liars in this country. Ideally, he should do so now, or at least begin the proceedings before the election by using his executive powers to declare specifically named members of the Republican Party, including Trump et.al as a clear and present danger to our country and to democracy itself. Following this declaration, those that are named must be removed from ballots around the nation for their seditionary acts with current votes for them labeled null and void. Does this sound extreme? Of course it is but extreme times call for extreme measures. I am out of patience with this whole shit show.
I can't agree, Ilene. If Biden undertook the actions you describe, it would be the quickest and most effective way to throw the country into utter turmoil. In the minds of MAGAs, Biden would be providing proof positive of TMURP's claims that the election is rigged.
I think what you suggested would be going WAY too far, even if it were possible at this point, and even if Biden could get away with it, which would never happen. Asserting that the SCOTUS immunity ruling would cover Biden’s actions misses two points. One, that the ruling specifically applies to current accusations against TMURP. Two, it's a bought-and-paid-for Court, and Biden is NOT their patron.
And personally, I think it would be wrong to do what you suggest. Ends/means justifications seldom work out well, and no party should be able to negate an election, not even the Dems.
Ilene, aren't we all?? I have grown weary of all the discussions. Unless we storm the White House with our demands, nothing is going to change or happen!
And, look at how narrow it is. Trumpty and many of his partners HAVE committed TREASON as I and many normals would define it. We saw it in living color on TV, never mind the many hidden acts of treason- classified documents in his home bathroom, selling secrets to Oil, Arab countries , the Russian alliance, allowing his son in law to grift billions while in power. The list goes on and on. Guess those white men, rich slave owners did not get that right either. And, 51% of Americans, women, just can't get out from under those white man heels.
Thanks for the historical outline of democracy’s devolution Prof. Reich. To quote the great Jerry Garcia “ what a long strange trip it’s been”. Those of us who believe in the greater good need to battle tooth and nail to push an agenda that works for more people winning back voters lost to decades of neglect.
We either hold news media and those who provide social media platforms accountable or we continue to mindlessly bellow "free speech" and stand to lose everything.
💯 Free speech as a concept and a democratic right has been distorted so as to be unrecognizable. I mean, really - free speech wielded as a WEAPON against the minds and unity of Americans with the goal of destabilization by Russia and others is hardly just participation in the marketplace of ideas.
If Biden or Harris or Congress doesn’t get it right on this one, which WILL include regulations and controls on social media, it’s only a matter of time before the next fascist demagogue is elevated. As it stands now, more than a third of Americans are now so damaged by narrative warfare, domestic disinformation and conspiracy theories, all made possible in part by the gradual gutting of public education and the championing of free speech at all costs.
I’m optimistic about the election; I’m extremely pessimistic that our federal government realizes the extent of the damage to American minds and that they can/will act to protect future generations from malign foreign influence & manipulative demagogues.
I disagree with the premise that news media are inherently biased towards the ultra wealthy simply because most are owned by for- profit corporations. We should all be discriminating consumers when reading or viewing political news — and it should go without saying that I am referring to legitimate, professionally run outlets, not social media— as all reportage is subjective to some extent. Reporters, their editors, and the sources
R Hodsdon, the corporate news media is biased. Television networks are awful. They aren't trying to inform. They're trying to manipulate. One of their overarching messages is that the wealthiest and big corporations are more valuable and smarter than everyone else, especially low wage workers. Messaging about returning to a belief in the common good is pretty much absent. Instead they are one big sales blitz to the unsuspecting public for the sole benefit of their wealthy shareholders, their corporate advertisers, and their collective rampant egos.
Victor Kamendrowsky, I think since Fox reported in Nov. 2020 tfg had lost the election, several just as bad competitors have sprung up to capture those angry at Fox for telling the truth. I can't think of their names off of the top of my head. But Fox started the cable news decent.
Fox News is banned in England.........thank goodnessI. Murdock has already wreaked havoc with the press there. I think America should rethink allowing Fox News too.
The Fairness Doctrine was a rule for news outlets leasing frequencies on public airways. To qualify to avail themselves of a public resource [a broadcasting frequency], when speaking in the political sphere, news had to give a fair airing of all sides of a controversy, and to all sides of a contest. That doctrine never held sway over newspapers or magazines or private advocacy … I think we SHOULD bring it back for broadcast, but even “broaddast” does not necessarily use a public resource to reach an audience {one might see “cable” that still USES a physical cable strung on public infrastructure telephone poles as coming under the doctrine, though. I wonder [haven’t checked] how our contracts for satellites are structured? I don’t think we can demand that those who use satellite to broadcast need to obey our rules, since WE are leasing service there, and aren’t thee owners of all the satellites we use … Things have changed …
Yes, elections have turned into a VERY lucrative industry. What I don't understand is why so many people buy into the insanity. Was there an unreported massive epidemic of prion disease sometime along the way?
William, there is truth in what to say, but you are also scapegoating the media for a bigger problem. The Media has to sell its products, and in 2016, and especially after 2020, it learned that nearly half of its customers don't want to hear anything negative about Trump--that's the bigger problem. Criticism of Trump is criticism of all those who have identified with him. As long as someone like Robinson stays loyal to Trump everything else matters little.
Truth is not for sale but lies are. Truth is hard to swallow sometimes. If we agree lies go down much better. However, the future of our country and in a broader context, the world, depends not on what the majority want to hear but what they need to hear, understand, and accept.
Totally agree William. And the mainstream media is owned by big oil and big pharma, big banks and big defense. To answer why the Republicans went nuts you have to look at why the DNC is no longer the party of democracy, the middle class, peace or freedom of speech. It won't be neocons like Liz Cheney rebuilding the republican party but Rfk jr., the man who the DNC and this blog demonized, dimissed and disenfranchised. As nuts as the Republicans are they are now the big tent and the party of the people.
Methinks Mr. Duke is yet another American victim of malign foreign influence (narrative warfare) and the useful American idiots who push Putin’s poison on their compatriots all day.
Mr. Duke, I have to correct you here. The Democratic party is actually the party that is trying to keep Democracy, help the middle class and keep our country at peace with each other even as we disagree on ideologies and policies. We use to have that back before the orange man and his cult took over the GOP. The MAGA nuts are not as big as the rest of the country and are definitely NOT the party of the people! If MAGAs had their way, the people would only be straight, white Christian nationalists. They would have huge deportations of Haitians, South Americans, Blacks, Jews, Muslims and anyone else who did not fit their idea of straight, white Christian nationalists! Vote blue, America, up and down the ballot!
I dunno. If a man is aspiring to have RFK Jr rebuild the Republican party, I think he may have lost his way. If only there was a way to help Mr. Duke, but I think he has to help himself. It’s a long hard slog out of the jungle, but he might make it if he would only try.
Unless he’s a member of Putin’s secret army of American useful and greedy idiots willing to help an enemy destabilize America and turn it into a loony bin for a few dollars or a bit of flattery.
I think it is absolutely vital that Trump be defeated and that there is a huge difference between the political dynamics of the Republican Party and those of the Democratic Party.
It is also true that under Biden, the Democratic Party has been far more por-worker than it's been in a long time.
BUT it's been a very long time since the Democratic Party has been a pro-worker party. Too often it services its donor class week in and week out, and then at the end of the year, it wants to think of itself as the workers' friend.
What is your answer William Duke. If it isn't Harris and the Democratic party then it is Trump, MAGAts and Project 2025? Voting for Jill Stein. a third party or sitting out the election, is in effect a vote for Trump.
And RFK Jr was a stalking horse for Trump. Proven by his endorsement of Trump.
William Duke, RFK jr. is a war mongering hawk like few others. His solution for the climate crisis among other things is to remove what little regulation is left and let the free market solve everything. I will vote democrat but I do understand your concerns. I fear that the new Republican Party is actually the corporate Democratic Party, Liz Cheney included. I long for a Bernie Sanders style Democratic Party.
Party of what people ? The insane, the criminals, current and ex-druggies, the uneducated, the wealthy that don’t want to share a country built by the poor, white supremist, morally corrupt Christians, corrupt politicians? Which people are you with?
RFK never attempted to run for office as a Democrat, until his recent Presidential aspirations. In the past, Kennedy's proved they were Democratic leaders by running for the House and Senate BEFORE running for President. He's nuts to think he's Presidential material because of his last name.
Moreover, he's nuts to make the anti-vax statements he made during a National Pandemic that killed over a million people. He's nuts to dump a bear in NYC next to Central Park as a prank. He's nuts to have sexual relations with droves of women.
The RNC is the big tent of frauds, shysters, nutjobs, anti-women's respect, anti-vaxers, and anti-taxers of the super wealthy. They are the big tent party complete with clowns, freaks, and billionaire geeks. Bobby Junior and his yacht will fit right in.
Hope you have been getting the information about the GESARA NESARA and how to switch to the Qfs banking before the global currency reset takes place? Dont be a victim of that great reset. Get ready for Gesara Nesara, Swtch into the QFS for your own safety.
Hope you have been getting the information about the GESARA NESARA and how to switch to the Qfs banking before the global currency reset takes place? Dont be a victim of that great reset. Get ready for Gesara Nesara, Swtch into the QFS for your own safety.
Janet Adams acts like a capitalist bolshevik. She has seemingly infiltrated the site by posing as a Bernie fan. She is agitating to create discontent in the group, She is directing people to propaganda sites. Am I wrong, Janet?
Victor Kamendrowsky, I agree. A propagandist posing as someone with similar beliefs to increase the chances of their posts getting eyes and minds.. There's a few of them. If not more.
Janet, DeSantis would be happy to open concentration camps, given his perspective. I want Wall Street to be 'eminent domained'of all the housing they bought. Likely, they packaged it up and sold it to states for their pension funds. Screwed again!
Right on. I want FDR, too. I believe there is a growing movement (now that New Deal is all but dismantled) to create or recreate FDR type programs that actually worked following the Depression.
I’ve even seen never Trumper former Reaganites admit that their supply side economics was 1) a con and/or 2) a failure.
I hope Kamala can read the room on this one and govern like FDR even if she can’t run like that.
The axis of evil, China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and now coming up fast on the inside lane America. You simply must elect Kamala or it's good night nurse.
Yes, Nigel B, these are some of the prime members of "Autocrats Inc." whom Anne Applebaum, described in her book by that name, and DJT is dead set on becoming P E # One of that club.
We are spiraling into uncharted crazy world unless drumpf is banished from public life. Without him it will just be crazy town America with all the twisted minds that he's left in his wake.
...as a long time comic book collector, they actually are. Like the megalomaniac villains portrayed in comics, they openly divulge in detail what their their plans are to the heroes if not the world (eg Project 2025). They rant and they rave how powerful they are, hurling lies about and insults at their rivals faster than bullets from an AR-15 with a bump stock.
Like those villains, they feel they are larger than life. and god's gift to humankind when in fact they are insecure and full of themselves, hiding behind their massive egos. and
displays of of bravado.
Indeed they are both "comical" and "tragic" at the same time.
Besides all the republican crackpots around, we have Corporate Media reporting these lies as truth. Then there is SCOTUS…
That’s why it’s so important that we win the election. Everyone needs to keep working towards that goal.
It’s not time to sit idly by and be a poll watcher.
When you vote, be sure to vote BLUE up and down the ballot. We need a majority in the House and Senate. It is only then that things can start to change. don-old and his cronies can be prosecuted for their crimes. More justices can be added to SCOTUS. Since they can’t police themselves maybe new laws can enact some disciplinary measures.
Even a win, won’t get rid of the crackpots. Just maybe new republican leadership can start to make a difference.
With a majority, PLEASE add Magna Carta (from King John in 1215) to the Constitution so that it clearly says what the Founders knew they inherited from British law
=> no one is above the law! <=
even the King (President)!
Yes, it might never pass the States, but it would certainly get Americans rethinking their politics.
How could SCOTUS even remotely think they should reverse 900 years of history by giving the President absolute power, above the law!!?
No defendant should be judged or be party to a case judged by a judge hand picked by the defendant. we need to take "conflicts of interest". especially in government, vastly more seriously. Science shows that bias operates even when unconscious, and we need to minimize that risk for people who accept grave public responsibility. Naturally a lot of aspirants to positions of power prefer regal impunity; but justice can't risk it. If you you can't curb your self-serving appetites, stay the hell out of the kitchen.
This certainly applies to Loose Cannon, Aileen Cannon, Trump-appointed "judge," overseeing and criminally throwing out the stolen documents case against Trump in Florida! Maybe with some great luck, she and Trump will BOTH be wiped out in one of the continuing deadly hurricanes!
Lorne, I don't include the Magna Carta in the list. The Magna Carta was simply a bitch list by the barons. The people were still serfs. It is as if, the billionaires got together and wrote a constitution for themselves, and resigned the rest of us to serfs.
Wait. Didn't our own constitution empower only property owning males, maybe the Magna Carta is part of our heritage. It took three amendments, 15th, 17th, 19th, to finally make this country a democracy.
No nation has a perfect democracy, and we as a species have a long way to go. That said, The Magna Carta was a step toward decentralization of power, and that was a step in the right direction even if universal rights were not the motive. The same can be said of our Constitution, which when approached in good faith, bequeathed a substantial foundation for long term social justice.
Contrary to the claims of "originalists" who seem to invest the authority of social contract in the persons of the framers, the Constitutions is a codification of principles that favor just outcomes. The framers were wise enough to realize the formula would become the property of each succeeding generation, to be applied by the living in evolving circumstances. They kept the language generalized, and to a fair degree, discretionary, such as "training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress" or " other high Crimes and Misdemeanors"; and they made the body revisable. The founders were hypocrites in many respects, but they still passed along a thing of great value, IF we can put it to use in good faith.
Agreed , the Magna Carta was a stepping stone towards decentralization of power, one of many. off the top of my head is the baron's revolt which forced Longshanks to adopt the policy of fee simple, allowing the barons to retain their titles and lands so long as they pledged fealty, obeyed his laws, and contributed to the defense of the realm, then there was the third charter (1619) of the London Company of Virginia, which bestowed self governance on the enterprise, until the charter was revoked in 1624 making it a crown colony.
Stepping stones, like the 15th, 17th,19th Amendment and if we survive this election, we aren't done yet.
Good observation William, that freedoms arrive slowly, even with a Revolution.
Magna Carta did not free the serfs, but it did set in place a precedent where the billionaires (barons identified as Lords) were ‘hoist by their own petard’ - no one was above the law: serf, noble, King.
An elder told me that his father had studied the politics of the Magna Carta era, and concluded that King John had tricked his barons into signing. He did it to protect serfs from abusive barons.
True? Untrue? It’s still a fundamental principle protecting people who have inherited & adapted British Justice legal systems.
Or just choose to obscure it. "Reaganomics" was bought and paid for. It really feudalism lite (Government of, by and for the People is a pathetic failure and the wealthiest amomg us are our natural leaders and true benefactors. Democracy (presumably) just gets in the way.
Most polls, especially ones that are popular, are worth nothing because they are not truly random and the questions are not done in an unbiased way. According to the pol sci guy Krosnik at Stanford.
This presidential election is the future for America. The GOP knows that they will never win the popular vote because they have been running on being anti establishment. When we elect politicians we expect them to work together like a team! Today we have the opposite. Our Congress is in a state of chaos because the MAGA CULT has lost their minds! Instead of helping President Biden by working together with the Democrats to make sure our country is safe and secure and prosperous for the future, the MAGA REPUBLICANS have been pushing disinformation. Like the lies about hurricane relief or the lies about whether or not Trump lost the 2020 election! They are a gang of liars!!
Keith: There is the greed factor, too. Many of these "representatives" do not know, or care that they are supposed to be working for their constituents. They want to privatize parts of government for their sponsors/donors. Money drives the entire system. Because of Citizens United, ethics and the Common Good are not even considered. They rave about "win /win" deals as the public are being screwed.
Keith, the Maga Cult in Congress, hasn't lost their minds. They know precisely what they're doing. They must think, "If I can't beat'em, join'em. I can lie and say crazy things to get the money I need from the wealthy to stay in office. Just vote the way the wealthy want me to vote. What else can I do to make this much money, have health insurance this good, and have a pension that pays so well? I'll take care of myself and my own family."
I’ve seen an opinion that puts part of the blame on the demise of small local media and newspapers. People don’t get to know the candidates are loonies and therefore unable stop them getting voted in
That's part of it, but you're coming from a rational perspective. How did the GOP become the party of cranks, crackpots and crazies? Very simple. The base is angry and it wants crazy.
Listening to Rush Limbaugh was instructive. People who called in would repeatedly say words to the effect "I've done everything right. I'm a white Christian who goes to church on Sundays, pays his taxes, and raises a family. I have to struggle to work two jobs. I wasn't brought up like this. I tried voting Democrat but nothing good came out of it."
You're exactly right, Michael. Around here, the worst was that when the jobs went overseas, jobless or underemployed parents were blamed for not taking their children to a dentist, wearing worn-out clothes and shoes, and being slow to get school physicals and paying for school supplies and school start fees. The Department of Children and Family Services placed children in foster care, where the system paid foster parents to care for their children rather than supplementing the parents' incomes to care for their children. Poverty was called "child negligence," and educators were all in on blaming the parents. When professionals were made "mandated reporters" and lost their licenses to practice if they came in contact with a child who the DCFS determined was "abused by neglect," they lost their licenses to practice. Parents lived in fear of the State, and many lost everything they owned to pay for attorneys to get their children back. The continual threat from the State is why many voters and subsequent generations want small government and the abolishment of the administrative state. It amazes me that the Democrats don't see that. Hillary's "It Takes a Village" struck terror in the hearts of many parents. That trauma and anger were passed down to subsequent generations. Employment-based insurance caused workers to lose their healthcare along with their jobs and placed a burden on emergency room care that failed to meet the community's healthcare needs. People whose incomes were too high to get food stamps and Medicaid, yet too low to pay for health insurance, or denied health insurance due to preexisting conditions of themselves or their children lived in a nightmare. "Do everything right, but the system doesn't work." Are Harris and Walz listening? Is the system too far gone for them to make a difference?
Many wonder, "Does it even matter if I vote?" Somebody told me the other day that they wondered if nobody showed up to vote, would the politicians be worried about what was about to happen and be afraid?
Gloria J. Maloney, thanks for writing about some children being taken away for parental neglect when it was really poverty not neglect. I wonder if this is more prevalent in red states and jurisdictions because it is their governmental policies of being against minimum wage, federally subsidized medicaid, and unions, etc. that keep people in poverty.
Good public education and family-friendly childcare, work, minimum wage, and healthcare policies will lift people out of generational poverty. We have seen these policies work unlike trickle down theory. America will never be free and prosperous if we leave 20% in extreme poverty with a lack of civic and other education leading to a shared identity as a strong and compassionate society. United we stand, divided we fall.
Gloria, you have made valid points. On your finishing point, let me say that enough uncommitted voters need to be swayed to vote Democratic, to stave off the ruin of their private lives by trumpian insanity, in the next few weeks. The Dems must address the reversal of poverty overall, expanded health care regardless of income, improved public education, and keeping children safe in their own homes. It has been demonstrated by non-partisan investigating groups that these issues have been addressed far more effectively during Democratic-led administrations than during Republican ones over the last 65 years. The trouble is that Republicans have disrupted much of the progress made by Dems, who have not been effective in cleaning up the Repubs' mess.
And their solution was Gloria, To vote against their own self interests, time and again? To vote for people who want to control their lives, their bodies, who are funded by billionaires and corporations.
That doesn't speak well for the intelligence and perception of the people does it?
Why does it strike terror in the hearts of many people, that it takes a village?
It does, education requires teachers, janitors, people who pay takes, buses and bus drivers, health care requires medical professionals,
I don't know anyone who was terrorized by "It takes a village"
They were terrorized by "It Takes a Village" because the people in the village were turned against each other after they made everyone who came into contact with children Mandated Reporters and threatened to take away their professional licenses or employment if a parent was later found to be an abusive or neglectful parent. Administrative law rather than a court of law requiring evidence without a reasonable doubt was used to take children, which was done by opinions of patronage employees of DCFS with little education and no common sense. Anyone politically active or even thinking about organizing their place of work with a union could be targeted. Thoughts of anything other than getting children returned and keeping them away from the child "protective" services were gone. Reputations were ruined by stacks of paperwork that nobody could wade through or defend against. It was the Gestapo on steroids. I'll never be the same, nor will the other parents and children who lived "the horror."
Yours is the first I've heard of the slant on it Takes a village. I do believe the DCFS situation predates Hillary's "it takes a village book", and I don't think that is what she meant. As you know I am no fan of Hillary's, just the opposite, but I try to keep things in the proper perspective.
You know that you and I agree on so many things, and I am not your adversary, far from it, but in this case Gloria. It seems that you have a very personal investment.
Now I do agree that DCFS over reaches, but I've seen it do good, rescuing children from abusive parents. I am thinking now of the children that were kept in the basement, and could not read or even speak.
That is all you heard about. They did rescue some abused children, but overall, they did much more harm than good. You didn't hear from the people who feared the "takes a village" concept because they were the mudsill, waste people with no voice, not even (especially) the local newspaper.
Whether it was planned or not, we used to be a Democratic, pro-union community, and now we only have two Democrats on the ballot, President and auditor.
Gloria J. Maloney, I am so sorry you and so many children and parents suffered and are suffering. Thank you for sharing and helping me understand people better and how good policy and laws can be twisted by some bad people to feed their need to judge, avenge, and punish. I never knew of this and I can understand people's distrust better. May you be blessed, Gloria.
Gloria, I am sorry to learn about this horrendous experience. I hope that you share your knowledge with organization dedicated to the protection of children.
I'm sorry for the extreme poverty some people suffered in the richest country in the world. We have to do better! If trickle down economic theory had ANY merit, the plight of ignored and disadvantaged Americans would have improved by now. Our continuing problem is due to 1) lack of free quality public education or job training through age 22, 2) lack of allegiance to and focus on the whole truth about our society and our government, and 3) failure to prioritize the common good of people over private profit. Don't worry about voter turnout, most, Americans have realized our mistake in allowing ourselves to be distracted from our duty of self-governing. Those who believe that our actions today affect whether or not our children will live under a democracy that can improve itself or something far more negative and far less free or fair will somehow manage to vote. Donald Trump is not a compassionate man, he is a selfish, deceitful, and greedy man proclaiming "I alone can fix it" and "I will be your voice" and "your retribution." He is right about one thing and one thing only: Americans must fight in the sense of thinking hard and working hard together to achieve positive change. If we want a sane, balanced and compassionate future, we must work to keep the wealthy doms in our society from dominating. Our founders intended that the people should self-govern. The doms are ready to take the reins and install someone selfisf, power hungry, and very comfortable with lying who will rule for their benefit while we are still trying to figure out who the enemy is and how to fight them. The way to fight them is with the rule of law. Our Constitution is written to protect us from their abuses, and we better exercise our rights. No one is above the law, and Presidents are not Kings who can pardon themselves.
This is a serious matter, that what matters is not just the size of government but having it in the right places doing good and not harm - by helping poorer parents, not hindering them. There need to be structures within the Democratic party, channels set up for ordinary people to enable real problems to be brought to the ears of the top brass with a real chance of affecting policy. Even a 'big block of cheese day' (West Wing, Season 1, Episode 5) within the party would be better than nothing.
I like what you're saying here, Lucy. It feels more and more like the level of trust in the "mainsteam" media is eroding while media is also consolidating. So there are fewer organizations and we're told we can't trust them because they're large and have an agenda. I think it would be hard to argue that about our old-school local papers. That creates a breeding ground for conspiracy theories because when you don't know what you CAN believe, you turn to what you WANT to believe and there are people that will feed on that. What I don't know is how to fix it... I wish there were something akin to the bookshop.org model for local news media.
Here in east PA small papers were bought & closed by hedge funds/ equity investors.Big lobbyists are supporting the consolidation/ along with chat sites(I get NPR& GROUND NEWS)-books & education are underfunded. I agree heartily,this is a defining TIME,respectfully
I lived in rural and small town south. I lived with m\ygrandparents in a shotgun (slave) cabin house owned by my Southern Baptist Uncle that lived next door.
Vote liars and cheats out! Look at what they DO not what they SAY! If makes no difference what they say if they fail to represent the will and the common good of the people. Why didn't we get a border bill passed in 2023? Because of Donald Trump. Vote them out if they are lining their own pockets by doing the bidding of the greedy oligarchs, the MAGA cultists, or power-hungry crackpots or in the case of Donald Trump - all of the above.
This issue has been one of my most serious concerns about this presidential race. We can’t reach the undecided voters effectively any longer. Starting with the crazy story about the inauguration crowd size in 2017, Trump and his lackeys and Steve Bannon through Breitbart have flooded the media with lies and conspiracy theories which have led to the destruction of any ability to convey the real news. The media has capitulated to the lies and reports them with too much legitimacy. Heather Cox Richardson in the piece I have posted below (please click on the link - subscribe to her writings if you wish) discusses how this has been a carefully constructed scheme to confuse the people and create a frustration that welcomes an authoritarian regime to sort it all out for them. We are at that point now where the undecided voters cannot be reached with accurate information about the candidates despite huge efforts by Harris/Walz to present their platform. Why do these people want to do this to America?! Heather Cox Richardson has captured this concern succinctly this morning:
The answer to your question is maybe, but it all depends on there being enough willing people to push back against the current thing that is masquerading as the GOP.
Sadly enough I think I can count the number of “old guard” Republicans with any influence on one hand.
I have some difficulty in understanding why many Republicans who can't stand Trump can't bring themselves to vote for Harris. A question of personal identity I guess. A refusal to fully recognize how their options have changed.
Old guard conservatives believe in the importance of balancing our national budget. They know that staying in crippling debt forever is a form of slavery. Because they have been stuck being dominated by old guard industries, they can't see the way to a brighter future.
Americans must become much smarter anout public investments to improve our future. Harris and Waltz need to speak to conservatives especially those living in midwestern wind and southern solar corridors about our opportunity to make America wealthy and strong again right now through developing green sustainable energy, energy storage, and clean hydrogen fuel.
Wealthy countries invest in educating their people and in developing money-saving, wealth-creating new technologies and manufacturing jobs to pay off public debt the right way - through education, innovation, and new wealth creation. Austerity programs should only be engaged in voluntarily by strong, free people who see the wisdom of using part or all of their taxes to build a strong, secure, healthy future not only for ourselves but for generations of Americans.
Right now, if we are smart, we can build public infrastructure designed to make sure that both we and future generations of Americans will live in a prosperous, healthy, and compassionate democracy.
Yes, the fanatical generational American Christian Nationalists have been around for centuries.
All of their movements, the labels being Jim Crow, Prohibitionists, Silent Majority, Moral Majority, Branch Davidians, QAnon, and MAGA, et al, are reincarnations of the same old 16th century Reformation and its King James Bible that reinvented Jesus Christ from a real life, liberal-minded, dark skinned, Middle Eastern Jewish carpenter, who inspired people to feed the poor, take care of the sick, and harbor the underprivileged (re: Mary Magdalene, the prostitute) to a fictional blue-eyed, white-skinned conservative that empowers followers to embrace money, power, and violence, to protect their God-fearing white supremacy.
The good news is for the first time, demographics are working against them and they are fast becoming a minority in America and, as a result, are freaking out. Yes, it might get ugly when Trump, their latest false prophet, loses the election bigly, but that will soon also pass…until their next reincarnation, and the newest mess yet to be determined.
Whatever the label, historically their movements are always unsustainable.
If Jesus of Nazareth was at the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates, I believe He would have pointed to Harris and Walz and said, “They’re the only ones up there that get what I was actually all about.”
Personally I am coming round to the view that Trump and the other ‘extreme’ republicans are the ‘dead cat’ themselves. But what are their antics distracting us from I wonder?
It’ll be the corporates / billionaires and their well funded lobby groups / PACs who are busy weakening regulations, changing tax laws, installing compliant officials at ALL levels in ALL administrations - federal, state and district. Basically the Republican corporate backers are installing a deep state that favours their short term business practices.
LBJ's deadcat strategy was pulling his dog by the ears to not answer questions about was the US in Laos. Was it Laos? Where ever we lied about and said we were not.
Superpacs are rushing money into Maine to convince the voters Superpacs are good for them. Oh, yeah.
And then Superpacs pack the legislature to shut down the ballot initiative initiative process altogether like they are trying to do here in Missouri and other states.
With each freedom obstructed or taken away it becomes harder to retain the freedoms we have. That is why we must fight hard for each freedom.
No they want. The loony bin nut jobs have to fail. Trump has to lose and then follows an education revamp. Until we make education a priority and get civics and basic common sense back into the classroom along with teaching skills we will not see this change. Ignorance is our problem.
Professor Reich: as odious as i find the views and opinions of mitt romney and liz cheney, they at least want America to survive, unlike the gun waving cranks, freaks and weirdos.
i do think that most people don't care what these GOP thugs are espousing, either because they don't believe these people are this nutty, or because they have no reputable and respectable local news media to rub their noses in these people's lies and to connect the dots so they understand that these local thugs plan to harm them, their children and their pets. many people have no capacity to think critically about the issues we all are confronted by, or believe that whinging and complaining about existing policies as being "critical thinking".
and i am convinced that "black nazis" like robinson simply want lots of power and white voters are happy to give it to him as long as he remains their mannequin, with a rich white man's hand up his ass, that repeats the lies that they have pre-approved.
this country is deeply broken and the reason is the baby boomers sat around on their behinds, proclaiming that their collective wealth is a direct result of their superiority, whilst remaining unengaged in politics and every other thing that affects the lives of anyone who is different from them.
I beg to differ. My local and regional Democratic clubs and LWV chapters are full of middle class baby boomers who are devoting their time and money to support democracy.
She paints with a might broad brush doesn't she? There are a host of reasons why we are in a mess, some wealthy baby boomers not doing enough, which I can agree with, is only a part of it. I think this is what they call "scapegoating" a whole generation.
Tell me Kathy. Since about 47-48% of America are Trump Humping MAGAts,
What is the demographic of the majority of the constitutency. I'm 85, and it was my generation and the boomers that listened to and empowered Rush and Fox, that essentially created the fascist right, and in fact many a peace loving hippy is now a die hard Trump humper.
The Cleveland Heights vote in 2020 was about 85% for Biden. I rarely run into a republican here.
Cleveland Heights borders on Cleveland's east side and the city of East Cleveland, two very challenged cities with low voter registration and turnout. The local and regional Democratic organizations are very focused on voter registration and voter outreach throughout Cuyahoga County. The League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland and its chapters, which are nonpartisan, are also working hard on voter registration and voter education regarding the upcoming anti-gerrymandering ballot issue and voter rights and requirements. Most of the active members of these organizations appear to me to be of retirement age or older.
According to the 2020 census, Cleveland Heights has a population of about 59,000, 42% of which have a BA or higher, and 18.5% of which are over 65. The median household income is about $59,000, but 18% of families are below the poverty line. Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institutes of Art and Music are just down the hill, and Cleveland State is a short drive west. See Wikipedia for additional demographic data.
The fear, anger, angst, resentment of the gun waving cranks, freaks and weirdos are what the ruling class use to gain total power, once power has been obtained they turn on those that brought them to power. That is what happened to the Sturmabeitlung and Ernst Röhm
So how do we stop this? It only seems to be getting worse. And that logic and reason have the opposite of their intended effects. Also, why do we need a new Republican Party? Why not a new party altogether? And finally, I highly blame FOX “news”. They shouldn’t be allowed in the public sphere. Dangerous misinformation is not free speech. It is a crime.
Donate to groups working to inform and GOTV Latinos in the swing states. If you and others think someone else will, that is how the con man will win. It's that simple. The Latinos in the swing states are critical to Harris campaign and her support has declined over the recent past.
Remember: ...
The purpose of Corporate Media today is to MAKE MONEY for the already super-rich, and to entrench their power.
Close political races make by far the most profit... so the corporate media ARTIFICIALLY MAKE THE RACES CLOSE, unethically.
Truth rarely makes a profit.
Before the end of the Fairness Doctrine, news departments competed on accuracy and honour, since none of them made money on news.
The Media today are destroying the planet just as surely as Big Oil, for outrageous, unethical greed
#GOPtraitors
William, we need to bring back the Fairness Doctrine! I am so sick and tired of the yellow journalism being used today.
Before Reagan cronies eliminated the Fairness Doctrine in the 1980s, using the public airways for broadcasts required you to present credible counter-views to your editorial content. Private cable was barred from being regulated by the 1st Amendment, so the Fairness Doctrine had to go.
With cable being privately owned technology (mostly), this left cable with an advantage over radio and tv. They could lie any way they wanted and had no responsibility for credibility or truth or other opinions. NOW THEY CAN ALL LIE FOR PROFIT.
The truth is now that the media LOVE TRUMP. He generates huge income through advertising. The more outrageous he is, the more money they make. The only solution is to read/view MANY SOURCES of news.
No, there is another solution, Repeal the Act that allowed cable to be unregulated, Reinstate the Fairness Doctrine. Then remove the licenses to operate for outlets that refuse to label their lies as untruths or fantasies
Nope. Because the people do not own the communication media (cable, streaming, etc) the first amendment prevents government regulation. SCOTUS agrees. The best way is to use taxes or other incentives to affect profits of corporate media to encourage the same effect as the old fairness doctrine. I have been thinking about this for forty years
Thanks William. I submit to your greater experience with this subject. My personal way of dealing with the untruthful media was to disconnect my cable, so now I only use the TV to watch DVDs. I get my news from select online sources. I still subscribe to NYT but only read articles in which I am interested.
So how would that work William? Can you outline an example and how it would help?
Those news divisions respecting the Fairness Doctrine would be tax-free for profits in the first year and half-tax in subsequent years. AND-OR Would have enhanced access to directors of government departments AND-OR other benefits
That isn't the way it went. The Fairness Doctrine was approved by congress and the Supreme Court and it was vetoed by Ronald Reagan. https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/topic-guide/fairness-doctrine.
It did not address ownership of the media by the public! In fact, "The Fairness Doctrine mandated broadcast networks devote time to contrasting views on issues of public importance." The Covid debacle is a case in point. Under the Fairness Doctrine, Dr. Fauci would have been allowed to speak clearly and precisely without being constantly humiliated by a rogue president and harassed by his cult followers. I'm curious about where you got your information.
The Fairness Doctrine mandated broadcast networks devote time to contrasting views on issues of public importance. Congress backed the policy in 1954 and by the 1970s the FCC called the doctrine the “single most important requirement of operation in the public interest – the sine qua non for grant of a renewal of license [over the publicly owned airwaves].
The Supreme Court upheld the doctrine. In 1969’s Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. FCC, journalist Fred Cook sued a Pennsylvania Christian Crusade radio program after a radio host attacked him on air. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court upheld Cook's right to an on-air response under the Fairness Doctrine, arguing that nothing in the First Amendment gives a broadcast license holder the exclusive right to the [public] airwaves they operate on.
[AIRWAVES NOT MEDIA]
Fay, you are right. It is almost as though those who ditched the "Fairness rule" wanted lies to be pumped out as though people have a right to lie in ways that cause harm, let foreign money into our politics, and pretend it is all OK. It isn't because our media gives some lies more traction. Free speech does not mean there should not be consequences for your free speech. You are free to say it, but there can and should be ways to curb the lying, particularly when it is for profit or to do harm.
Thank you Ruth. Even after this election, we need to stay diligent. We can, and I believe will, defeat trump again this time. But, like the fabled hydra, cutting off one head just results in another. We, including me, weren't noisy enough or active enough when Reagan started this increasing effort to move wealth from the middle to the top. I just complained among friends and family - I should have been shouting from the roof tops, like I did during the civil rights and anti-war movement.
I just grew to complacent with living my life.
Fay, join the club. I knew a little of what was going on, particularly the firing of all the traffic control workers, putting many American's lives at risk to prove a point and to undermine unions. I complained locally, but didn't know where to go with it. My mother's union protested, but who cares about school staff? The other changes were done a bit at a time while covering other news like Iran-Contra and foreign affairs with the USSR as well as the Challenger disaster. People didn't understand enough of "trickle-down economics to get a handle on just how destructive that economics system would be. That is just as Reagan's crew wanted it, do it a bit at a time and people might get mad at a few things, but won't ever see the big picture of jobs being sent overseas, cars getting bigger and bigger, using more and more gas despite the oil corporations knowing what it was doing to our planet, cutting funding for solar power research, and on and on. Reagan was a terrible president nearly as bad as Trump, but his grandfatherly approach, his acting skills really, let even Obama think it a good idea to quote Reagan and cite him as someone to emulate. In reality, he was a jerk who was very self-centered, liked being in the limelight, but didn't want to take responsibility for anything. Being shot made him a hero and he never looked back until he moved into Alzheimer's in the second term. He then couldn't even protest that he was being used by his handlers because he didn't know and neither did We the People.
Yes you are right. See my post. We must establish fair and honest elections by reforming them to Solely Public Funded and Regulated use of Our Public Media. Eliminating the inequitable "pay to play" on public Media ELIMINATES need and desire of corporations to "contribute" to federal campaigns, to partisan political parties. We can achieve this under existing laws and legal practices - like model of restrictions on speech and behavior in courtrooms, and ethics of factual verification for all government employees and for bidding contractors for government contracts (wealthy corporations).
We also need to overturn Citizens United. Money is not synonymous with speech. And the Supreme Court was WRITING legislation, which they are forbidden to do, by removing any caps on political donations - previously $2500 per candidate or cause per year (excluding charitable donations) a law that was in effect prior to 2010. No where in the Constitution does it even remotely suggest that our elected government is or should be up for sale.
Of course the political parties were overjoyed with the money flowing into their coffers. As were the TV networks making billion on TV political ads. So we, the ordinary citizens, will be fighting an uphill battle, but I do believe it's worth the effort.
I’ll add introduce regulating/limiting private and corporate gifts to SCOTUS justices and term limiting their tenure. Along with undoing Citizens United and enacting a more inclusive Fairness Doctrine, this is the Trifecta needed to help undo the GOP’s creation of the ‘best’ democracy which lies and money can ‘buy’!
Agreed!
Citizens United opened the dark forces -warped our democratic process into a bribery scheme, a pay for play open season and the Supreme's knew it would make money king. The Supreme's had covertly influenced laws prior to that - but the Citizen's success showed them their power. Now they just boldly REWRITE THE LAWS and LAUGH all the way to Leonard Leo's home. We need courageous vision and leadership to reclaim the narrative and change the power structures and get the Mill/Billionaires out of government.
Historic context: Citizens Untied v Federal Election Commission was ruled on in about 2000. The original case of reactionary, panicked old white male politicos came after the Powell Memorandum speeches that Lewis Powell gave in the 1970s.
These speeches came to attention of Richard Nixon. Nixon nominated Powell to Supreme Court, and eased him in. the Powell SCOTUS court passed the Buckley v Valeo case that attempted to create a "care out" or legal exception to the crime of bribery,, undue influence, and interference with civic federal elections, by distorting reality with a claim that corporations possess some right of "free speech" comparable or equal to all U.S. Citizen-Voters/Citizen-Jurors. It is not based on law.
See 34 short YouTube videos by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse which summarize his efforts to hold the U.S. Supreme Court accountable for some obvious recent crimes, but trace these origins of the criminal conspiracy of the Federalist Society leader Leonard Leo, acting to intentionally politicize the SCOTUS Court by packing it with sworn life-members of the Federaiist Society - and all the money they can drown them with. It made the Koch family over $6 Billion dollars the first year the law was passed. It only cost the Koch's about $560 Million dollars. (The 2 Koch brothers were each worth at least $40 Billion, so almost "peanuts" to them.)
Buckley v Valeo became law in 1976, permitting corporate control of federal politics with the advantage for the legacy Duopoly partisan political parties already in existence when the ruling was issued - a foreseeable violation of equitable treatment of any potential 3rd parties, and an invitation for corporate bribery to become "legally permitted", and ALL Americans had our rights disenfranchised, diminished, diluted, or negated, due to this egregious violation of reason and of civil rights.
Amen, Fay.
Thank you
William, I'd like to see a counter argument to THIS article; one that is as factual as Robert Reich's but from the Republican point of view. I've heard before that Republicans run on creating fear of change and Democrats run on creating hope via change. I copied the link to this article and started to send it to my entire email list (BCC) and then figured it would only make everyone angrier.
The Fairness Doctrine has become a pipe dream. I just want a restart button for the world but this time everyone has the power of and desire for empathy. There's probably as much chance for the former as the latter.
Evolution Cannot See the Future
... so it produces a wide range of behaviours and skills for the best chance at some of the parents begetting successful offspring. It is a genetic gamble against good or bad times coming.
A billion years of evolution has created a spectrum of human, from insanely greedy through to hopelessly charitable.
During famine and bad times, the selfish and greedy are more likely to survive and pass on their (selfish) genes to the future.
During good times and plenty, the charitable build societies and civilisations freely and openly for the good of all, and in such a society most human's genes (including the selfish) are likely to be passed on to the future.
We might not imagine having children with greedy personna, but if we were starving, we might have no choice.
This is why society tends 50/50 liberal/conservative
To the tribal mentality there is only one truth: the primacy of the tribe. The primacy of the tribe depends on the skill and strength of it chieftain, hence loyalty to the chieftain is the highest good.
Until its clear that the chief - the emperor has no clothes, until the rotten core - the underbelly that forsakes all the ideals of this democratic experiment that has been blinding us with our own eyes and the cult followers finally see the horror of it all. It's going to be a bumpy ride ... BUT I keep feeling that something, or some collection of things are coming soon that will be what breaks the fever. I pray that in the aftermath - that they are forced to pay for their betrayal of our constitution, for their failure to tell the truth, to lead, to hold dear the responsibilities they were given as our country's leaders. I want them to make amends for how much they have cost our country.
Trump gained the loyalty of his followers by telling them that they are "the country", and that he will lead them to regain control of it. In their view it is you who must make amends--if they deign to give you the chance.
Good discussion. But SOMETHING needs to be done to reign in the factory of lies being put out in the name of "news". How do the UK and EU nations deal with this? They certainly seem to be more in control, and more regulated. There HAS to be a middle ground between freedom to say what
you want as an individual and RESPONSIBILITY to TRUTH when acting as a "news organization". The lawsuit against FOX evidently did NO GOOD as they have continued their Network of Lies and Liars!
Fix the SCOTUS
One good purpose of AI technology would be to fact-check information in real time as it is broadcast. For example, a TV or media interview could use a tickertape type Fact Check stream across the bottom of the page to confirm or refute the information allowed under 1st Amendment rules.
I look forward to a future when I can wear an earpiece so I can listen to a politician speak and a bot can fact check in real time, back into my ear!
Actually, come to think of it, it would have been handy for when I was with one of my wives too..........! 🤔
YES!!! YES! Let's have a large bell that rings DING DING DING - with a flashing LIE tally that runs across the bottom of the screen. Before they start - the facilitator makes it clear - You say one fib, or share a few alternative facts here or there... everyone watching will see your score. BUT when you get 10 LIE DINGS - you are taken from the stage or cut from the feed. And the moderators take a moment to explain why truth matters - how trust is lost or created based upon one's integrity and character... they continue on with the program with one less bamboozler getting a nanosecond's extra attention.
He is STILL A SLUG!!
Why, when it worked for so very long? Please give examples: I'll be waiting...
Bill, I have an "idea" that trolls believe Fox... Even after Tucker Catlson's lawyers argued that people should know it's entertainment.
From Findlaw: Joseph Fawbush, Esq. | Last updated on August 10, 2021
"When Tucker Carlson says on his show “[r]emember the facts of the story; these are undisputed" no reasonable person would believe that he was about to state facts. At least, that was Tucker Carlson's own argument in defending himself from a libel suit.
That argument convinced U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, who dismissed a lawsuit brought by model and actress Karen McDougal. McDougal sued for defamation, alleging Carlson baselessly told his audience she was extorting the President. President Trump allegedly paid $150,000 to help keep quiet a year-long affair with the former Playboy model.
"Bloviating for the Audience"
Back in 2018, Tucker Carlson told his viewers that Karen McDougal's claim “sounds like a classic case of extortion." This was part of a broader discussion defending President Trump from accusations that he violated campaign finance laws in spending money to keep affairs with two women quiet. Michael Cohen was convicted on charges related to these events and is currently serving out the remainder of his term in home confinement.
According to Judge Vyskocil, “Fox persuasively argues . . . that given Mr. Carlson's reputation, any reasonable viewer arrives with an appropriate amount of skepticism about the statements he makes." She doesn't stop there, writing that “[w]hether the Court frames Mr. Carlson's statements as exaggeration, non-literal commentary, or simply bloviating for his audience, the conclusion remains the same—the statements are not actionable."
Judge Vyskocil also pointed out that Carlson said “sounds like" prior to saying the word extortion, which “would put any reasonable viewer on notice that Carlson himself doubts the veracity of the source of these statements and that the listener should as well." President Trump appointed Judge Vyskocil to the bench in 2019..."
"Sounds like" a Trump-appointed judge to the gills. Gaslighting is Carlson's tradecraft.
I believe a free society must tolerate a great deal of objectionable speech. Just being appalled by what someone is saying is not enough for a legal action. However some lies can kill, and demonstrably do. Though it was misused, the example of falsely shouting "fire" in a theater had claimed real victims; and lying in a courtroom can get you prosecuted. Judge Vyskocil would have a better case if the lies promoted on Fox had been heard in a stand-up comedy venue. They are not. Fox News pretends it is vending news, which strikes me as fraudulent. Anyone can spout wacko heath recommendations, but I would not be permitted to do so by falsely claiming to be a doctor. I also can't get away with selling counterfeit goods, claiming they are genuine. Context matters and empirical harms matter.
Authority matters, or should matter. We trust the authority of doctors because they have been vetted, and are bound to certain guidelines. The dividing line for free speech is not always clear cut, but if we can be prosecuted for lying to the government, members of the government somehow be held liable for deception, in the court of public opinion if no other, for provably, deliberately and substantially lying to us. Racism and similar hate speech are lies that kill; and have done so dramatically over the course of history. Military aggression is typically enabled by lies. Cynical misinformation from people in positions of profound public responsibility greatly exacerbated the million plus COVID death toll. The USA may also, in the words of the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, fall into the hands of a "wannabee dictator". We can't be passive about deliberate, weaponized lies going septic and assume it will all work out to the good in the end. Our hour upon the stage as a species may go down in lies.
Bingo, Peggy!
To a Trump loyalist there is only one kind of fairness: loyalty to Trump.
I often wonder if it would matter if our country, by some miracle, reinstituted the fairness doctrine and enshrined it as a legislative act. It appears that there is a considerably large population who not only believe these distortions, but want to. Need to.
It's why many of them already bailed on Fox when they felt it was "too woke" (as if there's any danger of that with its ownership), and turned to more extreme outlets hosted on the Internet, or other new infotainment channels, like Newsmax, erected specifically for this demographic.
Disinformation and misinformation are a problem but so is the appetite for it. People wanting propaganda broadcasts, agreeing with their predetermined source of problems and propping up their opinions, have and seemingly will continue to find them over being objectively informed.
In the words of Jack Nicholson's character, "They can't handle the truth!"
The fairness doctrine wouldn't apply to cable news networks like Fox or to social media platforms. The First Amendment could allow for the fairness doctrine because it only applied to radio and TV stations that used the public airwaves and so could be forced to abide as part of their licensing agreements.
It doesn't seem like it could be used to apply to social media but it might be applicable to Fox in some markets. My own local market's Fox station broadcasts over the air and digital antennae pick it up clear as day.
If my understanding of your explanation is correct, the Fox stations broadcasting an antenna signal, like in my region, would have to bring themselves in line or risk fines or license loss. Their other choice would be to abandon public airwaves in those markets and offer on cable only, as the nation continues cutting the cord in rising numbers. Seems like a win, at least in some areas, anyway.
Yes, there is a difference between the Fox News cable network and the local Fox stations that are broadcast over the airwaves. The former is really the issue but wouldn't be subject to the fairness doctrine.
Some of the worst offenders are the talk radio stations and they could certainly be brought under any such new law.
Thanks for the clarification. I thought the licenses were one and the same, since the local affiliates all carry most of the FNN cableprop programs. I also believed that cable was a less expensive license because of limitations on reach, and the OTA probably was more expensive, and allowed for broadcast on both. It seems you're saying that the OTA is specific to that broadcast right, and provides license for that broadcast means only. I appreciate the additional information.
Bingo
The First Amendment is important. But I think it should be illegal for politicians and the media to lie. We have to somehow protect the First Amendment and at the same time, protect US from these assaults.
I am afraid it is too late as SCOTUS and the Congress are ineffective in dealing with the issue. The reality of the loss of power by confronting obvious falsehoods has more than definitively been proven to be costly. Those who use truth, loose their public office and/or funding, or are attacked with actual violence or threats of violence against their families and friends.
We must admit to the fact that there needs to be a drastic solution to effectively penalize persons, no matter who they are, from creating and spreading misinformation as it is painfully obvious as to how much damage it can do. Executive action is and/or was the best and perhaps the only way to enact such a policy.
The present administration is placing a dangerous bet on believing that if they let this nonsense play out, close to voting time, people will recognize the reality of their predicament and push back. I don't think that will work, the reality is, money talks...and the big money has control of the Supreme Court, 63 to 72% of the Republican party, the antiquated electoral voting scheme, major monopolized supply and service industries, and confused or conned under educated, and in some cases, violent or scared voters.
The private sector has taken over most all of the the government through the many back doors it has been building with lobbyists and others over the last 60 or so years. The only controlling entity option lies within the Executive branch. If Trump is elected due to the falsehoods that are allowed to continue, Democracy will become a failed political system due to the inaction of just a few good men, who failed to do the right thing, make the difficult choices, of which they had the power to initiate. These leaders decided to allow the vulnerable to people to decide for them.
Biden may be too cautious a leader when it comes to stepping outside the lines of conventional behavior of the office of the Presidency. He is excellent at his conventional role, and has accomplished everything he perceived as being necessary. Now he has to look to extra conventional actions to wrestle back control of the government not only from big business but all those that are consciously lying to the public and threatening all public officials from the President all the way down to the local school board members. The crime of lying to the public needs to be addressed by all law enforcement, from local to national, overseen by temporary commitees comprised of trustworthy individuals, of which there are many to choose from. Yes, it will cost money...a lot of money... weighed against the cost of the loss of Democracy?
Will it be challenged? Yes it will be challenged, and the courts systems will be swamped. But better they be swamped now with these truth related challenges that will clog the courts for years than be swamped after the election if Trump and associates wins or doesn't win. I think it better to fight fire with fire. Clog the courts now and let Trump stand in line after the election waiting for the dockets to clear which possibly could take 5 to 10 years? Make a move on those that are undeniably high profile liars and shut them down as a danger to the public...Which they are. The Commander and Chief needs be flexible enough, to have the courage to think within... and outside the box, and act decisively against the most obvious of the requirement to protect the country from enemies both foreign and domestic, using the "Official" powers of the Presidency as defined by the present Supreme Court... he has total immunity as saving/defending the country and democracy form all threats foreign and domestic is in his wheel house of responsibilities. Sometimes "KISS" can be applied and it is okay to do so.
"using the "Official" powers of the Presidency, as defined by the present Supreme Court... he has total immunity as saving/defending the country and democracy form all threats foreign and domestic is in his wheel house of responsibilities. " Yes!! Now is the time to use the decision of SCOTUS against them. Democracies fail when the principled actions of one side allow the autocratic intent of the other to manipulate the system. Trump will definitely lose the popular vote (as he did before), but the barriers that he and his "masters" have built into our current system over the past 30 years, will deny Kamala Harris the Presidency if action is not taken now!
I fear that your worry is exactly right!
Just basing my concern on recent years of political and legal activities. What is our reality of the present and what could be the reality of the future, given the options and the pathways that exist.
How to get Biden to ACT is the big problem as I see it!
Whether people know this or not, "The Supreme Court has no power to enforce its decisions. It cannot call out the troops or compel Congress or the president to obey. The Court relies on the executive and legislative branches to carry out its rulings. In some cases, the Supreme Court has been unable to enforce its rulings. Now is the time to test this!
I agree, the question is how do we get it to happen....anyone know any of Biden's advisors...most any I know(knew) of any consequence are dead, gone or out of the loop, by choice, some not by choice.
Henry, you are totally and credibly correct. This is also why so many good strong ethical Americans are frightened in a way we have never been. Our side is not protecting us from the gravely dangerous LIES. We need support! Where are you ???? Lies are not free speech.x guns are not freedom! Abortion is none of your business!!! Get the truth to arrest the lies! For god sake wake up!
Jean,
I honestly don't know what to tell you. Biden and crew have all the evidence they need to go in and clean house and then let SCOTUS attempt to back peddle their immunity decision, without any hope of any support from any, except the accused...who have no credibility, what so ever, except in their own twisted self centered minds. Long before Biden leaves office he has to retain the option of military support, as Trump's plans are to capture control over them immediately, to do his bidding. It couldn't be more obvious...he keeps saying it all the time. "Official acts" equals employing the insurrection act...could it be more obvious?
Legislators, public employees, and other public servants may face severe consequences for violating the public trust. The range of penalties includes censure, removal from office, permanent disqualification from holding any state position, restitution, decades in prison, and fines up into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Not all ethics violations are treated equally. Punishments correspond to how bad an instance of misconduct is viewed in the eyes of a state and in consideration of the harm a violation may cause. The most severe consequences are normally reserved for cases of bribery involving large sums or similar types of intentional violations of ethics or anti-corruption laws. Like most issues in ethics, however, states vary widely on the details.
I have to say...40+ felony convictions, inciting a riot to overthrow the government in order to be able to stay in office, rape, and so on qualify Trump and associates for multiple lifetime jail sentencing...Perhaps? A slight violation of public trust?
Unfortunately, lies ARE free speech, except in certain limited cases. I don't like it any more than you do, Jean, but that's the way the Constitution is written.
The corollary question arises, who decides what is a lie? Some assertions are readily disprovable (e.g., the size of TMURP's inaugural crowd), but others aren't as clear in terms of what will stand up in court. As the saying goes, what you know and what you can prove in court are two different things.
Best post I will read today. By far. But I'm not sure what executive action(s) will have desired effects. Moot point since Biden won't do it, esp. close to the election which has a moderating effect on administration actions. But I agree, his action is the only possible option with the Congress and SCOTUS we have.
It all seems much clearer now in retrospect: the many factors that led to this "perfect" storm.
One by one those features and policies supporting our democracy were kicked aside, allowed to atrophy. The list is long and no single thing was determinative but cumulatively...wow. Like Milton coming down.
The GOP has played the long game, while the Dems were largely oblivious for 40 years.
You have summed it up exactly in reference to timelines and acceptance of the unacceptable. These are extraordinary times and Biden can't let this play out with the vote, either way it goes, as it may/will not make a difference either way.
Extraordinary times allow and demand extraordinary actions. These actions are possible, legal and very necessary before we have to deal with the consequences of not acting. We know what not acting will bring. How could Trump and followers be more clear? They shout it out for all to hear at most all of their Rallies. Rally goers love it. They love the criminal/convicted felon.
I believe that not acting is not an option. If we are going to set an example for the rest of the world we, Biden and advisors need to do it at home first. It's called cleaning out the swamp, tidying up the house, and regaining control of the government. The government should not be the tool of big business and wealthy oligarchs...that just doesn't make sense... unless you want to end up like Russia.
Henry, talking about all this is one thing; how to make it all happen is entirely another.
The Supreme Court has no power to enforce its decisions. It cannot call out the troops or compel Congress or the president to obey. The Court relies on the executive and legislative branches to carry out its rulings. In some cases, the Supreme Court has been unable to enforce its rulings.
So...I was so involved in all that I was doing, that I forgot about the fact that they don't have any control over the military. If the Supreme Court has no teeth with the use of the military, can they exercise enforcement through the DOJ or are they without any recourse without specific Congressional approval? Even if they have no credibility in the majority of the public sector? Or can Congress in a roundabout maneuver gain control of the military, legally do you know? Of course they can if President and VP are disposed of.
If Congress is in Republican hands...we have a problem. If the executive branch is in Trumps hands we have a problem. If the Republicans and Trump are in control we have a real problem. If Trump is not elected we still have a problem...but perhaps not so big a problem at least, we hope ,not militarily speaking... although the local militias and certain law enforcement groups are still an issue to be dealt with in many of the so called red states and perhaps others?
You know it’s all there; but I sure don’t like seeing it rear its ugly head…
I completely agree with your analysis and your inclinations, Henry.
That said, the First Amendment does NOT ban lying to the public. Politicians have been lying since there were politicians. There's no way to eliminate the MAGA lies unless they can be directly tied to harm, and that's a heavy lift. I take your point about clogging up the courts, but cases based solely around stopping lies would never be heard, AFAIK.
Yes, in the body of every living American citizen! We are staring over the precipice of Civil War 2.0 and no one has the BALLS to step back and realize just how good we have it!! Make America Great Again is insulting to the adults trying to "Make a more perfect Union"! Try reading, understanding, and living the Constitution before wiping your ASS with it!
"Yes, in the body of every living American citizen!"
Problem is, a significant petcentage of those American citizens think TMURP is their saviour and North Carolina is being denied FEMA aid. Those people are every bit as convinced of those things as you and I are of the opposite.
There aren't enough hours in the day to parse all these issues out to find objective proof. That's by design, of course.
The MAGAs wouldn't trust anyone outside the cult to speak truth and cite facts. It's a vicious circle.
This unfortunately is true, due to X, Fox, WAPO, Newsmax and others. These individuals are isolated and extremely pliable. The GOP has done a good job at achieving their long term goals using threats, lies, conspiracy theories and money as tools of their trade...perhaps just like any good criminal enterprise would?
It has been said by educated, people in the know … there well be another civil war .. If Frumper loses .. J6 all over again . and some… I feel so sorry for the USA … good luck … ⭐️⭐️🇺🇸🇺🇸
No. I just want the President and his crew to do what they were entrusted to do... what we entrusted them to do. Protect the us and the Democracy. This can be easily accomplished by throwing the criminals who threaten us daily, into a place where they can no longer threaten our citizens or the Democracy.
SCOTUS has provided that option with official act immunity...so what's the hold up. Even if it might be considered extra legal, it would be tied up in the courts for years or perhaps decades...they will most likely be deceased at the close of any court case and it won't matter...but they will have saved the country from becoming and oligarchical state?
So write the president, Henry! Call the president! Email Biden! Talking about it to us -- what good does that do??? Last nite, I called the DOJ three separate times, each time leaving angrier and angrier messages to Garland and Wray about their gross failure to put Trump away! DO SOMETHING!!! DON'T JUST TALK ABOUT IT!
Guess what? We empanel around 12 members for such work every day in EVERY COURTROOM IN THE U S .? Their is instant on-duty enforcement against such falsehood presentations by restricted speech in that other civic duty of most serious weight. Do you understand who determines the facts in trials?
Do you understand that every person seeking employment by U S givernment agencies must be subjected to federal background checks the same with commercial contract bidders?
Rice
In a perfect world all is well.
In Springfield Ohio not so much. The Haitian Bridge Alliance brought charges against tfg and Vance for their lies and actions that caused harm to the city of Springfield. The case has been referred to the Prosecutor instead of moving forward as is the precedent in such cases. The Judge corrupted the system in favor of the liars. When will this jackass and his lackey ever answer for this crap? This is a broken record that has been playing for a decade.
Debi
I totally agree. It should be illegal to spout lies on the national forums at anytime especially during campaigns for office. It is unfair to expect an opposition candidate to fact check his or her opponent while trying to deliver their message to the electorate. I suppose it is a pipe dream to think that there could be an independent nonpartisan fact checker present to simultaneously check what is being said. That’s what the American independent press is supposed to do. The protection of the truth!
I’m sick to my stomach!
To the tribal mentality the only truth that really matters is the primacy of the tribe, hence the deference and loyalty to the tribal chief.
David
If a major media organization can’t make a moral decision regarding information being disseminated to the public in that it must be correct within the reasonable limits of error then the FCC should remove their license. Is that possible? Is it too simple an answer?
Democracy is inherently messy, which is part of why simplistic, authoritarian pronouncements remain appealing to many. Democracy has to cope with a lot of "damned if you do and damned if you don't" situations; and optimal justice is often imperfect. Justice worthy of the name reflects provable, empirical truth insofar as we bumbling humans are capable of discerning it. Is that not how a court trial ostensibly works (though in practice is a lot more complicated)? There just are limits to the degree that we can responsibly ignore real harms from our codified practices, and there are no tools, physical or legal, the cannot be turned into aggressive weapons when applied in bad faith (as "Republicans" now demonstrate big time).
If we really believe in the primacy of "government of the people, by the people, for the people", then we receive an active share of responsibility for our society's outcomes along with a share of choice, and those who are already most deprived tend to suffer most when our choices are poorly informed and careless.
Who gets to judge what’s a lie?
For years I said Fauci was lying about covid shots &,was vilified & accused of lying. Now I’ve been proven correct. So many like me.
I don’t know. Why don’t you ask your president, Putin, if he would mind stepping into that role?
Haha. Enjoy Moscow, fuckwad.
They are guilty of TREASON
Donald Trump should have been in jail by the end of 2021. Since he got away with what he did on Jan 6 of that year everything is permissible.
Yes...so why is there no action this close to the election?
good question...It has little to nothing to do with election interference...election interference has been in place with Trump and associates for the last 45 or more years through his injection of lies about politics, politicians and criminal behavior... affecting government laws, policies and regulations. It may seem subtle to some but his actions have been connected politically for many years beginning way back to his travels from Brooklyn to NYC while his dad was still alive.
Please don’t over use the word treason leave that to the GOPee. Treason is defined in Art 3 Sec 3 of the Constitution. The folks you refer to are a collection of corrupt fools and/or criminals but not traitors.
Perhaps Sedition describes trumpets better as treason has been so narrowly defined in the US. Interesting that it was so narrowly defined.
It is so narrowly defined because English monarchs kept accusing people they didn't want around by charging them with treason and chopping off their heads. The authors of the constitution knew their English history and didn't want to repeat it in the US.
I agree that treason is too narrowly defined in the Constitution. Too much has happened in history and technologyto be able to accommodate its original definition. That is why we need a game changing amendment to redefine and enforce acts of treason. Of course this is not going to happen before the election but for right now I also agree with the above comments that President Biden using the Supreme Court immunity grants can certainly rein in the top echelon of crooks and liars in this country. Ideally, he should do so now, or at least begin the proceedings before the election by using his executive powers to declare specifically named members of the Republican Party, including Trump et.al as a clear and present danger to our country and to democracy itself. Following this declaration, those that are named must be removed from ballots around the nation for their seditionary acts with current votes for them labeled null and void. Does this sound extreme? Of course it is but extreme times call for extreme measures. I am out of patience with this whole shit show.
I can't agree, Ilene. If Biden undertook the actions you describe, it would be the quickest and most effective way to throw the country into utter turmoil. In the minds of MAGAs, Biden would be providing proof positive of TMURP's claims that the election is rigged.
I think what you suggested would be going WAY too far, even if it were possible at this point, and even if Biden could get away with it, which would never happen. Asserting that the SCOTUS immunity ruling would cover Biden’s actions misses two points. One, that the ruling specifically applies to current accusations against TMURP. Two, it's a bought-and-paid-for Court, and Biden is NOT their patron.
And personally, I think it would be wrong to do what you suggest. Ends/means justifications seldom work out well, and no party should be able to negate an election, not even the Dems.
Ilene, aren't we all?? I have grown weary of all the discussions. Unless we storm the White House with our demands, nothing is going to change or happen!
And, look at how narrow it is. Trumpty and many of his partners HAVE committed TREASON as I and many normals would define it. We saw it in living color on TV, never mind the many hidden acts of treason- classified documents in his home bathroom, selling secrets to Oil, Arab countries , the Russian alliance, allowing his son in law to grift billions while in power. The list goes on and on. Guess those white men, rich slave owners did not get that right either. And, 51% of Americans, women, just can't get out from under those white man heels.
Ben Are you kidding me? Trump is an INSURRECTIONIST and he is a TRAITOR.
A
TRAITOR.
You use whatever label you feel comfortable with
But I use the the word that fits the TRUTH.
You are mistaken the word TRAITOR HASNT BEEN USED NEARLY ENOUGH
WAKE UP
https://open.substack.com/pub/luciantruscott/p/what-have-trump-and-putin-been-talking?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2vcasp
https://open.substack.com/pub/luciantruscott/p/what-have-trump-and-putin-been-talking?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=2vcasp
Thanks for the historical outline of democracy’s devolution Prof. Reich. To quote the great Jerry Garcia “ what a long strange trip it’s been”. Those of us who believe in the greater good need to battle tooth and nail to push an agenda that works for more people winning back voters lost to decades of neglect.
We either hold news media and those who provide social media platforms accountable or we continue to mindlessly bellow "free speech" and stand to lose everything.
The choice is ours. Meanwhile, please get off X.
💯 Free speech as a concept and a democratic right has been distorted so as to be unrecognizable. I mean, really - free speech wielded as a WEAPON against the minds and unity of Americans with the goal of destabilization by Russia and others is hardly just participation in the marketplace of ideas.
If Biden or Harris or Congress doesn’t get it right on this one, which WILL include regulations and controls on social media, it’s only a matter of time before the next fascist demagogue is elevated. As it stands now, more than a third of Americans are now so damaged by narrative warfare, domestic disinformation and conspiracy theories, all made possible in part by the gradual gutting of public education and the championing of free speech at all costs.
I’m optimistic about the election; I’m extremely pessimistic that our federal government realizes the extent of the damage to American minds and that they can/will act to protect future generations from malign foreign influence & manipulative demagogues.
I disagree with the premise that news media are inherently biased towards the ultra wealthy simply because most are owned by for- profit corporations. We should all be discriminating consumers when reading or viewing political news — and it should go without saying that I am referring to legitimate, professionally run outlets, not social media— as all reportage is subjective to some extent. Reporters, their editors, and the sources
R Hodsdon, the corporate news media is biased. Television networks are awful. They aren't trying to inform. They're trying to manipulate. One of their overarching messages is that the wealthiest and big corporations are more valuable and smarter than everyone else, especially low wage workers. Messaging about returning to a belief in the common good is pretty much absent. Instead they are one big sales blitz to the unsuspecting public for the sole benefit of their wealthy shareholders, their corporate advertisers, and their collective rampant egos.
Corporate media leaves much to be desired, but Fox News stands out as unique (unique in the US).
Victor Kamendrowsky, I think since Fox reported in Nov. 2020 tfg had lost the election, several just as bad competitors have sprung up to capture those angry at Fox for telling the truth. I can't think of their names off of the top of my head. But Fox started the cable news decent.
Vic K
Ah ha!
There is the truth you and I are seeking!
Fox News!
Mr Murdoch should get the prize you mentioned for his service to truth and democracy!
M J, are you afraid of revealing what that truth is?
Remember, we have become 'useless low wage workers' for the US slave wage trade- not much better off.
I dusagree.
Fox News is banned in England.........thank goodnessI. Murdock has already wreaked havoc with the press there. I think America should rethink allowing Fox News too.
The sick monster Rupert Murdoch has done more to destroy civilisation than anyone since Hitler and Stalin. All for money and ego.
#MangoWanker #Mobster #Traitor
#GOPtraitors against humanity
#Murdoch
The Fairness Doctrine was a rule for news outlets leasing frequencies on public airways. To qualify to avail themselves of a public resource [a broadcasting frequency], when speaking in the political sphere, news had to give a fair airing of all sides of a controversy, and to all sides of a contest. That doctrine never held sway over newspapers or magazines or private advocacy … I think we SHOULD bring it back for broadcast, but even “broaddast” does not necessarily use a public resource to reach an audience {one might see “cable” that still USES a physical cable strung on public infrastructure telephone poles as coming under the doctrine, though. I wonder [haven’t checked] how our contracts for satellites are structured? I don’t think we can demand that those who use satellite to broadcast need to obey our rules, since WE are leasing service there, and aren’t thee owners of all the satellites we use … Things have changed …
Yes, elections have turned into a VERY lucrative industry. What I don't understand is why so many people buy into the insanity. Was there an unreported massive epidemic of prion disease sometime along the way?
William, there is truth in what to say, but you are also scapegoating the media for a bigger problem. The Media has to sell its products, and in 2016, and especially after 2020, it learned that nearly half of its customers don't want to hear anything negative about Trump--that's the bigger problem. Criticism of Trump is criticism of all those who have identified with him. As long as someone like Robinson stays loyal to Trump everything else matters little.
Victor K
Spoken like a true capitalist.
Truth is not for sale but lies are. Truth is hard to swallow sometimes. If we agree lies go down much better. However, the future of our country and in a broader context, the world, depends not on what the majority want to hear but what they need to hear, understand, and accept.
Tough going all around I’d say.
Congratulations, M J Z! You claim to know the truth. Please tell us what it is, and maybe someone will nominate you for the Nobel Prize.
Totally agree William. And the mainstream media is owned by big oil and big pharma, big banks and big defense. To answer why the Republicans went nuts you have to look at why the DNC is no longer the party of democracy, the middle class, peace or freedom of speech. It won't be neocons like Liz Cheney rebuilding the republican party but Rfk jr., the man who the DNC and this blog demonized, dimissed and disenfranchised. As nuts as the Republicans are they are now the big tent and the party of the people.
William Duke, with the exception of your first sentence, that sure is a lot of BS and crazy packed into one paragraph, especially your last sentence.
Methinks Mr. Duke is yet another American victim of malign foreign influence (narrative warfare) and the useful American idiots who push Putin’s poison on their compatriots all day.
Mr. Duke, I have to correct you here. The Democratic party is actually the party that is trying to keep Democracy, help the middle class and keep our country at peace with each other even as we disagree on ideologies and policies. We use to have that back before the orange man and his cult took over the GOP. The MAGA nuts are not as big as the rest of the country and are definitely NOT the party of the people! If MAGAs had their way, the people would only be straight, white Christian nationalists. They would have huge deportations of Haitians, South Americans, Blacks, Jews, Muslims and anyone else who did not fit their idea of straight, white Christian nationalists! Vote blue, America, up and down the ballot!
I dunno. If a man is aspiring to have RFK Jr rebuild the Republican party, I think he may have lost his way. If only there was a way to help Mr. Duke, but I think he has to help himself. It’s a long hard slog out of the jungle, but he might make it if he would only try.
Unless he’s a member of Putin’s secret army of American useful and greedy idiots willing to help an enemy destabilize America and turn it into a loony bin for a few dollars or a bit of flattery.
I think it is absolutely vital that Trump be defeated and that there is a huge difference between the political dynamics of the Republican Party and those of the Democratic Party.
It is also true that under Biden, the Democratic Party has been far more por-worker than it's been in a long time.
BUT it's been a very long time since the Democratic Party has been a pro-worker party. Too often it services its donor class week in and week out, and then at the end of the year, it wants to think of itself as the workers' friend.
What is your answer William Duke. If it isn't Harris and the Democratic party then it is Trump, MAGAts and Project 2025? Voting for Jill Stein. a third party or sitting out the election, is in effect a vote for Trump.
And RFK Jr was a stalking horse for Trump. Proven by his endorsement of Trump.
William Duke, RFK jr. is a war mongering hawk like few others. His solution for the climate crisis among other things is to remove what little regulation is left and let the free market solve everything. I will vote democrat but I do understand your concerns. I fear that the new Republican Party is actually the corporate Democratic Party, Liz Cheney included. I long for a Bernie Sanders style Democratic Party.
Party of what people ? The insane, the criminals, current and ex-druggies, the uneducated, the wealthy that don’t want to share a country built by the poor, white supremist, morally corrupt Christians, corrupt politicians? Which people are you with?
RFK never attempted to run for office as a Democrat, until his recent Presidential aspirations. In the past, Kennedy's proved they were Democratic leaders by running for the House and Senate BEFORE running for President. He's nuts to think he's Presidential material because of his last name.
Moreover, he's nuts to make the anti-vax statements he made during a National Pandemic that killed over a million people. He's nuts to dump a bear in NYC next to Central Park as a prank. He's nuts to have sexual relations with droves of women.
The RNC is the big tent of frauds, shysters, nutjobs, anti-women's respect, anti-vaxers, and anti-taxers of the super wealthy. They are the big tent party complete with clowns, freaks, and billionaire geeks. Bobby Junior and his yacht will fit right in.
The current Republican Party is an instance of mass delusion. It will end like all delusions end--badly.
Hope you have been getting the information about the GESARA NESARA and how to switch to the Qfs banking before the global currency reset takes place? Dont be a victim of that great reset. Get ready for Gesara Nesara, Swtch into the QFS for your own safety.
Hope you have been getting the information about the GESARA NESARA and how to switch to the Qfs banking before the global currency reset takes place? Dont be a victim of that great reset. Get ready for Gesara Nesara, Swtch into the QFS for your own safety.
Janet Adams acts like a capitalist bolshevik. She has seemingly infiltrated the site by posing as a Bernie fan. She is agitating to create discontent in the group, She is directing people to propaganda sites. Am I wrong, Janet?
Victor Kamendrowsky, I agree. A propagandist posing as someone with similar beliefs to increase the chances of their posts getting eyes and minds.. There's a few of them. If not more.
okay already. I will put it on my watch list, though I have read much on it.
Janet, DeSantis would be happy to open concentration camps, given his perspective. I want Wall Street to be 'eminent domained'of all the housing they bought. Likely, they packaged it up and sold it to states for their pension funds. Screwed again!
Right on. I want FDR, too. I believe there is a growing movement (now that New Deal is all but dismantled) to create or recreate FDR type programs that actually worked following the Depression.
I’ve even seen never Trumper former Reaganites admit that their supply side economics was 1) a con and/or 2) a failure.
I hope Kamala can read the room on this one and govern like FDR even if she can’t run like that.
The axis of evil, China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and now coming up fast on the inside lane America. You simply must elect Kamala or it's good night nurse.
Yes, Nigel B, these are some of the prime members of "Autocrats Inc." whom Anne Applebaum, described in her book by that name, and DJT is dead set on becoming P E # One of that club.
We are spiraling into uncharted crazy world unless drumpf is banished from public life. Without him it will just be crazy town America with all the twisted minds that he's left in his wake.
and he is just the start of what needs to be done
Agree
The "axis of evil" runs straight through our Red States. After Trump, America will never be great again.
Calling them axis of evil as if they're some comic book villains.
...as a long time comic book collector, they actually are. Like the megalomaniac villains portrayed in comics, they openly divulge in detail what their their plans are to the heroes if not the world (eg Project 2025). They rant and they rave how powerful they are, hurling lies about and insults at their rivals faster than bullets from an AR-15 with a bump stock.
Like those villains, they feel they are larger than life. and god's gift to humankind when in fact they are insecure and full of themselves, hiding behind their massive egos. and
displays of of bravado.
Indeed they are both "comical" and "tragic" at the same time.
Besides all the republican crackpots around, we have Corporate Media reporting these lies as truth. Then there is SCOTUS…
That’s why it’s so important that we win the election. Everyone needs to keep working towards that goal.
It’s not time to sit idly by and be a poll watcher.
When you vote, be sure to vote BLUE up and down the ballot. We need a majority in the House and Senate. It is only then that things can start to change. don-old and his cronies can be prosecuted for their crimes. More justices can be added to SCOTUS. Since they can’t police themselves maybe new laws can enact some disciplinary measures.
Even a win, won’t get rid of the crackpots. Just maybe new republican leadership can start to make a difference.
With a majority, PLEASE add Magna Carta (from King John in 1215) to the Constitution so that it clearly says what the Founders knew they inherited from British law
=> no one is above the law! <=
even the King (President)!
Yes, it might never pass the States, but it would certainly get Americans rethinking their politics.
How could SCOTUS even remotely think they should reverse 900 years of history by giving the President absolute power, above the law!!?
We need an amendment declaring:
-no man is above the law (scrap potus immunity)
-no man may be a judge in his own case (scrap self-pardoning)
No defendant should be judged or be party to a case judged by a judge hand picked by the defendant. we need to take "conflicts of interest". especially in government, vastly more seriously. Science shows that bias operates even when unconscious, and we need to minimize that risk for people who accept grave public responsibility. Naturally a lot of aspirants to positions of power prefer regal impunity; but justice can't risk it. If you you can't curb your self-serving appetites, stay the hell out of the kitchen.
This certainly applies to Loose Cannon, Aileen Cannon, Trump-appointed "judge," overseeing and criminally throwing out the stolen documents case against Trump in Florida! Maybe with some great luck, she and Trump will BOTH be wiped out in one of the continuing deadly hurricanes!
Lorne, I don't include the Magna Carta in the list. The Magna Carta was simply a bitch list by the barons. The people were still serfs. It is as if, the billionaires got together and wrote a constitution for themselves, and resigned the rest of us to serfs.
Wait. Didn't our own constitution empower only property owning males, maybe the Magna Carta is part of our heritage. It took three amendments, 15th, 17th, 19th, to finally make this country a democracy.
No nation has a perfect democracy, and we as a species have a long way to go. That said, The Magna Carta was a step toward decentralization of power, and that was a step in the right direction even if universal rights were not the motive. The same can be said of our Constitution, which when approached in good faith, bequeathed a substantial foundation for long term social justice.
Contrary to the claims of "originalists" who seem to invest the authority of social contract in the persons of the framers, the Constitutions is a codification of principles that favor just outcomes. The framers were wise enough to realize the formula would become the property of each succeeding generation, to be applied by the living in evolving circumstances. They kept the language generalized, and to a fair degree, discretionary, such as "training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress" or " other high Crimes and Misdemeanors"; and they made the body revisable. The founders were hypocrites in many respects, but they still passed along a thing of great value, IF we can put it to use in good faith.
Agreed , the Magna Carta was a stepping stone towards decentralization of power, one of many. off the top of my head is the baron's revolt which forced Longshanks to adopt the policy of fee simple, allowing the barons to retain their titles and lands so long as they pledged fealty, obeyed his laws, and contributed to the defense of the realm, then there was the third charter (1619) of the London Company of Virginia, which bestowed self governance on the enterprise, until the charter was revoked in 1624 making it a crown colony.
Stepping stones, like the 15th, 17th,19th Amendment and if we survive this election, we aren't done yet.
Good observation William, that freedoms arrive slowly, even with a Revolution.
Magna Carta did not free the serfs, but it did set in place a precedent where the billionaires (barons identified as Lords) were ‘hoist by their own petard’ - no one was above the law: serf, noble, King.
An elder told me that his father had studied the politics of the Magna Carta era, and concluded that King John had tricked his barons into signing. He did it to protect serfs from abusive barons.
True? Untrue? It’s still a fundamental principle protecting people who have inherited & adapted British Justice legal systems.
Looks like some of the SC justices missed that bit of history.
Or just choose to obscure it. "Reaganomics" was bought and paid for. It really feudalism lite (Government of, by and for the People is a pathetic failure and the wealthiest amomg us are our natural leaders and true benefactors. Democracy (presumably) just gets in the way.
If any. The "good old days" were not so good, especially in the days of unaccountable autocrats.
❤Reich❤:"The only way forward is with an entirely new Republican Party that rejects and detoxifies the old one and puts an end to this doom loop. "
Criminalize GULLIBILITY!!!😁😁😁
how will the citizens hit by hurricane helene vote next month? polling sites? mail??
More important: . . . were official Voter Lists destroyed in the hurricane?
Most polls, especially ones that are popular, are worth nothing because they are not truly random and the questions are not done in an unbiased way. According to the pol sci guy Krosnik at Stanford.
This presidential election is the future for America. The GOP knows that they will never win the popular vote because they have been running on being anti establishment. When we elect politicians we expect them to work together like a team! Today we have the opposite. Our Congress is in a state of chaos because the MAGA CULT has lost their minds! Instead of helping President Biden by working together with the Democrats to make sure our country is safe and secure and prosperous for the future, the MAGA REPUBLICANS have been pushing disinformation. Like the lies about hurricane relief or the lies about whether or not Trump lost the 2020 election! They are a gang of liars!!
Keith: There is the greed factor, too. Many of these "representatives" do not know, or care that they are supposed to be working for their constituents. They want to privatize parts of government for their sponsors/donors. Money drives the entire system. Because of Citizens United, ethics and the Common Good are not even considered. They rave about "win /win" deals as the public are being screwed.
re: "The GOP knows that they will never win the popular vote".
They're gaming the Electoral College.
Keith, the Maga Cult in Congress, hasn't lost their minds. They know precisely what they're doing. They must think, "If I can't beat'em, join'em. I can lie and say crazy things to get the money I need from the wealthy to stay in office. Just vote the way the wealthy want me to vote. What else can I do to make this much money, have health insurance this good, and have a pension that pays so well? I'll take care of myself and my own family."
I’ve seen an opinion that puts part of the blame on the demise of small local media and newspapers. People don’t get to know the candidates are loonies and therefore unable stop them getting voted in
That's part of it, but you're coming from a rational perspective. How did the GOP become the party of cranks, crackpots and crazies? Very simple. The base is angry and it wants crazy.
Listening to Rush Limbaugh was instructive. People who called in would repeatedly say words to the effect "I've done everything right. I'm a white Christian who goes to church on Sundays, pays his taxes, and raises a family. I have to struggle to work two jobs. I wasn't brought up like this. I tried voting Democrat but nothing good came out of it."
Are you listening Bill, Barack and Hillary?
You're exactly right, Michael. Around here, the worst was that when the jobs went overseas, jobless or underemployed parents were blamed for not taking their children to a dentist, wearing worn-out clothes and shoes, and being slow to get school physicals and paying for school supplies and school start fees. The Department of Children and Family Services placed children in foster care, where the system paid foster parents to care for their children rather than supplementing the parents' incomes to care for their children. Poverty was called "child negligence," and educators were all in on blaming the parents. When professionals were made "mandated reporters" and lost their licenses to practice if they came in contact with a child who the DCFS determined was "abused by neglect," they lost their licenses to practice. Parents lived in fear of the State, and many lost everything they owned to pay for attorneys to get their children back. The continual threat from the State is why many voters and subsequent generations want small government and the abolishment of the administrative state. It amazes me that the Democrats don't see that. Hillary's "It Takes a Village" struck terror in the hearts of many parents. That trauma and anger were passed down to subsequent generations. Employment-based insurance caused workers to lose their healthcare along with their jobs and placed a burden on emergency room care that failed to meet the community's healthcare needs. People whose incomes were too high to get food stamps and Medicaid, yet too low to pay for health insurance, or denied health insurance due to preexisting conditions of themselves or their children lived in a nightmare. "Do everything right, but the system doesn't work." Are Harris and Walz listening? Is the system too far gone for them to make a difference?
Many wonder, "Does it even matter if I vote?" Somebody told me the other day that they wondered if nobody showed up to vote, would the politicians be worried about what was about to happen and be afraid?
Gloria J. Maloney, thanks for writing about some children being taken away for parental neglect when it was really poverty not neglect. I wonder if this is more prevalent in red states and jurisdictions because it is their governmental policies of being against minimum wage, federally subsidized medicaid, and unions, etc. that keep people in poverty.
Good public education and family-friendly childcare, work, minimum wage, and healthcare policies will lift people out of generational poverty. We have seen these policies work unlike trickle down theory. America will never be free and prosperous if we leave 20% in extreme poverty with a lack of civic and other education leading to a shared identity as a strong and compassionate society. United we stand, divided we fall.
Gloria, you have made valid points. On your finishing point, let me say that enough uncommitted voters need to be swayed to vote Democratic, to stave off the ruin of their private lives by trumpian insanity, in the next few weeks. The Dems must address the reversal of poverty overall, expanded health care regardless of income, improved public education, and keeping children safe in their own homes. It has been demonstrated by non-partisan investigating groups that these issues have been addressed far more effectively during Democratic-led administrations than during Republican ones over the last 65 years. The trouble is that Republicans have disrupted much of the progress made by Dems, who have not been effective in cleaning up the Repubs' mess.
And their solution was Gloria, To vote against their own self interests, time and again? To vote for people who want to control their lives, their bodies, who are funded by billionaires and corporations.
That doesn't speak well for the intelligence and perception of the people does it?
Why does it strike terror in the hearts of many people, that it takes a village?
It does, education requires teachers, janitors, people who pay takes, buses and bus drivers, health care requires medical professionals,
I don't know anyone who was terrorized by "It takes a village"
They were terrorized by "It Takes a Village" because the people in the village were turned against each other after they made everyone who came into contact with children Mandated Reporters and threatened to take away their professional licenses or employment if a parent was later found to be an abusive or neglectful parent. Administrative law rather than a court of law requiring evidence without a reasonable doubt was used to take children, which was done by opinions of patronage employees of DCFS with little education and no common sense. Anyone politically active or even thinking about organizing their place of work with a union could be targeted. Thoughts of anything other than getting children returned and keeping them away from the child "protective" services were gone. Reputations were ruined by stacks of paperwork that nobody could wade through or defend against. It was the Gestapo on steroids. I'll never be the same, nor will the other parents and children who lived "the horror."
Yours is the first I've heard of the slant on it Takes a village. I do believe the DCFS situation predates Hillary's "it takes a village book", and I don't think that is what she meant. As you know I am no fan of Hillary's, just the opposite, but I try to keep things in the proper perspective.
You know that you and I agree on so many things, and I am not your adversary, far from it, but in this case Gloria. It seems that you have a very personal investment.
Now I do agree that DCFS over reaches, but I've seen it do good, rescuing children from abusive parents. I am thinking now of the children that were kept in the basement, and could not read or even speak.
That is all you heard about. They did rescue some abused children, but overall, they did much more harm than good. You didn't hear from the people who feared the "takes a village" concept because they were the mudsill, waste people with no voice, not even (especially) the local newspaper.
Whether it was planned or not, we used to be a Democratic, pro-union community, and now we only have two Democrats on the ballot, President and auditor.
Gloria J. Maloney, I am so sorry you and so many children and parents suffered and are suffering. Thank you for sharing and helping me understand people better and how good policy and laws can be twisted by some bad people to feed their need to judge, avenge, and punish. I never knew of this and I can understand people's distrust better. May you be blessed, Gloria.
Gloria, I am sorry to learn about this horrendous experience. I hope that you share your knowledge with organization dedicated to the protection of children.
I'm sorry for the extreme poverty some people suffered in the richest country in the world. We have to do better! If trickle down economic theory had ANY merit, the plight of ignored and disadvantaged Americans would have improved by now. Our continuing problem is due to 1) lack of free quality public education or job training through age 22, 2) lack of allegiance to and focus on the whole truth about our society and our government, and 3) failure to prioritize the common good of people over private profit. Don't worry about voter turnout, most, Americans have realized our mistake in allowing ourselves to be distracted from our duty of self-governing. Those who believe that our actions today affect whether or not our children will live under a democracy that can improve itself or something far more negative and far less free or fair will somehow manage to vote. Donald Trump is not a compassionate man, he is a selfish, deceitful, and greedy man proclaiming "I alone can fix it" and "I will be your voice" and "your retribution." He is right about one thing and one thing only: Americans must fight in the sense of thinking hard and working hard together to achieve positive change. If we want a sane, balanced and compassionate future, we must work to keep the wealthy doms in our society from dominating. Our founders intended that the people should self-govern. The doms are ready to take the reins and install someone selfisf, power hungry, and very comfortable with lying who will rule for their benefit while we are still trying to figure out who the enemy is and how to fight them. The way to fight them is with the rule of law. Our Constitution is written to protect us from their abuses, and we better exercise our rights. No one is above the law, and Presidents are not Kings who can pardon themselves.
The Founders created a country. The Republicans want to devolve it into a tribe.
Good points - this was/ IS a long slog.We must adapt & remove the blinders and gloves,thanks respectfully
This is a serious matter, that what matters is not just the size of government but having it in the right places doing good and not harm - by helping poorer parents, not hindering them. There need to be structures within the Democratic party, channels set up for ordinary people to enable real problems to be brought to the ears of the top brass with a real chance of affecting policy. Even a 'big block of cheese day' (West Wing, Season 1, Episode 5) within the party would be better than nothing.
True enough Michael, and then like sheep led to the slaughter, the dolts vote against their own self interests.
You'd be angry at Dems too if you listened to FOX news all the time, along with some legitimate reasons to be angry, at someone. Anyone.
I like what you're saying here, Lucy. It feels more and more like the level of trust in the "mainsteam" media is eroding while media is also consolidating. So there are fewer organizations and we're told we can't trust them because they're large and have an agenda. I think it would be hard to argue that about our old-school local papers. That creates a breeding ground for conspiracy theories because when you don't know what you CAN believe, you turn to what you WANT to believe and there are people that will feed on that. What I don't know is how to fix it... I wish there were something akin to the bookshop.org model for local news media.
Here in east PA small papers were bought & closed by hedge funds/ equity investors.Big lobbyists are supporting the consolidation/ along with chat sites(I get NPR& GROUND NEWS)-books & education are underfunded. I agree heartily,this is a defining TIME,respectfully
Small local papers in the south and rural America are ultra conservative. Lucy.
Are they locally owned?
Yep, as far as I know.
Interesting
I lived in rural and small town south. I lived with m\ygrandparents in a shotgun (slave) cabin house owned by my Southern Baptist Uncle that lived next door.
Lots of stories.
That is part of the degradation to "conversation" among the people that is needed for democracy.
VOTE BLUE on a straight ticket to keep the lunatics from running the asylum!
MAKE LYING WRONG AGAIN
AND MAKE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE WHEN THEY DO ...
Vote liars and cheats out! Look at what they DO not what they SAY! If makes no difference what they say if they fail to represent the will and the common good of the people. Why didn't we get a border bill passed in 2023? Because of Donald Trump. Vote them out if they are lining their own pockets by doing the bidding of the greedy oligarchs, the MAGA cultists, or power-hungry crackpots or in the case of Donald Trump - all of the above.
It's VERY FRUSTRATING when people tell you, in BOTH word and deed, WHO THEY ARE, and then many NEVER heed the warning!!!
ABSOLUTELY FRIGHTENING AND EXASPERATING...
This issue has been one of my most serious concerns about this presidential race. We can’t reach the undecided voters effectively any longer. Starting with the crazy story about the inauguration crowd size in 2017, Trump and his lackeys and Steve Bannon through Breitbart have flooded the media with lies and conspiracy theories which have led to the destruction of any ability to convey the real news. The media has capitulated to the lies and reports them with too much legitimacy. Heather Cox Richardson in the piece I have posted below (please click on the link - subscribe to her writings if you wish) discusses how this has been a carefully constructed scheme to confuse the people and create a frustration that welcomes an authoritarian regime to sort it all out for them. We are at that point now where the undecided voters cannot be reached with accurate information about the candidates despite huge efforts by Harris/Walz to present their platform. Why do these people want to do this to America?! Heather Cox Richardson has captured this concern succinctly this morning:
https://open.substack.com/pub/heathercoxrichardson/p/october-6-2024?r=1iv017&utm_medium=ios
Why do they do this to America? Greed, territorial dominance drive, desire to rule, greed.
Heather's letter today needs to go viral. I shared a few hours ago..
Wow, Heather sure has a command of language to paint this picture so clearly! Thank you for sharing today!
Richard, thank for the reference.
AGREE~ ,Her books are inspiring also.My local papers are hedge fund owned-social media too.
NPR / GROUND NEWS help. Thanks respectfully
I recommend that everyone one reads Heather Cox Richardson's latest daily post.
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/
Her brilliant, cool historical analysis every day keeps me sane.
Dems keep trying to reach each voter to have a conversation with them. Nothing wriong with that in itself.
But the Republicans operate better at scale, flooding media with misinformation.
Maybe more people will die at the DNC and they will devise the media strategy that is needed.
Does anyone here need more of the mass mailings you get from the Dems?
Hence Bannon statement- the Dems don't matter. Grab them by the media and that's the whole show. As one operative once opined to Nixon.
Yes, Steve. Unfortunately the media has consented to be complicit.
The answer to your question is maybe, but it all depends on there being enough willing people to push back against the current thing that is masquerading as the GOP.
Sadly enough I think I can count the number of “old guard” Republicans with any influence on one hand.
And they are all cowards.
I have some difficulty in understanding why many Republicans who can't stand Trump can't bring themselves to vote for Harris. A question of personal identity I guess. A refusal to fully recognize how their options have changed.
Old guard conservatives believe in the importance of balancing our national budget. They know that staying in crippling debt forever is a form of slavery. Because they have been stuck being dominated by old guard industries, they can't see the way to a brighter future.
Americans must become much smarter anout public investments to improve our future. Harris and Waltz need to speak to conservatives especially those living in midwestern wind and southern solar corridors about our opportunity to make America wealthy and strong again right now through developing green sustainable energy, energy storage, and clean hydrogen fuel.
Wealthy countries invest in educating their people and in developing money-saving, wealth-creating new technologies and manufacturing jobs to pay off public debt the right way - through education, innovation, and new wealth creation. Austerity programs should only be engaged in voluntarily by strong, free people who see the wisdom of using part or all of their taxes to build a strong, secure, healthy future not only for ourselves but for generations of Americans.
Right now, if we are smart, we can build public infrastructure designed to make sure that both we and future generations of Americans will live in a prosperous, healthy, and compassionate democracy.
The only light at the end of that tunnel is they’re not long for this world.
They have kids...
the insanity recapitulates
Thank you Professor Reich.
Yes, the fanatical generational American Christian Nationalists have been around for centuries.
All of their movements, the labels being Jim Crow, Prohibitionists, Silent Majority, Moral Majority, Branch Davidians, QAnon, and MAGA, et al, are reincarnations of the same old 16th century Reformation and its King James Bible that reinvented Jesus Christ from a real life, liberal-minded, dark skinned, Middle Eastern Jewish carpenter, who inspired people to feed the poor, take care of the sick, and harbor the underprivileged (re: Mary Magdalene, the prostitute) to a fictional blue-eyed, white-skinned conservative that empowers followers to embrace money, power, and violence, to protect their God-fearing white supremacy.
The good news is for the first time, demographics are working against them and they are fast becoming a minority in America and, as a result, are freaking out. Yes, it might get ugly when Trump, their latest false prophet, loses the election bigly, but that will soon also pass…until their next reincarnation, and the newest mess yet to be determined.
Whatever the label, historically their movements are always unsustainable.
If Jesus of Nazareth was at the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates, I believe He would have pointed to Harris and Walz and said, “They’re the only ones up there that get what I was actually all about.”
Hang in there, fellow Americans.
Beautifully summed up!
Personally I am coming round to the view that Trump and the other ‘extreme’ republicans are the ‘dead cat’ themselves. But what are their antics distracting us from I wonder?
It’ll be the corporates / billionaires and their well funded lobby groups / PACs who are busy weakening regulations, changing tax laws, installing compliant officials at ALL levels in ALL administrations - federal, state and district. Basically the Republican corporate backers are installing a deep state that favours their short term business practices.
And dead cat here refers to Crosby’s definition and has nothing to do with eating pets or childless women
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_cat_strategy
LBJ's deadcat strategy was pulling his dog by the ears to not answer questions about was the US in Laos. Was it Laos? Where ever we lied about and said we were not.
Good points ; EPA,banking,s.court,AI,big pharma,education,- alot needs work(immagration).
Plus our treaties/foreign policy□distraction we can't allow,thanks respectfully
If you care about the damage Superpacs are doing consider donating some to this effort to rein them in by passing a Maine ballot initiiative.
https://equalcitizens.us/against-super-pacs/
Superpacs are rushing money into Maine to convince the voters Superpacs are good for them. Oh, yeah.
And then Superpacs pack the legislature to shut down the ballot initiative initiative process altogether like they are trying to do here in Missouri and other states.
With each freedom obstructed or taken away it becomes harder to retain the freedoms we have. That is why we must fight hard for each freedom.
MAKE LYING WRONG AGAIN !!!!
No they want. The loony bin nut jobs have to fail. Trump has to lose and then follows an education revamp. Until we make education a priority and get civics and basic common sense back into the classroom along with teaching skills we will not see this change. Ignorance is our problem.
Quite right for centuries the ruling classes have kept their populations uneducated and ignorant in order to maintain their status!
Only if you and I make him lose.
And we will along with all women. He will not win!
Professor Reich: as odious as i find the views and opinions of mitt romney and liz cheney, they at least want America to survive, unlike the gun waving cranks, freaks and weirdos.
i do think that most people don't care what these GOP thugs are espousing, either because they don't believe these people are this nutty, or because they have no reputable and respectable local news media to rub their noses in these people's lies and to connect the dots so they understand that these local thugs plan to harm them, their children and their pets. many people have no capacity to think critically about the issues we all are confronted by, or believe that whinging and complaining about existing policies as being "critical thinking".
and i am convinced that "black nazis" like robinson simply want lots of power and white voters are happy to give it to him as long as he remains their mannequin, with a rich white man's hand up his ass, that repeats the lies that they have pre-approved.
this country is deeply broken and the reason is the baby boomers sat around on their behinds, proclaiming that their collective wealth is a direct result of their superiority, whilst remaining unengaged in politics and every other thing that affects the lives of anyone who is different from them.
I beg to differ. My local and regional Democratic clubs and LWV chapters are full of middle class baby boomers who are devoting their time and money to support democracy.
She paints with a might broad brush doesn't she? There are a host of reasons why we are in a mess, some wealthy baby boomers not doing enough, which I can agree with, is only a part of it. I think this is what they call "scapegoating" a whole generation.
Tell me Kathy. Since about 47-48% of America are Trump Humping MAGAts,
What is the demographic of the majority of the constitutency. I'm 85, and it was my generation and the boomers that listened to and empowered Rush and Fox, that essentially created the fascist right, and in fact many a peace loving hippy is now a die hard Trump humper.
The Cleveland Heights vote in 2020 was about 85% for Biden. I rarely run into a republican here.
Cleveland Heights borders on Cleveland's east side and the city of East Cleveland, two very challenged cities with low voter registration and turnout. The local and regional Democratic organizations are very focused on voter registration and voter outreach throughout Cuyahoga County. The League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland and its chapters, which are nonpartisan, are also working hard on voter registration and voter education regarding the upcoming anti-gerrymandering ballot issue and voter rights and requirements. Most of the active members of these organizations appear to me to be of retirement age or older.
According to the 2020 census, Cleveland Heights has a population of about 59,000, 42% of which have a BA or higher, and 18.5% of which are over 65. The median household income is about $59,000, but 18% of families are below the poverty line. Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Institutes of Art and Music are just down the hill, and Cleveland State is a short drive west. See Wikipedia for additional demographic data.
Pretty much like here in easternPA. ; I agree🟪📚↩️↪️🔭💠thanks
Thank you!
I am listening to NPR- stating 10% of congress are RETIRING > the damage to repair , will last
for years. Confidence in gov.(full stop) IS VERY LOW.To me this is sad.📶↗️💠🔎
Many a peace living hippy is now a die hard Trump fan. Really? Are you speaking from experience?
Yes, William, and it was easily done.
The fear, anger, angst, resentment of the gun waving cranks, freaks and weirdos are what the ruling class use to gain total power, once power has been obtained they turn on those that brought them to power. That is what happened to the Sturmabeitlung and Ernst Röhm
Right on👏🏻
“…or believe that whinging and complaining about existing policies as being "critical thinking".
So how do we stop this? It only seems to be getting worse. And that logic and reason have the opposite of their intended effects. Also, why do we need a new Republican Party? Why not a new party altogether? And finally, I highly blame FOX “news”. They shouldn’t be allowed in the public sphere. Dangerous misinformation is not free speech. It is a crime.
Donate to groups working to inform and GOTV Latinos in the swing states. If you and others think someone else will, that is how the con man will win. It's that simple. The Latinos in the swing states are critical to Harris campaign and her support has declined over the recent past.
https://www.idealist.org/en/nonprofit/9c3d8203516142d4be6bb1bc207c707f-poder-nc-action-raleigh
https://votolatino.org/
https://kentuckylantern.com/2024/08/21/harris-campaign-launches-bilingual-whatsapp-channel-to-draw-latino-voters-in-swing-states/