UGH!!!! All the more reason to vote for Democracy in numbers to big to ignore. We need a Democratic majority Congress and White House in order to right this ship and pass the laws regarding insurrection and who that applies to. And so many other things the GOP have screwed up.
We keep hearing about a blue tsunami. We all need to work together to find out what has been preventing this in the past, and be sure to make sure it happens this time.
One thing we can do is stop listening to those disastrous polls such as the New York Times / Siena College polls. Who the hell are these people and who funds them? It seems to me that polls such as these act to persuade people on a not so subtle level who may currently claim a majority of positive/negative public opinion. It is in its own way a form of brainwashing just as culpable as the largely money-corrupted media.
It's time for all of us to realize that Wall Street speaks loudest at the NYT, and Wall Street favors Trump, who gave them the 1 trillion dollar tax gift and promises to put an end to unionization and even a hint of fair taxation policy.
we just completed a poll in Nevada. Trump could win Nevada if you can get over the 27% threshold is currently holding. yes that's right in Nevada 27% of the population once the vote for Trump. there's a pool you don't want to forget.
They’re waging a culture war, not just a political
war. They’ve swarmed the internet with what looks like legit articles published in a relatively new legit internet periodical, slickly done and of course they’re slanted to the right. Some are easier to detect than others, but they’ve been doing it for years.
I noticed these bogus articles because they seem
for the most part to be written by professionals, but
they’re clearly slanted to the “conservative” point of view. If what I read doesn’t sit well with me and I
want to be sure I’m getting good info, I look for
other articles on the same topic from more mainstream, reliable sources. Most of the time I
find articles on PBS, Washington Post, Newsweek, etc. that are more honest on the topic or I occasionally look at FactCheck as well. Polls are the same way. In some cases the right has bought businesses that have good reputations and then slowly move the point of view to the right. So I guess what I’m saying is to be critical or rather look at polls and articles critically before accepting what they say.
These last few years have been nothing but frustrating for so many of us. Yet if you ignore the chaos and tsunami of misinformation, you risk being drowned in it. Being critical is the path to maintaining sanity.
It's not enough for us to wait until an election to "vote blue." Some of us, many of us, live in congressional or state legislative districts that break red. The local Democratic Party doesn't bother to promote blue candidates because they think there's no way the blue can defeat the red incumbent--SO THEY DON'T EVEN TRY TO TARGET THE DISTRICT. If the Dem or Indie candidate even gets on the ballot, no one has a clue who they are. So they keep voting for the lying, toxic MAGAs like Debbie Lesko (AZ).
We need to donate to a Dem candidate, AND volunteer for a Dem, whether it's in a grocery parking lot or placing door hangers. Can't? Take home stamped postcards and fill them out. Call and harass your local Democratic Party HQ. Yeah. They need a kick in the behind. Remind them it's not about one or two candidates that will probably win anyway. It's about targeting the horrible ones and getting them beaten at the election. You can't vote blue if there's no blue candidate.
I agree. It is the small elections and support of qualified candidates from city council, school boards, library oversight that we can take immediate actions on. And donate blue. Choose a group or a candidate and support them.
I completely agree. Come to the conclusion that the only thing I can control is that which is local to me. I can’t control Gaza Israel, Ukraine, Russia. But I can control what’s going on around me which hopefully will filter up.
You're so right. I've read multiple stories about candidates who, had they not been left twisting in the wind by the DNC, could have won. People seem very motivated. I'm cautiously optimistic. Thanks!
So many people over reacting. All was to be expected.
In order to prevail we need to fight. Biden won 2020 by 7 Million. Gen Z will be 40% of the electorate. We can expand the base while Republicans' base is shrinking.
So many trolls, willing idiots trying to demoralize true democrats.
It truly is, and that's what needs to be fixed somehow. A movie like the old "The Day After," the TV flick with Jason Robards that scared the hell out of people about nuclear war a few decades ago, would help.
I wrote a piece that tries to do the same thing, but people are very visual these days, and a movie, even a very short one, would be much better. Nobody reads anymore, so mine is just a writing exercise.
IMHO a huge part of the problem is the first past the post voting system. It depresses turnout (Why bother showing up unless you're in a "swing state" (US) or "marginal constituency" (UK)? Literally a waste of time!). It practically enforces a two party duopoly. Which in turn pretty much inevitably leads to a binary approach to politics, extremism, and all that other bad stuff.
Absolutely. This feeds our current problem. Right now, we in the U.S. are stuck with one "normal" political party, which caters primarily to the corporate class, with a few bones thrown in for us peons. The corporate party also relies, still, on a neoliberal foreign policy.
This is an ongoing problem that won't be solved by voting in this election. However, much more so than in 2020, this is a straight up and down vote for democracy (semantics and definitions aside). There's a not small faction on the left that believes a Trump presidency would somehow not be a bad thing, that it would shake things up and start a true revolution. This will not happen. Trump will install sycophants at every level of government, and Stephen Miller, the ONE guy who hasn't broken with Trump all these years, will be at the helm of a dystopian state. Imagine his cronies in charge as AI and robotics enter Stage 2.
It sucks that we are stuck with a one party system but this didn't happen overnight. The political pendulum swung hard to the right with Reagan and then Gingrich, and continues on its merry way, partly because people don't vote in small elections where they could actually install the kinds of people who would eventually kill the Electoral College.
""𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑣𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛." True, but it's a good start?! The rest is education towards critical thinking. A free society, that enjoys freedom of speech, has to know to recognize truth.
The two-Party system is indeed at fault. Other Democracies, in Europe, are not as shaken up by folks like Trump because there is more than one Party crying foul. We've had our crazies, like Jean-Marie Le Pen and daughter Marine Le Pen, but there are enough other candidates to league against them.
But here, to give the winner the SEMBLANCE of a mandate, the Presidential elections only allow us to pick from 2 candidates, so it is a continuous tug of war, with consistently a very large constituency, sometimes even the majority, that ends up unhappy, and rightfully so.
The solution is to erode this notion of "states rights" and a Constituion that was written to protect a country 240 years ago. U.S. is the only democracy chose by an electoral college system. We ignored this until 2000, when a majority vote candidate was denied winning. It's happened before but those were minor exceptions in the past. In 2000 we saw what used to be a objective SCOTUS, actively decided the election. Then in 2016 we saw the worst case of the bad example. Simply removing the electoral college from this sole Federal position would be a good start towards a true democracy, and less likely towards fascism.
That is one thing that needs to be fixed. A good start to amendments to the constitution that won't happen until we get rid of the nuts running the Supreme Court and the Congress.
Terrifying -- and yet not implausible should DJT be reelected. Even liberal "news" outlets scream Trump Trump Trump, even if it's negative, and the end result is Trump being foremost in people's brains. Quit talking about the Orange Menace!
Add also images of the huge number of people made jobless because of trump's stated plans to decimate the Civil Service and so many other institutions and agencies that keep the country operating. Add images of citizens who protest being rounded up and arrested a la protesters in Russia, military, police, anarchic sheriffs all serving as trump's storm trooper enforcers, and emphasize what is his and his maniacal cult's primary target: Black Americans!
That is a great idea. A video/film of enough length and substance that it is not confused with a straight campaign ad. Something along the lines of Sinclair's book "It Can't Happen Here" but in these current contexts. Or a series of "vignettes" of the world's despots and what they did, then add trump to the lineup with his stated plans and what projected outcomes there will be.....an absolute fascist state for the benefit of "rulers" and the subjugation of whoever the "rulers" declare to be their enemies du jour.
It would have to be done by someone who can make a powerful cinematic experience, even if it only streamed on one of the streaming platforms. The talent is out there. Someone needs to step up.
What would be GREAT is for a group of film-makers to do this: Ken Burns, Stephen Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and many others, rising up and using their talent and money for something other than constructing their own private escape routes and luxurious bunkers .... Or maybe that's just the CEO's who are complicit, like the cowards and collaborators of WWII!
My God, Charles! Yes you're right. I don't, sadly, have enough patience these days to chill out and just read something in it's entirety without skimming through it and therefore not getting the whole story of what I'm reading. That said, what i DID read through your story you wrote TRULY scared the hell out of me because It's becoming such a scary possibility of the question " Could this actually really happen down the road in this country? VERY VERY scary thought! Vote Biden ,people, for humanities sake, VOTE BIDEN!!!
Thanks for reading what you did! And yeah, this isn't the time to lodge a "protest vote." People who feel that need should be sure to vote in local elections and bring better people on board. There's a reason our politicians are generally the least society has to offer.
reality sadly is not a solution. "We" (a minority few) realize this, but the majority does not. So the answer is. . we need to inform the many about the "inconvenient truth." The right to vote is inalieable, but requirement to vote is abscent. If we cant create a law that it's a crime not to vote, we at least should create an incentive to vote, and a national lottery based on your vote annually, might be a good start?
ugly truth. . and "we" as progressives and realists, know this but we use it as shock & awe, or humor. Ignorant people serve a fascist agenda, "power over the people. It's starts with a good education in our "public" schools and the concept of "critical thinking." "𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 𝑎 𝑗𝑢𝑑𝑔𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡." teach people how to think and accept inconvenient truths and how to make more reality more genuine.
Should reduce governmental benefits to EVERY non-voting citizen except those with documented physical or mental health restrictions. Laziness or disinterest no excuse!
So if I didn’t vote for some reason, I would lose Social Security or Medicare? Or is this aimed at people receiving Food Supports and/or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families? How about Veterans benefits? Not sure what benefits you would recommend cutting?
Just exasperated at the lack of responsibility too many people seem to have as they enjoy the benefits of living in a free country. We teach our children that responsibilities come with freedoms. Being too lazy to vote is no excuse!
We should not blame the victims of disinformation, many working two or three jobs, and barely keeping a roof over their heads, who are not being given the information they need to vote intelligently. Some of these lost loved ones when Covid information was gamed by the media, and bad messages misled them.
overcoming Ignorance and the belief that it will not make a difference, along with a deep state of depression may be part of the challenge to get non voters engaged. The media disinformation must stop. Accountability for what is reported (or not reported) should extend beyond a grievance of a corporation, being harmed financially, like Dominion, to the actual public who are misinformed, and voted the wrong way against their real interests.
Very sadly I cannot vote for Biden this time round. I consider his policies regarding the State of Israel led by Netanyahu (a man rather similar to Trump in many ways) and Gaza, to make the U.S. - and thus myself - complicit in the murders of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza, if I were to do so.
Of course I will not vote for Trump either. I would like to see Biden step back and allow another candidate to run who would not donate weapons and money to this heart-breaking slaughter of mostly women and children.
Failing that I will write-in the name of a person I respect for President.
Unfortunately, so long as we use first-past-the-post in this country, not voting for Biden is the same as helping Trump win. BUT, if we had approval voting or score voting for presidential elections, then you could vote with your conscience and not be punished for it! Switching voting schemes, I truly believe, would be the best thing we could do for our democracy (for this and other reasons).
Agreed. I have been advocating for ranked-choice voting (instant-runoff voting). Without updating our flawed voting system, we'll continue to have disastrous campaigns and results.
Very sadly I cannot vote for Biden this time round. I consider his policies regarding the State of Israel, led by Netanyahu (a man rather similar to Trump in many ways) and Gaza, to make the U.S. - and thus myself - complicit in the murders of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza, if I were to do so.
Of course I will not vote for Trump either. I would like to see Biden step back and allow another candidate to run who would not donate weapons and money to this heart-breaking slaughter of mostly women and children.
Failing that I will write-in the name of a person I respect for President.
So, a personal protest 🪧 is a wasted (spoiled) ballot that is not worth the paper it is written on. Why bother? It means nothing, just like the people who wrote Bernie Sanders on the ballot when HRC was the Democratic candidate. A waste of ink, quite frankly. Futile.
Your exercise to vote isn’t for the PERFECT candidate ever, but the one who fits closest to your ideals & hope for the future. Biden is seeking a cease fire on the Gaza Strip, BTW. Trump would annihilate the Palestinians, just like he would destroy Ukraine for Putin & burn the US to the ground to keep himself out of prison for what amounts to Treason.
You’d be better off voting blue, no matter who.
Biden isn’t perfect, but he beats the alternative.
Don’t forget women’s right to bodily autonomy & right to choose. Do you really want to live in a dystopian society where you have fewer & fewer rights?
I hope Drumpf commandeers a US Navy Destroyer to have a victory tour through SF Bay on, with Kid Rock singing "Cowboy" on deck and has strippers hanging off he radio masts.
agree. . but this is when one alters the patriotism of national service, to serve a religious, political, cultural, and ethical agenda in another part of the world. It's a "national" election, not a foreign policy issue.
They do, and for local and state gov't their vote counted. But the point made is the EC erases your vote in a national election of your red state has a majority vote. Knowing your blue vote for President won't count in a red state, supports the low 65% voter turnout - Electoral Collage (and vice versa). The right to vote should be also an obligation, but turnout for local elections is even lower.
Unsurprisingly, the younger kids who are (legitimately) complaining about Gaza have no answer when I ask them if they voted in local elections recently to build a better bench of progressives. They expect the centrism they loathe to simply disappear, without doing any real work to make it so. That's not true for all, of course, but the stats are clear: they don't vote in local elections.
These younger adults, simply look at "who's poor and oppressed". . rather than to understand "why." And how convenient to forget Oct 7th, and all the terrorism Hamas and similar Palestinian groups have done to them. (Palestinians in Gaza were asked if Oct 7 slaughter and 78% said yes). Meanwhile Hasidic Jews and those with conservative views have been terrorizing Palestinians in the West Bank. This is way too complicated for these young minds to understand, and it's not black and white, but deeply entrenched shades of gray. Biden could gain a lot of votes if he got tough with Netanyahu and brokered a ceasefire/withdrawal.
I’m with you, PW! Even if Biden is re-elected our government is bought and run by huge corporate interests. In addition, both parties are more interested in maintaining their grip on whatever power they have as opposed to representing the people that voted them in. Oh, and our votes don’t even matter as long as the electoral college remains a part of the equation.
Mark, I agree that the EC is nothing but a stumbling block against American voters. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that the EC was initially established by white slave owners, who wanted to ensure their hold on power from being dissolved by the unwashed masses, most of whom were uneducated at the time. I welcome any correction to this notion. In any case the EC is no longer necessary but has become an impediment to justice in this country.
Ilene. I definitely need to do more research on how the EC came to be. All I really know about it is that it strips me of my vote. One person, one vote, majority wins. I will research and get back to you on this.
You clearly no nothing about the EC or its purpose. Direct democracies always lead to dictatorships. Our founding fathers were far wiser than anyone in politics today.
Josh, that is why I welcomed comments to supplement my own viewpoint. Thank you for yours. You may be right
in that the electoral college is a necessary component of democracy, yet in the last few contentious elections, it's role appears to have morphed into a guard rail against the popular vote.
I think we know less than half of what is really going on with Trump & Co, the Thomases, the House and Senate Republicans and their state counterparts, and every other MAGA organization. I don't hold much hope, either, that Democracy will prevail because that word is conflated with the Democratic Party in the minds of the Magats. If other law enforcement organizations are like those in Washington State, they are aligned with the insurrectionists. I really fear for what will happen on November 5th and the days following.
Not just in Washington State - everyone knew that Trump and his cultists were preparing an insurrection, they posted it on bloody Facebook for crying out loud. And what did law enforcement do to prepare....
Edit: I mean I knew about the planned insurrection, and I've never even left Europe. But none of the like 15 secret polices ("intelligence services") of the US knew? The police force of congress didn't know? That's just not plausible. They knew. They just couldn't be bothered to prepare (at least not properly). Because you can only be a "terrorist" if you're brown/black/native or pray towards Mecca. Imagine if this insurrection had been publicly planned by a Muslim organisation, or BLM... they wouldn't have made it to within 1000 miles of DC.
The issue about prepping is that the executive branch controlling the underlings in the executive branch was the criminal who didn’t want the prep to oppose himself. Fox guarding the henhouse scenario.
Pegra - as Prof. Reich said in his Saturday klatch, there is a tunnel (or more likely alot of them) under the Republican Party. We don't see anything, above ground. But it's surely going on underneath. And it spells trouble ahead.
I’m with you - SCOTUS will support whatever they do to overthrow any election results the Rs don’t like. I really hope my pessimism won’t turn out to be correct.
We can learn from our past heroes. Boycott as many as we can—ALL the major companies supporting the traitor. I know there are some things we'll have to buy. The other items? The hell with them. Keep as much money in your pocket as possible. Donate to the Blue Warriors. Volunteer, Talk about it. Understand, the court just screwed us. Do we take it or do we stand & fight?
PW, I feel your pain. My hope is getting smashed every day but I refuse to give up. Our Democracy is too important and we must fight with all we have to defend it from these total and complete idiots!!
I understand, PW. It is so very discouraging. My mom use to tell me it is always darkest before the dawn. These are our dark days, but I truly feel that if we don't give up, if we keep fighting, our dawn will be glorious!
More power to you. Keep going. I’m going to pass the torch soon anyway. I’ve lived through and seen a lot. I’m old. I weep that the younger are facing us going backwards. It’s not what I wanted to leave behind. I wanted to sleep knowing my offspring were safe, free, and thriving. My hope is gone and I don’t have any more do overs.
I understand, PW. It is very hard right now to live with what we are having to live with. Our children will be facing another uphill struggle; however, our children are strong and will fight just like we have. I, too, am old and don't have a whole lot of time left, but I will do everything I possibly can to ensure that little orange man doesn't get anywhere near the White House!! I will go down fighting and know that my kids will pick up the mantle and keep going. Our ancestors fought so hard to make our country the best place it could be. Many gave their lives so that we could have the freedoms that the republicans are hell bent on taking away from us. I do understand, PW. Please stay hopeful and do your best to enjoy the autumn years! I wish you the best!
Hope is a false concept. Action is the only thing that will change the way things are. I have actually given up but that does not mean that I’m giving in.
Giving up hope is MAGA’s strategy. Please resist and let’s keep fighting. There are many organizations and people getting folks to register and vote, it’s our only and best hope. For inspiration read Simon Rosenberg, Jessica Cravens and Robert Hubbell’s posts on Substack. There’s lots we can do. And doing will make you feel more hopeful.
Of course. How could they not favor their benefactors? I wouldn't be surprised to know that the majority threatened the minority if they did not tow the line.
Remember Alina Habba, trump's attorney on Fox, saying that the three stooges tRump appointed to the 'Supreme Court' "Owed him"? I thought that she had 'stepped in it' by saying that, because it was so obviously toxic and craven. But think again! they don't care, because they don't have to. Absolute power corrupts absolutely! How much money is being poured into our "justice" system for what little we are getting? It's a lot like our Defense systems. There seems to be little or nothing to defend US domestically! From mass shootings to stolen elections, where the public is played again and again!
What kind of Democracy do you think you are voting to preserve? The most basic premise of Democracy is the wisdom of consensus and the people's right to vote their consciences. How does ballot blocking an opponent and or tying them up in legal battles, in order to prevent votes being cast for them , fit into that? The sad truth is neither the DNC or RNC give a crap about Democracy all they care about is winning through any means necessary .... and holding onto their power. Which is why the only hope for restoring actual Democracy is electing an independent, reform , anti-corruption and anti-establishment candidate, that scares the brains out of the 1%. When you see all the knives out ... you'll recognize who we need to elect.
Doesn't matter what he is .... this is a political strategy that was supposed to stop him but hasn't so far. It's only galvanized his base. As does the grasping at long shot, obscure legal straws like "inciting insurrection". As did Russia Gate. You must understand that the vast majority of the population no longer trusts but loathes the media so attack journalism only elicits the opposite response than the one intended. Disparaging the deplorables is another strategy that also boomerangs.
Here are the arguments for holding a Constitutional Convention NOW.
1. Our democracy is broken, specifically, because of capitalism.
2. Our democracy can be fixed if we limit corporate and group campaign spending.
3. We can limit corporate and group campaign spending by changing the US Constitution.
4. Because Congress is broken, we can change the US Constitution via a Constitutional Convention called by states.
5. Congress has the power to change the constitution and thus set Constitutional Convention rules.
6. Constitutional Convention rules, such as those in 1973 SB 1272 and 1985 SB 40, would eliminate the fear of a runaway convention.
7. Congress will resist giving up its Constitutional powers
a. By passing its own amendment as the number of states calling for a convention nears 2/3rds which has happened four times.
b. Otherwise, by setting rules to avoid a runaway convention, if it cannot pass an amendment. This prevents "everything on the table".
8. Calls for a Constitutional Convention will jump when the rules are in place.
9. Constitutional Convention proposed amendments must come only from the subjects of the state applications per the above SB rules.
10. Each Constitutional Convention proposed amendment must be a merger of the state texts of the same subject.
11. Three-fourths of states must ratify any Convention approved amendments.
a. This prevents a Constitution rewrite.
b. The Convention cannot lower the approval bar of the states because the Constitution was approved after the Philadelphia Convention and requires an amendment approved by three-fourths of states to be lowered.
12. Per the SB rules, an Amendment committee should be created for each State application subject.
a. This will allow parallel work on Amendments.
b. Time will be minimized.
13. A Constitutional Convention should have as few delegates as possible because
a. The Convention would finish on time.
b. The delegate size would remain manageable.
c. There were only 55 delegates at the First and Second Continental Congresses.
d. The 99% Declaration 2012 National Assembly had only 75 delegates and finished with 15 amendments/grievances in under 3 days.
e. Per SB rules, States could send a slate of participants but have limited votes.
14. Remote participation will be supported except for votes on each final version of an Amendment.
a. This will minimize personal commitment.
b. This will speed up work.
c. This will eliminate the need for a large facility for a long time.
“Much of the fear surrounding a convention is unfounded. The Convention Clause’s text and history indicate that it grants power to the States to limit the scope of any such convention. In addition, the States have the ability to reject any amendments proposed by a convention through the ratification process.”
– The Other Way to Amend the Constitution: The Article V Constitutional Convention Amendment Process, Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, Vol. 30, Issue 3
Kimberly, I have absolutely no respect for the Supreme Court, none! We do need numbers so big that these people get the message that we will not surrender our country to them. No matter how hard they try to knock us down, we get back up and we keep going. Shout out the truth, write letters, sign petitions, protest and stay the course!! Make sure we get out the vote. Work on those that are fence sitters, Independents, non-committed, and republicans fed up with the way their party is behaving. It is so very important!! It would be absolutely lovely if we could just sweep the bench clean of these justices who so very obviously work for trump and the oligarchs. It would be great to start fresh and only put those on the bench who will work according to the Constitution and the rule of law. Those who have no allegiance except to our country! I am so angry and frustrated!!
In case that sounded like I am for a one party system, I am not. But unfortunately that's all we have right now... a one party system where the working for the people party is being stopped by a non working party.
A Democratic majority isn't about a one party system. It's what all Democrats, Independents, and actual centrist Republicans who want to save Democracy need to do if Democracy is going to be saved. 2028 isn't that far away, and that gives all parties a chance to take a deep breath and work together.
Both WH and Congress majorities able to actually get anything accomplished depends on Democrats shouting from the rooftops the clear choices we face--democracy or fascism. Every candidate on the ballot must have this unified and unabashed message. No more "tip-toeing".
Sooooo…you know that one-party rule doesn’t actually “right” a ship, right? It just turns it in one direction with no ability to course correct when it completely runs amok. As it will. As it has. People don’t change.
Let’s vote in tyranny to fight tyranny. Let’s hate our countrymen because they don’t see things the way we do. Let’s demolish the country to safeguard a made-up democracy, which really just means “what we say it means.”
Hint. We live in a constitutional republic. Not a democracy. You can thank the founding fathers for seeing this from hundreds of years in the past.
Man. Trump really did a number on you wounded souls.
agree. . . this MAGA R-party in order to simply serve their primary agenda. . power and neoliberalism. . has corrupted our framework of what he called democracy such that the highest court in the land, can subjectively decided what the founding fathers intended thru the U.S. Constitution (e.g. the 2nd Amendment). . we ignored this because 45k deaths due to gun violence for those in power are an acceptable price to pay for a few. But now we're seeing the very foundation of democracy being eroded to serve a power-hungry minority who sole purpose is to have power over the many. . a term we call fascism.
How are we supposed to have any sense or possibility of true justice when we are actively watching the dog & pony show real-time showing us that yes, actually, corruption IS the american way?
How? Vote in every election. Then make sure to get everyone you know to do the same. Plenty of Republicans will vote against the orange gorilla if they go to vote. Staying home and not voting is unacceptable!!
Terrifying... the Supreme Court does not represent the democracy and the rule of law. Trump is an insurrectionist and he has engaged in treasonous acts that clearly violate the Constitution, yet the majority on the Court casts this aside out of "loyalty" to him.
Treason? What would you call Obama, Clinton, the FBI and CIA colluding with foreign entities to usurp and unseat a sitting President by framing him as a Russian asset? You probably don't know about that cuz its not covered on MSNBC or the View. Matt Taibbi and Michael Schellenberger (2 of the few actual journalists left) recently wrote a great article about it. Of course, any one with an open, objective mind already knew this, but it never hurts to have more evidence.
I welcome discussion with reasonable people. I don’t find MAGATs reasonable people, as they are so indoctrinated into the cult, they can’t see beyond their fox bubble.
Delgado. you are right! SCOTUS does not represent a democracy, they represent a Republic. And clearly you have never read the 14th since it was never intended to apply to a president or vice president . I bet you voted for Biden didn't you!
“The US Supreme Court today has made a mockery of Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution.
The Supreme Court has ruled that--despite inciting and facilitating a violent insurrection that defeated federal law enforcement, conquered the seat of our national government, nearly assassinated the vice president and key congressional leaders, and blocked Congress from certifying his electoral defeat, thus disrupting the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in our nation’s history--the disgraced ex-president Donald Trump can run for office again because this critical provision of the Constitution, designed to prevent exactly this situation, cannot be enforced.”
“This dangerous ruling encourages Trump--and those who follow his example--to engage in more insurrections and disregard more broadly the Constitution.”
“As one Senator explained in 1866 when advocating for Section 3, “the man who has once violated his oath will be more liable to violate his fealty to the Government in the future.”
The framers of the Fourteenth Amendment learned this lesson in blood and gave us Section 3 to prevent a repeat. With today’s ruling, the Supreme Court has utterly failed in its duty to uphold this constitutional mandate at this critical moment in history.”
“We know the TRUTH : Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment makes clear that any elected official, including the president, who takes an oath of office to uphold the Constitution and then engages in insurrection is disqualified from future public office.”
“Every court and state official that has addressed that issue — in Colorado, Maine, and Illinois — concluded that Trump engaged in insurrection on January 6th and is therefore disqualified from the presidency. Further, neither the Supreme Court nor Trump’s lawyers denied that he engaged in insurrection.”
And what about Speaker Johnson who played a KEY role in overturning the 2020 election? He may very well not certify Biden if he wins.
"insurrection is not among the charges, (against Trump) and he was acquitted by the Senate after the House impeached him on charges that included inciting an insurrection" So therefore Trump has not been tried or convicted of insurrection. So how could section 3 of the 14th amendment be used against him then ? How could any state rule that he had incited insurrection without trying him in court, where both prosecution and defense could be heard ? It all makes no sense. My guess is the Supreme Court ruled on a states lack of authority to prevent a candidate from appearing on a national ballot for any reason.
A USMC draftee active duty 1968-71, I actively protested our involvement in Vietnam while in the marine corp, however I was loyal to the oath I took. I did not commit treasonous activities. D Trump did commit treason on & before 6 Jan. 2021.
Rick, it is so good to hear from a veteran that both objected to the war you did not want to fight but at the same time you held to your principles and your oath. A very difficult thing to do. I am humbled by your courage and dedication. Thank you!
I stood up during a boot camp lecture in Vietnam when the officer, lecturer, asked if anyone opposed our involvement in the Vietnam conflict. Punishment extra squat thrusts and rifle exercises
Thank you for your anti-war protests . You are entitled to your opinion. But are you a judge in a court of law? Did you listen impartially to both defense and prosecution ? Do you believe a person is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law? Or do you think trial by media in the court of public opinion is a superior system?
I hope people realize that electing Democrats (if that's even possible) is woefully insufficient.
SCOTUS has dropped even the pretense of impartiality, the kabuki theater of legal pundits, journalists building up to breathless "season finales", only to see decision after decision, ignoring precedent and inconvenient facts.
Unless Democrats stop pretending that we live in normal times, this country will continue to unravel.
How, are we lifelong hardworking LAW ABIDING TAXPAYERS to FIGHT, IF PSEUDO Supreme Court (6 MONKEY 🙊 judges HAVE BETRAYED their OATH amount other atrocities), are ALLOWED TO TRAMPLE over all that is the ANCHOR , CONSTITUTION, is this a declaration of AUTHORITARIANISM NOW in reality, precedence opening to COMPLETE CHAOS NOW?
We start by clearly and continuously stating that the Court has lost its legitimacy.
We demand that Democrats come up with a plan to reform SCOTUS. It's untenable to continue pretending that the ship will be righted without SCOTUS reform.
Democrats are afraid of chaos, but that's not an excuse for looking away as we slide into authoritarian rule.
This country survived a civil war, a world war, a depression and a Civil Rights movement. We'll survive SCOTUS reform.
KG That is a mirage. we end up with tRump. I live in a state that allow us to be unenrolled, or independent. The only time I'm Democrat is for primary voting, because we must choose either party to vote. I do NOT contribute to the DNC, ever since it screwed Bernie! and it will be a cold day in hell before I ever vote Republican!
Laurie we are compatriots then ! I’m voting for and donating to an independent who is the most authentic and radical candidate I have seen in 60 years. He is like Bernie but far braver and like Bernie able to draw from the disgusted in both parties.
So you / we are defeated without trying? Seems to me this voting to win, voting to avoid the lesser of two great evils, two amoral pawns of the 1% , big money and military intelligence industrial complex signals the final death without a whimper of decency and Democracy. So the best we can do is continue to slump toward escalating hostilities with Russia, China and the Islamic World , spread death , mayhem , genocide and financial collapse throughout the World . All because we are psychologically manipulated into a corner of hopelessness and self-defeatism. Yes it’s not just Trump who is a danger to Democracy and the rest of the World. Biden and the DNC must also be defeated.
For once the court made an excellent decision. One that prevents us from becoming a totalitarian enterprise where incumbents have their opponents thrown in jail or prevented from running against them, using charges of treason or inciting insurrection.
I’m afraid it is. We are watching the end of democracy in this country. I am glad I am as old as I am. I don’t want to live in the mess that lies ahead. Anyone of child bearing age, please don’t bring children into this world.
Yep Charles Manson didn't kill anyone he drove them there and pointed...he got life....this isn't any different other than being just as bad if not worst .
True hw, but what is the solution here. We do not live in normal times and we know it. How do we stop the unraveling? What else can we do but speak up, sign petitions, write letters, work on voter turn out?
We need to be loud and persistent stating that SCOTUS is now an illegitimate entity that cannot function without structural reforms.
We also need to pressure Democratic candidates. Their pretense of normality removes the speed bumps to autocracy.
They must create a plan to reform SCOTUS. There are no other options. This cannot be Biden's choice. This is the single most important 2024 issue. We won't survive another 4 years of the Alito vengeance tour.
I knew Alito’s mother. She told me in the 80’s that he was definitely to be placed on SCOTUS and the purpose was for him to overturn Roe and outlaw abortions. I was shocked at her confidence but she said it was all set up and “He’d better do it if he knows what’s good for him. Otherwise what has this all been for? He’ll do what he’s supposed to do.” He was nominated by GWB in 2005. Absolutely corrupt stacking of the court by the “vast right Wing conspiracy,” as Hillary correctly described it but was excoriated for contemporaneously.
It's not enough...without Court reform, we'll continue to lose rights. I don't think voters realize the extent of the unrestrained partisanship of SCOTUS.
Durbin wasted his time as Judiciary chair. Voters have to be relentless about Court reform. Voting for Democrats isn't enough...
hw ; Maybe a new A G would help. and impeachment of judge Thomas, and the others accepting gifts. The one who has a wife with clients who have cases before the court, for example.
I’m both livid at the ruling but horrifically bolstered that the Supreme Court is a corrupt political wing of the right wing conspiracy built over years to destroy democracy. They made themselves kingmakers when they appointed Bush president and they have made themselves kings above the law answering to no one or the People. Democracy is dead IMHO. The country is just going through the process of death. I mourn for my offspring. I mourn for the health of the planet itself. Of course I will vote and go through the efforts, but this optimist is now a pessimist full of disdain and anger toward the criminally corrupt caldron of traitors.
My family is Black. It is not about hating a Black man, but strongly disliking a man whose wife supported the insurrectionist tfg who shouted the election was fraud. She raised money, spoke out many times, financially supported the insurrectionist. As a wife, my husband knew how I felt about topics. I find it unbelievable that thomas did not hear his wife talk about her support for tfg. He should not be on the supreme court, but then neither should Amy, Samuel, or Brett. Appointments rushed through the last days of tfg's term.
This has nothing to do with race and everything to do with corruption. Pull your head out of the sand. It’s clearly documented that Thomas is bought and paid for by wealthy elites. So are the other justices that vote along with him, and they are white.
No. I hate having a perjurer on the Supreme Court whose wife is an insurrectionist. Thomas and Kavanaugh both fall into the perjurer category. In case you didn't notice, Kavanaugh is White.
Amazing! The relatively fast turnaround on this decision in contrast with the foot dragging on Trump’s appeal for immunity. The Robert’s court has become the tool of a posturing, would-be despot.
He is a SHAM! Walking and breathing Supreme Court sham. He and his wife are loathed.
The fault of all this garbage, regarding the walking, breathing, orange, sociopath, is the GOP. Blame the entire GOP, and especially, M. McConnell, for FAILING twice to IMPEACH the orange, walking, breathing, sociopath! If they had done their job, this would not be an issue!
They made a mistake as this court could have read the constitution differently and the originalist should know what was needed. This gives me little hope for the other Trump cases before them.
Those who claim to be originalists have only been LYING about that. They're there to tear down the wall between church and state, to impose an authoritarian theocracy.
This gives me little hope the criminal cases will even occur, since SCOTUS can just selectively override everything at will, and the will of everyone. The other thing is, if Trump gets back in, he'll have no use for a Supreme Court. They're slitting their own throats!
In my law class on the constitution, it was stated in the textbook and by the professor (who was a judge) that it is about INTERPRETATION. And here we are with this SCOTUS
First he'd have to be convicted in a court of law for having "incited an insurrection" which means a trial with both prosecution and defense. Secondly states would have to have the authority/ right to keep a candidate off a national ballot for any reason. Thirdly the Supreme Court would have to decide if this amendment had any modern day applications.
Liar, rapist, liar, traitor, liar, megalomaniac, liar, fraud, liar, grifter, liar, philanderer, liar, seditionist, liar. Yeah. Let's keep him on the ballot. The choice should be obvious.
Marlo ; Yes, and all those in red states who died from Covid because they listened to his advice about treatments ; vaccines and masks, and did not have protection! and the people who were shot for shopping for food while being Black! Or the women who were killed for being Asian! Or those in houses of worship in the "wrong' faith!
UGH!!!! All the more reason to vote for Democracy in numbers to big to ignore. We need a Democratic majority Congress and White House in order to right this ship and pass the laws regarding insurrection and who that applies to. And so many other things the GOP have screwed up.
We keep hearing about a blue tsunami. We all need to work together to find out what has been preventing this in the past, and be sure to make sure it happens this time.
One thing we can do is stop listening to those disastrous polls such as the New York Times / Siena College polls. Who the hell are these people and who funds them? It seems to me that polls such as these act to persuade people on a not so subtle level who may currently claim a majority of positive/negative public opinion. It is in its own way a form of brainwashing just as culpable as the largely money-corrupted media.
Ilene - I vehemently agree with you! I am cross as sticks with the mainstream media. They are pushing the country toward a form of disaster.
It's time for all of us to realize that Wall Street speaks loudest at the NYT, and Wall Street favors Trump, who gave them the 1 trillion dollar tax gift and promises to put an end to unionization and even a hint of fair taxation policy.
Progressive oligarchy Jamie Dimon style. As I have learned being a progressive billionaire means nothing when it comes to lessening inequality.
Polls are a waste. Which ever party or is paying for the poll is who's posted as the highest winner . No different than beauty pageants or dog shows.
we just completed a poll in Nevada. Trump could win Nevada if you can get over the 27% threshold is currently holding. yes that's right in Nevada 27% of the population once the vote for Trump. there's a pool you don't want to forget.
funded by their republican 1% buddies I would think...
maybe even owned and operated by those .
Look, republicans have tampered with everything.
They’re waging a culture war, not just a political
war. They’ve swarmed the internet with what looks like legit articles published in a relatively new legit internet periodical, slickly done and of course they’re slanted to the right. Some are easier to detect than others, but they’ve been doing it for years.
I noticed these bogus articles because they seem
for the most part to be written by professionals, but
they’re clearly slanted to the “conservative” point of view. If what I read doesn’t sit well with me and I
want to be sure I’m getting good info, I look for
other articles on the same topic from more mainstream, reliable sources. Most of the time I
find articles on PBS, Washington Post, Newsweek, etc. that are more honest on the topic or I occasionally look at FactCheck as well. Polls are the same way. In some cases the right has bought businesses that have good reputations and then slowly move the point of view to the right. So I guess what I’m saying is to be critical or rather look at polls and articles critically before accepting what they say.
Undoubtedly, you are right, Susan. My concern and comments were aimed, primarily at those who absorb the news with mind wide shut.
Ilene—I agree with everything you said! I didn’t mean to come across as critical. I was having a frustrating day.
These last few years have been nothing but frustrating for so many of us. Yet if you ignore the chaos and tsunami of misinformation, you risk being drowned in it. Being critical is the path to maintaining sanity.
Correct! I always wonder how many people they polled and where.
Also, the way the questions are constructed can affect the outcome majorly.
You’re right Nancy Jane. Three or four decades ago
polling was done only by professionals who under-
stood questions had to be worded carefully to get an honest result. Now anyone can do a poll.
Polls are bent toward those who actually answer their phones when it’s an unknown number. Now who do you think does that the most?
My condolences.
That must be a very difficult balancing act for you.
https://ruminato.substack.com/i/141309877/new-york-times-march.
From the Trump Headline Corrector.
It's not enough for us to wait until an election to "vote blue." Some of us, many of us, live in congressional or state legislative districts that break red. The local Democratic Party doesn't bother to promote blue candidates because they think there's no way the blue can defeat the red incumbent--SO THEY DON'T EVEN TRY TO TARGET THE DISTRICT. If the Dem or Indie candidate even gets on the ballot, no one has a clue who they are. So they keep voting for the lying, toxic MAGAs like Debbie Lesko (AZ).
We need to donate to a Dem candidate, AND volunteer for a Dem, whether it's in a grocery parking lot or placing door hangers. Can't? Take home stamped postcards and fill them out. Call and harass your local Democratic Party HQ. Yeah. They need a kick in the behind. Remind them it's not about one or two candidates that will probably win anyway. It's about targeting the horrible ones and getting them beaten at the election. You can't vote blue if there's no blue candidate.
I agree. It is the small elections and support of qualified candidates from city council, school boards, library oversight that we can take immediate actions on. And donate blue. Choose a group or a candidate and support them.
I completely agree. Come to the conclusion that the only thing I can control is that which is local to me. I can’t control Gaza Israel, Ukraine, Russia. But I can control what’s going on around me which hopefully will filter up.
You're so right. I've read multiple stories about candidates who, had they not been left twisting in the wind by the DNC, could have won. People seem very motivated. I'm cautiously optimistic. Thanks!
Amen! There are also letter writing campaigns and text baking, phone banking if you cannot get out.
Most people don’t bother exercising their right to vote. Turnout is abysmal.
Help get the BLUE vote out, swingblue indivisibles Fieldteam6 are 3 groups.
Republicans are actively trying to disqualify large numbers of voters.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/03/us/politics/trump-voter-rolls.html
To check if you are registered, go to voterizer.org
https://www.fieldteam6.org/actions
https://actionnetwork.org/groups/swingbluealliance
So many people over reacting. All was to be expected.
In order to prevail we need to fight. Biden won 2020 by 7 Million. Gen Z will be 40% of the electorate. We can expand the base while Republicans' base is shrinking.
So many trolls, willing idiots trying to demoralize true democrats.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/03/opinion/democrats-governor-shapiro-beshear.html
...rephrase, Daniel Solomon! You sound so patronizing!
Condescension is just another form of bullying. Give it up.
Just got back with my kid from voting in CA primary
Yay! Two generational voting rocks.
It truly is, and that's what needs to be fixed somehow. A movie like the old "The Day After," the TV flick with Jason Robards that scared the hell out of people about nuclear war a few decades ago, would help.
I wrote a piece that tries to do the same thing, but people are very visual these days, and a movie, even a very short one, would be much better. Nobody reads anymore, so mine is just a writing exercise.
https://ruminato.substack.com/p/the-neighbors-beyond-the-yard
IMHO a huge part of the problem is the first past the post voting system. It depresses turnout (Why bother showing up unless you're in a "swing state" (US) or "marginal constituency" (UK)? Literally a waste of time!). It practically enforces a two party duopoly. Which in turn pretty much inevitably leads to a binary approach to politics, extremism, and all that other bad stuff.
Absolutely. This feeds our current problem. Right now, we in the U.S. are stuck with one "normal" political party, which caters primarily to the corporate class, with a few bones thrown in for us peons. The corporate party also relies, still, on a neoliberal foreign policy.
This is an ongoing problem that won't be solved by voting in this election. However, much more so than in 2020, this is a straight up and down vote for democracy (semantics and definitions aside). There's a not small faction on the left that believes a Trump presidency would somehow not be a bad thing, that it would shake things up and start a true revolution. This will not happen. Trump will install sycophants at every level of government, and Stephen Miller, the ONE guy who hasn't broken with Trump all these years, will be at the helm of a dystopian state. Imagine his cronies in charge as AI and robotics enter Stage 2.
It sucks that we are stuck with a one party system but this didn't happen overnight. The political pendulum swung hard to the right with Reagan and then Gingrich, and continues on its merry way, partly because people don't vote in small elections where they could actually install the kinds of people who would eventually kill the Electoral College.
""𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑣𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛." True, but it's a good start?! The rest is education towards critical thinking. A free society, that enjoys freedom of speech, has to know to recognize truth.
Yes,REAGAN AND GINGRICH are culpable. Nauseating POLITICIANS.
The two-Party system is indeed at fault. Other Democracies, in Europe, are not as shaken up by folks like Trump because there is more than one Party crying foul. We've had our crazies, like Jean-Marie Le Pen and daughter Marine Le Pen, but there are enough other candidates to league against them.
But here, to give the winner the SEMBLANCE of a mandate, the Presidential elections only allow us to pick from 2 candidates, so it is a continuous tug of war, with consistently a very large constituency, sometimes even the majority, that ends up unhappy, and rightfully so.
The solution is to erode this notion of "states rights" and a Constituion that was written to protect a country 240 years ago. U.S. is the only democracy chose by an electoral college system. We ignored this until 2000, when a majority vote candidate was denied winning. It's happened before but those were minor exceptions in the past. In 2000 we saw what used to be a objective SCOTUS, actively decided the election. Then in 2016 we saw the worst case of the bad example. Simply removing the electoral college from this sole Federal position would be a good start towards a true democracy, and less likely towards fascism.
That is one thing that needs to be fixed. A good start to amendments to the constitution that won't happen until we get rid of the nuts running the Supreme Court and the Congress.
Excellent insights Steffen!
How about a visual article entitled, "Trump Presidency 2025 Day One".
1. Exec Order 1 - Fire all employees of Dept of Justice (rids of Trump cases)
2. Exec Order 2 - Fire all Democratic employees (cuts govt spending)
3. Exec Order 3 - Cuts Federal funding to States with Democratic Governors.
Terrifying -- and yet not implausible should DJT be reelected. Even liberal "news" outlets scream Trump Trump Trump, even if it's negative, and the end result is Trump being foremost in people's brains. Quit talking about the Orange Menace!
I agree he gets way too much 'hot air time'.
Visual aid for Trump Presidency 2025 Day One.
https://michaelekelley.com/2024/03/04/trump-presidency-2025-day-one/
Add also images of the huge number of people made jobless because of trump's stated plans to decimate the Civil Service and so many other institutions and agencies that keep the country operating. Add images of citizens who protest being rounded up and arrested a la protesters in Russia, military, police, anarchic sheriffs all serving as trump's storm trooper enforcers, and emphasize what is his and his maniacal cult's primary target: Black Americans!
Like a Powerpoint presentation!! Love it!
Visual aid for Trump Presidency 2025 Day One.
https://michaelekelley.com/2024/03/04/trump-presidency-2025-day-one/
And what are the bad things that’ll he’d do?🤣
see my blog and comment.
https://michaelekelley.com/2024/03/04/trump-presidency-2025-day-one/
Visual aid for Trump Presidency 2025 Day One.
https://michaelekelley.com/2024/03/04/trump-presidency-2025-day-one/
That is a great idea. A video/film of enough length and substance that it is not confused with a straight campaign ad. Something along the lines of Sinclair's book "It Can't Happen Here" but in these current contexts. Or a series of "vignettes" of the world's despots and what they did, then add trump to the lineup with his stated plans and what projected outcomes there will be.....an absolute fascist state for the benefit of "rulers" and the subjugation of whoever the "rulers" declare to be their enemies du jour.
It would have to be done by someone who can make a powerful cinematic experience, even if it only streamed on one of the streaming platforms. The talent is out there. Someone needs to step up.
What would be GREAT is for a group of film-makers to do this: Ken Burns, Stephen Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and many others, rising up and using their talent and money for something other than constructing their own private escape routes and luxurious bunkers .... Or maybe that's just the CEO's who are complicit, like the cowards and collaborators of WWII!
My God, Charles! Yes you're right. I don't, sadly, have enough patience these days to chill out and just read something in it's entirety without skimming through it and therefore not getting the whole story of what I'm reading. That said, what i DID read through your story you wrote TRULY scared the hell out of me because It's becoming such a scary possibility of the question " Could this actually really happen down the road in this country? VERY VERY scary thought! Vote Biden ,people, for humanities sake, VOTE BIDEN!!!
Thanks for reading what you did! And yeah, this isn't the time to lodge a "protest vote." People who feel that need should be sure to vote in local elections and bring better people on board. There's a reason our politicians are generally the least society has to offer.
reality sadly is not a solution. "We" (a minority few) realize this, but the majority does not. So the answer is. . we need to inform the many about the "inconvenient truth." The right to vote is inalieable, but requirement to vote is abscent. If we cant create a law that it's a crime not to vote, we at least should create an incentive to vote, and a national lottery based on your vote annually, might be a good start?
Start with making voting day a national holiday.
a lot of IGNORANT people out there I'm afraid...
ugly truth. . and "we" as progressives and realists, know this but we use it as shock & awe, or humor. Ignorant people serve a fascist agenda, "power over the people. It's starts with a good education in our "public" schools and the concept of "critical thinking." "𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 𝑎 𝑗𝑢𝑑𝑔𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡." teach people how to think and accept inconvenient truths and how to make more reality more genuine.
Should reduce governmental benefits to EVERY non-voting citizen except those with documented physical or mental health restrictions. Laziness or disinterest no excuse!
So if I didn’t vote for some reason, I would lose Social Security or Medicare? Or is this aimed at people receiving Food Supports and/or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families? How about Veterans benefits? Not sure what benefits you would recommend cutting?
22 countries require their citizens to vote. Australia has a $20 fine for not voting. Even that might help.
Just exasperated at the lack of responsibility too many people seem to have as they enjoy the benefits of living in a free country. We teach our children that responsibilities come with freedoms. Being too lazy to vote is no excuse!
We should not blame the victims of disinformation, many working two or three jobs, and barely keeping a roof over their heads, who are not being given the information they need to vote intelligently. Some of these lost loved ones when Covid information was gamed by the media, and bad messages misled them.
overcoming Ignorance and the belief that it will not make a difference, along with a deep state of depression may be part of the challenge to get non voters engaged. The media disinformation must stop. Accountability for what is reported (or not reported) should extend beyond a grievance of a corporation, being harmed financially, like Dominion, to the actual public who are misinformed, and voted the wrong way against their real interests.
Very sadly I cannot vote for Biden this time round. I consider his policies regarding the State of Israel led by Netanyahu (a man rather similar to Trump in many ways) and Gaza, to make the U.S. - and thus myself - complicit in the murders of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza, if I were to do so.
Of course I will not vote for Trump either. I would like to see Biden step back and allow another candidate to run who would not donate weapons and money to this heart-breaking slaughter of mostly women and children.
Failing that I will write-in the name of a person I respect for President.
Unfortunately, so long as we use first-past-the-post in this country, not voting for Biden is the same as helping Trump win. BUT, if we had approval voting or score voting for presidential elections, then you could vote with your conscience and not be punished for it! Switching voting schemes, I truly believe, would be the best thing we could do for our democracy (for this and other reasons).
Agreed. I have been advocating for ranked-choice voting (instant-runoff voting). Without updating our flawed voting system, we'll continue to have disastrous campaigns and results.
Very sadly I cannot vote for Biden this time round. I consider his policies regarding the State of Israel, led by Netanyahu (a man rather similar to Trump in many ways) and Gaza, to make the U.S. - and thus myself - complicit in the murders of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza, if I were to do so.
Of course I will not vote for Trump either. I would like to see Biden step back and allow another candidate to run who would not donate weapons and money to this heart-breaking slaughter of mostly women and children.
Failing that I will write-in the name of a person I respect for President.
So, a personal protest 🪧 is a wasted (spoiled) ballot that is not worth the paper it is written on. Why bother? It means nothing, just like the people who wrote Bernie Sanders on the ballot when HRC was the Democratic candidate. A waste of ink, quite frankly. Futile.
Your exercise to vote isn’t for the PERFECT candidate ever, but the one who fits closest to your ideals & hope for the future. Biden is seeking a cease fire on the Gaza Strip, BTW. Trump would annihilate the Palestinians, just like he would destroy Ukraine for Putin & burn the US to the ground to keep himself out of prison for what amounts to Treason.
You’d be better off voting blue, no matter who.
Biden isn’t perfect, but he beats the alternative.
Don’t forget women’s right to bodily autonomy & right to choose. Do you really want to live in a dystopian society where you have fewer & fewer rights?
Read Project 2025 & please think about it.
I hope Drumpf commandeers a US Navy Destroyer to have a victory tour through SF Bay on, with Kid Rock singing "Cowboy" on deck and has strippers hanging off he radio masts.
That's the best use of my tax $ I can imagine.
What do you think?
Drumpf couldn't commandeer a canoe.
And yet he organized an insurrection. Go figure.
Get rid of the Electoral College! give to Inequality Media Civics action to help get the word out!
People don’t vote blue?
Some Democrats in Michigan "uncommitted". Idiots
agree. . but this is when one alters the patriotism of national service, to serve a religious, political, cultural, and ethical agenda in another part of the world. It's a "national" election, not a foreign policy issue.
They are just sick and tired and the won't take it anymore.
They do, and for local and state gov't their vote counted. But the point made is the EC erases your vote in a national election of your red state has a majority vote. Knowing your blue vote for President won't count in a red state, supports the low 65% voter turnout - Electoral Collage (and vice versa). The right to vote should be also an obligation, but turnout for local elections is even lower.
Unsurprisingly, the younger kids who are (legitimately) complaining about Gaza have no answer when I ask them if they voted in local elections recently to build a better bench of progressives. They expect the centrism they loathe to simply disappear, without doing any real work to make it so. That's not true for all, of course, but the stats are clear: they don't vote in local elections.
These younger adults, simply look at "who's poor and oppressed". . rather than to understand "why." And how convenient to forget Oct 7th, and all the terrorism Hamas and similar Palestinian groups have done to them. (Palestinians in Gaza were asked if Oct 7 slaughter and 78% said yes). Meanwhile Hasidic Jews and those with conservative views have been terrorizing Palestinians in the West Bank. This is way too complicated for these young minds to understand, and it's not black and white, but deeply entrenched shades of gray. Biden could gain a lot of votes if he got tough with Netanyahu and brokered a ceasefire/withdrawal.
They better!!!!!!!
Do you really believe this ship can be righted? Of course we can do nothing but resist and vote and fight to save it, but my hope is gone.
I’m with you, PW! Even if Biden is re-elected our government is bought and run by huge corporate interests. In addition, both parties are more interested in maintaining their grip on whatever power they have as opposed to representing the people that voted them in. Oh, and our votes don’t even matter as long as the electoral college remains a part of the equation.
Mark, I agree that the EC is nothing but a stumbling block against American voters. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that the EC was initially established by white slave owners, who wanted to ensure their hold on power from being dissolved by the unwashed masses, most of whom were uneducated at the time. I welcome any correction to this notion. In any case the EC is no longer necessary but has become an impediment to justice in this country.
Ilene. I definitely need to do more research on how the EC came to be. All I really know about it is that it strips me of my vote. One person, one vote, majority wins. I will research and get back to you on this.
You clearly no nothing about the EC or its purpose. Direct democracies always lead to dictatorships. Our founding fathers were far wiser than anyone in politics today.
Josh, that is why I welcomed comments to supplement my own viewpoint. Thank you for yours. You may be right
in that the electoral college is a necessary component of democracy, yet in the last few contentious elections, it's role appears to have morphed into a guard rail against the popular vote.
That is exactly its purpose. We are not majority rule on purpose. If you do some reading on the EC you'll come to realize its genius.
Sadly we're all under Ginny's thumb
very astute observations Mark Mooney!
Defeat defeat.
I think we know less than half of what is really going on with Trump & Co, the Thomases, the House and Senate Republicans and their state counterparts, and every other MAGA organization. I don't hold much hope, either, that Democracy will prevail because that word is conflated with the Democratic Party in the minds of the Magats. If other law enforcement organizations are like those in Washington State, they are aligned with the insurrectionists. I really fear for what will happen on November 5th and the days following.
Not just in Washington State - everyone knew that Trump and his cultists were preparing an insurrection, they posted it on bloody Facebook for crying out loud. And what did law enforcement do to prepare....
Edit: I mean I knew about the planned insurrection, and I've never even left Europe. But none of the like 15 secret polices ("intelligence services") of the US knew? The police force of congress didn't know? That's just not plausible. They knew. They just couldn't be bothered to prepare (at least not properly). Because you can only be a "terrorist" if you're brown/black/native or pray towards Mecca. Imagine if this insurrection had been publicly planned by a Muslim organisation, or BLM... they wouldn't have made it to within 1000 miles of DC.
The issue about prepping is that the executive branch controlling the underlings in the executive branch was the criminal who didn’t want the prep to oppose himself. Fox guarding the henhouse scenario.
Thank you for calling that out. Someone needed to say it. It’s the truth.
Pegra - as Prof. Reich said in his Saturday klatch, there is a tunnel (or more likely alot of them) under the Republican Party. We don't see anything, above ground. But it's surely going on underneath. And it spells trouble ahead.
As I’ve posted before, I’m not one to live in fear and I do not live in fear. But I do fear what is going to happen after the election in November.
I knew the other half I hadn't known when I watched the documentary 'The Family' on Netflix. Have you watched that?
No, but I just put it on my watch list. Thx
I’m with you - SCOTUS will support whatever they do to overthrow any election results the Rs don’t like. I really hope my pessimism won’t turn out to be correct.
We can learn from our past heroes. Boycott as many as we can—ALL the major companies supporting the traitor. I know there are some things we'll have to buy. The other items? The hell with them. Keep as much money in your pocket as possible. Donate to the Blue Warriors. Volunteer, Talk about it. Understand, the court just screwed us. Do we take it or do we stand & fight?
Yes, Janis!! You are right and we need to keep talking, keep speaking truth, and work on getting out the vote as much as possible!!
Great words Janice! All Rethuglicans know is money, We can stop giving them ours. Mobilize.us we can write letters, phone bank and text banking.
We fight! I would rather die than support the current status quo
PW, I feel your pain. My hope is getting smashed every day but I refuse to give up. Our Democracy is too important and we must fight with all we have to defend it from these total and complete idiots!!
Yes. Agreed. I know. I do. But I still have no hope left.
I understand, PW. It is so very discouraging. My mom use to tell me it is always darkest before the dawn. These are our dark days, but I truly feel that if we don't give up, if we keep fighting, our dawn will be glorious!
More power to you. Keep going. I’m going to pass the torch soon anyway. I’ve lived through and seen a lot. I’m old. I weep that the younger are facing us going backwards. It’s not what I wanted to leave behind. I wanted to sleep knowing my offspring were safe, free, and thriving. My hope is gone and I don’t have any more do overs.
I understand, PW. It is very hard right now to live with what we are having to live with. Our children will be facing another uphill struggle; however, our children are strong and will fight just like we have. I, too, am old and don't have a whole lot of time left, but I will do everything I possibly can to ensure that little orange man doesn't get anywhere near the White House!! I will go down fighting and know that my kids will pick up the mantle and keep going. Our ancestors fought so hard to make our country the best place it could be. Many gave their lives so that we could have the freedoms that the republicans are hell bent on taking away from us. I do understand, PW. Please stay hopeful and do your best to enjoy the autumn years! I wish you the best!
I feel your pain and I agree
Hope is a false concept. Action is the only thing that will change the way things are. I have actually given up but that does not mean that I’m giving in.
exactly P W!
Giving up hope is MAGA’s strategy. Please resist and let’s keep fighting. There are many organizations and people getting folks to register and vote, it’s our only and best hope. For inspiration read Simon Rosenberg, Jessica Cravens and Robert Hubbell’s posts on Substack. There’s lots we can do. And doing will make you feel more hopeful.
Yes, I especially like Jessica. May I also add Tokyo Sand.
Election strategy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO3qdCEgOr4
Too big to ignore.
To me, the most troubling thing that came from today's decision was the outcome looked as if SCOTUS was favoring Trump.
Donald Hodgins: There is no doubt: it is favoring him.
They are and it is disgusting!!
Of course. How could they not favor their benefactors? I wouldn't be surprised to know that the majority threatened the minority if they did not tow the line.
Remember Alina Habba, trump's attorney on Fox, saying that the three stooges tRump appointed to the 'Supreme Court' "Owed him"? I thought that she had 'stepped in it' by saying that, because it was so obviously toxic and craven. But think again! they don't care, because they don't have to. Absolute power corrupts absolutely! How much money is being poured into our "justice" system for what little we are getting? It's a lot like our Defense systems. There seems to be little or nothing to defend US domestically! From mass shootings to stolen elections, where the public is played again and again!
Well said
It was a signal. Habba said it at Oompa Loompa’s direction to tell the Court what he expected them to do.
They most certainly are favoring trump. They ruled on Bush v Gore in days and in Trump’s immunity case they put it off until April 22!
Is Fox News their commander? Whose bidding are they doing?
Federalist Society & Co.
To bad they don't support a church going Christian rather than a failing Trump.
that would probably be just as bad and maybe worse.
Church going Christians come in an astonishingly large variety, not all of the benign.
Gordon--Most likely they are outside of the box looking in.
They are favoring the Constitution, something dems and left despise.
Josh--I'm a "Dem" and I love my country and our constitution. What fake news program have you been listening to?
What planet are you on?
What kind of Democracy do you think you are voting to preserve? The most basic premise of Democracy is the wisdom of consensus and the people's right to vote their consciences. How does ballot blocking an opponent and or tying them up in legal battles, in order to prevent votes being cast for them , fit into that? The sad truth is neither the DNC or RNC give a crap about Democracy all they care about is winning through any means necessary .... and holding onto their power. Which is why the only hope for restoring actual Democracy is electing an independent, reform , anti-corruption and anti-establishment candidate, that scares the brains out of the 1%. When you see all the knives out ... you'll recognize who we need to elect.
You've got to be kidding! I sure can't see him being taken at all seriously on the world stage.
Keven Gregg ; Tfg is tying up the courts ; like he has over his entire adult criminal career. He is no victim!
Doesn't matter what he is .... this is a political strategy that was supposed to stop him but hasn't so far. It's only galvanized his base. As does the grasping at long shot, obscure legal straws like "inciting insurrection". As did Russia Gate. You must understand that the vast majority of the population no longer trusts but loathes the media so attack journalism only elicits the opposite response than the one intended. Disparaging the deplorables is another strategy that also boomerangs.
Thank you for writing what I’ve been thinking for so very long
Agree. But the House is broken.
Here are the arguments for holding a Constitutional Convention NOW.
1. Our democracy is broken, specifically, because of capitalism.
2. Our democracy can be fixed if we limit corporate and group campaign spending.
3. We can limit corporate and group campaign spending by changing the US Constitution.
4. Because Congress is broken, we can change the US Constitution via a Constitutional Convention called by states.
5. Congress has the power to change the constitution and thus set Constitutional Convention rules.
6. Constitutional Convention rules, such as those in 1973 SB 1272 and 1985 SB 40, would eliminate the fear of a runaway convention.
7. Congress will resist giving up its Constitutional powers
a. By passing its own amendment as the number of states calling for a convention nears 2/3rds which has happened four times.
b. Otherwise, by setting rules to avoid a runaway convention, if it cannot pass an amendment. This prevents "everything on the table".
8. Calls for a Constitutional Convention will jump when the rules are in place.
9. Constitutional Convention proposed amendments must come only from the subjects of the state applications per the above SB rules.
10. Each Constitutional Convention proposed amendment must be a merger of the state texts of the same subject.
11. Three-fourths of states must ratify any Convention approved amendments.
a. This prevents a Constitution rewrite.
b. The Convention cannot lower the approval bar of the states because the Constitution was approved after the Philadelphia Convention and requires an amendment approved by three-fourths of states to be lowered.
12. Per the SB rules, an Amendment committee should be created for each State application subject.
a. This will allow parallel work on Amendments.
b. Time will be minimized.
13. A Constitutional Convention should have as few delegates as possible because
a. The Convention would finish on time.
b. The delegate size would remain manageable.
c. There were only 55 delegates at the First and Second Continental Congresses.
d. The 99% Declaration 2012 National Assembly had only 75 delegates and finished with 15 amendments/grievances in under 3 days.
e. Per SB rules, States could send a slate of participants but have limited votes.
14. Remote participation will be supported except for votes on each final version of an Amendment.
a. This will minimize personal commitment.
b. This will speed up work.
c. This will eliminate the need for a large facility for a long time.
“Much of the fear surrounding a convention is unfounded. The Convention Clause’s text and history indicate that it grants power to the States to limit the scope of any such convention. In addition, the States have the ability to reject any amendments proposed by a convention through the ratification process.”
– The Other Way to Amend the Constitution: The Article V Constitutional Convention Amendment Process, Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, Vol. 30, Issue 3
Thank you! That was brilliant and very educational
Kimberly, I have absolutely no respect for the Supreme Court, none! We do need numbers so big that these people get the message that we will not surrender our country to them. No matter how hard they try to knock us down, we get back up and we keep going. Shout out the truth, write letters, sign petitions, protest and stay the course!! Make sure we get out the vote. Work on those that are fence sitters, Independents, non-committed, and republicans fed up with the way their party is behaving. It is so very important!! It would be absolutely lovely if we could just sweep the bench clean of these justices who so very obviously work for trump and the oligarchs. It would be great to start fresh and only put those on the bench who will work according to the Constitution and the rule of law. Those who have no allegiance except to our country! I am so angry and frustrated!!
In case that sounded like I am for a one party system, I am not. But unfortunately that's all we have right now... a one party system where the working for the people party is being stopped by a non working party.
A Democratic majority isn't about a one party system. It's what all Democrats, Independents, and actual centrist Republicans who want to save Democracy need to do if Democracy is going to be saved. 2028 isn't that far away, and that gives all parties a chance to take a deep breath and work together.
Both WH and Congress majorities able to actually get anything accomplished depends on Democrats shouting from the rooftops the clear choices we face--democracy or fascism. Every candidate on the ballot must have this unified and unabashed message. No more "tip-toeing".
Sooooo…you know that one-party rule doesn’t actually “right” a ship, right? It just turns it in one direction with no ability to course correct when it completely runs amok. As it will. As it has. People don’t change.
Let’s vote in tyranny to fight tyranny. Let’s hate our countrymen because they don’t see things the way we do. Let’s demolish the country to safeguard a made-up democracy, which really just means “what we say it means.”
Hint. We live in a constitutional republic. Not a democracy. You can thank the founding fathers for seeing this from hundreds of years in the past.
Man. Trump really did a number on you wounded souls.
The billionaires scotus is packed 6-3
Only the totally corrupt Thomas has expressed the desire to retire
The other five are on the bench for decades to come
Voting has no effect
Citizens are disempowered, as the capitalist oligarchy strategy has planned
Translation:
"We need a one-party state to ram through laws and kill anyone that gets in our way."
agree. . . this MAGA R-party in order to simply serve their primary agenda. . power and neoliberalism. . has corrupted our framework of what he called democracy such that the highest court in the land, can subjectively decided what the founding fathers intended thru the U.S. Constitution (e.g. the 2nd Amendment). . we ignored this because 45k deaths due to gun violence for those in power are an acceptable price to pay for a few. But now we're seeing the very foundation of democracy being eroded to serve a power-hungry minority who sole purpose is to have power over the many. . a term we call fascism.
How are we supposed to have any sense or possibility of true justice when we are actively watching the dog & pony show real-time showing us that yes, actually, corruption IS the american way?
How? Vote in every election. Then make sure to get everyone you know to do the same. Plenty of Republicans will vote against the orange gorilla if they go to vote. Staying home and not voting is unacceptable!!
I vote, every time.
My sense of security is not assuaged automatically, because it's not MY actions I'm questioning.
Terrifying... the Supreme Court does not represent the democracy and the rule of law. Trump is an insurrectionist and he has engaged in treasonous acts that clearly violate the Constitution, yet the majority on the Court casts this aside out of "loyalty" to him.
We are living in very dangerous times when the Supreme Court no longer up holds justice! We are now living in a corrupt country!
You’re out of touch with reality if you believe that!
The reality is if Trump gets in office this country is in trouble. That much I do know. That’s reality!
Treason? What would you call Obama, Clinton, the FBI and CIA colluding with foreign entities to usurp and unseat a sitting President by framing him as a Russian asset? You probably don't know about that cuz its not covered on MSNBC or the View. Matt Taibbi and Michael Schellenberger (2 of the few actual journalists left) recently wrote a great article about it. Of course, any one with an open, objective mind already knew this, but it never hurts to have more evidence.
Reagan, Nixon l, Bush and Trump have ALL committed TREASON. None were convicted. How come you aren’t reading the truthful articles?’
Excuse me? Get off of Fox spews!
I think you replied to the WRONG person! I am NOT a MAGAT! I support Biden!
BTW, I got my information from Thom Hartmann’s newsletter who details why Bush, Nixon and Reagan committed treason. Would you like the link?
Oh, sadly the Fox/OAN zombie MAGATs cult have infiltrated this site too.
I welcome discussion with reasonable people. I don’t find MAGATs reasonable people, as they are so indoctrinated into the cult, they can’t see beyond their fox bubble.
You mean opposing viewpoints? Who wants to exist in an echo chamber?
Delgado. you are right! SCOTUS does not represent a democracy, they represent a Republic. And clearly you have never read the 14th since it was never intended to apply to a president or vice president . I bet you voted for Biden didn't you!
BS. What is a president but an officer??
Auuuugh!!!! I wish I could be more articulate, but I'm so angry about this right now, plus their decision to DELAY. It's aggravating to the extreme.
Imo “Auuuugh!!!!” Is very articulate given the context. 😵💫
VOTE BLUE
Can the DOJ do ANYTHING since they are NOT following the constitution?
From Freespeech.org;
“The US Supreme Court today has made a mockery of Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution.
The Supreme Court has ruled that--despite inciting and facilitating a violent insurrection that defeated federal law enforcement, conquered the seat of our national government, nearly assassinated the vice president and key congressional leaders, and blocked Congress from certifying his electoral defeat, thus disrupting the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in our nation’s history--the disgraced ex-president Donald Trump can run for office again because this critical provision of the Constitution, designed to prevent exactly this situation, cannot be enforced.”
“This dangerous ruling encourages Trump--and those who follow his example--to engage in more insurrections and disregard more broadly the Constitution.”
“As one Senator explained in 1866 when advocating for Section 3, “the man who has once violated his oath will be more liable to violate his fealty to the Government in the future.”
The framers of the Fourteenth Amendment learned this lesson in blood and gave us Section 3 to prevent a repeat. With today’s ruling, the Supreme Court has utterly failed in its duty to uphold this constitutional mandate at this critical moment in history.”
“We know the TRUTH : Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment makes clear that any elected official, including the president, who takes an oath of office to uphold the Constitution and then engages in insurrection is disqualified from future public office.”
“Every court and state official that has addressed that issue — in Colorado, Maine, and Illinois — concluded that Trump engaged in insurrection on January 6th and is therefore disqualified from the presidency. Further, neither the Supreme Court nor Trump’s lawyers denied that he engaged in insurrection.”
And what about Speaker Johnson who played a KEY role in overturning the 2020 election? He may very well not certify Biden if he wins.
"insurrection is not among the charges, (against Trump) and he was acquitted by the Senate after the House impeached him on charges that included inciting an insurrection" So therefore Trump has not been tried or convicted of insurrection. So how could section 3 of the 14th amendment be used against him then ? How could any state rule that he had incited insurrection without trying him in court, where both prosecution and defense could be heard ? It all makes no sense. My guess is the Supreme Court ruled on a states lack of authority to prevent a candidate from appearing on a national ballot for any reason.
A USMC draftee active duty 1968-71, I actively protested our involvement in Vietnam while in the marine corp, however I was loyal to the oath I took. I did not commit treasonous activities. D Trump did commit treason on & before 6 Jan. 2021.
Rick, it is so good to hear from a veteran that both objected to the war you did not want to fight but at the same time you held to your principles and your oath. A very difficult thing to do. I am humbled by your courage and dedication. Thank you!
I stood up during a boot camp lecture in Vietnam when the officer, lecturer, asked if anyone opposed our involvement in the Vietnam conflict. Punishment extra squat thrusts and rifle exercises
I’m surprised that’s all you got.
Sounds like the Communist part of our government.
USN 1971-75 Balboa Hospital. I also protested and served my oath.
Thank you for your anti-war protests . You are entitled to your opinion. But are you a judge in a court of law? Did you listen impartially to both defense and prosecution ? Do you believe a person is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law? Or do you think trial by media in the court of public opinion is a superior system?
Clearly your head is still stuck in jar.
I hope people realize that electing Democrats (if that's even possible) is woefully insufficient.
SCOTUS has dropped even the pretense of impartiality, the kabuki theater of legal pundits, journalists building up to breathless "season finales", only to see decision after decision, ignoring precedent and inconvenient facts.
Unless Democrats stop pretending that we live in normal times, this country will continue to unravel.
How, are we lifelong hardworking LAW ABIDING TAXPAYERS to FIGHT, IF PSEUDO Supreme Court (6 MONKEY 🙊 judges HAVE BETRAYED their OATH amount other atrocities), are ALLOWED TO TRAMPLE over all that is the ANCHOR , CONSTITUTION, is this a declaration of AUTHORITARIANISM NOW in reality, precedence opening to COMPLETE CHAOS NOW?
We start by clearly and continuously stating that the Court has lost its legitimacy.
We demand that Democrats come up with a plan to reform SCOTUS. It's untenable to continue pretending that the ship will be righted without SCOTUS reform.
Democrats are afraid of chaos, but that's not an excuse for looking away as we slide into authoritarian rule.
This country survived a civil war, a world war, a depression and a Civil Rights movement. We'll survive SCOTUS reform.
Apparently the Rpobert's court thinks that an 18% approval raiding proves their integrity is intact. Yep, shooting for an even lower approval rating.
Vote Blue!
Don't vote blue or red , vote independent if you actually want real reform and change.
KG That is a mirage. we end up with tRump. I live in a state that allow us to be unenrolled, or independent. The only time I'm Democrat is for primary voting, because we must choose either party to vote. I do NOT contribute to the DNC, ever since it screwed Bernie! and it will be a cold day in hell before I ever vote Republican!
Laurie we are compatriots then ! I’m voting for and donating to an independent who is the most authentic and radical candidate I have seen in 60 years. He is like Bernie but far braver and like Bernie able to draw from the disgusted in both parties.
So you / we are defeated without trying? Seems to me this voting to win, voting to avoid the lesser of two great evils, two amoral pawns of the 1% , big money and military intelligence industrial complex signals the final death without a whimper of decency and Democracy. So the best we can do is continue to slump toward escalating hostilities with Russia, China and the Islamic World , spread death , mayhem , genocide and financial collapse throughout the World . All because we are psychologically manipulated into a corner of hopelessness and self-defeatism. Yes it’s not just Trump who is a danger to Democracy and the rest of the World. Biden and the DNC must also be defeated.
For once the court made an excellent decision. One that prevents us from becoming a totalitarian enterprise where incumbents have their opponents thrown in jail or prevented from running against them, using charges of treason or inciting insurrection.
Yes, the cunning decision that enables Trump to foment a successful second insurrection at the end of his 2nd term, and remain in power.
Since the plain text of Am3 Section 14 was ignored, I have every confidence that Am22 would prove far too complex for this Court.
😭Half the population has already lost the right to control their own bodies. How much longer does anyone have?
PW ; as long as it takes ; Vote Blue!
I’m afraid it is. We are watching the end of democracy in this country. I am glad I am as old as I am. I don’t want to live in the mess that lies ahead. Anyone of child bearing age, please don’t bring children into this world.
Feel negative ; But the remedy is to Vote Blue!
What choice do they have?
Birdi ; Not if we vote blue in an orderly fashion, as it is presently anyway, our right!
Yep Charles Manson didn't kill anyone he drove them there and pointed...he got life....this isn't any different other than being just as bad if not worst .
True hw, but what is the solution here. We do not live in normal times and we know it. How do we stop the unraveling? What else can we do but speak up, sign petitions, write letters, work on voter turn out?
We need to be loud and persistent stating that SCOTUS is now an illegitimate entity that cannot function without structural reforms.
We also need to pressure Democratic candidates. Their pretense of normality removes the speed bumps to autocracy.
They must create a plan to reform SCOTUS. There are no other options. This cannot be Biden's choice. This is the single most important 2024 issue. We won't survive another 4 years of the Alito vengeance tour.
I knew Alito’s mother. She told me in the 80’s that he was definitely to be placed on SCOTUS and the purpose was for him to overturn Roe and outlaw abortions. I was shocked at her confidence but she said it was all set up and “He’d better do it if he knows what’s good for him. Otherwise what has this all been for? He’ll do what he’s supposed to do.” He was nominated by GWB in 2005. Absolutely corrupt stacking of the court by the “vast right Wing conspiracy,” as Hillary correctly described it but was excoriated for contemporaneously.
I don't think Democrats are to blame here!
The dangers for anyone who has studied history are catastrophic.
Leaders have to rise to the current moment...what's "fair" is inconsequential.
hw ; Vote Blue as long as we can! Push to purge election deniers and oath breakers from their States!
It's not enough...without Court reform, we'll continue to lose rights. I don't think voters realize the extent of the unrestrained partisanship of SCOTUS.
Durbin wasted his time as Judiciary chair. Voters have to be relentless about Court reform. Voting for Democrats isn't enough...
hw ; Maybe a new A G would help. and impeachment of judge Thomas, and the others accepting gifts. The one who has a wife with clients who have cases before the court, for example.
Like put them trains and send them to camps?
I think you meant Congress and not commerce.
I’m both livid at the ruling but horrifically bolstered that the Supreme Court is a corrupt political wing of the right wing conspiracy built over years to destroy democracy. They made themselves kingmakers when they appointed Bush president and they have made themselves kings above the law answering to no one or the People. Democracy is dead IMHO. The country is just going through the process of death. I mourn for my offspring. I mourn for the health of the planet itself. Of course I will vote and go through the efforts, but this optimist is now a pessimist full of disdain and anger toward the criminally corrupt caldron of traitors.
Given the amount of bribery in the legislature, I would say using "commerce" is appropriate.
Again, PW, I completely agree. It is really hard to watch, and know that there is nothing I can do.
Vote Blue!
Our nation is certainly in trouble.
Despicable decision
Thomas should be impeached and removed. Period.
Tell that to Dick Durbin.
Why? You hate a black man?
My family is Black. It is not about hating a Black man, but strongly disliking a man whose wife supported the insurrectionist tfg who shouted the election was fraud. She raised money, spoke out many times, financially supported the insurrectionist. As a wife, my husband knew how I felt about topics. I find it unbelievable that thomas did not hear his wife talk about her support for tfg. He should not be on the supreme court, but then neither should Amy, Samuel, or Brett. Appointments rushed through the last days of tfg's term.
You dislike a successful black man who let the plantation. There is nothing wrong with Amy, Samuel, or Brett.
You did not read my post. And why is your avatar the 1 finger salute?
Bull
This has nothing to do with race and everything to do with corruption. Pull your head out of the sand. It’s clearly documented that Thomas is bought and paid for by wealthy elites. So are the other justices that vote along with him, and they are white.
You need to own your white supremacy, and stop singling out a back man.
Go troll elswhere!
No. I hate having a perjurer on the Supreme Court whose wife is an insurrectionist. Thomas and Kavanaugh both fall into the perjurer category. In case you didn't notice, Kavanaugh is White.
😄Do some research.
Amazing! The relatively fast turnaround on this decision in contrast with the foot dragging on Trump’s appeal for immunity. The Robert’s court has become the tool of a posturing, would-be despot.
He is a SHAM! Walking and breathing Supreme Court sham. He and his wife are loathed.
The fault of all this garbage, regarding the walking, breathing, orange, sociopath, is the GOP. Blame the entire GOP, and especially, M. McConnell, for FAILING twice to IMPEACH the orange, walking, breathing, sociopath! If they had done their job, this would not be an issue!
They made a mistake as this court could have read the constitution differently and the originalist should know what was needed. This gives me little hope for the other Trump cases before them.
Those who claim to be originalists have only been LYING about that. They're there to tear down the wall between church and state, to impose an authoritarian theocracy.
This gives me little hope the criminal cases will even occur, since SCOTUS can just selectively override everything at will, and the will of everyone. The other thing is, if Trump gets back in, he'll have no use for a Supreme Court. They're slitting their own throats!
In my law class on the constitution, it was stated in the textbook and by the professor (who was a judge) that it is about INTERPRETATION. And here we are with this SCOTUS
I think the 14th amendment is laid out perfectly clear.
First he'd have to be convicted in a court of law for having "incited an insurrection" which means a trial with both prosecution and defense. Secondly states would have to have the authority/ right to keep a candidate off a national ballot for any reason. Thirdly the Supreme Court would have to decide if this amendment had any modern day applications.
Liar, rapist, liar, traitor, liar, megalomaniac, liar, fraud, liar, grifter, liar, philanderer, liar, seditionist, liar. Yeah. Let's keep him on the ballot. The choice should be obvious.
You forgot, cheater, murderer (people were murdered on January 6), fraud
Marlo ; Yes, and all those in red states who died from Covid because they listened to his advice about treatments ; vaccines and masks, and did not have protection! and the people who were shot for shopping for food while being Black! Or the women who were killed for being Asian! Or those in houses of worship in the "wrong' faith!
Name one.