As President Biden said in his dedication of the Library in John McCain’s honor, In Tempe, Arizona on Thursday 9/28/23, ” They are attacking the military—the strongest military in the history of the world—as being “weak and ‘woke’.”
the MAGA cult is calling our Military Weak and Woke.
Maybe it’s time for our Military to show these radical Republicans just how Strong and Historically Knowledgeable they really are. Our Military has taken the oath to defend and protect our Constitution and our country just like the FPOTUS and these Republican politicians.
They need to take a step back and remember how many men and women have died protecting our nation! John McCain was and is an American Hero!
The FPOTUS of the United States is an American Zero!
The President is as serious as a Heart Attack when he said “There is an extremist movement that does not share the basic beliefs in our democracy: the MAGA Movement.”
“There is no question that today’s Republican Party is driven and intimidated by MAGA Republican extremists. Their extreme agenda, if carried out, would fundamentally alter the institutions of American democracy as we know it.”
As Joyce Vance has coined, (We Are All in this Together!) We have the most Pro Union President in history. We all need to form a Country Wide Union to stop this madness! Vote them out while voting is still legitimate!
Everyone should watch or listen to President Biden’s speech in Tempe, Arizona. Or read HCR’s Substack. And always read and listen to my favorite podcast, Robert Reich.
Margaret, oh no, that is just exactly the way those MAGAs want us to feel. That way, they can warp our Constitution and laws even further and they hope we'll say, "I'm so ashamed of this nation and there is nothing I can do about what is happening." I am angry that the Republican Party has coordinated a self-decline in favor of fools like Trump and Kump and the rest of MAGALand. The cult members no longer even think about what they are supporting, but close their eyes and hold their nose, and push through into the outright stupidity that the Party has chosen to become. The Democratic Party may have its faults, but there is no honest comparison today between it and Republican MAGALand and its pathetic inhabitants.
Yes mam, Ruth Sheets! We need to sing out "I am an American and I am proud of this great nation!" The republicans can go pound sand. We need to unite in our belief that we can and must do everything in our power to rid our government of these right-wing MAGA lunatics!!! That should be everyone's purpose who believes in our Democracy when they head for the polls.
I've been a baller for more than 65 years. However, the term Robert is referring to is vastly different from my reality. During the Summer months, I get up every morning before dawn and walk the grounds of the golf course in my neighborhood and rescue lost golf balls. After I have accumulated a good quantity of the expensive little jewels I give them by the thousands to a friend who distributes them to people in need who have a true love of the game. I'm known as "Baller" Bob. Now, the "Ballers" Robert is calling out are a destructive element within our government that shows little interest in anything but causing chaos throughout every aspect of our country. A bunch of "Chicken Littles" have taken up residence within our political system and their sky is falling. Between Trump, McCarthy, Comer, and Jordan the lumps are many, and if you ask me an improvement. This group heads up a movement determined to tear down something untold number of our good people have given their lives to uphold and protect. The "Ballers" Robert is talking about is a clear and present danger to us all., and Admiral Greer would posthumously agree.
Your post began with a great compare and contrast that produced a grin I needed! I remember my son and nephew as little boys going on to a golf course, fishing a ton or so of golf balls from the pond and proceed to sell them to golfers. The management chased them out. I guess they were known as little ballers. I’ll tell them how one can be a grown up baller. To the point at hand, I recall all those good ideas that came to fruition under Robert’s tenure with the FTC for the common good. It really makes me mad to think how politicians can screw things up.
The thing that gives these sad MAGA adherents any happiness at all it seems, is "owning the libs". How sad are their lives when rejoicing over making others suffer is all they think they have left? I'm angry at them...but at the same time, I pity them for the poverty of their imaginations.
I think that Americans should be ashamed of our foreign policy over the years, and catering way too much to the rich. Our imperfections run deep. But point taken: feeling unworthy is different from psychologically healthy humility. The former can be used divisively, to conquer a people's spirit and grab their power.
And that's exactly what appears to be happening these days. Demoralizing a nation to conquer it is a very old story.
You said it, Ruth Sheets! It's impossible to deal with MAGA Rethuglicans because they adhere to no moral code that I can discern, they love the limelight — and themselves — and they glory in Un-American positions. They're dangerous nihilists and a threat to our democracy.
No need to be ashamed of being an American. Not even (I don’t mean you!!) of being a (traditional) Republican. It’s the Trump Party pseudo-GOP that needs to be very very very ashamed. (AW, a liberal democratic Brit.)
Most of being a traditional Republican is a smokescreen for what's being said out loud by your "pseudo-GOP." Even if there ever was integrity in the conservative vision, it is no longer applicable now. The world is changing too fast. There is no place for wanting to turn back the clock or slow things down or keep things the same. The problems in the world today demand a willingness to grapple with inevitable changes. The two-party system should be centrist and far left. The current right-wing extremists have been driven crazy because there really is no place for conservatives by any description in today's world. They are dinosaurs and the sooner they go extinct the better off we'll be.
The change that drives the MAGA movement is the shrinking of the white man’s world. a reality pill that is very hard to swallow for many white Americans.
Could the shrinking be all in their heads? Too much Fox News perhaps? Technological change is challenging for everybody, and anger is a self-defeating response. Instead of being a good Shepard Trump is a wolf in disguise. Calling him Donald Duck is too kind to him.
Trump is a monster, but he's certainly not a "self-made" monster. He's been enabled since childhood. And many parasites are riding on that monster's back.
Yes, it's like the police. Of course, there are lots of "good cops," likely the majority of them. But they protect the bad cops, so they are, in the long run, no better. That's why I give only a grudging, "you done good" to Liz Cheney. She voted with the MAGAts and the rest of Trump's agenda 93% of the time. So I need to give her an "Atta girl!" for the ONE time she felt they had gone too far? Nope.
That’s not my point. And by the way you can’t make US society some kind of centre-left panacea just by thinking crossly that it ought to be. Unfortunately extrapolating ‘correct’ attitudes & outcomes from the world of today as described by you is a fantasy exercise - sadly.
Adrian, The entire party has gone along with this lunacy. No. There isn’t your imagined “traditional” republican anymore. The point Andrew makes is that he entire populace is center-left. There is NOTHING extreme about the left wanting livable wages, affordable medical care for all, restrictive gun laws, women’s right to choose, on and on. It is our outdated and outrageous electoral colleges that forces the popular vote elected president to lose to the minority winner.
Getting any sense of shame from Republican politicians these days is near impossible. They don't know what shame is. They are like a bunch of bullies running around the schoolyard, with no supervision, having their way with everyone. To feel shame you need some sense of ethics or morality. They have none and that's the problem. For some reason Republican magas ,, malcontents, have elected the absolute worst they could find to put them in political office. The entire thing revolves around destroying the federal government. The Republican Party these days revolves around hate like tornados revolve around Oklahoma. In a sense that's very sad.
So the question is what do we do? We need to make sure everyone votes blue. Ask your friends and relatives if they want to live under a dictatorship and if the answer is yes they are maga. If the answer is no tell him they need to vote and bote Blue no matter what and no matter who they're voting for whether it's local dog catcher or the president of the United States and of course anything in between.
Do you EVER read the entire comments? The country is Center / Left as 70% of the populace wants abortion rights, health care for ALL, gun restrictions. These are left wing ideals. You only think you know the US. But you can’t admit or even know when you are so wrong. I doubt you know the media conglomerates here (so called “main stream” media) is almost entirely owned by the far right. That's where you seem to get your arrogant comments.
Once again, like MAGAs, you can’t produce a fact. Just whine and whine because I refuse to go along with your BS. Note: my comments have 10 likes, 8 etc. Yours have none. Get a clue! Your sanctimonious behavior is laughable and only you think you’re impressive. Now go on your way and do some studying.
Don't be! The MAGAts make up only 40% of the 25% that are registered Trumplican! That's a measely TEN PERCENT. Just because those "fucking morons" are THE loudest voices, does NOT mean they are not still a fringe minority group.
AMERICANS are more PROGRESSive than ever before, as logic dictates.
VOTE THEM OUT OR "ANNIE, GET YOUR GUNS". Ever wonder why they don't want to pass gun controls? Corrupt people need them, and if we are not careful, will they use them? GOD is my Master. But I shall stand with JESUS, Michael the Archangel, and all the Angels and Saints against Satan and his crew that reminds me of very hungry fish in a feeding frenzy looking for bait. With whom do you side. Choose now, for time is short.
Right you are! That speech is exactly where Biden needs to be. I had to do a search for it last night. But it was well worth while. I think I searched "Biden speech Mccain." It came right up. I join in recommending it.
Biden in his worst moments is head and shoulders above the Trump word salad. I notice that Trump's media comments seem like they're sounding more coherent lately (at least the few I've seen). That's a dead giveaway that someone else is writing or editing them (Junior? Stephen Miller?).
I think Biden should also discuss the basic functions that government does to make our lives livable and that we often take for granted, like air traffic controllers and TSA agents to keep flying safe, food safety inspections to ensure that we are not sickened or killed from the food we eat, etc. Trump and his cronies want to replace the capable civil servants who perform these essential functions with incompetent toadies whose only qualification is loyalty to Trump.
Oh gawd. How clueless is much of the public. Sure, after 40 years of void Biden could start trying to educate the public. The media, our education system, and even our government itself, certainly haven't. Not to worry. Amazon will save us. If the American public doesn't get a better grip on real world realities, all bets are off. Alternatively, a certain level of consensus among America's power elite post WWII has steered the ship of state. There is no such consensus today on guiding principles and values.
Well, ya know. I like my government class but they didn't teach the nitty grits details of how to pass a real law. I've had a recent education in this - and I think everyone needs to go to their state capital and start talking to their reps. In person.
If school rankings were in part based on whether schools did voter registration , that would change things fast. We measure what we really value. Lip service for the rest.
What do you mean by whether ‘schools did voter registration’ - Just curious. Also how would it be implemented to affect school rankings? Worth hearing more about your idea.
To broaden it, I assume that the orgs that do high school rankings don't include civics in any way. If whether a high school conducted voter registration for eligible students (being a citizen and often 17 1/2 years of age or older) was included in the metric for judging the quality of a school then school administrators would defnitely make voter registration (or civics more broadly) a priority. But it isn't and they don't. The system is working IAW the incentives that are valued. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/articles/how-us-news-calculated-the-rankings
It’s been 23 years. No Child Left Behind legislation was the beginning of the end. I retired in 2016. At that time, NO American History, Am Government, Civics, Economics was taught in elementary school. It was one half of one nine weeks in 9th grade and one half of one 9 weeks in 11th. Although, my grandson in 8th grade told me he learning about the Civil War this year.
Just a personal opinion, but I always loved having a large poster or bulletin board trim of all the Presidents of the United States. Glad I retired before Trump was “elected”.
Thank you! I appreciate the insight. When I attended a high school parents night for the AP Government class my daughter was taking in early 2000s, I assumed that the instruction would include information on actual civic engagement and responsibilities. Well, no! Based on the teacher's responses to questions from other parents and friom myself, it became clear the main purpose was to teach to the AP college credit test given at the end. Most parents were fine with that. I was not against saving that aspect either, but I too naively expected that enthusiasm for real knowledge and responsibilities of citizenship would be included as well. My civics lesson from that night was the majority of local taxpayers were getting what they wanted for their children, but that did not make it right.
Maybe Kamala could get up in our faces on TV and perform a series of lectures that remind us what basic needed functions our government performs - right now through to the election. Where is Ross Perot when we need him. I was captivated by his step by charts he used for explaining different government functions making clear to me what others were were saying in the debate. I don’t know what type of president he would have gone on be become.
Do you think our military will stop this authoritarian aggression? I know they will not engage on American soil. Is this attack by these extremists enough for them to step in? Our military is not weak or woke (whatever that is)!
Remember hippies and goth? So if somebody's kid wants to have purple hair and cross dress, ok, none of my business, none of your business, I hope they are happy and find love.
Oh my goodness! I was indeed a hippie and can remember how freaked out my mom and pop were! It was just teenage angst just like goth. I agree that it isn't anyone else's business what someone wants to do about their hair, their dress, or who they love. Those are individual private decisions and NOBODY has any right to tell you otherwise!!!
True, but it is important to point out what Republicans mean by "woke": they use it as a term of contempt and derision towards Black Lives Matter, women rights activists, LBGT activists, climate change activists. Anti-wokeness denies full citizenship to these groups. It is a typical fascist stance.
The right wing media profits from demonizing everything uplifting in our culture. It's emotionally enjoyable to their audience of impoverished souls. It's pure scare tactics, and triggers the old fear of bullies from childhood, because these mongers are loud and angry, and SEEM powerful. The rest of us absolutely have to take the reins back in our messaging!
Peggy, I am hoping our military will not ever actively get involved with Republican insanity in its own little MAGALand. We do need to let the military and all its service personnel know, that we expect them to be loyal to our Constitution and people no matter who is president and what kind of orders are handed down. We are not the place where coups happen even though Trump did try to orchestrate one which was only thwarted by some seriously brave Americans who had the courage to say "NO."
I know there were brave Americans who said "NO" to trump's attempted coup, but will they be there next time? If he takes over, who will prevent him for demolishing our Democracy?
Mimi, what will the Republicans do, they will do what they always do, whine, complain a lot, blame the Democrats just as their Baby Donnie tells them to do, then vote again for the jerks who did it to them in the first place. It is a kind of break from reality. They can't handle that their deity has proven to be a fool, you know the Emperor has no clothes.
During military training, enlistees are taught to recognize the definition of war crimes, and which orders should not be followed. However while on active duty service members are to avoid political discussions due to importance of unity. (Based on information from a family member who joined Navy in 1990s.) We voters, citizens, political leaders, etc. have the responsibility for change. Are we supposed to ignore our responsibilities while expecting those in military ranks to do what the rest of us will not through peaceful means? Mlitary leaders at highest levels did seem to understood risks posed by Trump, based their statements after he was out of office.
“If these tactics end up working to keep Trump from winning or even running in 2024, it is going to be the last American election decided by ballots rather than bullets”.
If what he is saying is true our military will have to protect the American people.
I have never understood it. The little man in Tallahassee uses it on average 300 times a speech!! Apparently, the republicans think it is a slur to democrats and to me that is laughable. I have always understood woke to be the opposite of asleep. Republicans are asleep every time they go to the polls and elect these idiots to represent them! Democrats are awake to what is going on in this country and are fighting it with every thing they can!!
Do you want to help Florida rid itself of Matt Gatez? We have a great candidate who is stepping up to the plate. She is one to vote for - and against Matt G. Her name is Gay Valimont. Let's rid our government of these no good zealots.
And he sounded very cognizant. Because he was a stutterer as a child he occasionally has a little trouble getting his words out but he’s definitely cognizant.
Yes, he is and somehow his bit of stutter does not bother me because he is cognizant and also has good organization at times - except of course when mixes up the occasional date or names. I was ill with a hormonal dysfunction that eventually required having a hysterectomy. The hormonal imbalance created a speech impairment where my mind was not cooperating with my speech (or the other way around) and I sounded disconnected. Imagine, I tried to keep teaching, hoping it would level out, but it didn’t so I took sick leave. I felt devastated. And it took awhile to regain my speech and confidence.
Having 14 more months in Congress to destroy our nation from within is a big MAGA advantage. They also have 14 months to shift the blame for shutdown misery on Democrats.
You have some good points but calling in the military is what I believe a junta-and that is exactly what I think MAGA wants----can't be sure who is in the military these days even though they are suppose to protect the ordinary citizens..........
Matt, I think we all would like to know why insurrectionists are still sitting in Congress, and without indictment or formal charges. I am disappointed that Trump wasn't even charged with insurrection by the DOJ. I think I heard there was a reason, but if he were tried for that, he could be removed forever from any chance of being in public office again without the ridiculous crap about "can he serve if he is elected and in jail?" That has to be the most appalling question anyone can ask concerning a president of this nation.
I have heard some people say that they have to be convicted in a court of law of insurrection before they can be removed. "Presumed Innocent" is BS with these bums! Doesn't Merrick Garland have the ball to charge them? Why hasn't he done so?
Matt in DC It is an atrocity! that seditionist, rapist, psychopathic trump was not imprisoned for some of the worst crimes we’ve seen against our own country. Trump is qualified for the death penalty and although I know that won’t happen, it should.
If they shutdown the government, I think this will end up destroying the MAGA in Congress! So a government shutdown may end up doing some good! But I still pray that a shutdown doesn't happen.
The states of the wrecking crew will have disasters and they'll whine for federal aid. How'd you like to be the one to tell them "I'm sorry, but some idiots shut down the government. There isn't much we can do, but here's a roll of paper towels."
Dave, Oooo, I like the paper towel idea. It would be a fitting response. I'd feel bad for some of the residents of the state, but it is they who keep choosing to vote for people they know are idiots who care nothing for them. I keep wondering if they do that so they can cry to Democrats who are sure to help them but they can blame Democrats if there are problems some other time. That way, they can keep their beloved idiots in a job while holding them accountable for nothing. And folks thought it was people of color who cheated the system! Nope!
The paper towel was in response to little prince Donnie's utter lack of respect to Puerto Rico after Maria. A low IQ constituency will invariably feel intimidated by anybody with a functional brain. I was in Riverside, CA when Louis Vandenberg ran for the house. He has a PhD, which should tell you right off that he wouldn't stand a chance without taking a masters level course in dumbing down. Those poor fools kept reelecting Ken Calvert. Those are the clod heads who don't want their politicians much smarter than them.
Dave, yes, it was so pathetic that the best Trump could do was to toss paper towel rolls to desperate people in Puerto Rico when what they needed was everything else. It is amazing that Republicans cleave themselves to total ignorance over intelligence of any kind. Is it they are so intimidated by educated people they can't stand it or that they think natural ignorance Trumps education that people have to work for or is it just that they themselves want to be bamboozled by the con artists among us like Trump, Greene, Boebart, Gates, Comer, Gosar, Cruz, and their ilk to the point they can't even imagine actually getting what they need, being heard, getting good things for their kids like education and health care? I am no longer as sad for them as I was because they can see what a jerk Trump and Kump are and if they open their ears for a short time, they will hear that he makes no sense and that he wants a Nazi-type dictatorship here, somehow thinking they will be the jewel in that authoritarian crown. What they will really be is the slave laborers just above the immigrants and disabled persons in value to their beloved Donnie. They don't know history except that it is supposed to be white. Is it even possible to communicate effectively with the Trump Crew? I am having my doubts. They are so sure they are suffering far worse than anyone else, they are being put upon by the "woke folk" although, of course, they can't even define what that means and don't care. They have chosen cruelty over caring yet claim to be sooo Christian. They don't even know what Jesus stood for and I suspect wouldn't like it much if they did. Where does that leave us? There appear to be so many of them and they get so much attention since conservative corporations own the media and just about everything else. Ugh!
Those states and the "leaders" who represent them know full well what they are doing. Their culted followers live in the moment and are impervious to reasoning. I'm reading "Post Truth" by Lee McIntyre right now. It's a brief history of how we got this way. Scholars have pointed out that our rampant disinformation may have begun early on, with the tobacco, and later, the fossil, lobbies. Those political perverts purposely tried to convince their customers that 2 + 2 = 5. It's truly despicable, and there's no level in Dante's hell low enough for those SOBs.
Now they're trying to do it with our government. The agonizing problems that Dr. Reich talks about all stem from Big Money. They are and always have been the real "influencers."
Same question as last time - why won't they invoke the Constitution Article 6 paragraph 1, Amendment 14, Section 4? Second question: what's the use of having a body of written law, the Constitution of the United States, if we aren't going top uphold it?
I wholeheartedly agree with every word you wrote!! That is my question as well. The politicians take an oath to uphold our Constitution. There are guidelines in the Constitution to address these things. Why aren't they being used?
Peggy, I suspect that Republicans have their fingers crossed mentally as they are touching the Bible and holding their hand up to swear or affirm the oath. They lie about everything else, so why not at least to themselves, that they didn't actually swear the oath in their heart, or some other such excuse. Republicans are good at excuses too.
Their lawyers are good at rationalizing too. Looking for a technicality, or interpretation that suits them. Then there is William Barr's favorite : semantics!
Thank you Randy. Good to read about Judge Chutkan. Made me feel like she’d be a good neighbor, the one you can call on in a moment of need, but who has her own life and wouldn’t be all up in yours. A sensible well rounded, intelligent, thinking person who knows wrong from right but has few illusions about what humans are capable of doing. A good woman, the salt of the earth. I feel safe in her hands. I can trust her judgement whether I agree or not. A stand up patriotic citizen in the best ways.
I am sitting here wishing that she was my neighbor instead of the retired San Diego judge and her retired attorney husband, who have been part and parcel of the ongoing surveillance of my house and family for two decades 24/7. I know I have written of our reality before. I thought trying to speak to them kindly would bring everything to light and some type of action to stop it would take place. No response but a tacit acknowledgement; I resorted from my car window when she and her husband positioned themselves to say to them loudly and angrily how awful it was to be stalked. When they positioned themselves at the sidewalk or alley signaling they had been told to be there laughing at me.
Thanks for posting the link allowing us to read the article about Judge Chutkan. I used to get daily delivery of the WP years ago, and read it cover to cover.
Exactly Fay! This is our biggest frustration. We merely ask to apply Constitutional law and other laws that everyone else would be expected to abide by. Something really stinks about this. We need to know why. This law is clear and fully applicable.
Agree with all this Robert. Shut didn’t hurt the electorate most of all. But the problem with the government is we only get to vote between 2 and four years after the crime the gop typically creates. People forget quickly. As the Media distracts , people feel beholden to their family and party ties, people get confused.
If we, like the Brit’s and Denmark , had a vote of no confidence in govt and a vote to disband the govt until a coalition agreement to lead is reached , we would not be paying for dysfunction. This is an improvement to democracy we badly need. It would not allow irresponsible politicians to remain in office. We pay twice , once because lobbyists corrupt the politicians who continue to stuff their pockets , and twice because they stay power even as they wait to be voted out of office and get nothing accomplished. We give them a free pass. This has to be changed. Not sure how that could happen but the constitution did not foresee this happening in colonial times whereas the more recently established democracies like Denmark did. Go see the movie Borgen for a lesson in modern governance. Thanks. J.
Jay, I don't think it's that easy. The UK, France, Italy, and other democracies have had their fair share and more of incompetent leaders. They can get a vote of non-confidence, but the next guy may be just as bad, and we have seen that. Democrats do have to step up the publicity about the shut-down being 100% the fault of Republicans and we should not be too particular about who is included in that. If there were really "good" Republicans in the House, they would have stood up by now and made some noise. They haven't! Blaming just Charlie (I mean Little Kevvy) McCarthy is a bad move because he did not pull this off by himself. He is just not quite crooked enough. He is getting there, though. Trump and Kump are working the strings behind the curtain and not so far behind the curtain. The spotlight needs to be directed on Trump and his handlers (Yes, Trump is not bright enough either, and he is not getting better).
Again I’m not sure how this could be accomplished. Equalizing party representation might be one way. Another is ranked choice voting that could bring coalition of governments together to agree on principle. Maine has already voted ranked choice. Other states need to follow.
Jay Corvan, I agree with you that we need to do something different but I agree with Ruth that it is not that easy. We can make small or enormous changes to the process, but I believe they won't make a lick of difference because the root of the problem is rampant individual and collective egos (such as in parties, donor circles, etc.). If we want better outcomes, elect leaders with smaller egos.
Jim George, yes true I agree. I think we need to dig deeper than we traditionally have. What I am talking about is compassion and strong feeling of connectedness to all human beings (well other beings too). And therefore, one has little need to harm others or neglect the harm of others. Role model that in more families and other institutions, then we will see more rapid change.
M Tree --Yes, thank you. The way we think as individuals and what we believe about ourself and our fellow humans is what drives our actions. We need to upgrade to a new OS before we self destruct.
Margaret, I think it is an interesting idea, but I haven't read enough about the pros and cons. My first reaction is that it may give more opportunity to cheat to those who wish to do so, but I don't know if that's true. Also, I wonder if the concept obscures the fact that an individual person must mostly follow the party wishes (well big donor wishes). I think we need to tie individuals more to their large lack of power because they must mostly vote the party line. So that's a concern for me also.
Hey m tree. Not the issue here. Dintbes tnthiz to devolve into personality issues. That’s a problem we can’t solve. But remember Nothing worth doing is easy. Clearly what’s set up to regulate the party system in place is set up to favor the predominant parties. The question is what’s the best way to solve it. Will those predominant parties ride the wave to the end of democracy so they can crow that they won the battle but we all lost the war. Not such a good end result. I’m against that happening because it’s too hard to change the system.
My thought options today ( ha) are to 1) either fix it through the party system or 2) to fix it within the states that could then transform the voting apparatus, so that means .
Well I don’t know how to fix this exactly. This is something other countries have worked out abd far it from me to understand the mechanism involved. It’s probably requires a restructuring of our democratic infrastructure and may require constitutional articles. But it requires the opposition parties to create a coalition before they govern. Then if and when they blow through those agreements and violate the agreement , as they usually do, they emergency brakes are solid , they disband the government and reorganize their coalitions. This way all parties get done of what they want abd horse trading is done and reported on before they govern.
Jay, it sounds good, but it has lots of problems too, like small parties creeping in around the edges to throw everything off. They have to calculate percentages as we do. I am not sure that is any better than what we have. It seems to me what we have could work if all three branches of our government were functioning as they are described in the Constitution. Lately, our Supreme court has decided it is more important than the other branches even though its justices are less than stellar jurists. Because the legislature has chosen to be a kindergarten playground for Republicans, the executive branch has had to move into executive orders to get anything done for the people of this country. That could be fixed if there were a desire to fix it.
Also I think that the creeping around the edges is a problem the dems have capitalized on. The Democratic Party is not of one solid block now. It’s really three parties , maybe more. There are the progressives , the far left bomb throwers, and the solid middle road dems. The dem party has tried and succeeded keeping them under the tent but many are unhappy and many legitimate interests get bulldozed by “ creeping party “ worries. Why not split the party as it should be.
The gop should do the same. We are evolving and we should realize it ! Far right bomb throwers , conservative old school gop , middle Indy’s. All these could be coalition parties. Even if we can’t find a way to do this in national party system , at least we could have transparency within a party system that horse trades with its different factions that everyone can see !
My question is probably ridiculous, but aren't the majority of Americans right in the middle? I mean centrist means in the center of the spectrum and I was always taught by my mom and pop that most of the people in this country whether they are republicans or democrats agree or more things than they disagree on. I don't know how that would change anything. I guess I always thought of the silent majority as being the ones in the middle.
Hmmm. Not sure even with all three working that it solves the money issues , government representation for sale. And the time lag between overt misrepresentation and elections.
Of course citizens united repeal would help 🙂 but still there’s a lot of dark money influence out there that is contrary to electorate interests. Corporations are not people. Banning 401c4’s ( political non profits) sound only solve some of the problems.
Yes thanks Maureen. I’m somewhat aware of this I don’t know the mechanism for change, but maybe that’s the problem that we need to address. I’m not sure a complete restructuring is necessary but we might have to convince the two parties ( one of which is actually now valid) to allow for this or face the obvious dissolution of democracy, door shuttered. It would be in the interests of other parties , Green Party, indeed deny party, and the old conservative block. Having only one live party is as close to democratic death as you can get. The other party has devolved into nihilistic bomb throwers. But there really are other parties out there. But they’ve been trampled by the dems.
If we gave all existing American parties a level seat at the table then we’d let people decide which party gets their vote then we’d have a Working government. I know this sounds naive. As it is now we are looking at the obvious choice of having the best government money can buy ala lobbying , or no government at all via gop nihilism. Not too Much of a choice and the dems are jerking us around and pretending they are the only voice that matters. I can say by observation that younger kids hate the party system , and are angry that no one is allowing their interests to be realized. I’m angry about this too, and I’m no admirer of an all or nothing governance . It’s obvious that the two party system is fractured and we need to apply a splint to the limb. I think leveling the party system is one answer.
Once again the "Republicans" are showing there true colors. They have spent this entire year doing absolutely nothing to benefit the America people, they have constantly had one investigation after another which ate up taxpayers money and resulted in nothing, agreed to things in June and now have walked back what they agreed to. Have time and time again claimed Trump did nothing wrong on January 6th, 2020, but all ran for safety when the Capitol was stormed and over flowed with "armed"rioters, but stand behind that jackass. They are all in on destroying democracy and the "GOP" are nothing but a group of overgrown 2 years old that are crying over spilled milk because their idol and best person in the world Donald Trump didn't win the
election, so we'll show you.. we'll shut down the government.. that'll show you!!!! All they are doing once again is hurting people across the United States by their selfish stupidity...the "GOP" is nothing but a group of "GRAND OLD JERKS", that have a paycheck and insurance for life on the backs of the America people who they don't give a damn about...
I like the 'Grand Old Jerks' moniker! I also read one the other day that called them 'Greed Over People'. Both are very good names for this group of idiots.
Peggy Freeman, P.S. When I say GOP, I mean the party machinery, many of the elected and appointed, big donors, and the compensated public yellers ; I don't mean the voters.
If those republican voters still vote for a republican, then they should be included. They give support to the machinery. And if they aren’t speaking out against this Fascist party, they are part of the problem.
SeekingReason, I see your point, however, there is a massive power disparity between the machine, a collective, intent on manipulation and exploitation ---- and the voters, individuals, some who are manipulated and exploited by some slick marketing and do not benefit even close to the same degree, as those in the collective. I agree; I want more R voters to speak out and some are, which is good. More probably will as time goes on. And some voters won't and are dangerous and will use their own power in much the same way the collective does, sadly.
After 40 years, I’m not buying that excuse at all. All one has to do, is listen to trump speak. If a person can’t figure that out from the way he speaks, it’s all on them.
SeekingReason, it's okay with me, if we disagree. I was viewing the GOP machinery as a whole and over time, from when Gingrich was the speaker onward to the present and it seems you were viewing it more focused on the former guy. Which is fine. Some R did not vote for the former guy thankfully because they got it, but still voted R the rest of the ticket, sadly. And some begrudgingly and some gleefully voted for him. It may seem like I am excusing behavior but I am not. I'm saying that, they are not as responsible for the outcomes as are those in the party machine because of the tactics used non-stop against them. If they were aware of and understood the tactics and the reasoning behind them, they maybe would vote differently.
Kelley, as a former teacher, nanny, and babysitter (at different times), I have noted the toddleresque behavior of congressional members of the Republican Party for years. I know name-calling is not always helpful, but it can be enlightening at times. The Republican name for the Toddler Caucus is the "freedom Caucus" which proves they can't come up with accurate names for anything. I now consider the current House of Representatives when Republicans are on board, the kindergarten (or toddler) playground, depending on which stage of early childhood is being manifest at that moment. How does one even begin to negotiate with toddlers? Everyone who has experience with kids knows it is really hard and the child often can't remember what he/she/they have agreed to. Just like Republicans.
"Historic footnote: Jimmy Carter’s attorney general Benjamin Civiletti ruled that the FTC could not continue operations during a period of 'lapsed appropriations' — the first legal ruling requiring a shutdown due to a lack of congressional funding."
Not that it necessarily would have turned out any differently, but this was correctly not the Attorney General's call. The matter, a simple separation-of-powers dispute, shouldn't have been put before Civiletti. or he should have kept out of it because it was properly decided by the federal courts, up to and including the Supreme Court, with the Solicitor General arguing on BEHALF of the Executive Branch and the FTC's attempt to function without funding in response to a suit filed by the House of Representatives alleging an attempt by the Executive to circumvent the House's constitutional power of the purse.
Somebody, or many somebodies, were asleep at the switch.
Avi, thanks for the info. It brings back memories, not particularly good ones. I can't help but wonder this many years removed who paid off the guy who should not have even been able to make such a ruling. It must be my jaded self, but the ruling helped a lot of rich folks and hurt a lot of not so rich folks, just what the rich guys ordered and it probably didn't cost much.
Thanks, but it’s less info than merely a layman’s view of the matter. I just don’t see how what Dr Reich described could possibly have been within the purview of the A.G.
What the FTC was doing then is the same stuff that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau founded by Elizabeth Warren is dointg today, and for its efforts is constantly in the same cross-hairs from the same stripe of people that tried to torpedo the FTC forty-three years ago.
This is absolutely insane!! What is happening to our country? I have been appalled at the things that have been happening! We had a woman's right to choose - that was taken away from us. We were becoming a nation of inclusiveness and diversity - that is being taken away. Our children were able to go to school without fear and read good books - that is being taken away. Children were not going hungry - now they are. People were happy and our country was moving forward but now people are killing each other and attacking our Capitol! This all boils down to one man. One self-involved narcissist telling lie after lie after lie. Because of him, the crazies came out of the woodwork and stoked his lies, believed his lies, and began to take over school boards, county commissions, the House, and the Senate. Now, because of a small band of them in the House, we are facing a government shutdown and they are happy about it!!! They answer to Donald Trump and Putin and they want to tear our Democracy apart!!! How can we let them? I know that I will vote because I always do, but my vote will be negated by the republicans because there are so many of them where I live. What else can I do to help our Democracy continue? I am so angry and absolutely terrified by these people!!
Peggy Freeman, I feel your anger and fear too. And wonder what is the best thing to do. I am exploring that. One thing though, Peggy I try to keep in mind and you just reminded of, is that positive sustainable change is only possible after great suffering jolts us awake. So these strong emotions are waking us up, so that we may be able to unite.
Peggy, you said what I was thinking much more eloquently than I could have so thank you! My child is in the military and about to deploy for six to seven months (he can’t say where to) and if they shut down he will not have the ability to stay on top of the government to make sure that he possibly gets paid back while he risks his life for free until they stop squabbling. I also have people that I know who depend on supplemental benefits and live paycheck to paycheck and don’t know how they are going to get by. I thought that the republicans were pro life but they are willing to let pregnant women and children go without while the republicans play games in congress (and elsewhere) and this shows their true colors. Republicans have wasted time and taxpayers money just trying to find something on Biden and have decided to go after his son instead and look at things that happened before Biden was ever in the White House. It just doesn’t make sense anymore.
Anon, I am sorry that your child will have to work for free. It is nonsensical. Please know that I, and many like me, thank your child for their service to our country. I pray he/she stays safe. It is a very sad state of affairs in our country right now. M Tree just encouraged me to stay the course, wake people up to what is happening and hopefully unite to defeat the enemy within.
How ANYONE that pays taxes can vote for these radical right magats is PATHETIC! They don’t care about serving the public , they lie, cheat and propagandize to the public. There are NEVER ANY POLICIES. Magats are the party of
Pro BIRTH
PRO WALL
PRO NO.
Easy that way. Their marketing gets all the idiots to vote for them as many against their own interest. I wonder how many air traffic controllers vote magat?
Teres, you identified their policies: lie, cheat, and propagandize. They use those along with gaslighting, misdirecting, failing to follow through, and a few others they have in their tote bag. I too, am amazed that anyone votes for them. It must have something to do with party loyalty or family connections or just plain laziness, I am not sure which. In any case, They are as far as I can see, pro anything that will:
hurt a lot of people, particularly people of color, LGBTQ+ persons, immigrants, and women; anything that will make it look like they stand for something (Trump going to a non-union shop to supposedly try to win over union folk); corporations that can be conned into making huge donations to the Republican districts for something frivolous but public; making it look like they supported a program for their state that they voted against; committing acts that should be seen as treasonous, but somehow come off as something else in their minds and their followers' minds (January 6th); and so much more. They don't need to have any policies when the three: lie, cheat, propagandize and the others work so well for them.
Well, I hope you’re right. Recently, the class that I teach in a local college was reading essays on human nature, by Hobbes, Locke, and others, which posited diametrically opposed views of the subject - one that human beings are predominantly selfish and destructive and another, that they are generally good-natured and altruistic. I just hope that the later view prevails in this sad state of affairs.
I suspect *many* GOP turds in the House (and some in the Senate) want to delay or crash government as fast as possible SINCE THEY ARE CRIMINAL TRAITORS WHO CONSPIRED OR VOTED against Biden's electoral college confirmation, then begged Trump for pardons PRE-EMPTIVELY. I am sure many of them are already on Jack Smith's prosecution target list.
The shameful list comprises Trump's closest congressional allies: Republican Reps. Mo Brooks of Alabama, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Louie Gohmert of Texas, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. Plus, of course, John Eastman.
Let's hope they are convicted and imprisoned before the 2024 election is done.
And 300 others, at least. Reports differ as to who begged for pre-emptive pardons. Afaik, none of them got one. #MangoWanker only helps those who can help him in the FUTURE
You are so right about #MangoWanker, he is ONLY about himself and no one else. I can only wish they would lock his rear end up now, and not later. He has tried and failed so far to get his ''Delays'' in the trials. He needs to be jailed, NOW!
To be honest, deep down i don't believe he will go to prison either, i hope he does, but hope isn't good enough. I too hope it's not at Mar-a-wanko, sometimes i call that place, Mar-a-Lardo. I would prefer that they would house him in the middle of the Everglades along with all the snakes and alligators there.
Sorry America you deserve this for continuing to vote for a Republican Party that has been stolen by the vengeful religious nutcases. We have a similar problem down here in Australia for which we can blame the influence Billy Graham left behind him when he came down here in the 1960s !! And we didn't learn either !!
Let's be clear. That little bunch of childish House members are NOT bringing down the country. McCARTHY is letting them do it. The rest of the GOP in the House is letting this happen. THIS IS ALL ON THE GOP and no one else.
Because Congress was not purged of those who violated their oaths of office by refusing to certify President Biden's win, we are now being attacked by tfg's sycophants. There are serious weaknesses in our government that allow total lawlessness. tfg still runs free, while running his mouth. Where else is this allowed to happen? There are enemies of the country running amok; holding seats in Congress. Like I mentioned before ; George Santos is the tip of the iceberg. the illegitimates should be out, as soon as possible. How many in Congress are legitimate? Can the Senate launch an investigation? Is this a National Emergency that our Commander in Chief can remedy? End Citizens United! Stop the crooked justices on the Supreme Court! I wish we could do a General Strike! They are almost forcing us to! See if THEY want a pay cut!
Laurie Blair, as your post so passionately embodies, it is a "hair on fire" moment for all of us. It is an emergency! Pull ALL the fire alarms! I was disappointed the other day when I heard Gen. Milley say/imply that all of the military service people will always adhere to their oath to the constitution. This is a wishful statement but not rooted in the truth of what happens when people are under imminent threat to themselves or their family. People abandoning their oath has happened everywhere in every country during ruthless takeovers. Communicating the severity of the threat we are under, can only be done by speaking courageous truth passionately, as you have done.
M Tree : General Milley is encouraging awareness of what real patriotism is! His life has been threatened by a guy who calls active duty military "Suckers" and pow's "losers". A guy who never wore the uniform.
This crisis is due to Citizens United. Below is my letter asking for help from Senator Feinstein.
But I am asking you for help too, Professor Reich.
Please work to pass HJR54. It’s achievement will also be your greatest legacy, because anything less will be a failure- a big fat F!
Dear Honorable Senator Feinstein
My Teamsters Local 70 and my Alameda Central Labor Council are both in strong support of HJR54, the We the People Amendment. We as Labor and as Citizens have suffered under Citizens United for far too long, and HJR54 is the best and most comprehensive way to overturn this terrible SCOTUS decision.
You have asked me to keep you informed about my concerns. This is mine, and my Union’s, single biggest concern because it has created a power imbalance in the USA that is at the root of every unsolvable problem, and keeps government dysfunction at a crisis and crippling level.
Please reach out to Pramila Jayapal, lead sponsor, and work to get the Senate version of HJR54 introduced now.
This is a long term project but it must start now in the Senate, and it will ultimately be your greatest legacy because it alone will restore good government, of and by, We the People, though it will take multiple Congressional sessions for it to pass- much like the struggle for Women to gain the right to vote!
Nothing is more important than restoring the US Constitution back to We the People!
Thank you, and highest love/respect, Lawrence Abbott (of Resist Trump Tuesdays at your SF Office)
As President Biden said in his dedication of the Library in John McCain’s honor, In Tempe, Arizona on Thursday 9/28/23, ” They are attacking the military—the strongest military in the history of the world—as being “weak and ‘woke’.”
the MAGA cult is calling our Military Weak and Woke.
Maybe it’s time for our Military to show these radical Republicans just how Strong and Historically Knowledgeable they really are. Our Military has taken the oath to defend and protect our Constitution and our country just like the FPOTUS and these Republican politicians.
They need to take a step back and remember how many men and women have died protecting our nation! John McCain was and is an American Hero!
The FPOTUS of the United States is an American Zero!
The President is as serious as a Heart Attack when he said “There is an extremist movement that does not share the basic beliefs in our democracy: the MAGA Movement.”
“There is no question that today’s Republican Party is driven and intimidated by MAGA Republican extremists. Their extreme agenda, if carried out, would fundamentally alter the institutions of American democracy as we know it.”
As Joyce Vance has coined, (We Are All in this Together!) We have the most Pro Union President in history. We all need to form a Country Wide Union to stop this madness! Vote them out while voting is still legitimate!
Everyone should watch or listen to President Biden’s speech in Tempe, Arizona. Or read HCR’s Substack. And always read and listen to my favorite podcast, Robert Reich.
So astute. It all makes me feel ashamed of being an American.
Margaret, oh no, that is just exactly the way those MAGAs want us to feel. That way, they can warp our Constitution and laws even further and they hope we'll say, "I'm so ashamed of this nation and there is nothing I can do about what is happening." I am angry that the Republican Party has coordinated a self-decline in favor of fools like Trump and Kump and the rest of MAGALand. The cult members no longer even think about what they are supporting, but close their eyes and hold their nose, and push through into the outright stupidity that the Party has chosen to become. The Democratic Party may have its faults, but there is no honest comparison today between it and Republican MAGALand and its pathetic inhabitants.
Yes mam, Ruth Sheets! We need to sing out "I am an American and I am proud of this great nation!" The republicans can go pound sand. We need to unite in our belief that we can and must do everything in our power to rid our government of these right-wing MAGA lunatics!!! That should be everyone's purpose who believes in our Democracy when they head for the polls.
I love this!
Donald Hodgins
Writes Donald’s Substack
5 mins ago
I've been a baller for more than 65 years. However, the term Robert is referring to is vastly different from my reality. During the Summer months, I get up every morning before dawn and walk the grounds of the golf course in my neighborhood and rescue lost golf balls. After I have accumulated a good quantity of the expensive little jewels I give them by the thousands to a friend who distributes them to people in need who have a true love of the game. I'm known as "Baller" Bob. Now, the "Ballers" Robert is calling out are a destructive element within our government that shows little interest in anything but causing chaos throughout every aspect of our country. A bunch of "Chicken Littles" have taken up residence within our political system and their sky is falling. Between Trump, McCarthy, Comer, and Jordan the lumps are many, and if you ask me an improvement. This group heads up a movement determined to tear down something untold number of our good people have given their lives to uphold and protect. The "Ballers" Robert is talking about is a clear and present danger to us all., and Admiral Greer would posthumously agree.
Your post began with a great compare and contrast that produced a grin I needed! I remember my son and nephew as little boys going on to a golf course, fishing a ton or so of golf balls from the pond and proceed to sell them to golfers. The management chased them out. I guess they were known as little ballers. I’ll tell them how one can be a grown up baller. To the point at hand, I recall all those good ideas that came to fruition under Robert’s tenure with the FTC for the common good. It really makes me mad to think how politicians can screw things up.
Carol--Espically if they support Trump.
What do you mean?
The thing that gives these sad MAGA adherents any happiness at all it seems, is "owning the libs". How sad are their lives when rejoicing over making others suffer is all they think they have left? I'm angry at them...but at the same time, I pity them for the poverty of their imaginations.
I think that Americans should be ashamed of our foreign policy over the years, and catering way too much to the rich. Our imperfections run deep. But point taken: feeling unworthy is different from psychologically healthy humility. The former can be used divisively, to conquer a people's spirit and grab their power.
And that's exactly what appears to be happening these days. Demoralizing a nation to conquer it is a very old story.
You said it, Ruth Sheets! It's impossible to deal with MAGA Rethuglicans because they adhere to no moral code that I can discern, they love the limelight — and themselves — and they glory in Un-American positions. They're dangerous nihilists and a threat to our democracy.
Yes, dangerous nihilists who love to be in the limelight so much that will create havoc with no positive ends just to be recognized.
You got it!
Amen.
No need to be ashamed of being an American. Not even (I don’t mean you!!) of being a (traditional) Republican. It’s the Trump Party pseudo-GOP that needs to be very very very ashamed. (AW, a liberal democratic Brit.)
Most of being a traditional Republican is a smokescreen for what's being said out loud by your "pseudo-GOP." Even if there ever was integrity in the conservative vision, it is no longer applicable now. The world is changing too fast. There is no place for wanting to turn back the clock or slow things down or keep things the same. The problems in the world today demand a willingness to grapple with inevitable changes. The two-party system should be centrist and far left. The current right-wing extremists have been driven crazy because there really is no place for conservatives by any description in today's world. They are dinosaurs and the sooner they go extinct the better off we'll be.
The change that drives the MAGA movement is the shrinking of the white man’s world. a reality pill that is very hard to swallow for many white Americans.
Could the shrinking be all in their heads? Too much Fox News perhaps? Technological change is challenging for everybody, and anger is a self-defeating response. Instead of being a good Shepard Trump is a wolf in disguise. Calling him Donald Duck is too kind to him.
Trump is a monster, but he's certainly not a "self-made" monster. He's been enabled since childhood. And many parasites are riding on that monster's back.
Truth, Earl Wynn.
Yes, it's like the police. Of course, there are lots of "good cops," likely the majority of them. But they protect the bad cops, so they are, in the long run, no better. That's why I give only a grudging, "you done good" to Liz Cheney. She voted with the MAGAts and the rest of Trump's agenda 93% of the time. So I need to give her an "Atta girl!" for the ONE time she felt they had gone too far? Nope.
That’s not my point. And by the way you can’t make US society some kind of centre-left panacea just by thinking crossly that it ought to be. Unfortunately extrapolating ‘correct’ attitudes & outcomes from the world of today as described by you is a fantasy exercise - sadly.
Adrian, The entire party has gone along with this lunacy. No. There isn’t your imagined “traditional” republican anymore. The point Andrew makes is that he entire populace is center-left. There is NOTHING extreme about the left wanting livable wages, affordable medical care for all, restrictive gun laws, women’s right to choose, on and on. It is our outdated and outrageous electoral colleges that forces the popular vote elected president to lose to the minority winner.
Still not my point.
Getting any sense of shame from Republican politicians these days is near impossible. They don't know what shame is. They are like a bunch of bullies running around the schoolyard, with no supervision, having their way with everyone. To feel shame you need some sense of ethics or morality. They have none and that's the problem. For some reason Republican magas ,, malcontents, have elected the absolute worst they could find to put them in political office. The entire thing revolves around destroying the federal government. The Republican Party these days revolves around hate like tornados revolve around Oklahoma. In a sense that's very sad.
So the question is what do we do? We need to make sure everyone votes blue. Ask your friends and relatives if they want to live under a dictatorship and if the answer is yes they are maga. If the answer is no tell him they need to vote and bote Blue no matter what and no matter who they're voting for whether it's local dog catcher or the president of the United States and of course anything in between.
Thank you. A reasonable and educated comment. Unlike SeekingReason who has a long way to go in their search!
As an aside, as a Brit / European, I love their idea that the whole US populace is left wing!!
Do you EVER read the entire comments? The country is Center / Left as 70% of the populace wants abortion rights, health care for ALL, gun restrictions. These are left wing ideals. You only think you know the US. But you can’t admit or even know when you are so wrong. I doubt you know the media conglomerates here (so called “main stream” media) is almost entirely owned by the far right. That's where you seem to get your arrogant comments.
Once again, like MAGAs, you can’t produce a fact. Just whine and whine because I refuse to go along with your BS. Note: my comments have 10 likes, 8 etc. Yours have none. Get a clue! Your sanctimonious behavior is laughable and only you think you’re impressive. Now go on your way and do some studying.
Don't be! The MAGAts make up only 40% of the 25% that are registered Trumplican! That's a measely TEN PERCENT. Just because those "fucking morons" are THE loudest voices, does NOT mean they are not still a fringe minority group.
AMERICANS are more PROGRESSive than ever before, as logic dictates.
I know right? What part of protect our constitution and our country don’t they understand?
VOTE THEM OUT OR "ANNIE, GET YOUR GUNS". Ever wonder why they don't want to pass gun controls? Corrupt people need them, and if we are not careful, will they use them? GOD is my Master. But I shall stand with JESUS, Michael the Archangel, and all the Angels and Saints against Satan and his crew that reminds me of very hungry fish in a feeding frenzy looking for bait. With whom do you side. Choose now, for time is short.
Right you are! That speech is exactly where Biden needs to be. I had to do a search for it last night. But it was well worth while. I think I searched "Biden speech Mccain." It came right up. I join in recommending it.
Biden in his worst moments is head and shoulders above the Trump word salad. I notice that Trump's media comments seem like they're sounding more coherent lately (at least the few I've seen). That's a dead giveaway that someone else is writing or editing them (Junior? Stephen Miller?).
I think Biden should also discuss the basic functions that government does to make our lives livable and that we often take for granted, like air traffic controllers and TSA agents to keep flying safe, food safety inspections to ensure that we are not sickened or killed from the food we eat, etc. Trump and his cronies want to replace the capable civil servants who perform these essential functions with incompetent toadies whose only qualification is loyalty to Trump.
Oh gawd. How clueless is much of the public. Sure, after 40 years of void Biden could start trying to educate the public. The media, our education system, and even our government itself, certainly haven't. Not to worry. Amazon will save us. If the American public doesn't get a better grip on real world realities, all bets are off. Alternatively, a certain level of consensus among America's power elite post WWII has steered the ship of state. There is no such consensus today on guiding principles and values.
How many generations removed are most of us from being taught real civics in school?
Well, ya know. I like my government class but they didn't teach the nitty grits details of how to pass a real law. I've had a recent education in this - and I think everyone needs to go to their state capital and start talking to their reps. In person.
Agree.
If school rankings were in part based on whether schools did voter registration , that would change things fast. We measure what we really value. Lip service for the rest.
What do you mean by whether ‘schools did voter registration’ - Just curious. Also how would it be implemented to affect school rankings? Worth hearing more about your idea.
To broaden it, I assume that the orgs that do high school rankings don't include civics in any way. If whether a high school conducted voter registration for eligible students (being a citizen and often 17 1/2 years of age or older) was included in the metric for judging the quality of a school then school administrators would defnitely make voter registration (or civics more broadly) a priority. But it isn't and they don't. The system is working IAW the incentives that are valued. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/articles/how-us-news-calculated-the-rankings
School rankings are so rigged. They send our emails to students to vote for their schools because it will make their degrees more valuable.
I am against perhaps all 1 to N rankings. It's all BS. But as long as it's being done.....
A bigger conversation. Credentialism et. al. Lao Tse and all.
It’s been 23 years. No Child Left Behind legislation was the beginning of the end. I retired in 2016. At that time, NO American History, Am Government, Civics, Economics was taught in elementary school. It was one half of one nine weeks in 9th grade and one half of one 9 weeks in 11th. Although, my grandson in 8th grade told me he learning about the Civil War this year.
Just a personal opinion, but I always loved having a large poster or bulletin board trim of all the Presidents of the United States. Glad I retired before Trump was “elected”.
Thank you! I appreciate the insight. When I attended a high school parents night for the AP Government class my daughter was taking in early 2000s, I assumed that the instruction would include information on actual civic engagement and responsibilities. Well, no! Based on the teacher's responses to questions from other parents and friom myself, it became clear the main purpose was to teach to the AP college credit test given at the end. Most parents were fine with that. I was not against saving that aspect either, but I too naively expected that enthusiasm for real knowledge and responsibilities of citizenship would be included as well. My civics lesson from that night was the majority of local taxpayers were getting what they wanted for their children, but that did not make it right.
That is clever of you to say!
Maybe Kamala could get up in our faces on TV and perform a series of lectures that remind us what basic needed functions our government performs - right now through to the election. Where is Ross Perot when we need him. I was captivated by his step by charts he used for explaining different government functions making clear to me what others were were saying in the debate. I don’t know what type of president he would have gone on be become.
Do you think our military will stop this authoritarian aggression? I know they will not engage on American soil. Is this attack by these extremists enough for them to step in? Our military is not weak or woke (whatever that is)!
Peggy Freeman ; Woke is awake ; and it is nothing to be ashamed of!
Yes! I am awake!!! I will agree with anyone who tells me I am woke.
Remember hippies and goth? So if somebody's kid wants to have purple hair and cross dress, ok, none of my business, none of your business, I hope they are happy and find love.
Oh my goodness! I was indeed a hippie and can remember how freaked out my mom and pop were! It was just teenage angst just like goth. I agree that it isn't anyone else's business what someone wants to do about their hair, their dress, or who they love. Those are individual private decisions and NOBODY has any right to tell you otherwise!!!
True, but it is important to point out what Republicans mean by "woke": they use it as a term of contempt and derision towards Black Lives Matter, women rights activists, LBGT activists, climate change activists. Anti-wokeness denies full citizenship to these groups. It is a typical fascist stance.
The right wing media profits from demonizing everything uplifting in our culture. It's emotionally enjoyable to their audience of impoverished souls. It's pure scare tactics, and triggers the old fear of bullies from childhood, because these mongers are loud and angry, and SEEM powerful. The rest of us absolutely have to take the reins back in our messaging!
Peggy, I am hoping our military will not ever actively get involved with Republican insanity in its own little MAGALand. We do need to let the military and all its service personnel know, that we expect them to be loyal to our Constitution and people no matter who is president and what kind of orders are handed down. We are not the place where coups happen even though Trump did try to orchestrate one which was only thwarted by some seriously brave Americans who had the courage to say "NO."
I know there were brave Americans who said "NO" to trump's attempted coup, but will they be there next time? If he takes over, who will prevent him for demolishing our Democracy?
What will the professional military do if they don't get paid and their kids don't get lunch at school and their health insurance wont pay the doctor?
Mimi, what will the Republicans do, they will do what they always do, whine, complain a lot, blame the Democrats just as their Baby Donnie tells them to do, then vote again for the jerks who did it to them in the first place. It is a kind of break from reality. They can't handle that their deity has proven to be a fool, you know the Emperor has no clothes.
During military training, enlistees are taught to recognize the definition of war crimes, and which orders should not be followed. However while on active duty service members are to avoid political discussions due to importance of unity. (Based on information from a family member who joined Navy in 1990s.) We voters, citizens, political leaders, etc. have the responsibility for change. Are we supposed to ignore our responsibilities while expecting those in military ranks to do what the rest of us will not through peaceful means? Mlitary leaders at highest levels did seem to understood risks posed by Trump, based their statements after he was out of office.
Mike Huckabee
Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007
This guy shook me to my core when he said,
“If these tactics end up working to keep Trump from winning or even running in 2024, it is going to be the last American election decided by ballots rather than bullets”.
If what he is saying is true our military will have to protect the American people.
Not if his daughter is in power.
Whatever that is! Has anyone yet seen a solid explanation of woke that becomes an Aha! moment?
I have never understood it. The little man in Tallahassee uses it on average 300 times a speech!! Apparently, the republicans think it is a slur to democrats and to me that is laughable. I have always understood woke to be the opposite of asleep. Republicans are asleep every time they go to the polls and elect these idiots to represent them! Democrats are awake to what is going on in this country and are fighting it with every thing they can!!
Nice piece!
However IMHO, I prefer "SCROTUS" as the anatomically, anagramatically apropos descriptor:
S-upremely C-orrupt R-epublicon O-peratives T-errorizing [the] U-nited S-tates.
It fits the seditious 6 to a "T." The other 3 get a Progressive pass.
We need at least 3 more P's in robes.
Do you want to help Florida rid itself of Matt Gatez? We have a great candidate who is stepping up to the plate. She is one to vote for - and against Matt G. Her name is Gay Valimont. Let's rid our government of these no good zealots.
It was a good speech.
That was an excellent speech, his best yet -- 1 of the best presidential speeches I've ever heard -- & one that badly needed to be given.
And he sounded very cognizant. Because he was a stutterer as a child he occasionally has a little trouble getting his words out but he’s definitely cognizant.
Yes, he is and somehow his bit of stutter does not bother me because he is cognizant and also has good organization at times - except of course when mixes up the occasional date or names. I was ill with a hormonal dysfunction that eventually required having a hysterectomy. The hormonal imbalance created a speech impairment where my mind was not cooperating with my speech (or the other way around) and I sounded disconnected. Imagine, I tried to keep teaching, hoping it would level out, but it didn’t so I took sick leave. I felt devastated. And it took awhile to regain my speech and confidence.
I feel for you Carol. All you can do is take it one day at a time.
Keith, spot on addition. Well done.
Having 14 more months in Congress to destroy our nation from within is a big MAGA advantage. They also have 14 months to shift the blame for shutdown misery on Democrats.
You have some good points but calling in the military is what I believe a junta-and that is exactly what I think MAGA wants----can't be sure who is in the military these days even though they are suppose to protect the ordinary citizens..........
Why haven't the insurrectionists in congress been charged and taken out of congress?
Matt, I think we all would like to know why insurrectionists are still sitting in Congress, and without indictment or formal charges. I am disappointed that Trump wasn't even charged with insurrection by the DOJ. I think I heard there was a reason, but if he were tried for that, he could be removed forever from any chance of being in public office again without the ridiculous crap about "can he serve if he is elected and in jail?" That has to be the most appalling question anyone can ask concerning a president of this nation.
The media like to mess with our minds! chaos and confusion serve their purposes
I would like to know that as well!
Same here. The ones in Congress should have been charged 3 years ago.
I have heard some people say that they have to be convicted in a court of law of insurrection before they can be removed. "Presumed Innocent" is BS with these bums! Doesn't Merrick Garland have the ball to charge them? Why hasn't he done so?
Matt in DC It is an atrocity! that seditionist, rapist, psychopathic trump was not imprisoned for some of the worst crimes we’ve seen against our own country. Trump is qualified for the death penalty and although I know that won’t happen, it should.
We have a good candidate to run against him. Help Florida - to help everyone.
If they shutdown the government, I think this will end up destroying the MAGA in Congress! So a government shutdown may end up doing some good! But I still pray that a shutdown doesn't happen.
They are like cockroaches and seem able to survive any and all things that in other, more sane times, would be political suicide.
The states of the wrecking crew will have disasters and they'll whine for federal aid. How'd you like to be the one to tell them "I'm sorry, but some idiots shut down the government. There isn't much we can do, but here's a roll of paper towels."
Dave, Oooo, I like the paper towel idea. It would be a fitting response. I'd feel bad for some of the residents of the state, but it is they who keep choosing to vote for people they know are idiots who care nothing for them. I keep wondering if they do that so they can cry to Democrats who are sure to help them but they can blame Democrats if there are problems some other time. That way, they can keep their beloved idiots in a job while holding them accountable for nothing. And folks thought it was people of color who cheated the system! Nope!
The paper towel was in response to little prince Donnie's utter lack of respect to Puerto Rico after Maria. A low IQ constituency will invariably feel intimidated by anybody with a functional brain. I was in Riverside, CA when Louis Vandenberg ran for the house. He has a PhD, which should tell you right off that he wouldn't stand a chance without taking a masters level course in dumbing down. Those poor fools kept reelecting Ken Calvert. Those are the clod heads who don't want their politicians much smarter than them.
Dave, yes, it was so pathetic that the best Trump could do was to toss paper towel rolls to desperate people in Puerto Rico when what they needed was everything else. It is amazing that Republicans cleave themselves to total ignorance over intelligence of any kind. Is it they are so intimidated by educated people they can't stand it or that they think natural ignorance Trumps education that people have to work for or is it just that they themselves want to be bamboozled by the con artists among us like Trump, Greene, Boebart, Gates, Comer, Gosar, Cruz, and their ilk to the point they can't even imagine actually getting what they need, being heard, getting good things for their kids like education and health care? I am no longer as sad for them as I was because they can see what a jerk Trump and Kump are and if they open their ears for a short time, they will hear that he makes no sense and that he wants a Nazi-type dictatorship here, somehow thinking they will be the jewel in that authoritarian crown. What they will really be is the slave laborers just above the immigrants and disabled persons in value to their beloved Donnie. They don't know history except that it is supposed to be white. Is it even possible to communicate effectively with the Trump Crew? I am having my doubts. They are so sure they are suffering far worse than anyone else, they are being put upon by the "woke folk" although, of course, they can't even define what that means and don't care. They have chosen cruelty over caring yet claim to be sooo Christian. They don't even know what Jesus stood for and I suspect wouldn't like it much if they did. Where does that leave us? There appear to be so many of them and they get so much attention since conservative corporations own the media and just about everything else. Ugh!
Those states and the "leaders" who represent them know full well what they are doing. Their culted followers live in the moment and are impervious to reasoning. I'm reading "Post Truth" by Lee McIntyre right now. It's a brief history of how we got this way. Scholars have pointed out that our rampant disinformation may have begun early on, with the tobacco, and later, the fossil, lobbies. Those political perverts purposely tried to convince their customers that 2 + 2 = 5. It's truly despicable, and there's no level in Dante's hell low enough for those SOBs.
Now they're trying to do it with our government. The agonizing problems that Dr. Reich talks about all stem from Big Money. They are and always have been the real "influencers."
Same question as last time - why won't they invoke the Constitution Article 6 paragraph 1, Amendment 14, Section 4? Second question: what's the use of having a body of written law, the Constitution of the United States, if we aren't going top uphold it?
I wholeheartedly agree with every word you wrote!! That is my question as well. The politicians take an oath to uphold our Constitution. There are guidelines in the Constitution to address these things. Why aren't they being used?
Peggy, I suspect that Republicans have their fingers crossed mentally as they are touching the Bible and holding their hand up to swear or affirm the oath. They lie about everything else, so why not at least to themselves, that they didn't actually swear the oath in their heart, or some other such excuse. Republicans are good at excuses too.
Their lawyers are good at rationalizing too. Looking for a technicality, or interpretation that suits them. Then there is William Barr's favorite : semantics!
Great Washington Post article about Judge Chutkin who will be hearing the Federal Jan 6 case: https://wapo.st/3REM9ki
Thank you Randy. Good to read about Judge Chutkan. Made me feel like she’d be a good neighbor, the one you can call on in a moment of need, but who has her own life and wouldn’t be all up in yours. A sensible well rounded, intelligent, thinking person who knows wrong from right but has few illusions about what humans are capable of doing. A good woman, the salt of the earth. I feel safe in her hands. I can trust her judgement whether I agree or not. A stand up patriotic citizen in the best ways.
I am sitting here wishing that she was my neighbor instead of the retired San Diego judge and her retired attorney husband, who have been part and parcel of the ongoing surveillance of my house and family for two decades 24/7. I know I have written of our reality before. I thought trying to speak to them kindly would bring everything to light and some type of action to stop it would take place. No response but a tacit acknowledgement; I resorted from my car window when she and her husband positioned themselves to say to them loudly and angrily how awful it was to be stalked. When they positioned themselves at the sidewalk or alley signaling they had been told to be there laughing at me.
Ya... A real nice bio and a true standup person. Glad you liked it.
Randy: Thanks for posting this link to the Chutkin article.
Thanks for posting the link allowing us to read the article about Judge Chutkan. I used to get daily delivery of the WP years ago, and read it cover to cover.
Thank you for your response. I wasn't actually sure if the link would work....
Exactly Fay! This is our biggest frustration. We merely ask to apply Constitutional law and other laws that everyone else would be expected to abide by. Something really stinks about this. We need to know why. This law is clear and fully applicable.
Fay. Not familiar with that article. Can you help us less educated what you mean? I’ll go back and look it up, I’m not adverse to research.
Fay Reid ; Yes ; as we have an oath of office that means zilch!
Agree with all this Robert. Shut didn’t hurt the electorate most of all. But the problem with the government is we only get to vote between 2 and four years after the crime the gop typically creates. People forget quickly. As the Media distracts , people feel beholden to their family and party ties, people get confused.
If we, like the Brit’s and Denmark , had a vote of no confidence in govt and a vote to disband the govt until a coalition agreement to lead is reached , we would not be paying for dysfunction. This is an improvement to democracy we badly need. It would not allow irresponsible politicians to remain in office. We pay twice , once because lobbyists corrupt the politicians who continue to stuff their pockets , and twice because they stay power even as they wait to be voted out of office and get nothing accomplished. We give them a free pass. This has to be changed. Not sure how that could happen but the constitution did not foresee this happening in colonial times whereas the more recently established democracies like Denmark did. Go see the movie Borgen for a lesson in modern governance. Thanks. J.
I like this idea of having a vote of no confidence. I don't have any confidence that these small band of republicans will work for our Democracy.
Peggy, and the larger band of Republicans isn't working too hard for this nation either.
Jay, I don't think it's that easy. The UK, France, Italy, and other democracies have had their fair share and more of incompetent leaders. They can get a vote of non-confidence, but the next guy may be just as bad, and we have seen that. Democrats do have to step up the publicity about the shut-down being 100% the fault of Republicans and we should not be too particular about who is included in that. If there were really "good" Republicans in the House, they would have stood up by now and made some noise. They haven't! Blaming just Charlie (I mean Little Kevvy) McCarthy is a bad move because he did not pull this off by himself. He is just not quite crooked enough. He is getting there, though. Trump and Kump are working the strings behind the curtain and not so far behind the curtain. The spotlight needs to be directed on Trump and his handlers (Yes, Trump is not bright enough either, and he is not getting better).
Well put. A change in government allowing votes of no confidence will help.
A further restriction on religious interference in government is necessary.
Again I’m not sure how this could be accomplished. Equalizing party representation might be one way. Another is ranked choice voting that could bring coalition of governments together to agree on principle. Maine has already voted ranked choice. Other states need to follow.
Jay Corvan, I agree with you that we need to do something different but I agree with Ruth that it is not that easy. We can make small or enormous changes to the process, but I believe they won't make a lick of difference because the root of the problem is rampant individual and collective egos (such as in parties, donor circles, etc.). If we want better outcomes, elect leaders with smaller egos.
So we need a cultural change. We need to emphasize compromise and tolerance as family values as important as freedom and responsibility.
Jim George, yes true I agree. I think we need to dig deeper than we traditionally have. What I am talking about is compassion and strong feeling of connectedness to all human beings (well other beings too). And therefore, one has little need to harm others or neglect the harm of others. Role model that in more families and other institutions, then we will see more rapid change.
M Tree --Yes, thank you. The way we think as individuals and what we believe about ourself and our fellow humans is what drives our actions. We need to upgrade to a new OS before we self destruct.
Yes, ranked choice voting seems to work well in states where it has been implemented.
Margaret, I think it is an interesting idea, but I haven't read enough about the pros and cons. My first reaction is that it may give more opportunity to cheat to those who wish to do so, but I don't know if that's true. Also, I wonder if the concept obscures the fact that an individual person must mostly follow the party wishes (well big donor wishes). I think we need to tie individuals more to their large lack of power because they must mostly vote the party line. So that's a concern for me also.
Hey m tree. Not the issue here. Dintbes tnthiz to devolve into personality issues. That’s a problem we can’t solve. But remember Nothing worth doing is easy. Clearly what’s set up to regulate the party system in place is set up to favor the predominant parties. The question is what’s the best way to solve it. Will those predominant parties ride the wave to the end of democracy so they can crow that they won the battle but we all lost the war. Not such a good end result. I’m against that happening because it’s too hard to change the system.
My thought options today ( ha) are to 1) either fix it through the party system or 2) to fix it within the states that could then transform the voting apparatus, so that means .
Oh sorry about the spelling. I’m not checking my writing enough. Of course it’s my phones fault!
Jay. Corvan, can you elaborate? haha I am not sure what you mean by "Dintbes tnthiz".
Well I don’t know how to fix this exactly. This is something other countries have worked out abd far it from me to understand the mechanism involved. It’s probably requires a restructuring of our democratic infrastructure and may require constitutional articles. But it requires the opposition parties to create a coalition before they govern. Then if and when they blow through those agreements and violate the agreement , as they usually do, they emergency brakes are solid , they disband the government and reorganize their coalitions. This way all parties get done of what they want abd horse trading is done and reported on before they govern.
Jay, it sounds good, but it has lots of problems too, like small parties creeping in around the edges to throw everything off. They have to calculate percentages as we do. I am not sure that is any better than what we have. It seems to me what we have could work if all three branches of our government were functioning as they are described in the Constitution. Lately, our Supreme court has decided it is more important than the other branches even though its justices are less than stellar jurists. Because the legislature has chosen to be a kindergarten playground for Republicans, the executive branch has had to move into executive orders to get anything done for the people of this country. That could be fixed if there were a desire to fix it.
Also I think that the creeping around the edges is a problem the dems have capitalized on. The Democratic Party is not of one solid block now. It’s really three parties , maybe more. There are the progressives , the far left bomb throwers, and the solid middle road dems. The dem party has tried and succeeded keeping them under the tent but many are unhappy and many legitimate interests get bulldozed by “ creeping party “ worries. Why not split the party as it should be.
The gop should do the same. We are evolving and we should realize it ! Far right bomb throwers , conservative old school gop , middle Indy’s. All these could be coalition parties. Even if we can’t find a way to do this in national party system , at least we could have transparency within a party system that horse trades with its different factions that everyone can see !
My question is probably ridiculous, but aren't the majority of Americans right in the middle? I mean centrist means in the center of the spectrum and I was always taught by my mom and pop that most of the people in this country whether they are republicans or democrats agree or more things than they disagree on. I don't know how that would change anything. I guess I always thought of the silent majority as being the ones in the middle.
Hmmm. Not sure even with all three working that it solves the money issues , government representation for sale. And the time lag between overt misrepresentation and elections.
Of course citizens united repeal would help 🙂 but still there’s a lot of dark money influence out there that is contrary to electorate interests. Corporations are not people. Banning 401c4’s ( political non profits) sound only solve some of the problems.
It takes a parliamentary system & a minority government to push through a vote of "no confidence."
America's 2 party system makes a minority government impossible.
Maureen; funny, as we already have 'minority rule'! The money 💰 rules!
Yes thanks Maureen. I’m somewhat aware of this I don’t know the mechanism for change, but maybe that’s the problem that we need to address. I’m not sure a complete restructuring is necessary but we might have to convince the two parties ( one of which is actually now valid) to allow for this or face the obvious dissolution of democracy, door shuttered. It would be in the interests of other parties , Green Party, indeed deny party, and the old conservative block. Having only one live party is as close to democratic death as you can get. The other party has devolved into nihilistic bomb throwers. But there really are other parties out there. But they’ve been trampled by the dems.
If we gave all existing American parties a level seat at the table then we’d let people decide which party gets their vote then we’d have a Working government. I know this sounds naive. As it is now we are looking at the obvious choice of having the best government money can buy ala lobbying , or no government at all via gop nihilism. Not too Much of a choice and the dems are jerking us around and pretending they are the only voice that matters. I can say by observation that younger kids hate the party system , and are angry that no one is allowing their interests to be realized. I’m angry about this too, and I’m no admirer of an all or nothing governance . It’s obvious that the two party system is fractured and we need to apply a splint to the limb. I think leveling the party system is one answer.
Once again the "Republicans" are showing there true colors. They have spent this entire year doing absolutely nothing to benefit the America people, they have constantly had one investigation after another which ate up taxpayers money and resulted in nothing, agreed to things in June and now have walked back what they agreed to. Have time and time again claimed Trump did nothing wrong on January 6th, 2020, but all ran for safety when the Capitol was stormed and over flowed with "armed"rioters, but stand behind that jackass. They are all in on destroying democracy and the "GOP" are nothing but a group of overgrown 2 years old that are crying over spilled milk because their idol and best person in the world Donald Trump didn't win the
election, so we'll show you.. we'll shut down the government.. that'll show you!!!! All they are doing once again is hurting people across the United States by their selfish stupidity...the "GOP" is nothing but a group of "GRAND OLD JERKS", that have a paycheck and insurance for life on the backs of the America people who they don't give a damn about...
I like the 'Grand Old Jerks' moniker! I also read one the other day that called them 'Greed Over People'. Both are very good names for this group of idiots.
Peggy Freeman, long ago, I came up with Greedy, Oppositional, Pathological. The last word has a fill in the blank after it.
Peggy Freeman, P.S. When I say GOP, I mean the party machinery, many of the elected and appointed, big donors, and the compensated public yellers ; I don't mean the voters.
You are right, M Tree. There are many republican voters that do not agree with some of the party machinery, the elected, appointed, and big donors.
Peggy Freeman, yes I agree. Some of the people I love vote Republican and I wouldn't describe them as such. ( Misguided, yes.)
Peggy Freeman, I forgot to add compensated yellers to the machinery.
If those republican voters still vote for a republican, then they should be included. They give support to the machinery. And if they aren’t speaking out against this Fascist party, they are part of the problem.
SeekingReason, I see your point, however, there is a massive power disparity between the machine, a collective, intent on manipulation and exploitation ---- and the voters, individuals, some who are manipulated and exploited by some slick marketing and do not benefit even close to the same degree, as those in the collective. I agree; I want more R voters to speak out and some are, which is good. More probably will as time goes on. And some voters won't and are dangerous and will use their own power in much the same way the collective does, sadly.
After 40 years, I’m not buying that excuse at all. All one has to do, is listen to trump speak. If a person can’t figure that out from the way he speaks, it’s all on them.
SeekingReason, it's okay with me, if we disagree. I was viewing the GOP machinery as a whole and over time, from when Gingrich was the speaker onward to the present and it seems you were viewing it more focused on the former guy. Which is fine. Some R did not vote for the former guy thankfully because they got it, but still voted R the rest of the ticket, sadly. And some begrudgingly and some gleefully voted for him. It may seem like I am excusing behavior but I am not. I'm saying that, they are not as responsible for the outcomes as are those in the party machine because of the tactics used non-stop against them. If they were aware of and understood the tactics and the reasoning behind them, they maybe would vote differently.
That's a KEEPER !!GOP= Greed Over People!! I'm using that from now on.
Kelley, as a former teacher, nanny, and babysitter (at different times), I have noted the toddleresque behavior of congressional members of the Republican Party for years. I know name-calling is not always helpful, but it can be enlightening at times. The Republican name for the Toddler Caucus is the "freedom Caucus" which proves they can't come up with accurate names for anything. I now consider the current House of Representatives when Republicans are on board, the kindergarten (or toddler) playground, depending on which stage of early childhood is being manifest at that moment. How does one even begin to negotiate with toddlers? Everyone who has experience with kids knows it is really hard and the child often can't remember what he/she/they have agreed to. Just like Republicans.
"Historic footnote: Jimmy Carter’s attorney general Benjamin Civiletti ruled that the FTC could not continue operations during a period of 'lapsed appropriations' — the first legal ruling requiring a shutdown due to a lack of congressional funding."
Not that it necessarily would have turned out any differently, but this was correctly not the Attorney General's call. The matter, a simple separation-of-powers dispute, shouldn't have been put before Civiletti. or he should have kept out of it because it was properly decided by the federal courts, up to and including the Supreme Court, with the Solicitor General arguing on BEHALF of the Executive Branch and the FTC's attempt to function without funding in response to a suit filed by the House of Representatives alleging an attempt by the Executive to circumvent the House's constitutional power of the purse.
Somebody, or many somebodies, were asleep at the switch.
Avi, thanks for the info. It brings back memories, not particularly good ones. I can't help but wonder this many years removed who paid off the guy who should not have even been able to make such a ruling. It must be my jaded self, but the ruling helped a lot of rich folks and hurt a lot of not so rich folks, just what the rich guys ordered and it probably didn't cost much.
Thanks, but it’s less info than merely a layman’s view of the matter. I just don’t see how what Dr Reich described could possibly have been within the purview of the A.G.
What the FTC was doing then is the same stuff that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau founded by Elizabeth Warren is dointg today, and for its efforts is constantly in the same cross-hairs from the same stripe of people that tried to torpedo the FTC forty-three years ago.
This is absolutely insane!! What is happening to our country? I have been appalled at the things that have been happening! We had a woman's right to choose - that was taken away from us. We were becoming a nation of inclusiveness and diversity - that is being taken away. Our children were able to go to school without fear and read good books - that is being taken away. Children were not going hungry - now they are. People were happy and our country was moving forward but now people are killing each other and attacking our Capitol! This all boils down to one man. One self-involved narcissist telling lie after lie after lie. Because of him, the crazies came out of the woodwork and stoked his lies, believed his lies, and began to take over school boards, county commissions, the House, and the Senate. Now, because of a small band of them in the House, we are facing a government shutdown and they are happy about it!!! They answer to Donald Trump and Putin and they want to tear our Democracy apart!!! How can we let them? I know that I will vote because I always do, but my vote will be negated by the republicans because there are so many of them where I live. What else can I do to help our Democracy continue? I am so angry and absolutely terrified by these people!!
Peggy Freeman, I feel your anger and fear too. And wonder what is the best thing to do. I am exploring that. One thing though, Peggy I try to keep in mind and you just reminded of, is that positive sustainable change is only possible after great suffering jolts us awake. So these strong emotions are waking us up, so that we may be able to unite.
Peggy, you said what I was thinking much more eloquently than I could have so thank you! My child is in the military and about to deploy for six to seven months (he can’t say where to) and if they shut down he will not have the ability to stay on top of the government to make sure that he possibly gets paid back while he risks his life for free until they stop squabbling. I also have people that I know who depend on supplemental benefits and live paycheck to paycheck and don’t know how they are going to get by. I thought that the republicans were pro life but they are willing to let pregnant women and children go without while the republicans play games in congress (and elsewhere) and this shows their true colors. Republicans have wasted time and taxpayers money just trying to find something on Biden and have decided to go after his son instead and look at things that happened before Biden was ever in the White House. It just doesn’t make sense anymore.
Anon, I am sorry that your child will have to work for free. It is nonsensical. Please know that I, and many like me, thank your child for their service to our country. I pray he/she stays safe. It is a very sad state of affairs in our country right now. M Tree just encouraged me to stay the course, wake people up to what is happening and hopefully unite to defeat the enemy within.
register Democracts to vote. Contact your local Dems committee and LWV. google your questions. Volunteer to be an election judge.
Wondering where all those people at $ packed sporting events get their $ and how or even if they vote??
How ANYONE that pays taxes can vote for these radical right magats is PATHETIC! They don’t care about serving the public , they lie, cheat and propagandize to the public. There are NEVER ANY POLICIES. Magats are the party of
Pro BIRTH
PRO WALL
PRO NO.
Easy that way. Their marketing gets all the idiots to vote for them as many against their own interest. I wonder how many air traffic controllers vote magat?
Teres, you identified their policies: lie, cheat, and propagandize. They use those along with gaslighting, misdirecting, failing to follow through, and a few others they have in their tote bag. I too, am amazed that anyone votes for them. It must have something to do with party loyalty or family connections or just plain laziness, I am not sure which. In any case, They are as far as I can see, pro anything that will:
hurt a lot of people, particularly people of color, LGBTQ+ persons, immigrants, and women; anything that will make it look like they stand for something (Trump going to a non-union shop to supposedly try to win over union folk); corporations that can be conned into making huge donations to the Republican districts for something frivolous but public; making it look like they supported a program for their state that they voted against; committing acts that should be seen as treasonous, but somehow come off as something else in their minds and their followers' minds (January 6th); and so much more. They don't need to have any policies when the three: lie, cheat, propagandize and the others work so well for them.
Teres, " PRO NO" party, I like that. No to the people, yes to their donors!
Airplane 3?
Well, I hope you’re right. Recently, the class that I teach in a local college was reading essays on human nature, by Hobbes, Locke, and others, which posited diametrically opposed views of the subject - one that human beings are predominantly selfish and destructive and another, that they are generally good-natured and altruistic. I just hope that the later view prevails in this sad state of affairs.
Which side do you take on those essays about human nature?
I don’t take sides - my primary objective is to ascertain, through collaborative discussions, if and how well students have read the assigned texts.
I suspect *many* GOP turds in the House (and some in the Senate) want to delay or crash government as fast as possible SINCE THEY ARE CRIMINAL TRAITORS WHO CONSPIRED OR VOTED against Biden's electoral college confirmation, then begged Trump for pardons PRE-EMPTIVELY. I am sure many of them are already on Jack Smith's prosecution target list.
The shameful list comprises Trump's closest congressional allies: Republican Reps. Mo Brooks of Alabama, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Louie Gohmert of Texas, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. Plus, of course, John Eastman.
Let's hope they are convicted and imprisoned before the 2024 election is done.
Gym Jordan?? He should be on your list too, and so should that Lauren Boebert of Colorado.
And 300 others, at least. Reports differ as to who begged for pre-emptive pardons. Afaik, none of them got one. #MangoWanker only helps those who can help him in the FUTURE
You are so right about #MangoWanker, he is ONLY about himself and no one else. I can only wish they would lock his rear end up now, and not later. He has tried and failed so far to get his ''Delays'' in the trials. He needs to be jailed, NOW!
I have realised that #MangoWanker will never go to prison 😥
An ex-president is entitled to lifetime Secret Service protection. Those agents are not going to live in prison with him
So #Trump will, at worst, be under house arrest on an estate somewhere, hopefully not Mar-a-Wanko
To be honest, deep down i don't believe he will go to prison either, i hope he does, but hope isn't good enough. I too hope it's not at Mar-a-wanko, sometimes i call that place, Mar-a-Lardo. I would prefer that they would house him in the middle of the Everglades along with all the snakes and alligators there.
One thing I have thought about: He will be spending months in boring courtrooms, feeling insulted and abused. 😊
Can we not deduct the equivalent pay from the Cingressional wrecking ballers pay checks?!
All Republican House members.
Sorry America you deserve this for continuing to vote for a Republican Party that has been stolen by the vengeful religious nutcases. We have a similar problem down here in Australia for which we can blame the influence Billy Graham left behind him when he came down here in the 1960s !! And we didn't learn either !!
All for missiles! Hallelujah!
Let's be clear. That little bunch of childish House members are NOT bringing down the country. McCARTHY is letting them do it. The rest of the GOP in the House is letting this happen. THIS IS ALL ON THE GOP and no one else.
Because Congress was not purged of those who violated their oaths of office by refusing to certify President Biden's win, we are now being attacked by tfg's sycophants. There are serious weaknesses in our government that allow total lawlessness. tfg still runs free, while running his mouth. Where else is this allowed to happen? There are enemies of the country running amok; holding seats in Congress. Like I mentioned before ; George Santos is the tip of the iceberg. the illegitimates should be out, as soon as possible. How many in Congress are legitimate? Can the Senate launch an investigation? Is this a National Emergency that our Commander in Chief can remedy? End Citizens United! Stop the crooked justices on the Supreme Court! I wish we could do a General Strike! They are almost forcing us to! See if THEY want a pay cut!
Laurie Blair, as your post so passionately embodies, it is a "hair on fire" moment for all of us. It is an emergency! Pull ALL the fire alarms! I was disappointed the other day when I heard Gen. Milley say/imply that all of the military service people will always adhere to their oath to the constitution. This is a wishful statement but not rooted in the truth of what happens when people are under imminent threat to themselves or their family. People abandoning their oath has happened everywhere in every country during ruthless takeovers. Communicating the severity of the threat we are under, can only be done by speaking courageous truth passionately, as you have done.
M Tree : General Milley is encouraging awareness of what real patriotism is! His life has been threatened by a guy who calls active duty military "Suckers" and pow's "losers". A guy who never wore the uniform.
Laurie Blair, yes he is a great role model
M Tree : We all must wake up and stay awake ⏰! The enemy does not like 'wokeness' because they want to own us! They want to kill us in our sleep.
Laurie Blair, yup or in public to instill fear in others,
This crisis is due to Citizens United. Below is my letter asking for help from Senator Feinstein.
But I am asking you for help too, Professor Reich.
Please work to pass HJR54. It’s achievement will also be your greatest legacy, because anything less will be a failure- a big fat F!
Dear Honorable Senator Feinstein
My Teamsters Local 70 and my Alameda Central Labor Council are both in strong support of HJR54, the We the People Amendment. We as Labor and as Citizens have suffered under Citizens United for far too long, and HJR54 is the best and most comprehensive way to overturn this terrible SCOTUS decision.
You have asked me to keep you informed about my concerns. This is mine, and my Union’s, single biggest concern because it has created a power imbalance in the USA that is at the root of every unsolvable problem, and keeps government dysfunction at a crisis and crippling level.
Please reach out to Pramila Jayapal, lead sponsor, and work to get the Senate version of HJR54 introduced now.
This is a long term project but it must start now in the Senate, and it will ultimately be your greatest legacy because it alone will restore good government, of and by, We the People, though it will take multiple Congressional sessions for it to pass- much like the struggle for Women to gain the right to vote!
Nothing is more important than restoring the US Constitution back to We the People!
Thank you, and highest love/respect, Lawrence Abbott (of Resist Trump Tuesdays at your SF Office)