What a shitshow the republican party has devolved into. It is beyond frightening, and I am applying for Irish citizenship. The hate in this country is disgraceful and we are careening towards 1933 in Germany. I have voted, and will continue to vote, but with the electoral college still in existence, we may end up with the same situation as 2016. As long as states that have the power to elect a president who are uninformed and chose to elect a president who is clearly uninformed and dangerous, we are devolving into undoing rights for women, LGBTQI individuals, anyone who is non white and not a christian, who only represent less than 40 percent of this country, we are doomed. I realize that is a run on sentence, but my brain isn't functioning, just like the republican party. WE NEED TO MOBILIZE INSTEAD OF WATCHING FROM THE SIDELINES. What has happened in Florida is a blueprint for what will happen to the United States if DeSantis is elected. He is dangerous, hateful, and is on course to end the rights of anyone in order to play to his base. Enough is enough.
The Republican party brain is functioning just fine. I'd even argue they are playing a sophisticated game of 4-D chess. I mean the best way to pivot a democracy into a authoritarian state ruled by Christian fundamentalists is to bamboozle half its citizens into supporting their very own oppression.
This is straight from the religious fundamentalism playbook-- convincing your subjects to cheer on the banning (formerly burning) of books that are based in facts, science or simply opposing viewpoints. Vertical Morality programming (you are good, only God is above you, and those who do not serve him are beneath you, unless you can save them by teaching them this motto).
And of course, believing that the above can't be true since their elected officials encourage them to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights to protect themselves from tyranny-- as if they would stand a chance against a militarized govt-- when in fact it simply provides easy justification for law enforcement to neutralize armed "threats" first, ask questions later.
Republican party leaders know exactly what they are doing. They've created the illusion of freedom in the very people whom they control. This is the sophisticated way to maintain the Status Quo.
Sadly, it's a paradoxical closed loop for the citizens who support their agenda, and they cannot be reasoned with. When a person has been brainwashed successfully, you cannot convince them that they've been brainwashed successfully.
I'm thinkin' blackmailed - kompromat. Whether CIA or KGB makes little difference for our purposes here, 'cause it's just as likely to be ol' Tweety's own little side hustle, for sale to the highest bidder. Consider this: ol' Tweety is/has been the impresario of hotels, gambling casinos, golf courses, and beauty pageants - all of which are traditional mafia hustles that were >always< in the pockets of such agencies. Indeed, state secrets notwithstanding, I'd be interested in finding ol' Tweety's stash of kompromat. I'm >convinced< such a stash exists because - based on the principle of Occam's Razor - it's the simplest explanation for why all his Republican toadies kowtow in the direction of Mar a Lago.
Ol' Tweety >definitely< had access to those who patronized his hustles, and he >clearly< knows the nature of sensitive - translate marketable - information - along with a remarkable, >international< "Rolodex!"
The kompromat Trump is using to keep Republicans in line is probably partly what Putin has gleaned from their intelligence & partly what Trump has gotten from secret government documents (much of which he has naturally passed onto Putin in exchange for the kompromat Putin has given him).
Oh, I have no doubt he's "been in bed" with all of 'em! But I doubt he >serves< any of 'em. There's only one person on this old planet he serves. Everything else is a utilitarian transaction.
If he is the object of kompromat himself, then Trump will serve the one who holds that kompromat over him, which is why Trump keeps all communication between him & Putin secret, & why he does pretty much whatever Putin wants him to.
Agree with all of the above, but at what cost? They are marshaling in mandates that violate many rights given to US citizens, mainly free speech, the right to have peaceful assembly, and freedom of religion. The right is shoving their, THEIR, beliefs down our throats. The republican party is a shitshow, with all of their posturing while sexually assaulting women and deny the right to form our own thoughts by reading. It is reminiscent of the Nazi party of 1933, and we are heading into very dangerous territory, if not already there. Voting doesn't work with the current electoral college, with weight given to areas that believe this garbage that are sparsely populated. The proliferation of guns in this country is out of control, with those sparsely populated areas believing that guns are the answer. No one is coming for their weapons, but the scare tactics employed by the republican party fuel dissent, dangerous dissent, as evidenced by January 6th. They don't practice what they preach in any fashion. Don't like the results of an election? Overthrow the government. Don't like someone's religion? Shoot up a synagogue. Don't like someone's race? Murder people in a house of worship who welcomed you in to participate, REGARDLESS OF YOUR RACE. We look like fools to the rest of the world. New Zealand had a mass shooting, and enacted stricter gun laws in a week. A WEEK. This country is out of control, and I prefer to read the news instead of watching it due to shooting after shooting after shooting. They may be sticking to a script, but at the cost of peaceful person's lives.
But, sadly, we have to worry about said "militarized government" now being fully on the side of the fascists and NAZI despots. :(
Ever notice just how many of the current and former military service peeps in this land are blatantly, and obstinately far rightwing extremist in their 'worldviews'??
It is so sickening and terrifying for them to ignore their oath to THE CONSTITUTION, and NOT to a 4th REICH dictator, that it goes well beyond just Goebbels Nooz (Faux) being played incessantly in every military outpost/base/PX/etc. in this land.
I was mainly speaking about the 'rank and file' of our military.
Hopefully, General Mark Milley totally and fully regrets walking alongside the SCUMp SHITler to that church in D.C., after the putrid orange fuehrer ordered him to clear the streets to do so. ;)
digital_everest, let's not forget the narcissistic psychopaths who don't like anything more than being in the spotlight, no matter how or why. Remember Rodger Stone? He's their poster child.
I am applying for Canadian citizenship, i have took the citizenship test and i passed it easily. I really like Canada, but the logistics of moving there kind of scare me. Oh well, i will deal with it especially if TUMP or DeSatan wins next year and either one of them is elected dictator of the USA. The hate in the United States and even in the neighborhood i live in has became unbearable to say the least.
Is there a good one? In the field of potential candidates it is really tough to find anyone with the qualifications worthy of even running for the office of the President. The Republicans who have thrown their hats in the ring are oblivious to the problems our people are facing, all they can address are political issues that have gone unsolved for decades. Biden and McCarthy are going to get pummeled from both sides over their solution to the debt problem. There is absolutely no consensus from either side on anything. This is turning into a new rendition of the "Tower of Babel" except this time they all speak the same language. There are just too many petty groups that can't come to any agreement on the correct path to follow, leaving our government wallowing in its own political mud. What is really disturbing is seen in the Republican's concerted effort to make the Biden administration fail in every effort they put forth that would be good for the country. The economy, abortion, crime, education, and inflation should be at the forefront of both party's agendas but these issues are being given back stage significance because of the Republican's endeavor to harm over what should be their desire to find answers to our problems.
I find a sense of inherent danger in the upcoming election cycle. No matter what we do the MAGA crowd isn't going away, for these people are devout Trump supporters. What concerns me relates to the degree of savagery this group exhibited toward Donald Trump and their desire to protect this man's image at all costs. All the violent acts that have shown signs of being politically motivated originated from within this group. If you doubt this, ask Nancy's husband. There is a real potential for violence directed toward anyone that poses a threat to Trump. I don't want physical harm to befall anyone, even if they are Republicans. Looking at the MAGA's devout allegiance they give to this man, in my mind there is no limit to the extent they would go to protect him, including acts of violence. They are a very unstable group of armed individuals. Who would anger them more an advisory that they have been battling for years or a traitor, new to the fight? As Democrats, the far-right extremists have been a cause for concern for some time and we have learned to deal with them as the situations have called for it. Bring in a whole new line of individuals that attack Trump from all sides showing absolutely no verbal mercy, what new levels of anger will develop within this group of supporters that will view assaults on their leader as something to violently oppose? A traitor is far worse than an advisory, what extreme levels of retribution will they seek? I don't wish for anyone to be harmed in a confrontation that should only use words to wound, not weapons, thank you Cher. I really feel there exists an actual level of danger to those running against Trump, perpetrated from within the Republican party itself. These people are unstable nightmares who view our world as not being theirs.
They want the government to fail so that they can install a Leader--someone like Putin or Orban. For them every election is stolen if it does not yield the desired result.
NOT that I am relishing the thought, but sometimes it is necessary to become a Maccabee Warrior, like the brave souls who fought in the Warsaw Ghetto Resistance, or that band of brothers in the movie, "Defiance". ;)
I have felt the same way get out of the US. Guess what that is exactly what MAGA wants. Don't give them what they want. We MUST win back control of the 21 states controlled by MAGA.
Getting harder now that Republicans are getting better at gerrymandering everything. Take Ohio (already illegally gerrymandered) who is now trying to push an August ballot (even after they just voted to no longer hold them) to try to increase the votes it would take to amend the constitution all because they are afraid of the abortion issue that might possibly come up on the ballot in November. I only say “ might” because I predict that the Republicans will try to make as many names as needed to invalidate it so they can reject it from being placed on the ballot. They should also do something about guns but it’s funny how they say that blue states are crime ridden but are really quite when people get killed by guns in their own state. I don’t like the debt bill currently being offered either but I don’t like our country going into debt either. The only reason Republicans are so against it is because they want to try to blame the White House for defaulting. What ever happened to the days that the people we elected to office actually trying to work for us in a bipartisan way instead of trying to suck up to a man who doesn’t even understand or believe in half of what he is saying. You can apply that to a lot of the people currently try to run for the presidency too.
Yes the Rep. are gerrymandering, but so are the Dems. The good news is that Independent out number both parties. 39% of all voters are Independent 32% are Dems and 23% are Rep. We have the numbers to boot them out of office in every state they control. We must work together to get the word out in every state. I am hoping that through substack, FB and Mastodon I can reach people in every state and ask them to reach out to the voters in their states to start a movement. I don't know what state you live in I am in NJ. Would you be willing to help with this effort?
I am in Ohio and the only reason I cannot register as an independent is because the election board told me that if I register as an independent I can only vote on local issues in primary elections and not for candidates unless it is a presidential election. Fun fact: growing up in the 70’s I thought that I was a Republican but as I got older I became more of a democrat when I didn’t like the direction the republicans were going (and it has only gotten worse) but now I see myself as more of an independent. I want to leave a better world for future generations but I get frustrated that I can’t vote for who/what I want when I want to. I don’t do social media and this is the first time I have ever joined something to comment but Robert is usually reading/speaking my mind. I would help if I could. I just don’t want to see any of the republicans get back into office with the way they are currently thinking at this point and I am afraid that Kennedy now joining the race might split the ticket and cost the democrats to lose. Still looking for a good candidate who wants what is good for the U.S. and can leave a better world for the future generations as well as work in a bipartisan way. One can only dream.
I am also an Independent, but only because most dem pols are not left enough for my likes.
Sadly, some of those 39% are Indie because the current RepugnaF**KS are actually not far extremist rightwingnut enough for THEM (as impossible as that might seem)! :(
Let us hope that they are a 'vast MINORITY' among said Independents, but my point is that not ALL of that 39% can be counted to be on OUR side. ;)
Welcome. You will survive the logistics no doubt. Be prepared that Canadians also have political battles, partly inspired by the American ones since American issues and culture are so close to us.
On top of which; IF this land goes totally outright FASCIST, what is to stop the despot in power from going after those of us who have fled north trying to escape said 4th REICHism??
Did mere borderlines stop Hitler from going after and obliterating the 'others' he loathed so ferociously?
Elon’s rocket was as successful as his truck windows. The fact Twitter is now worth ⅓ what it was when he bought it, IS PROOF THAT BILLIONAIRES cannot be permitted. It is obviously not being operated with realistic commercial objectives.
My father is American and I thank God every day that he decided to settle here. I look around my family and the sickness we have and think none of us would own our houses. Cancer and heart treatement for free,, free prescriptions or cheap. Nor does an insurance company decide your treatment. If you ever need advice contact me. Chris O'Brien landorfwaldo@gmail.com. I had the opportunity to get American citizen ship and do not regret not applying.
I used to love this country, and what it stood for. I don't anymore. The treatment for my disease cost $15 THOUSAND a month. I don't know where you are receiving free cancer treatment, but the only reason my mother received excellent medical treatment for her cancer was because she was a veteran. My grandparents settled here, and my parents worked to get an education. Two of my three children received college degrees, but thee student l9an debt we now have is astronomical. My disease is terminal, and my husband and I have decided to forgo funeral expenses to be cremated and put into trees. We should be harnessing solar power on every home, but the cost for solar panels, again, is astronomical. Electric and gas companies are fueling killing the environment over saving it. And, don't even get me started on lobbyists. My parents served honorably in the USN, and my brother just retired from the USA. My niece still serves. Am I proud of them?? Absolutely. Do I believe in this country? Not anymore.
I live in Canada. As in most developed countries on the planet we have health care for all citizens. My mother and sister in law all passed from cancer receiving excellent treatment. I have had heart surgery and never paid a nickel. There is only one country that will force you into personal banruptcy for becoming ill. Republicans in the US want to cut medicaid and any health care. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG-3JtRfm5M&ab_channel=TheMajorityReportw%2FSamSeder
I just CANNOT blindly support, be 'community with', and feel compatriotism with people who want nothing more vehemently in their lives than abject, outright, genocidal fascism in this land, and will do everything in their power, and expend all of their energy, to make that a reality. :(
When I hear those "USA! USA! USA!" chants at SCUMp SHITler's NAZI BUND MEETINGS, they might as well be "SIEG HEIL SIEG HEIL" arm throwing chants.
Single digit numbers might be giving too much credit to those who put that NAZI harpy Magda T Goebbels (and all of her 4th REICH demanding fellow PUTSCHers) into power.
I tried. I marched, I signed petitions, I wrote to my senators, donated to worthy candidates that were not even in my district, educated my children about what rights they deserve, donated to causes I believe in, all for books to be banned and removed from libraries, for right wing nuts to continue to murder innocent people, for women's rights, voting rights, and LGBTQI rights to go down the toilet. I have had enough. I am tired, and I am sick (literally), and, more than anything else, I am fed up. Elected officials, taking donations from supporters, who, once elected, DECIDE TO SWITCH PARTIES? They are changing the rules as they go along. The SJC? What a joke. "I will respect the precedents previously set..." ACB. The crime family of the Thomas's, who are plain grifters, and Ginny?? She's a criminal who hasn't been prosecuted. Brett "I like beer" Kavanagh assaulted her, and we all know it. I am beyond disgusted that people who we SHOULD hold to higher standards have set the bar so low it's on the ground. And, Kevin McCarthy?THE SPEAKER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO GROVEL TO GET THE VOTES TO HOLD THE POSITION. I am a pissed off almost sixty year old woman who has tried to do good throughout my life, and just wish our elected officials would do the same. Instead, it's a race to the bottom.
I admire your energy and activism, and I understand your frustration. I am sure you've already had an impact. You must be patient and persist. Much of what you do is education, and it takes time to bear fruit. You could now focus on a specific issue, such as maternal health and its impact on the child.. How about Medicare for child-bearing and the infant child? It would have a great, positive impact on the nation. The country's future is in womb of the mother-to-be. Best wishes!
What!!! I am in the medical field and treatment is as good as where you live in this country and what insurance you have. I have brother who is crippled from a back injury because insurance put off approving the surgery for way too long. And another member who lost his leg up to his hip because Kaiser kept refusing to investigate! Our medical system is going down hill fast and so the insurance companies.
Insurance is the "middle man" you don't need between you, and your doctor, that you pay money to for no reason. Between medical expenses, and frivolous lawsuits - Medical expenses would go way down without them.
I am currently in a shocking bright blue area, and even HERE, the fascists are attempting to take over school boards in order to push their rightwingnut agenda on everyone else's kids, thereby hoping to turn even this left progressive area into NAZI Germany, eventually. :(
I may be a Democrat. But I see no reason to teach little kids about sex. They need to LEARN and learn FAST. The rest of the world is passing us up in education.
My mother taught me ALL about sex and my body when I was five years old. She wrote books on the subject, actual books, that were published by MacMillan. By the time I was fifteen, I was shocked at how little my peers were informed, yet shunned girls who got pregnant in high school. As a mental health practitioner AND a probation officer who specialized in sexual offenders, predators are out there, and children should be educated not only about sex, but also the rights they have to protect their bodies.
I am Canada born but now a naturalized American. I will tell you that I have relatives in Canada who like Trump and support the conservative Christian home school, anti choice. The whole shebang. So it is really an echo of what goes on here. They are in rural Alberta and support big oil.
I agree wholeheartedly with your comment. I am of the belief that it is not all about Washington DC but the 21 states that a GOP controlled. We must win a bipartisan control in these states. The governor and legislators are the one passing draconian laws affecting millions of residents. BTW it takes 5 years to get Irish citizenship. A friend of mine just came back from Ireland trying to get dual citizenship.
I totally agree with you that Americans need to mobilize BEFORE we end up like Nazi Germany.
Many Americans are not engaged in meeting the challenges of what is happening and are willing to take a back seat in politics. We need to participate in our democracy or it could be lost as a grand experiment that ultimately failed. Don't sit back America! Get involved or you could become pawns and not even have a vote. Fundamentalists, evangelicals, and conservatives could be controlling every aspect of your life. People stood back in Germany and were afraid to speak out. They saw what was happening and it started with extremists, just like we are now seeing in Congress, and the Germans allowed the persecution of the Jews and it escalated from there. There is much hate in this country, but DON'T GIVE UP and give in to republican extremists like desantis, cruz, boebert and the many others.
The Press is one of our largest problems. Really lopsided reporting, with too much focus and/or repetition on any topic they think will capture the general public's attn.
Exactly ! Americans need to get off their rear ends and into the streets to show their resistance to these wannebe dictators. The French, who enjoy one of the best social systrms in the world, continue to do so because they're always prepared to mobilize for their rights ...
It makes me question just HOW MUCH of this whole country REALLY DOES want, and vehemently desire full-on fascist despotism, to the point of, and replete with death camps/death squads for ALL of us 'others'?!? :(
I keep hearing that NOT every RepugnaF**K in this land is an outright NAZI, and that most are at least semi-sane, and reject the bulk of genocidal fascist ideologies, and that it is just a hyper-vocal, apoplectically rage filled minority causing all of the bluster dust storms.
Go to a right-wing site like Newsmax or Breitbart & you will be overwhelmed by pro-fascist, pro-authoritarian, antidemocratic zealots believing in the most bizarre conspiracy theories & seeking civil war & the annihilation of "Demonrats" & "libtards", & there are literally hundreds of such sites throughout the internet even more extreme.
I KNOW all about that shit, but I myself just cannot bring myself to ever watch or listen to those EVIL Goebbels/Goering propaganda wannabe 'outlets'.
I just have too much on my plate currently to add any extraneous agita at all, and I literally get ill when watching even (the much? more tame) Faux Nooz which my 'Kennedy Democrat' dad (who I am a caregiver for currently) sometimes watches in the name of 'knowing what thine enemies are up to'. ;)
My intent was to substantiate your post, not to suggest you patronize their sites. However, it would be a very good thing for them to be exposed to a voice like yours. 😀
With the power & influence of the church & Mom's for "Liberty", the R Party's only hope is to control future generations. DeSantis is not using his Campaign of Hate to simply control the rights of the "others", it's to control future voters. It may work in Florida but the rest of the country is watching. They've invaded my state of SC school boards & are quietly making subtle changes.
With school & mass shootings on the rise & being blamed on mental health, WHY would DeSantis remove specific books with social emotional & inclusive teaching from the curriculum? While Texas wants to replace certified & degreed councilors with untrained in education or child psychology Clergy.
With NO Background checks!
What Could Go WRONG??
I've retired from teaching, but SO want to jump back in with both feet!
Absolutely agree, but the current conditions in schools may lead to an increase in your mental health declining. You need to take care of yourself, and do as much as you can from the sidelines. As a former licensed mental health professional, all of these changes are not only dangerous, but are grooming our young people to hate instead of educate. Volunteer where you can make a difference. As I am facing end of life decisions with a terminal illness, I volunteer with a hospice organization. I also write my elected officials, and support worthy candidates. It may not make a difference, but it makes a difference to me.
Susan, my husband's grandparents and great grandparents were born in Ireland, and I have told him to apply for citizenship. How do we go about doing that?
I think tRump and Death Santis are tied for being the worst demagogues. They are both dangerous. One advocates the overthrow of government, the other is doing just that in his own state.
I think Dr Reich missed an even greater threat than a Tweety/DeSantis ticket: a third party bid designed to split the Democrats. One person here already railed on about Biden's failure in the current hostage crisis - the debt ceiling - because he bargained away the environment. Such a third party can capitalize on >and exploit< that one-issue-wonder type thinking - just as the Republicans have on religious & sexual orientation issues. The Lieberman/McRory push for a "No Labels" party is a case in point: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/joe-lieberman-and-pat-mccrory-on-no-labels-push-for-a-third-party-2024-presidential-candidate/ar-AA1bzmdT .
Perhaps little ol' Lieberman is the most dangerous of them all!
Joe jumped out of the democrats. Giving the GUP's a leg up on being able to pass bad agenda. He's like a turn coat in the civil war. There should be a law put in place that does NOT allow you to change parties after you are elected. Joe killed everything the Democrats wanted to pass.
I don't know if they said they switched, but if you live in a Republican State. And you want to get elected as a Democrat. You have to lean toward Republican on your decisions to get re-elected. It STINKS.
You should revisit my comment about target voters you just gave a like. On review, I realized I neglected to include the most important part of it. I've updated it with that correction.
Yes, AGREED on all of your points in that comment.
I was just singling out those who actually call themselves Dems, albeit FAR from anywhere near the 'center' right, or are actually registered as such, and that THEY would vote for that disgusting vote deflecting cabal above.
THEY are the ones who either are too stupid to realize they are handing total power to the evil fascists, or worse yet, do not even CARE that is the result of their (voting) actions. ;)
Their target voters would be Republicans that can't bear to vote for ol' Tweety or a Tweety clone and refuse to vote for a Democrat and conservative leaning independents, who could easily be inclined to simply not vote, otherwise. Of course, there's also the disaffected Democrats who decide to vote against whoever they think sold out on their pet issues. >That< could range across anything from environmental issues, civil rights issues, sexual orientation issues, or labor/economic issues - misguided protest votes as a result of this debt ceiling legislation. >That's< the demographic that could >really< hurt.
Yes, I was going back & forth between the two, in the end choosing Trump, because he has a longer, established record of malevolence, perfidy, treachery & betrayal. But what DeSantis has wrought on Florida in a little over 4 years is frightening. And he doesn't strike me as being that smart. Neither does Trump for that matter. They have risen to such power & are so dangerous because their followers & acolytes are so gullible, stupid & craven, yet easily stirred to violence.
"I am your retriBOOOshun" with it's pursed, putrid orifice.
I wonder if (S)Hitler 1.0 ever gave one of it's lectern pounding, spitting speeches at it's BUND meetings saying the same thing, somewhere along it's ascent to absolute power.??
The putrid orange fuehrer will sic all of it's loyal, blood oath loyal, and blood thirsty foaming at the mouth brown shirts on everyone and anyone who has ever said even a slightly disparaging remark about it, and then instruct it's Himmler-like loyal (after IT installs it's pure, devout and loyal fascists in there) DOJ/FBI to NOT even investigate those murders, let alone ever prosecute them. :(
I think he also promised to go after all the prosecutors investigating him. So he and DeSatan are the best the GQP can come up with? But what's worse all all the witless wonders who love these guys. smdh
Writing from Scotland, a very small country with a very small pool of political talent, I dont understand why a country as large as the USA can't get leaders with more integrity?
Maybe the 'left' should take note of the obvious >and emulate!< Start by reconciling the assorted factions within the party and >urge them all< to hold their damn water until the party has successfully achieved the power/position to >serve them all! <
If having both is not simultaneously possible, do you prefer victory or revenge? One option is pragmatic, while the other is a distraction from the pragmatic. Like the old country song lyric about knowin' when to hold 'em and knowin' when to fold 'em says: "There'll be time to count the winnin's, when the day is done."
It may not have made the difference, (especially in the 'battleground states' which out racist, fascist Electoral College has made sure are the ONLY ones which 'count'), but even the small defection to Jill Stein most certainly did NOT help in 2016. ;) :(
That’s the problem DZK, money. I have metaphorically had one foot in Canada since the day Trump was fraudulently elected. These days getting elected to Congress is like winning the lottery. I’m guessing way over half of the republicans currently in Congress are there solely for the purpose of self-enrichment. They couldn’t care less about their constituents.
All they do is pose & posture, say what they think their constituents want to hear & collect donations. It’s a scam to them. They aren’t there to govern. Many republican House members don’t have the slightest idea how our government works and don’t
care enough to find out!
I firmly believe all we have to do is elect enough dems to have the majority in both the House and Senate, along with a dem president. If we do that we can pass laws making ALL campaign donations illegal, allowing only public funds to be used for campaigning, because, think about it--campaign donations are nothing but bribes.
Actually, saying the things the constituents want to hear and passing the legislation the constituents want enacted is >exactly the point< of having elected officials. It just begins to get dodgy when the elected officials set out to cultivate - translate brainwash - a constituency to want to hear and want to enact the legislation they set out to accomplish in the first place. That's as opposed to having legitimate debate and providing valid public information and position papers so that the voters can make up their minds for themselves. It's clearly a flawed interpretation of the 1st Amendment ruling that equates money to speech, because the brainwashing machine is fueled by money - lots & lots of money that is arguably a form of bribery.
Yes. He tells us he Hates US all, and expects to 'win' through treachery. Because he sure does not want to actually appeal to anyone! His ragged, unregulated 'militia' boosted by the NRA and the weapon makers will rob US of our franchise if they can! They want to convert our military and bully the FBI too! Let's hope they don't succeed!
We have a large portion of our population that is angry, and want blood. Which has exposed us to Demagogues, and Fascism in both politics and religion. At the moment, our political system is under siege; by the confused, and angry; ripe for the previously mentioned.
The angry ones are the new high school graduates who are registering to vote in mass. They voted 90% democrat in the last midterms. The kids are our hope for the future!
There is criminality, with 'slow or no' justice and stacked courts with partisan (,right wing' ) 'justices'.! There is little accountability for wrongdoing.
What's his problem? Is it mountains of red tape at DOJ tying him up? Is he afraid that the DOJ will appear "political" by prosecuting Trump and his minions? It's hard for me to understand what's holding him back.
Hand wringing/pearl clutching over "appearing too partisan political" will do him personally, nor any of us any good, when the blood lust fascists take over! ;)
'Civility' will NOT stop the NAZI mob's .223 rounds. :(
Plus there are those who have more money than brains. They can't see the consequences of thei r betrayals of their constituents.. And not following ethics or the Constuttion. Foreign money deals that hurt US.
Because they’ve spent years terrified in school with duck and cover drills while their government sends thoughts and prayers instead of acting on gun control.
They’ve seen their friends mistreated for being gay, trans, or nonbinary.
They care deeply about the environment. Always have since they learned science in elementary school.
Many are terrified by the rights to abortion access being swept away from them.
Plus, the GQP working to stop Biden’s college debt relief has angered the young.
Interestingly, I’ve even seen the children of Republican parents vote against their upbringing. The kids are excepting of the lifestyles which the GQP opposes. They are charged and excited to vote for the first time!
“A more important question than why are they angry?” Is “Why isn’t everyone angry?” Anyone who is not angry is not paying attention.
It's complicated. Many reasons. The more Rats in a maze, the more chaos, they grow in numbers and start attacking each other for survival due to a percieved scarcity of resources.
Might makes right.
As financial currency is now a god and the measure of your greatness and level of security ....they strive for what their percieved survival demands. What they don't realize is that with that with the increase in wealth comes the increase in anxiety which unnoticeably leads to brain damage which distorts their sense of reality in reference to their humanity. Not unlike children with no boundaries. They have become too many with too much control unbridled by the guardrails that a society requires in order to guide them to a more productive end goal.
They have been dumbing down the education in this country for years. They hardly teach civics anymore. It’s no wonder we have a country of illiterates that don’t understand how a government is run, and want to complain about anything that doesn’t fit into their shoebox…
In Missouri they just passed a bill with civics requirements for high schools. Although by the time it hits the classrooms I fear what the course instruction may look like.
The " system"-the money flows - works against that right now. Barely constrained campaign donations. Primaries where more extreme candidates are favored. A deceitful media pumping up the more ignorant and dishonest candidates. How is it Luna FL-13 beats a far better qualified candidate ? Perhaps some of the people we need have been nudged away by a culture which has disparaged government service for decades now. Far better to go make the big bucks on Wall street and big tech. The Big Myth by Oreskes. Much of the American electorate is entirely ignorant of the Fed government and how it affects their daily lives. In that they are untethered from reality and easy prey for demagogues. Things have caught up with us.
No, in this country it's a matter of hiding money. Because of Robert's Roman Catholic supreme Court and citizens united it's real simple to hide black money in the political system. Anyone can do it.
Just think, every religion in this country has a non-profit corporation right behind them. They don't have to pay taxes with the caveat that they may not participate as a religious organization in politics. With citizens united Evangelical churches and the Catholic Church can pass on millions, if not billions of dollars, to Republi-cons without anyone knowing the difference. We used to have separation of church and state.
The churches, along with the rich, are buying the state in order to control the state. This has been going on since the seventies when the Catholic bishops of America declared war on women the day after Roe v Wade was passed. Think about it. Thinking is still free.
J Brown: I wonder this every day, every day. And the silence among the Republicans, total silence and denial, as members of their party violate every understood protocol expected of our leaders. This silence is the most terrifying part of this, for me. What happened to ethics? to integrity? to loyalty to our democratic system? It feels like a nightmare that does not end.
Thank you for finally calling a fascist a fascist, and making that not-too-fine distinction between Trump and DeSantis; for as obvious as it may seem, you seem to have been the only public person to have made it. DeSantis is very dangerous and not even funny. Thank you, Mr. Reich
“As you know, I’m of the view that it’s rapidly turning into a White Christian Nationalist party, divorced from democracy.”
Turning into??!! Good lord, what does it take for liberals to actually call a spade a spade?
The Republican Party **IS** a Christian Nationalist and Fascist organization. Has been for years. Why are liberals so afraid of causing offense they can’t acknowledge that.
When someone has stolen your car, threatened your kids, and tried to burn down your house would you really say “I think they’re turning into a bad guy.”
Exactly!! Christopher! Every time the repuklicans want the candy they start calling everyone else names!! Commi, socialist, gay, .... Stop calling the Fascists anything but Fascist! And put the label on everything they garner.....
Both Trumplestiltskin and DeSantos (puns intended) are demogogues and, fortunately, whoever the Banana Republicans nominate will lose next year, based on historical trends, by 11 million votes. Just remember the GOP (Greedy Old Polluters) lost by 3 million votes nationally in 2016, by 7 million votes in 2020, and if this million-a-year trend continues, by 11 million to Biden-Harris next year and by 16 million to Kamala in 2028!
They are both terrible options and, were one of them to be elected president it would quite literally destroy democracy in America. We can have all the debates we want but the truth is that in either case the country as we know it would cease to exist.
I agree there is no good Republican option. The problem is we are talking to ourselves while they are creating chaos and filling the discourse with lies while we seem to have no media voice The people who are not voting Democrat have completely different information about who’s doing what to whom. Talk to them. They are full of alternative facts. Their radical right perspective is everywhere, while, we are stalled in the garage, mumbling to ourselves.
We might try getting on radical right news conversations. Fox News, Newsmax. Maybe if we are clever, we can introduce new ideas suddenly enough so we don’t get kicked out or deleted. If you try report back here so we can know what might work.
Now I’m really scared. I’ve always maintained that a major economic crisis could provide the impetus for the Christian Reconstructionists to impose their version of a Biblical theocracy on the entire country. DeSantis, who likely sees opposition to the settlement reached by Biden and McCarthy as an opportunity to rescue his failing candidacy, represents the sort of unexpected event that Republicans playing the debt ceiling game failed to anticipate. Regardless, crying bankruptcy will play well into the fears of people struggling themselves to pay their bills. Someone quickly needs to remind people that the Clinton administration actually balanced the budget before Republican tax cuts blew a hole in it, and that a modest tax restoration on the very wealthy would quickly balance it again.
Particularly if they can >arrange< some kind of high-profile "jihadi" false flag attack. That's right out of the movie version of "V for Vendetta." It's how the Christo/fascist administration in the yarn takes control of the government. Indeed, the whole movie plot revolves around discovering and exposing that political manipulation.
DeSatan is scary crazy,and for sure don't represent Florida.All he cares about is culture wars and banning stuff.When Ft.Lauderdale was under water a couple months ago,nobody knew where the hell he was.And he was the one who rigged the vote in Florida.He didn't win a damned thing,he Cheated.And will certainly continue to do so.
What I find funny is he wants to kick all the immigrants out of Florida.And they are the people who tend and harvest the food crops that support our state.So I really wonder if all his "White People"will take the place of those migrant workers later this summer when the crops need harvesting?And yeah,that's a real live joke,if the people who actually live in Florida were doing that in the first place the migrants wouldn't be here at all,they wouldn't have been needed.
We sure as hell don't need that yutz to run our country into the ground the way he's trying to do to Florida.Watch what he's doing in Florida,and heed that warning.
Melissa: Yeah -- Florida agribusiness so depends on undocumented migrant workers that it will be interesting to see what happens to Florida's economy when the strawberries, citrus and tomatoes don't get picked. A huge misstep there. Guess there is a chink in the armor. Wonder how he weasels out of this predicament. No disrespect intended to our weasel buddies.
Desantis is extremely dangerous. He wants nothing more than to proclaim himself dictator of the US. I am going to go to Canada to be with my extended family if he gets anywhere near the White House. Florida is burning and will probably drown during this tropical storm season while he is galavanting around the country. The mainstream media needs to STOP TALKING ABOUT
HIM! They are doing the same thing they did with TFG when he first appeared and look where that got this country.
“So I was alarmed by the decision by Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida to oppose the agreement.”
Really? You actually expected he’d be in favor? That he’d pass up a chance to do some thing that harms the country?
I’d be alarmed if he HADN’T opposed it. It would make me wonder if some physical law of the universe had changed and if water would start flowing uphill.
Every position he takes is a calculation on how to get the extremists & lunatics in the Republican Party to support him. Opposing McCarthy (Trump's man), who is getting lots of backlash from the MAGA base for "caving" into Biden, is a calculated move to shift many in the MAGA base to him from Trump, who has been strangely silent about this agreement (to my knowledge, but I haven't heard much fresh news in quite a while).
I VEHEMENTLY oppose this so called agreement. Accepting it with its ENVIRONMENT DESTROYING promises is CHAOS! Biden had no business negotiating with terrorists! I have called my Rep and Senators and will do so again telling them to vote NO! Biden is NOT a leader. He's as bad as trump when it comes to the most important ISSUE =protecting the ENVIRONMENT. The only difference between them is Biden's not a racist misogynist fascist. The bar has been set too pathetically low. Congress must reject the so called fiscal responsibility act and Biden must use the 14th Amendment. Or be impeached. Dems have to put someone else on the ballot against trump. We all showed up in droves because of the ENVIRONMENT. He has FAILED MISERABLY!
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse should run for President. No one could best him on the debate stage on any important issue you can name. Climate, SCOTUS corruption, corporate corruption/malfeasance, dark money in politics...
What happens when things get really rough with climate change ? When there is a choice between mitigation, adaptation, and disaster recovery and there aren't enough resources ? The people will demand action on recovery and adaptation, and mitigation will suffer. Will our democracy, such as it is, be able to meet the challenge of climate change ? I do agree with this guy. We need more democracy, more accountability, not less. But it depends on a half-way enlightened electorate. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Can+Democracy+Handle+Climate+Change%3F-p-9781509523955
Totally agree. The 14th amendment won’t save us. It will just send the issue into the courts and we know how that is playing Russian roulette especially with media spin. Even broadcast media is owned by the right wing.
For over 40 years the environment has had to wait while the fossil fuel corporations backed right-wing media & Republican Party use propaganda to deceive the public & money & power to pressure the government & manufacture false crises to divert everybody. So what could've been a relatively easy & painless transition to a cleaner, greener society that would've allowed us to avoid climate chaos & mass extinction has become an urgent existential crisis that threatens the whole biosphere & can't sustain any further delay.
Biden didn’t fail at all. He got a deal that stops this nonsense long enough to vote these clowns out of office. He saved his programs and infuriated the Republicans, who got little. He outsmarted the other side with his negotiation skills. This is what we elected him for and he prevailed. The untested 14th Amendment can still be applied if the bill doesn’t pass, but that is going to be a tailspin in the courts for a long time and should be used as a last resort if needed.
Funny, I show/showed up because I don't want to be ruled by fascists. We can work out the climate change problem once >that< threat is mitigated, unless you'd have no problem with fascist leaders who are environmentally friendly!
Nope. According to the IPCC (made up of gov’t officials as well as scientists so it is compromised in its handling of the science by political timidity and/or greed) we have about 6 years before unlivable rises (and rate of increase in them) are baked in. It can’t wait. Luckily there are no environmentally friendly fascists, so you can cross that unpleasant option off your list of worries.
Well not useful politically—people will give up exerting political pressure when there’s no time left. We have a short period to exert all-out emergency pressure.
Snag is, the political reality >itself< is already "baked into" - to use your words - the polity. Supporting the Democrats ensures the >possibility< climate issues are addressed. Voting 3rd party splits the Democratic vote, advantage to the Republicans. And - of course - a Republican win >insures< the climate issue >will< be ignored until it's too late, whereupon the Republicans will blame it all in the Democrats. That, too, is baked into the nature of the two party system.
I'll lay odds that the Republican fallback position for the current debt ceiling hostage situation is to blame the Democrats for having voted to pass the spending cuts in social issues spending the Republicans >did< manage to cram down our throats - just like they did with NAFTA! Ideals are good for plotting the course to the destination we desire, while the fundamentalist >embrace< of those ideals are historically and invariably the sure-fire road to disaster. I'm convinced we're in the mitigation stage of the catastrophe it's already too late to prevent, so my money is on working on a plan B to help mitigate the catastrophe - to help folks other than the filthy rich to survive it.
After all, according to what I've come by, many client scientists are already concerned that the global temperature has reached certain global average temperatures a lot sooner than their models predicted. However, although that's the premise I'm working from - consider it an abundance of caution - I consider all that open for fact check. Please post any results contrary you may come across, and please include links to your sources. Had I foreseen it would come up as an issue, I'd have shown more due diligence in documenting my premise. I may do so later - chase down what supports my premise - which is, admittedly - bass-akward from the way it should be done.
I'm not arguing that we shouldn't vote for the Democratic candidate for president! (Though I think helping out on state and local elections, our own and those in swing states, or purple areas in red states, is a lot more useful.) But we don't know yet who the Democratic candidate will be, and if Biden (probable) who that Democrat will 1) be advised by and 2) think he or she has to answer to. Pulling our punches now is just (literally) suicidal.
Here's a piece I saw last night that'll explain Biden a little better - his purpose - and should be considered with respect to >political< climate change. The phrase "until we start talkin' to each other again" is crucial. Pay special attention to the 2nd clip Hays runs, of Biden speaking. Hays provides a very good commentary/analysis worth the 7 minutes to view the video:
Now, the first 2 minutes & 20 seconds of the next clip are relevant to this discussion. The first part discusses other objections to the debt limit bill. After that, you'll see protesters calling out Schumer over their environmental concern, Ms Goodman mentions that >Manchin< is the protestors' senator, who is pushing for this bill to pass:
Keep in mind, Manchin has no problem with nobbling the whole damn party's agenda if his pet issues are disregarded - and he's >not< an environmentalist. He's one of the mines in the minefield Biden has to negotiate in any kind of settlement, and who would and has knifed the whole party in important efforts. He needs to be handled by WV voters - to my mind, that's where the protestin' should take place! My take, Biden is trying to live up to his effort, not only to win a 2nd term, but to put Democratic candidates and their issues in a more favorable light in order to win more independent, as well as more moderate, less dogmatic Republcan support in elections. I'm not saying we should keep the environmental, social, and economic issues we consider important out of the discussion. I'm saying we first must find ourselves in the political position to accomplish those objectives. There would be far more profit in leaning on the Manchins and other "corporate Democrats" than the likes of Schumer - or even Biden. Indeed, we're more likely to better address the environmental concerns to be addressed if more, bona fide Democrats are elected
I don’t know, Whitehouse’s exact record, but we need a vice president, like Stacey Abrams, one that if Biden gets elected, the Republicans would be afraid if the vice president took over. Biden is not young, but he’s the only one who might be able to defeat the Republican choices. We need a politically savvy, progressive vice president, that can get elected along with Biden. If republicans lose the election, I wouldn’t be surprised if republicans use a Russian solution to getting rid of a Democratic president. We need a vice president that is more progressive, and as politically savvy as Joe Biden, if we want to protect Biden and democracy.
Biden would not drop Harris. I believe one of his biggest mistakes as president is not utilizing Harris to her full potential. I think there is a lot more to her than the country has seen. PR has never been a strength in our party.
Elizabeth Warren fits that description very well. Well, not necessarily so political savvy, but I'd love to see her on a debate stage against Trump or DeSantis.
I love Whitehouse but think he lacks the right VP attributes. He's too intellectual. I don't see the voter appeal. I'd rather see a Cory Booker, though not sure a black male works very well here for the election. Stacy Abrams, sure for electability, though she is not really well qualified.
How is being intellectual unappealing? I personally have a strong longing for that & would love the likes of intellectuals like Whitehouse, Warren or Merkley to be in the White House, preferably as President, but if not, at least as VP. We desperately need their intellect in such critical times. I also like Booker.
Biden is a great president who knows how to lead from years of experience and passion. I don’t know when being qualified for a job became a deficit, but he has proven himself to be a strong leader with fabulous statesman skills and deserves four more years!
Depends a lot on how eminent they already are before being elected. Both Cheney & Biden were quite prominent before they became VP, & had a lot of say in the White House. People like Warren & Whitehouse are likely to have a lot of influence as VP. I really hoped Biden would choose Warren as his VP, but he may have been somewhat intimidated by her.
There are plenty of progressive Democrats who would be more formidable than Biden against any Republican nominee: Sheldon Whitehouse, Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren, Jamie Raskin...
Maybe people who prioritize the environment are in the wrong party since Democrats haven't done nearly enough to prevent environmental destruction, climate chaos, ecosystem collapse & mass extinction, but none of the parties that actually do prioritize the environment -- the Greens, the Progressives, the Socialists -- are big or powerful enough to have any significant influence in modern US politics, & the Republican Party is aggressively anti-environment, so what choice do we really have? Do you really want to alienate environmentalists more than you already have?
What a shitshow the republican party has devolved into. It is beyond frightening, and I am applying for Irish citizenship. The hate in this country is disgraceful and we are careening towards 1933 in Germany. I have voted, and will continue to vote, but with the electoral college still in existence, we may end up with the same situation as 2016. As long as states that have the power to elect a president who are uninformed and chose to elect a president who is clearly uninformed and dangerous, we are devolving into undoing rights for women, LGBTQI individuals, anyone who is non white and not a christian, who only represent less than 40 percent of this country, we are doomed. I realize that is a run on sentence, but my brain isn't functioning, just like the republican party. WE NEED TO MOBILIZE INSTEAD OF WATCHING FROM THE SIDELINES. What has happened in Florida is a blueprint for what will happen to the United States if DeSantis is elected. He is dangerous, hateful, and is on course to end the rights of anyone in order to play to his base. Enough is enough.
The Republican party brain is functioning just fine. I'd even argue they are playing a sophisticated game of 4-D chess. I mean the best way to pivot a democracy into a authoritarian state ruled by Christian fundamentalists is to bamboozle half its citizens into supporting their very own oppression.
This is straight from the religious fundamentalism playbook-- convincing your subjects to cheer on the banning (formerly burning) of books that are based in facts, science or simply opposing viewpoints. Vertical Morality programming (you are good, only God is above you, and those who do not serve him are beneath you, unless you can save them by teaching them this motto).
And of course, believing that the above can't be true since their elected officials encourage them to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights to protect themselves from tyranny-- as if they would stand a chance against a militarized govt-- when in fact it simply provides easy justification for law enforcement to neutralize armed "threats" first, ask questions later.
Republican party leaders know exactly what they are doing. They've created the illusion of freedom in the very people whom they control. This is the sophisticated way to maintain the Status Quo.
Sadly, it's a paradoxical closed loop for the citizens who support their agenda, and they cannot be reasoned with. When a person has been brainwashed successfully, you cannot convince them that they've been brainwashed successfully.
If the Freedom Caucus members aren't Russian agents, they're assets or willing idiots.
I'm thinkin' blackmailed - kompromat. Whether CIA or KGB makes little difference for our purposes here, 'cause it's just as likely to be ol' Tweety's own little side hustle, for sale to the highest bidder. Consider this: ol' Tweety is/has been the impresario of hotels, gambling casinos, golf courses, and beauty pageants - all of which are traditional mafia hustles that were >always< in the pockets of such agencies. Indeed, state secrets notwithstanding, I'd be interested in finding ol' Tweety's stash of kompromat. I'm >convinced< such a stash exists because - based on the principle of Occam's Razor - it's the simplest explanation for why all his Republican toadies kowtow in the direction of Mar a Lago.
Ol' Tweety >definitely< had access to those who patronized his hustles, and he >clearly< knows the nature of sensitive - translate marketable - information - along with a remarkable, >international< "Rolodex!"
The kompromat Trump is using to keep Republicans in line is probably partly what Putin has gleaned from their intelligence & partly what Trump has gotten from secret government documents (much of which he has naturally passed onto Putin in exchange for the kompromat Putin has given him).
Oh, I have no doubt he's "been in bed" with all of 'em! But I doubt he >serves< any of 'em. There's only one person on this old planet he serves. Everything else is a utilitarian transaction.
If he is the object of kompromat himself, then Trump will serve the one who holds that kompromat over him, which is why Trump keeps all communication between him & Putin secret, & why he does pretty much whatever Putin wants him to.
Just as the old Confederates were hopeful British allies!
Exactly
It seems to be a mixture.
Agree with all of the above, but at what cost? They are marshaling in mandates that violate many rights given to US citizens, mainly free speech, the right to have peaceful assembly, and freedom of religion. The right is shoving their, THEIR, beliefs down our throats. The republican party is a shitshow, with all of their posturing while sexually assaulting women and deny the right to form our own thoughts by reading. It is reminiscent of the Nazi party of 1933, and we are heading into very dangerous territory, if not already there. Voting doesn't work with the current electoral college, with weight given to areas that believe this garbage that are sparsely populated. The proliferation of guns in this country is out of control, with those sparsely populated areas believing that guns are the answer. No one is coming for their weapons, but the scare tactics employed by the republican party fuel dissent, dangerous dissent, as evidenced by January 6th. They don't practice what they preach in any fashion. Don't like the results of an election? Overthrow the government. Don't like someone's religion? Shoot up a synagogue. Don't like someone's race? Murder people in a house of worship who welcomed you in to participate, REGARDLESS OF YOUR RACE. We look like fools to the rest of the world. New Zealand had a mass shooting, and enacted stricter gun laws in a week. A WEEK. This country is out of control, and I prefer to read the news instead of watching it due to shooting after shooting after shooting. They may be sticking to a script, but at the cost of peaceful person's lives.
Thank you
digital_everest. You picked the 3 perfect words to describe the GUP... Illusion of freedom
THANK YOU!
But, sadly, we have to worry about said "militarized government" now being fully on the side of the fascists and NAZI despots. :(
Ever notice just how many of the current and former military service peeps in this land are blatantly, and obstinately far rightwing extremist in their 'worldviews'??
It is so sickening and terrifying for them to ignore their oath to THE CONSTITUTION, and NOT to a 4th REICH dictator, that it goes well beyond just Goebbels Nooz (Faux) being played incessantly in every military outpost/base/PX/etc. in this land.
Michael Flynn is the exception, not the rule. Most of the generals who had to work with DJT despised him.
I was mainly speaking about the 'rank and file' of our military.
Hopefully, General Mark Milley totally and fully regrets walking alongside the SCUMp SHITler to that church in D.C., after the putrid orange fuehrer ordered him to clear the streets to do so. ;)
digital_everest, let's not forget the narcissistic psychopaths who don't like anything more than being in the spotlight, no matter how or why. Remember Rodger Stone? He's their poster child.
...or Steve 'Fritz Kuhn' Bannon! ;)
Inciteful. Well done!
I hope you meant insightful, lol. 'Inciteful' would mean they are inciting something (as did tfg on J6)
My bad, but I like the double entendre! I'll just blame it on the damn spell-checker and let it stand! LOL!
Ditto
I am applying for Canadian citizenship, i have took the citizenship test and i passed it easily. I really like Canada, but the logistics of moving there kind of scare me. Oh well, i will deal with it especially if TUMP or DeSatan wins next year and either one of them is elected dictator of the USA. The hate in the United States and even in the neighborhood i live in has became unbearable to say the least.
I an't goin' nowhere. Stand and fight against this BS.
If you need to say it, repeat the 23rd Psalm now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUTXb-ga1fo
Is there a good one? In the field of potential candidates it is really tough to find anyone with the qualifications worthy of even running for the office of the President. The Republicans who have thrown their hats in the ring are oblivious to the problems our people are facing, all they can address are political issues that have gone unsolved for decades. Biden and McCarthy are going to get pummeled from both sides over their solution to the debt problem. There is absolutely no consensus from either side on anything. This is turning into a new rendition of the "Tower of Babel" except this time they all speak the same language. There are just too many petty groups that can't come to any agreement on the correct path to follow, leaving our government wallowing in its own political mud. What is really disturbing is seen in the Republican's concerted effort to make the Biden administration fail in every effort they put forth that would be good for the country. The economy, abortion, crime, education, and inflation should be at the forefront of both party's agendas but these issues are being given back stage significance because of the Republican's endeavor to harm over what should be their desire to find answers to our problems.
I'll vote for a yellow dog before any Republican for any office.
Daniel--I agree to an extent, I don't find it necessary to apply color to the narrative.
A concern-
Donald Hodgins <silencenotbad@gmail.com>
12:15 PM (0 minutes ago)
I find a sense of inherent danger in the upcoming election cycle. No matter what we do the MAGA crowd isn't going away, for these people are devout Trump supporters. What concerns me relates to the degree of savagery this group exhibited toward Donald Trump and their desire to protect this man's image at all costs. All the violent acts that have shown signs of being politically motivated originated from within this group. If you doubt this, ask Nancy's husband. There is a real potential for violence directed toward anyone that poses a threat to Trump. I don't want physical harm to befall anyone, even if they are Republicans. Looking at the MAGA's devout allegiance they give to this man, in my mind there is no limit to the extent they would go to protect him, including acts of violence. They are a very unstable group of armed individuals. Who would anger them more an advisory that they have been battling for years or a traitor, new to the fight? As Democrats, the far-right extremists have been a cause for concern for some time and we have learned to deal with them as the situations have called for it. Bring in a whole new line of individuals that attack Trump from all sides showing absolutely no verbal mercy, what new levels of anger will develop within this group of supporters that will view assaults on their leader as something to violently oppose? A traitor is far worse than an advisory, what extreme levels of retribution will they seek? I don't wish for anyone to be harmed in a confrontation that should only use words to wound, not weapons, thank you Cher. I really feel there exists an actual level of danger to those running against Trump, perpetrated from within the Republican party itself. These people are unstable nightmares who view our world as not being theirs.
They want the government to fail so that they can install a Leader--someone like Putin or Orban. For them every election is stolen if it does not yield the desired result.
Victor--That's a given but they're in the minority, where they belong.
Hitler came to power with 29 percent support.
Larry Hogan is a real, smart Republican. But he’ll never capture the nomination with these other bloodsuckers running.
It is really tough to find anyone with the qualifications worthy of even BEING ABLE TO THINK.
Sue--That was quick, the ink on that one is probably still wet.
NOT that I am relishing the thought, but sometimes it is necessary to become a Maccabee Warrior, like the brave souls who fought in the Warsaw Ghetto Resistance, or that band of brothers in the movie, "Defiance". ;)
I have felt the same way get out of the US. Guess what that is exactly what MAGA wants. Don't give them what they want. We MUST win back control of the 21 states controlled by MAGA.
Getting harder now that Republicans are getting better at gerrymandering everything. Take Ohio (already illegally gerrymandered) who is now trying to push an August ballot (even after they just voted to no longer hold them) to try to increase the votes it would take to amend the constitution all because they are afraid of the abortion issue that might possibly come up on the ballot in November. I only say “ might” because I predict that the Republicans will try to make as many names as needed to invalidate it so they can reject it from being placed on the ballot. They should also do something about guns but it’s funny how they say that blue states are crime ridden but are really quite when people get killed by guns in their own state. I don’t like the debt bill currently being offered either but I don’t like our country going into debt either. The only reason Republicans are so against it is because they want to try to blame the White House for defaulting. What ever happened to the days that the people we elected to office actually trying to work for us in a bipartisan way instead of trying to suck up to a man who doesn’t even understand or believe in half of what he is saying. You can apply that to a lot of the people currently try to run for the presidency too.
Yes the Rep. are gerrymandering, but so are the Dems. The good news is that Independent out number both parties. 39% of all voters are Independent 32% are Dems and 23% are Rep. We have the numbers to boot them out of office in every state they control. We must work together to get the word out in every state. I am hoping that through substack, FB and Mastodon I can reach people in every state and ask them to reach out to the voters in their states to start a movement. I don't know what state you live in I am in NJ. Would you be willing to help with this effort?
I am in Ohio and the only reason I cannot register as an independent is because the election board told me that if I register as an independent I can only vote on local issues in primary elections and not for candidates unless it is a presidential election. Fun fact: growing up in the 70’s I thought that I was a Republican but as I got older I became more of a democrat when I didn’t like the direction the republicans were going (and it has only gotten worse) but now I see myself as more of an independent. I want to leave a better world for future generations but I get frustrated that I can’t vote for who/what I want when I want to. I don’t do social media and this is the first time I have ever joined something to comment but Robert is usually reading/speaking my mind. I would help if I could. I just don’t want to see any of the republicans get back into office with the way they are currently thinking at this point and I am afraid that Kennedy now joining the race might split the ticket and cost the democrats to lose. Still looking for a good candidate who wants what is good for the U.S. and can leave a better world for the future generations as well as work in a bipartisan way. One can only dream.
I am also an Independent, but only because most dem pols are not left enough for my likes.
Sadly, some of those 39% are Indie because the current RepugnaF**KS are actually not far extremist rightwingnut enough for THEM (as impossible as that might seem)! :(
Let us hope that they are a 'vast MINORITY' among said Independents, but my point is that not ALL of that 39% can be counted to be on OUR side. ;)
Welcome. You will survive the logistics no doubt. Be prepared that Canadians also have political battles, partly inspired by the American ones since American issues and culture are so close to us.
Unfortunately, should you move to Canada,I would pass on Alberta. We have just re-elected a Premier who openly stated she “admires” DiSantis.
I am seriously considering of leaving the province.
Stay and fight! Start by fighting for women's rights, which go way beyond reproductive rights.
On top of which; IF this land goes totally outright FASCIST, what is to stop the despot in power from going after those of us who have fled north trying to escape said 4th REICHism??
Did mere borderlines stop Hitler from going after and obliterating the 'others' he loathed so ferociously?
I just renewed my Canadian passport after 30 years. I’m also a US citizen. It’s my Plan B.
But there is no Planet B.
Not yet. They’re working on it.
Elon’s rocket was as successful as his truck windows. The fact Twitter is now worth ⅓ what it was when he bought it, IS PROOF THAT BILLIONAIRES cannot be permitted. It is obviously not being operated with realistic commercial objectives.
My father is American and I thank God every day that he decided to settle here. I look around my family and the sickness we have and think none of us would own our houses. Cancer and heart treatement for free,, free prescriptions or cheap. Nor does an insurance company decide your treatment. If you ever need advice contact me. Chris O'Brien landorfwaldo@gmail.com. I had the opportunity to get American citizen ship and do not regret not applying.
I used to love this country, and what it stood for. I don't anymore. The treatment for my disease cost $15 THOUSAND a month. I don't know where you are receiving free cancer treatment, but the only reason my mother received excellent medical treatment for her cancer was because she was a veteran. My grandparents settled here, and my parents worked to get an education. Two of my three children received college degrees, but thee student l9an debt we now have is astronomical. My disease is terminal, and my husband and I have decided to forgo funeral expenses to be cremated and put into trees. We should be harnessing solar power on every home, but the cost for solar panels, again, is astronomical. Electric and gas companies are fueling killing the environment over saving it. And, don't even get me started on lobbyists. My parents served honorably in the USN, and my brother just retired from the USA. My niece still serves. Am I proud of them?? Absolutely. Do I believe in this country? Not anymore.
I live in Canada. As in most developed countries on the planet we have health care for all citizens. My mother and sister in law all passed from cancer receiving excellent treatment. I have had heart surgery and never paid a nickel. There is only one country that will force you into personal banruptcy for becoming ill. Republicans in the US want to cut medicaid and any health care. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG-3JtRfm5M&ab_channel=TheMajorityReportw%2FSamSeder
The GUP's have been wanting to get rid of Medicare the second is was approved. And have not quit ever since. They only want the rich to have money.
They only want the RICH to be breathing!!! ;)
All of things you want is opposed by the Republican Party
Congratulations Nilan. You have put the description of them in a nut shell.
Same here.
I just CANNOT blindly support, be 'community with', and feel compatriotism with people who want nothing more vehemently in their lives than abject, outright, genocidal fascism in this land, and will do everything in their power, and expend all of their energy, to make that a reality. :(
When I hear those "USA! USA! USA!" chants at SCUMp SHITler's NAZI BUND MEETINGS, they might as well be "SIEG HEIL SIEG HEIL" arm throwing chants.
Well, they are, uh.. Not quite high on the I.Q. scale.
Single digit numbers might be giving too much credit to those who put that NAZI harpy Magda T Goebbels (and all of her 4th REICH demanding fellow PUTSCHers) into power.
Exactly.
I am very sorry, but be assured that many of us are doing our best to make this country live up to its promises.
I tried. I marched, I signed petitions, I wrote to my senators, donated to worthy candidates that were not even in my district, educated my children about what rights they deserve, donated to causes I believe in, all for books to be banned and removed from libraries, for right wing nuts to continue to murder innocent people, for women's rights, voting rights, and LGBTQI rights to go down the toilet. I have had enough. I am tired, and I am sick (literally), and, more than anything else, I am fed up. Elected officials, taking donations from supporters, who, once elected, DECIDE TO SWITCH PARTIES? They are changing the rules as they go along. The SJC? What a joke. "I will respect the precedents previously set..." ACB. The crime family of the Thomas's, who are plain grifters, and Ginny?? She's a criminal who hasn't been prosecuted. Brett "I like beer" Kavanagh assaulted her, and we all know it. I am beyond disgusted that people who we SHOULD hold to higher standards have set the bar so low it's on the ground. And, Kevin McCarthy?THE SPEAKER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO GROVEL TO GET THE VOTES TO HOLD THE POSITION. I am a pissed off almost sixty year old woman who has tried to do good throughout my life, and just wish our elected officials would do the same. Instead, it's a race to the bottom.
I admire your energy and activism, and I understand your frustration. I am sure you've already had an impact. You must be patient and persist. Much of what you do is education, and it takes time to bear fruit. You could now focus on a specific issue, such as maternal health and its impact on the child.. How about Medicare for child-bearing and the infant child? It would have a great, positive impact on the nation. The country's future is in womb of the mother-to-be. Best wishes!
Which country are you talking about?
The first half is Canada. The bottom half is the US is duplicated here. - - - There is only one country that will force you into personal banruptcy for becoming ill. Republicans in the US want to cut medicaid and any health care. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG-3JtRfm5M&ab_channel=TheMajorityReportw%2FSamSeder
Canada, Nilan says
Was anyone else confused by this??? Smells like some sort of a scam.
What!!! I am in the medical field and treatment is as good as where you live in this country and what insurance you have. I have brother who is crippled from a back injury because insurance put off approving the surgery for way too long. And another member who lost his leg up to his hip because Kaiser kept refusing to investigate! Our medical system is going down hill fast and so the insurance companies.
Insurance is the "middle man" you don't need between you, and your doctor, that you pay money to for no reason. Between medical expenses, and frivolous lawsuits - Medical expenses would go way down without them.
What country is “here” to you? This blog originated in the US and concerns US politics so “here” normally means here in the US.
People don't always write correctly.
I am currently in a shocking bright blue area, and even HERE, the fascists are attempting to take over school boards in order to push their rightwingnut agenda on everyone else's kids, thereby hoping to turn even this left progressive area into NAZI Germany, eventually. :(
I may be a Democrat. But I see no reason to teach little kids about sex. They need to LEARN and learn FAST. The rest of the world is passing us up in education.
My mother taught me ALL about sex and my body when I was five years old. She wrote books on the subject, actual books, that were published by MacMillan. By the time I was fifteen, I was shocked at how little my peers were informed, yet shunned girls who got pregnant in high school. As a mental health practitioner AND a probation officer who specialized in sexual offenders, predators are out there, and children should be educated not only about sex, but also the rights they have to protect their bodies.
Good luck. I looked into that when trump was the prez. They only want you if you’re wealthy, young and have a skill they need.
I am Canada born but now a naturalized American. I will tell you that I have relatives in Canada who like Trump and support the conservative Christian home school, anti choice. The whole shebang. So it is really an echo of what goes on here. They are in rural Alberta and support big oil.
I agree wholeheartedly with your comment. I am of the belief that it is not all about Washington DC but the 21 states that a GOP controlled. We must win a bipartisan control in these states. The governor and legislators are the one passing draconian laws affecting millions of residents. BTW it takes 5 years to get Irish citizenship. A friend of mine just came back from Ireland trying to get dual citizenship.
Agreed. We must fight but if the United States falls to this extreme right wing ideology, to fascist principles, there will be no place to hide.
If the US hadn't entered WWIi the Nazis could have won.
With a fascist USA, Europe would become very vulnerable and unfortunately would not provide a safe place to hide.
I believe an even bigger blue wave will drown facists in 2024.
Thank you for your optimism--this comment column needs more optimists! Many more optimists.
I pray and think thats likely
But if we stay? Why would we want to? See my above comment about healthcare and the price of tuition.
PRECISELY! :(
I totally agree with you that Americans need to mobilize BEFORE we end up like Nazi Germany.
Many Americans are not engaged in meeting the challenges of what is happening and are willing to take a back seat in politics. We need to participate in our democracy or it could be lost as a grand experiment that ultimately failed. Don't sit back America! Get involved or you could become pawns and not even have a vote. Fundamentalists, evangelicals, and conservatives could be controlling every aspect of your life. People stood back in Germany and were afraid to speak out. They saw what was happening and it started with extremists, just like we are now seeing in Congress, and the Germans allowed the persecution of the Jews and it escalated from there. There is much hate in this country, but DON'T GIVE UP and give in to republican extremists like desantis, cruz, boebert and the many others.
Many of our citizens have no clue what is going on re our moving into an authoritarian state... MANY.
I didn't mention Boebert or MTG or Santos, because they get enough press shooting their mouths off constantly. It's maddening.
The Press is one of our largest problems. Really lopsided reporting, with too much focus and/or repetition on any topic they think will capture the general public's attn.
Exactly ! Americans need to get off their rear ends and into the streets to show their resistance to these wannebe dictators. The French, who enjoy one of the best social systrms in the world, continue to do so because they're always prepared to mobilize for their rights ...
It makes me question just HOW MUCH of this whole country REALLY DOES want, and vehemently desire full-on fascist despotism, to the point of, and replete with death camps/death squads for ALL of us 'others'?!? :(
I keep hearing that NOT every RepugnaF**K in this land is an outright NAZI, and that most are at least semi-sane, and reject the bulk of genocidal fascist ideologies, and that it is just a hyper-vocal, apoplectically rage filled minority causing all of the bluster dust storms.
But sometimes I am not so sure. :(
Go to a right-wing site like Newsmax or Breitbart & you will be overwhelmed by pro-fascist, pro-authoritarian, antidemocratic zealots believing in the most bizarre conspiracy theories & seeking civil war & the annihilation of "Demonrats" & "libtards", & there are literally hundreds of such sites throughout the internet even more extreme.
I KNOW all about that shit, but I myself just cannot bring myself to ever watch or listen to those EVIL Goebbels/Goering propaganda wannabe 'outlets'.
I just have too much on my plate currently to add any extraneous agita at all, and I literally get ill when watching even (the much? more tame) Faux Nooz which my 'Kennedy Democrat' dad (who I am a caregiver for currently) sometimes watches in the name of 'knowing what thine enemies are up to'. ;)
My intent was to substantiate your post, not to suggest you patronize their sites. However, it would be a very good thing for them to be exposed to a voice like yours. 😀
Yes, I know that, and I was just divulging WHY I cannot even listen to those NAZI propaganda outlets, at all. ;)
There it, folks. The testimony of another satisfied customer! LOL!
With the power & influence of the church & Mom's for "Liberty", the R Party's only hope is to control future generations. DeSantis is not using his Campaign of Hate to simply control the rights of the "others", it's to control future voters. It may work in Florida but the rest of the country is watching. They've invaded my state of SC school boards & are quietly making subtle changes.
With school & mass shootings on the rise & being blamed on mental health, WHY would DeSantis remove specific books with social emotional & inclusive teaching from the curriculum? While Texas wants to replace certified & degreed councilors with untrained in education or child psychology Clergy.
With NO Background checks!
What Could Go WRONG??
I've retired from teaching, but SO want to jump back in with both feet!
Absolutely agree, but the current conditions in schools may lead to an increase in your mental health declining. You need to take care of yourself, and do as much as you can from the sidelines. As a former licensed mental health professional, all of these changes are not only dangerous, but are grooming our young people to hate instead of educate. Volunteer where you can make a difference. As I am facing end of life decisions with a terminal illness, I volunteer with a hospice organization. I also write my elected officials, and support worthy candidates. It may not make a difference, but it makes a difference to me.
Perfect summary
Says it all and we’ll!
Thoroughly frightening
Perfectly stated
Susan, my husband's grandparents and great grandparents were born in Ireland, and I have told him to apply for citizenship. How do we go about doing that?
You need to register with the office of Foreign Births. You need the grandparents birth information. Good luck!
If your husband was born here in the US, he is a citizen. DeSantis wants to end that.
People whose parents and/or grandparents were born in Ireland have a right to apply for Irish citizenship.
I think tRump and Death Santis are tied for being the worst demagogues. They are both dangerous. One advocates the overthrow of government, the other is doing just that in his own state.
I think Dr Reich missed an even greater threat than a Tweety/DeSantis ticket: a third party bid designed to split the Democrats. One person here already railed on about Biden's failure in the current hostage crisis - the debt ceiling - because he bargained away the environment. Such a third party can capitalize on >and exploit< that one-issue-wonder type thinking - just as the Republicans have on religious & sexual orientation issues. The Lieberman/McRory push for a "No Labels" party is a case in point: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/joe-lieberman-and-pat-mccrory-on-no-labels-push-for-a-third-party-2024-presidential-candidate/ar-AA1bzmdT .
Perhaps little ol' Lieberman is the most dangerous of them all!
Just sayin'!
I never liked Joe Lieberman. He was a chameleon! Many politicians are, but he seemed more than most.
Joe jumped out of the democrats. Giving the GUP's a leg up on being able to pass bad agenda. He's like a turn coat in the civil war. There should be a law put in place that does NOT allow you to change parties after you are elected. Joe killed everything the Democrats wanted to pass.
Manchin & Sinema are the same, the latter having already denounced her Democratic affiliation.
I don't know if they said they switched, but if you live in a Republican State. And you want to get elected as a Democrat. You have to lean toward Republican on your decisions to get re-elected. It STINKS.
Yea, we got a lot of wieners.. er, winners running.
Wasn't tfg a 'Democrat' and pro choice, long ago, when it served him?
Yes! Democrat was his original platform. And he got voted in that way.
It is INSANE that is not an actual LAW, already! ;)
Indeed. He's qualified, highly experienced, and waaay savvy - >and< a chameleon. What's not to distrust about his intentions?
Maddening!
Lieberman, like many in public office, has only been interested in feathering his own nest. A fair-weather friend.
That only confirms he's personally disposed to be the kind of spoiler I'm trying to alert us all to.
Manchin, or Sinema as his putrid running mate??
If Dems are stupid enough to be peeled away by that pond scum lot, then they deserve the abject fascism they end up with.
Sadly, we ALL have to suffer under the thumb of the other side's chosen despot at that point. :(
You should revisit my comment about target voters you just gave a like. On review, I realized I neglected to include the most important part of it. I've updated it with that correction.
Yes, AGREED on all of your points in that comment.
I was just singling out those who actually call themselves Dems, albeit FAR from anywhere near the 'center' right, or are actually registered as such, and that THEY would vote for that disgusting vote deflecting cabal above.
THEY are the ones who either are too stupid to realize they are handing total power to the evil fascists, or worse yet, do not even CARE that is the result of their (voting) actions. ;)
Their target voters would be Republicans that can't bear to vote for ol' Tweety or a Tweety clone and refuse to vote for a Democrat and conservative leaning independents, who could easily be inclined to simply not vote, otherwise. Of course, there's also the disaffected Democrats who decide to vote against whoever they think sold out on their pet issues. >That< could range across anything from environmental issues, civil rights issues, sexual orientation issues, or labor/economic issues - misguided protest votes as a result of this debt ceiling legislation. >That's< the demographic that could >really< hurt.
Difference...Trump close to Death, DeSantis only in his 40*s
Darth Santis?
Unsanitized!
True but statistics show more and more people living into their high 90s and 100s
I totally agree with this assessment. I was about to post the same observation.
Yes, I was going back & forth between the two, in the end choosing Trump, because he has a longer, established record of malevolence, perfidy, treachery & betrayal. But what DeSantis has wrought on Florida in a little over 4 years is frightening. And he doesn't strike me as being that smart. Neither does Trump for that matter. They have risen to such power & are so dangerous because their followers & acolytes are so gullible, stupid & craven, yet easily stirred to violence.
Yes Jaimie. They are a danger to society.
Jaime ; not to mention who they both work for ; the filthy rich!
You may enjoy what ol' Tweety promises to do on day 1 if elected:
https://youtu.be/z_il5VlcAP8
I'll let it speak for itself!
"I am your retriBOOOshun" with it's pursed, putrid orifice.
I wonder if (S)Hitler 1.0 ever gave one of it's lectern pounding, spitting speeches at it's BUND meetings saying the same thing, somewhere along it's ascent to absolute power.??
If he gets in there. It will be a shooting gallery. He's going to revenge all his "enemies".
The putrid orange fuehrer will sic all of it's loyal, blood oath loyal, and blood thirsty foaming at the mouth brown shirts on everyone and anyone who has ever said even a slightly disparaging remark about it, and then instruct it's Himmler-like loyal (after IT installs it's pure, devout and loyal fascists in there) DOJ/FBI to NOT even investigate those murders, let alone ever prosecute them. :(
I think he also promised to go after all the prosecutors investigating him. So he and DeSatan are the best the GQP can come up with? But what's worse all all the witless wonders who love these guys. smdh
Yes
True
Writing from Scotland, a very small country with a very small pool of political talent, I dont understand why a country as large as the USA can't get leaders with more integrity?
There's an old saying here in the US:
"We have the best politicians money can buy!"
Awhile back, someone on this forum observed that the Republicans seem to lack a sense of irony. They were exactly right.
DZK: The 'right' don't care, as long as they 'win'.
Maybe the 'left' should take note of the obvious >and emulate!< Start by reconciling the assorted factions within the party and >urge them all< to hold their damn water until the party has successfully achieved the power/position to >serve them all! <
I support Dem Party leadership playing hardball. if that helps. Whatever it takes. They just need to get it right.
Definitely a part of the equation. However, it's difficult to pull off when the party's internally nobbled by a bunch of pet hobby-horses.
Selling out should have consequences
If having both is not simultaneously possible, do you prefer victory or revenge? One option is pragmatic, while the other is a distraction from the pragmatic. Like the old country song lyric about knowin' when to hold 'em and knowin' when to fold 'em says: "There'll be time to count the winnin's, when the day is done."
It may not have made the difference, (especially in the 'battleground states' which out racist, fascist Electoral College has made sure are the ONLY ones which 'count'), but even the small defection to Jill Stein most certainly did NOT help in 2016. ;) :(
More like a lack of empathy.
Not mutually exclusive with a lack of a sense of irony. A lack of empathy probably exacerbates the lack of irony - or maybe the other way around!
That’s the problem DZK, money. I have metaphorically had one foot in Canada since the day Trump was fraudulently elected. These days getting elected to Congress is like winning the lottery. I’m guessing way over half of the republicans currently in Congress are there solely for the purpose of self-enrichment. They couldn’t care less about their constituents.
All they do is pose & posture, say what they think their constituents want to hear & collect donations. It’s a scam to them. They aren’t there to govern. Many republican House members don’t have the slightest idea how our government works and don’t
care enough to find out!
I firmly believe all we have to do is elect enough dems to have the majority in both the House and Senate, along with a dem president. If we do that we can pass laws making ALL campaign donations illegal, allowing only public funds to be used for campaigning, because, think about it--campaign donations are nothing but bribes.
Actually, saying the things the constituents want to hear and passing the legislation the constituents want enacted is >exactly the point< of having elected officials. It just begins to get dodgy when the elected officials set out to cultivate - translate brainwash - a constituency to want to hear and want to enact the legislation they set out to accomplish in the first place. That's as opposed to having legitimate debate and providing valid public information and position papers so that the voters can make up their minds for themselves. It's clearly a flawed interpretation of the 1st Amendment ruling that equates money to speech, because the brainwashing machine is fueled by money - lots & lots of money that is arguably a form of bribery.
Yes. He tells us he Hates US all, and expects to 'win' through treachery. Because he sure does not want to actually appeal to anyone! His ragged, unregulated 'militia' boosted by the NRA and the weapon makers will rob US of our franchise if they can! They want to convert our military and bully the FBI too! Let's hope they don't succeed!
We have a large portion of our population that is angry, and want blood. Which has exposed us to Demagogues, and Fascism in both politics and religion. At the moment, our political system is under siege; by the confused, and angry; ripe for the previously mentioned.
The angry ones are the new high school graduates who are registering to vote in mass. They voted 90% democrat in the last midterms. The kids are our hope for the future!
My hope is in the young people!
They have friends of all persuasions and aren't swayed by rhetoric.
They also don’t answer pollsters, which is why the midterms defied the polls.
Let us HOPE that very, very, very few among them (in the RED states, not the mostly bright blue ones, like Mass) are NOT 'Hitler Jungend'. ;)
which is why GQP operatives are trying to eliminate the young vote.
There is criminality, with 'slow or no' justice and stacked courts with partisan (,right wing' ) 'justices'.! There is little accountability for wrongdoing.
That’s what happens when the rich own the courts and the media and have tons of money to buy the political system.
The country needs Garland to stand up.
What's his problem? Is it mountains of red tape at DOJ tying him up? Is he afraid that the DOJ will appear "political" by prosecuting Trump and his minions? It's hard for me to understand what's holding him back.
Hand wringing/pearl clutching over "appearing too partisan political" will do him personally, nor any of us any good, when the blood lust fascists take over! ;)
'Civility' will NOT stop the NAZI mob's .223 rounds. :(
Maybe Garland has had death threats too? Like other prosecutors. This IS the Mob!
Daniel: 10 times over, I second this opinion.
Plus there are those who have more money than brains. They can't see the consequences of thei r betrayals of their constituents.. And not following ethics or the Constuttion. Foreign money deals that hurt US.
and why do you think they are angry ?
Because they’ve spent years terrified in school with duck and cover drills while their government sends thoughts and prayers instead of acting on gun control.
They’ve seen their friends mistreated for being gay, trans, or nonbinary.
They care deeply about the environment. Always have since they learned science in elementary school.
Many are terrified by the rights to abortion access being swept away from them.
Plus, the GQP working to stop Biden’s college debt relief has angered the young.
Interestingly, I’ve even seen the children of Republican parents vote against their upbringing. The kids are excepting of the lifestyles which the GQP opposes. They are charged and excited to vote for the first time!
“A more important question than why are they angry?” Is “Why isn’t everyone angry?” Anyone who is not angry is not paying attention.
Money rules here! Speech is money. One cannot be heard without lots of money.
And to get the money you have to sell your soul and your integrity!
Just like Citizens United
It's complicated. Many reasons. The more Rats in a maze, the more chaos, they grow in numbers and start attacking each other for survival due to a percieved scarcity of resources.
Might makes right.
As financial currency is now a god and the measure of your greatness and level of security ....they strive for what their percieved survival demands. What they don't realize is that with that with the increase in wealth comes the increase in anxiety which unnoticeably leads to brain damage which distorts their sense of reality in reference to their humanity. Not unlike children with no boundaries. They have become too many with too much control unbridled by the guardrails that a society requires in order to guide them to a more productive end goal.
Surely it is the system not the individuals
It's BOTH and EDUCATION.
They have been dumbing down the education in this country for years. They hardly teach civics anymore. It’s no wonder we have a country of illiterates that don’t understand how a government is run, and want to complain about anything that doesn’t fit into their shoebox…
In Missouri they just passed a bill with civics requirements for high schools. Although by the time it hits the classrooms I fear what the course instruction may look like.
True, that! I’d be worried in that state…
These fascists have banned "The Handmaid's Tale" in every school they have control over, of course.
Too much education. Wrong kind?
The education system has been defunct for years!
Education may be better in blue states.
The " system"-the money flows - works against that right now. Barely constrained campaign donations. Primaries where more extreme candidates are favored. A deceitful media pumping up the more ignorant and dishonest candidates. How is it Luna FL-13 beats a far better qualified candidate ? Perhaps some of the people we need have been nudged away by a culture which has disparaged government service for decades now. Far better to go make the big bucks on Wall street and big tech. The Big Myth by Oreskes. Much of the American electorate is entirely ignorant of the Fed government and how it affects their daily lives. In that they are untethered from reality and easy prey for demagogues. Things have caught up with us.
It's simple. Integrity doesn't win elections here in the US. Money, lots of money does.
Anyone who is good is stopped by a wall of money to jump over. That's all the US elections are these days. All about money.
Follow The Money
No, in this country it's a matter of hiding money. Because of Robert's Roman Catholic supreme Court and citizens united it's real simple to hide black money in the political system. Anyone can do it.
Just think, every religion in this country has a non-profit corporation right behind them. They don't have to pay taxes with the caveat that they may not participate as a religious organization in politics. With citizens united Evangelical churches and the Catholic Church can pass on millions, if not billions of dollars, to Republi-cons without anyone knowing the difference. We used to have separation of church and state.
The churches, along with the rich, are buying the state in order to control the state. This has been going on since the seventies when the Catholic bishops of America declared war on women the day after Roe v Wade was passed. Think about it. Thinking is still free.
J Brown: I wonder this every day, every day. And the silence among the Republicans, total silence and denial, as members of their party violate every understood protocol expected of our leaders. This silence is the most terrifying part of this, for me. What happened to ethics? to integrity? to loyalty to our democratic system? It feels like a nightmare that does not end.
Because we are idiots
Thank you for finally calling a fascist a fascist, and making that not-too-fine distinction between Trump and DeSantis; for as obvious as it may seem, you seem to have been the only public person to have made it. DeSantis is very dangerous and not even funny. Thank you, Mr. Reich
“As you know, I’m of the view that it’s rapidly turning into a White Christian Nationalist party, divorced from democracy.”
Turning into??!! Good lord, what does it take for liberals to actually call a spade a spade?
The Republican Party **IS** a Christian Nationalist and Fascist organization. Has been for years. Why are liberals so afraid of causing offense they can’t acknowledge that.
When someone has stolen your car, threatened your kids, and tried to burn down your house would you really say “I think they’re turning into a bad guy.”
Exactly!! Christopher! Every time the repuklicans want the candy they start calling everyone else names!! Commi, socialist, gay, .... Stop calling the Fascists anything but Fascist! And put the label on everything they garner.....
They are all dangerous.
We cannot forget that the GOP represents American fascism.
Not “represents”. Is.
The Republican Party **IS** the party of fascists. Don’t wimp out on saying so.
Both Trumplestiltskin and DeSantos (puns intended) are demogogues and, fortunately, whoever the Banana Republicans nominate will lose next year, based on historical trends, by 11 million votes. Just remember the GOP (Greedy Old Polluters) lost by 3 million votes nationally in 2016, by 7 million votes in 2020, and if this million-a-year trend continues, by 11 million to Biden-Harris next year and by 16 million to Kamala in 2028!
Nicely done with the satirical names! And I like your arithmetic with regard to voting. I hope you have the true gift of prophecy!
Anthony. I like your numbers and hope you are right
America is unrecognisable and going backwards It is disgusting. Vote! Make America kind again!
MAKA!!! I definitely go for that, & it's great to say. MAKA!!!!
They are both terrible options and, were one of them to be elected president it would quite literally destroy democracy in America. We can have all the debates we want but the truth is that in either case the country as we know it would cease to exist.
I agree there is no good Republican option. The problem is we are talking to ourselves while they are creating chaos and filling the discourse with lies while we seem to have no media voice The people who are not voting Democrat have completely different information about who’s doing what to whom. Talk to them. They are full of alternative facts. Their radical right perspective is everywhere, while, we are stalled in the garage, mumbling to ourselves.
We might try getting on radical right news conversations. Fox News, Newsmax. Maybe if we are clever, we can introduce new ideas suddenly enough so we don’t get kicked out or deleted. If you try report back here so we can know what might work.
DeSantis by far. Fearless-relentless-methodically consistent policies toward establishing the authoritarian fascist state. Proof? Florida.
Now I’m really scared. I’ve always maintained that a major economic crisis could provide the impetus for the Christian Reconstructionists to impose their version of a Biblical theocracy on the entire country. DeSantis, who likely sees opposition to the settlement reached by Biden and McCarthy as an opportunity to rescue his failing candidacy, represents the sort of unexpected event that Republicans playing the debt ceiling game failed to anticipate. Regardless, crying bankruptcy will play well into the fears of people struggling themselves to pay their bills. Someone quickly needs to remind people that the Clinton administration actually balanced the budget before Republican tax cuts blew a hole in it, and that a modest tax restoration on the very wealthy would quickly balance it again.
Particularly if they can >arrange< some kind of high-profile "jihadi" false flag attack. That's right out of the movie version of "V for Vendetta." It's how the Christo/fascist administration in the yarn takes control of the government. Indeed, the whole movie plot revolves around discovering and exposing that political manipulation.
Yes DZK, like the fire in the Reichstag that opened the door for Hitler.
Right in 1 !!!!! Well done!
DeSatan is scary crazy,and for sure don't represent Florida.All he cares about is culture wars and banning stuff.When Ft.Lauderdale was under water a couple months ago,nobody knew where the hell he was.And he was the one who rigged the vote in Florida.He didn't win a damned thing,he Cheated.And will certainly continue to do so.
What I find funny is he wants to kick all the immigrants out of Florida.And they are the people who tend and harvest the food crops that support our state.So I really wonder if all his "White People"will take the place of those migrant workers later this summer when the crops need harvesting?And yeah,that's a real live joke,if the people who actually live in Florida were doing that in the first place the migrants wouldn't be here at all,they wouldn't have been needed.
We sure as hell don't need that yutz to run our country into the ground the way he's trying to do to Florida.Watch what he's doing in Florida,and heed that warning.
Melissa: Yeah -- Florida agribusiness so depends on undocumented migrant workers that it will be interesting to see what happens to Florida's economy when the strawberries, citrus and tomatoes don't get picked. A huge misstep there. Guess there is a chink in the armor. Wonder how he weasels out of this predicament. No disrespect intended to our weasel buddies.
Fascist DeSantis is no different than Putin.
Don't give him any ideas! That sounds like something he'd actually do.
Desantis is extremely dangerous. He wants nothing more than to proclaim himself dictator of the US. I am going to go to Canada to be with my extended family if he gets anywhere near the White House. Florida is burning and will probably drown during this tropical storm season while he is galavanting around the country. The mainstream media needs to STOP TALKING ABOUT
HIM! They are doing the same thing they did with TFG when he first appeared and look where that got this country.
And yet here we are talking about it right now. It's News. We can't just close our eyes to the facts and neither can the media.
If only the media would report it with the alarm it deserves & demands!
Hard to say. BUT Trump has always been rather fond of debt!
“So I was alarmed by the decision by Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida to oppose the agreement.”
Really? You actually expected he’d be in favor? That he’d pass up a chance to do some thing that harms the country?
I’d be alarmed if he HADN’T opposed it. It would make me wonder if some physical law of the universe had changed and if water would start flowing uphill.
It's just a game. Look at the coverage De Santis wil get?
Every position he takes is a calculation on how to get the extremists & lunatics in the Republican Party to support him. Opposing McCarthy (Trump's man), who is getting lots of backlash from the MAGA base for "caving" into Biden, is a calculated move to shift many in the MAGA base to him from Trump, who has been strangely silent about this agreement (to my knowledge, but I haven't heard much fresh news in quite a while).
Always consider the source.
Huh?
DeSatan is actually there to make tRumple good.
I doubt anything could make Trump good. He’s just too unrepentantly vile.
I VEHEMENTLY oppose this so called agreement. Accepting it with its ENVIRONMENT DESTROYING promises is CHAOS! Biden had no business negotiating with terrorists! I have called my Rep and Senators and will do so again telling them to vote NO! Biden is NOT a leader. He's as bad as trump when it comes to the most important ISSUE =protecting the ENVIRONMENT. The only difference between them is Biden's not a racist misogynist fascist. The bar has been set too pathetically low. Congress must reject the so called fiscal responsibility act and Biden must use the 14th Amendment. Or be impeached. Dems have to put someone else on the ballot against trump. We all showed up in droves because of the ENVIRONMENT. He has FAILED MISERABLY!
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse should run for President. No one could best him on the debate stage on any important issue you can name. Climate, SCOTUS corruption, corporate corruption/malfeasance, dark money in politics...
The environment won't stand a chance if the facists burn down the country. Biden et al need a chance to stabilize the DEMOCRACY first.
What happens when things get really rough with climate change ? When there is a choice between mitigation, adaptation, and disaster recovery and there aren't enough resources ? The people will demand action on recovery and adaptation, and mitigation will suffer. Will our democracy, such as it is, be able to meet the challenge of climate change ? I do agree with this guy. We need more democracy, more accountability, not less. But it depends on a half-way enlightened electorate. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Can+Democracy+Handle+Climate+Change%3F-p-9781509523955
Totally agree. The 14th amendment won’t save us. It will just send the issue into the courts and we know how that is playing Russian roulette especially with media spin. Even broadcast media is owned by the right wing.
For over 40 years the environment has had to wait while the fossil fuel corporations backed right-wing media & Republican Party use propaganda to deceive the public & money & power to pressure the government & manufacture false crises to divert everybody. So what could've been a relatively easy & painless transition to a cleaner, greener society that would've allowed us to avoid climate chaos & mass extinction has become an urgent existential crisis that threatens the whole biosphere & can't sustain any further delay.
check out his book- captured
I'm with you. He's been consistently great (& knowledgeable) on the most important issues of the day. Whitehouse for the White House!
Biden didn’t fail at all. He got a deal that stops this nonsense long enough to vote these clowns out of office. He saved his programs and infuriated the Republicans, who got little. He outsmarted the other side with his negotiation skills. This is what we elected him for and he prevailed. The untested 14th Amendment can still be applied if the bill doesn’t pass, but that is going to be a tailspin in the courts for a long time and should be used as a last resort if needed.
Funny, I show/showed up because I don't want to be ruled by fascists. We can work out the climate change problem once >that< threat is mitigated, unless you'd have no problem with fascist leaders who are environmentally friendly!
Nope. According to the IPCC (made up of gov’t officials as well as scientists so it is compromised in its handling of the science by political timidity and/or greed) we have about 6 years before unlivable rises (and rate of increase in them) are baked in. It can’t wait. Luckily there are no environmentally friendly fascists, so you can cross that unpleasant option off your list of worries.
it's more useful to say "there is no time left". The emergency is NOW. Indeed, it can't wait.
Well not useful politically—people will give up exerting political pressure when there’s no time left. We have a short period to exert all-out emergency pressure.
Snag is, the political reality >itself< is already "baked into" - to use your words - the polity. Supporting the Democrats ensures the >possibility< climate issues are addressed. Voting 3rd party splits the Democratic vote, advantage to the Republicans. And - of course - a Republican win >insures< the climate issue >will< be ignored until it's too late, whereupon the Republicans will blame it all in the Democrats. That, too, is baked into the nature of the two party system.
I'll lay odds that the Republican fallback position for the current debt ceiling hostage situation is to blame the Democrats for having voted to pass the spending cuts in social issues spending the Republicans >did< manage to cram down our throats - just like they did with NAFTA! Ideals are good for plotting the course to the destination we desire, while the fundamentalist >embrace< of those ideals are historically and invariably the sure-fire road to disaster. I'm convinced we're in the mitigation stage of the catastrophe it's already too late to prevent, so my money is on working on a plan B to help mitigate the catastrophe - to help folks other than the filthy rich to survive it.
After all, according to what I've come by, many client scientists are already concerned that the global temperature has reached certain global average temperatures a lot sooner than their models predicted. However, although that's the premise I'm working from - consider it an abundance of caution - I consider all that open for fact check. Please post any results contrary you may come across, and please include links to your sources. Had I foreseen it would come up as an issue, I'd have shown more due diligence in documenting my premise. I may do so later - chase down what supports my premise - which is, admittedly - bass-akward from the way it should be done.
I'm not arguing that we shouldn't vote for the Democratic candidate for president! (Though I think helping out on state and local elections, our own and those in swing states, or purple areas in red states, is a lot more useful.) But we don't know yet who the Democratic candidate will be, and if Biden (probable) who that Democrat will 1) be advised by and 2) think he or she has to answer to. Pulling our punches now is just (literally) suicidal.
Here's a piece I saw last night that'll explain Biden a little better - his purpose - and should be considered with respect to >political< climate change. The phrase "until we start talkin' to each other again" is crucial. Pay special attention to the 2nd clip Hays runs, of Biden speaking. Hays provides a very good commentary/analysis worth the 7 minutes to view the video:
https://youtu.be/u3X7ZHlp3SY
Now, the first 2 minutes & 20 seconds of the next clip are relevant to this discussion. The first part discusses other objections to the debt limit bill. After that, you'll see protesters calling out Schumer over their environmental concern, Ms Goodman mentions that >Manchin< is the protestors' senator, who is pushing for this bill to pass:
https://youtu.be/AfsxlNDL0v4
Keep in mind, Manchin has no problem with nobbling the whole damn party's agenda if his pet issues are disregarded - and he's >not< an environmentalist. He's one of the mines in the minefield Biden has to negotiate in any kind of settlement, and who would and has knifed the whole party in important efforts. He needs to be handled by WV voters - to my mind, that's where the protestin' should take place! My take, Biden is trying to live up to his effort, not only to win a 2nd term, but to put Democratic candidates and their issues in a more favorable light in order to win more independent, as well as more moderate, less dogmatic Republcan support in elections. I'm not saying we should keep the environmental, social, and economic issues we consider important out of the discussion. I'm saying we first must find ourselves in the political position to accomplish those objectives. There would be far more profit in leaning on the Manchins and other "corporate Democrats" than the likes of Schumer - or even Biden. Indeed, we're more likely to better address the environmental concerns to be addressed if more, bona fide Democrats are elected
Sadly, I don't see anyone else for the Democrats who would be odds on to defeat Trump. or
DeSantis. The key here is to have a vise President that satisfies the electorate.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
I don’t know, Whitehouse’s exact record, but we need a vice president, like Stacey Abrams, one that if Biden gets elected, the Republicans would be afraid if the vice president took over. Biden is not young, but he’s the only one who might be able to defeat the Republican choices. We need a politically savvy, progressive vice president, that can get elected along with Biden. If republicans lose the election, I wouldn’t be surprised if republicans use a Russian solution to getting rid of a Democratic president. We need a vice president that is more progressive, and as politically savvy as Joe Biden, if we want to protect Biden and democracy.
Biden would not drop Harris. I believe one of his biggest mistakes as president is not utilizing Harris to her full potential. I think there is a lot more to her than the country has seen. PR has never been a strength in our party.
She’s a nice person, but I’ve never been impressed by her. I would be concerned if she became president.
Elizabeth Warren fits that description very well. Well, not necessarily so political savvy, but I'd love to see her on a debate stage against Trump or DeSantis.
Elizabeth Warren is great. She is northeastern, Harvard type while Stacey Abrams might balance, the geographic and color range.
I love Whitehouse but think he lacks the right VP attributes. He's too intellectual. I don't see the voter appeal. I'd rather see a Cory Booker, though not sure a black male works very well here for the election. Stacy Abrams, sure for electability, though she is not really well qualified.
How is being intellectual unappealing? I personally have a strong longing for that & would love the likes of intellectuals like Whitehouse, Warren or Merkley to be in the White House, preferably as President, but if not, at least as VP. We desperately need their intellect in such critical times. I also like Booker.
Biden is a great president who knows how to lead from years of experience and passion. I don’t know when being qualified for a job became a deficit, but he has proven himself to be a strong leader with fabulous statesman skills and deserves four more years!
I couldn’t agree more.
my assumption is Harris is a given on the ticket.
As much as I like Kamala, I think she should step down. Maybe Shelton Whithouse would be interested.
Vice president seldom get much mentioned. White House would essentially be in the same boat. He would be muzzled as all vice presidents are.
Depends a lot on how eminent they already are before being elected. Both Cheney & Biden were quite prominent before they became VP, & had a lot of say in the White House. People like Warren & Whitehouse are likely to have a lot of influence as VP. I really hoped Biden would choose Warren as his VP, but he may have been somewhat intimidated by her.
You’d like her more if the media ever even mentioned her work, but it doesn’t.
Exactly!!
There are plenty of progressive Democrats who would be more formidable than Biden against any Republican nominee: Sheldon Whitehouse, Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren, Jamie Raskin...
Good lord. Seriously? Maybe you’re in the wrong party?
Maybe people who prioritize the environment are in the wrong party since Democrats haven't done nearly enough to prevent environmental destruction, climate chaos, ecosystem collapse & mass extinction, but none of the parties that actually do prioritize the environment -- the Greens, the Progressives, the Socialists -- are big or powerful enough to have any significant influence in modern US politics, & the Republican Party is aggressively anti-environment, so what choice do we really have? Do you really want to alienate environmentalists more than you already have?