Trump is Putin's puppet. Prior to the 2016 election Trump was desperately looking for $500 million. No banks would loan it to him. However, he cut a deal with Deutsche Bank. Deutsche Bank is controlled by the Russian oligarchs. Putin is the no. 1 Russian oligarch. So does Trump owe his allegiance to America or Putin? Who do you think?
So true! Everyone who believes that Trumpledumps is a great business man should read more about how he had mismanaged the money his father gave him. After owing so much, he had a "fire sale" on all his real estate holdings that his father developed. He "scr@#d his siblings out of their inheritance and killed the "goose that continued laying golden eggs" by selling all off to one bidder, buying for cheap! Then he realized that now he no longer had steady rental income! Really!! Shockingly he was only to pay the interest on his loans that one time. What a stupid man!
Future news. His day will come Oct. 2 in a non jury trial in NY involving accusations that he overstated his assets by $bils to get loans and understated his assets to establish value for aad valorem taxes.
"Deutsche Bank is controlled by the Russian Oligarchs" - astonishing claim. How could Deutsche Bank be controlled by Oligarchs? It is a listed company.
Do you mean "legally giving to Ukraine to prevent America's #1 enemy since the USSR was created?" Or did you mean to type, "I am a Russki bot here to heckle Americans?"
This is incoherent nonsense. "Anyone with a half a brain know the corruption Biden has with Ukraine." Leaving aside the poor grammar, what are you talking about? The risible nonsense promoted by the right-wingers about Burisma and Hunter Biden? There has never been any kind of evidence of Joe Biden being involved in any kind of corruption in Ukraine (what he did do was serve as point man for an effort by the US government and several allies to push Ukraine to fire a prosecutor who was *failing* to fight corruption. "...arming a strongman with a long list of human rights violation is pretty typical of the non-thinker". Again, what are you even saying here? While the US has in the past (and even today, in the case of the Saudis and the current right-wing Israeli government) armed plenty of strongmen with terrible human rights records, in this case, the US is arming a democratic nation that is *fighting against* a strongman with a terrible human rights record who launched an unprovoked attack on them. And it isn't as if not helping Ukraine would actually have meant any more money for either Hawaii or feeding the hungry. Biden and the Democrats are doing their best to fund both, as they should. It is the Republicans who are standing in the way, with some help from people like you who engage in nonsensical attacks on Biden.
Now see if you can write a more acerbic paragraph using the term "Redolent" - with the broader scope and intent of singing / toasting / light burning of Diem 25.
Good Luck.
Extra points if you can state why it is Dr. Mittens / Bernie does not feel entirely comfortable jumping on the Diem 25 "Bus".
This message might self destruct when it can be bothered to delete itself.
It seems to me that there is an important isue here that you are missing Jennifer. Putin has been our enemy for decades now, beginning with his KGB status as a Russian spy and assassin. It's widely believed by our IT agencies that he murdered Amrerican spies, personally.
The world went through horendous growing pains, you might say, throughout the decades of the Cold War, until its end in the Reagan years, and what you need to understand here, is that Putin will never stop making the efforts he made throughout those years to eventually conquer the entire planet and end any demcratic efforts around the world. It is still his desire to rebuild the Soviet Union, which has begun in his unbelievably arrogant move to steal a free country for his own purposes, recognised as such by the rest of the world. If he succeeds, he will never stop. Next would be Poland I suppose, and then the remaining countries of the old Soviet Union , many of which are now our NATO allies. They would be attacked, which may well result in WWIII, which would result in a far larger financial burden on the US, and, the loss of American military lives, and quite possibly, our own lives here in the US.
Stopping his move on Ukraine now, would be a far cheaper affair than WWIII would be, if you insist on thinking of this in terms of money, but when our debt is now in the trillions, the money we're now spending in Ukraine seems like a completely reasonable price to pay, so as to prevent Putin from leading the entire planet into disaster. "Billions" ? I know. Sounds outrageous. But this county spends billons on everything, and all the time. I see this as an investment in world peace, that'll save us many more billions in the future.
As for our own disasters here in America? I have no doubt that at present, the money needed to help our citizens in their hour of need will be made available to them. At least for now. If the effects of GW continue to get worse, then that may be a question that we need to face in the future.
Biden is under tremendous strain, but its my view that he'll continue to face our problems one at a time, as he has done, and pretty darn well imv. So far, he's been handling Putin, perfectly, so as to prevent our own boots on the ground involvment in a possibly coming world war. We can, and must, support him in 2024, in order to give him time to solidify his efforts to save us from the disaster that was tfg, which only strenghtened Putin, instead of protecting us, from him.
One more thing; NATO is all that stands between us and the worst actors on the planet, in their desire to end democracy the world over. Kim and Putin would like to destroy the US and turn us into a communist state, under their thumb, and do away with the greatest effort to establish democracy the world has ever known; the USA. NATO, is our best bet if we want to prevent that and protect us from them.
What you just said in your last comment is pure garbage. Everything in it is made up lies and disinformation. You should be the one that is embarrassed with your bald faced lies and disinformation. Stay away, garbage intellectual TROLL... Take your lies elsewhere.
Well, whoopy doo, that sure is impressive. WOW WEE.. i have lived in 50 nations, If you can come in here and tell lies, then so can i to you, Garbage TROLL.
Lost an old high school friend to the cult. You would figure a person who was bullied and also has health issues (ie need and took the vaccine) would be against the bully Republicans but alas the MAGA propaganda is very strong and its believers want to fight over their views constantly. There is one thing they do well. Shouting down all dissent so theirs is the only voice heard.
Oh paaaaaLEZE with the Hunter Biden.. I hesitate to even call it an issue, because if there was anything behind it, given the masive resources of the GOP, they certainly would have produced evidence of his so called corruption, by now ! They have not, and given the massive problems we now face, much of which has been caused by the GOP and tfg, I could not care any less about Hunter Freaking Biden. If he committed crimes, then the right, who have been WAiling about it, need to produce evidence! If they do have any? Then FINE! BUST the man! Put him in prison for the rest of his life! Same goes for his father. I could not care less, because I am a true believer in the rule of law.
I don't know where you've been, but they've been investigating the Hunter/Joe Biden thing for years. They haven't and won't, produce anything for the American people to see, because, I believe, it doesn't exist. In fact, I'm coming to believe that they, the right, are now so completely dishonest and completely political, that they are now holding back what they may or may not have until we're closer to the election, so that the American people will have little or no time before the election to examine their so-called evidence, so that they have a better chance of convincing some of us that their "evidence", is real. I for one, will be having none of it. The GOP and their high dollar donors are now the worst threat the American people face. Hopefully, a ton of We The People, will not stand for it, see who our real foes are, and continue to work towards the demise of the Republican party, and in support of our Democracy.
Hillary Clinton called tfg out in an early debate, long before the masses could see who he is. ; Putin's puppet. "Only a Pawn in the Game!" (Bob Dylan).
Every single day I lament how much better off our country would be without the Electoral College! She won the popular vote! Just think how much damage Trumpledumps caused during his four years of his presidency! All of that and his Insurrection attempts would not have occurred!
Yes, they do! They make a point of pride to state that we're not a Democracy but a Republic, as if we should be happy about that! Repugnants are definitely not in favor of a Democracy, they prefer an Authoritarian Oligarchy, like Russia, as long as they are in charge. People are waking up to this. And so their answer is to restrict voters rights.
Yup, the very FIRST 'othersideism' right wing talking point out of their mouths, as if a reflex!
They CANNOT explain away however THEIR batshit insane FreeDUMB Caucus' overt and blatant literal belittling of, and berating of actual democracy (see; insipid 4th REICH harpy, Boebert's BS 'talks').
At least she is honest in admitting her desire and demand for a FASCIST REGIME to control this land, the others are much less forthcoming in their wishes.
Yes, the Electoral College is mentioned in the United States Constitution. Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Constitution states that “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress” 1. The Electoral College is a method for indirectly electing the president of the United States. It was established by Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution and modified by the 12th and 23rd Amendments 2. However, it is important to note that the term “Electoral College” does not actually appear in the Constitution
As I recall, it was enacted to prevent Insurectionists, as in southern, Confederate, insurectionists, as in traitors who fought against the Union in the Civil War, from running for federal office, including the presidency, after the Civil War, and had nothing to do with voters, at all. Somebody correct me if my memory has failed me.
I'd prefer Lwaxana, Deanna and Riker. Ah well, I'm 78. Though I am relatively healthy, If the US ship isn't righted soon, I'll probably be gone before the final downfall of our flawed democracy.
Did you mean to say, "Though I am relatively healthy, if the US ship isn't righted soon, the final downfall of our flawed democracy will occur before I'll be gone"? Because that's what I'm feeling at 75.
Apparently, Kim is taking rhetoric lessons from the Republican Party, i.e., projecting one’s own crimes onto your enemy. Calling his alliance with Putin a battle against imperialism, are we to think Ukraine attacked Russia to expand its empire? This is the same crap as calling the Bidens a crime family, ingenuously ignoring Ivanka, Jared, the Trump company, and of course Don the don.
Donald Trump incited an insurrection against the official government of the United States of America; he now endorses Putin over the policies of the official government of the United States of America. He is a traitor -call him out for what he is. Democrats need to show some damn backbone.
I’m worried. The power is in the hands of fools. (Tromp and friends)How does this happen what is wrong with our fellow citizens? I don’t understand what they are believing.
As one 45er put it, "He's there for ME." Some people prefer to have others think for them. They like the warm fuzzy dopaminergic connection to a parental figure, probably seated in the primitive brain. Those nerve connections are ages-old and very strong. Think of children who defend and stay with abusive parents. For whatever reason, child abuse, an enabling alcoholic parent or low self-esteem, these people never had strong connections to their prefrontal cortex, the center of rational thought. Even some educated people are 45ers.
"Big daddy god-savior is gonna make it all alright for me, he will destroy all of those scary, evil; 'libtards', commie pinko *** leftists, not lily-white, and not Christian demons for me, and make sure that I have everything, and they have NOTHING!"
The Propaganda machine is working! Just like Roger said, repeating that big lie frequently enough and eventually these sheep believe it. Americans have been told not to trust legitimate news, the FBI, the courts, the Government, Libraries, and now schools! I guess that leaves just Fox and Newsmax that they trust!
"How does this happen what is wrong with our fellow citizens? I don’t understand what they are believing."
IMHO, they like that Trump is a racist, bigot, homophobe, xenophobe, sexist, etc. He allows them to feel good about themselves for being the same way. Plus, they all think the "others," i.e., POC, are getting stuff that they aren't getting because they're white.
I have a right wing male friend who I have known for 50 years. We were talking several months ago and he had the nerve to say, "When will we [i.e., white folks] start getting the perks that POC are getting. This has been going on for 40+ years." My response to him was, "You get back to me when you have been repressed, ignored, treated like chattel, etc. for 400 years and then we can talk. Until then, your white entitlement has given you a lot your entire life. Now you have to share 'life and society' with 'the others.' Get used to it instead of whining." He had nothing to say in response because he knows what I said was a true representation of the lives of white people for hundreds of years in this country.
They have to believe that Trump is the true President because then everything falls into place - including being entitled to go to war against those usurping the "true" government. Their premise is absolutely wrong but you cannot argue beliefs with facts.
The reason the tin-foil-hat crowd continues to genuflect before TFG is exactly the same reason people continue to tout the "advantages" of dietary supplements for weight loss, memory enhancement, sexual enhancement and the like. Having made the purchase, even if the product is valueless, the firm desire to not appear stupid drives you to delude yourself to the value of your initial expenditure. Furthermore, you may very well continue to pour money or effort into promoting the product (or in this case, TFG's candidacy). In economics, this is the classical sunk cost fallacy. (...if I just put a little more into this investment, it will turn around any time now...)
The same behavior makes casinos rich as bettors continue to put coins into a slot machine in the belief the machine is ready to deliver a large payout.
With TFG, we put chips on the roulette table continually on the red numbers when the wheel is entirely black. Only the house, aka TFG, will win at this game.
@Doug. You describe confirmation bias - never admit you might have been wrong! The message to former Trumpers has to be that Trump has changed. That way, they won't have to admit being wrong to vote for him last time and they are not compelled to vote for him next time.
OTOH, I've tried one or two of those products and just threw them away when they didn't work. Then I admitted to trying it to my friends and advised them not to. I still don't understand those people.
We’ll just have to call MAGA what they really are... Communists! They rather lost their minds( oh, is that where their minds went?), over Communists in the past.
Since most of them don’t recognize the actual, factual meaning of truth, I think they can all be comfortable by being called Communists.
Putin thinks he's Trump'defacto s campaign manager. Liz Cheney: “Putin has now officially endorsed the Putin-wing of the Republican Party.” Won 2016 for him. See Mueller Report. Putin more recently is charged with war crimes.
In my discussion group yesterday, we dicussed BRIC. Brazil, Russia, India, and China under the belief that these economies would dominate global growth by 2050. The BRICS nations offered a source of foreign expansion for firms and strong returns fShe voted for Trumpor institutional investors.
Next year, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Argentina, the UAE and Ethiopia will join the current five members Other countries like North Korea, Vietnam may be involved. One common denominator looks like they have greater inflation and less growth that the US and want to replace the dollar as the world's currency. Another seems to he envy and hatred of the US.
Meanwhile our "allies" like Saudi Arabia have been undermining our economy since 1971. OPEC/Saudi/Russia has reduced energ y production, IMHO to support Trump's candidacy. They own our largest oil refinery, control companies like Exxon.
Candidates like Cornel West and RFK Jr parrot the Putin line. Althou our Florida Batistanos are Trumpers, Cuba is sending troops to support Russia. Some Republicans like MTG stsand with Putin.
Mueller “identified numerous links between the Russian government and the Trump Campaign” and established that the Trump Campaign “showed interest in WikiLeaks's releases of documents and welcomed their potential to damage candidate Clinton."
Yes, Barr's cover letter explanatio reduced Mueller's report to "there's nothing here, move along" . Most people didn't read it. I did. Mueller was very constrained, not allowed to investigate Trump's financial records. It was nothing like the Starr Investigation of Clinton. Yet, he still provided clear evidence of Obstruction in at least ten separate instances.
Thanks for your great work, although all the news you so brilliantly highlight is so terrible. One thing I wish in all the talk about banning books and harassing libraries is where the funding and organization is coming for this. I also think what the Republican's real agenda is could still receive more attention! I also wish there was more emphasis on what individuals can do to help the economy. Should we spend more, save more, and on what kinds of things? Often when there is a crisis there has been a coherent message. Perhaps there is no way we, the public, can affect things, but might be worth a try.
Oh yes. I almost forgot. The Republican agenda, as I've come to see it through my reading, is now based upon nothing that has to do with helping regular Americans get through our days. Now, they are all about retribution, about getting even, because we called tfg out on his despicable intentions for this country, his corrupt behaviour in Ukraine, and his cozying up to the worst people in the world, (tfg has actually said, right out loud, that we need to destroy the Constitution!) and because the truth is that they have come to see that Black and Brown people will be the majority in this nation by 2040, and this terrifies them, completely, and explains their current desperation, their blatant attempts to overthrough an election, in their efforts to turn the country upside down so as to have the upper hand, completely, by 2040.
Mitt Romney said a day or two ago, that while most of our US Senators have said to him, right out loud, that they despise tfg, and have since 2016, they continue to praise him, in public.
Without a doubt, this is because they are terrified that tfg's base might desert them at the polls, if they don't pledge alegence, to TFG. Romney also said that a great many of them don't care if we remain a democracy, or not. I mean, imagine this! These people, who are supposed to be the gaurdians of Democracy, those who work for we the American people, and for our betterment, but the absolute truth is that they don't care what happens to us, or, our Democracy. They want to burn it down and then sift through the ashes looking for anything of value that they can take home to their mansions on lakes, and at the seashore, and in the Carribean, and in Europe, among many other terrific places to live.
It is absolutely clear that they have no policies that relate in any way to the furtherance of our nation. None. No healthcare policy, no infrastructure policy.. Put it this way; If Biden has a policy on anything at all that he believes will help working Americans, they, are simply against it, while stating no reason at all for being against it. Its just "NOPE! We disagree." They have, no policies, about anything, other than revenge, about saving tfg, because if he gets re-elected, they think, tfg would become a permanent, president, and if that happens, they will also get to keep their cushy jobs until they die from the poisionous coruption in their hearts.
The truth is, I'm coming to believe, the GOP is now collapsing under the weight of it's corruption. WIth any luck, this election will be the end of it. Forever. All we need to do is to beat them, one last time.
As much as I love that idea, that we might spend more in certain areas, in order to be helpful, I just don't think that the masses, where such an effort would have to come from are in a position where they can decide such things, being that they mostly live from paycheck to paycheck. Very few of us have ever known the kinds of salaries and retirement benefits that say, the UAW think are just normal American wages. Our best bet is to donate to worthy Democratic causes, and to always be seeking out places where our money will be well spent. And then vote of course. We need the biggest turnout at the polls that this country has ever seen.
Yes, remember how with their original 2A propaganda flick "Red Dawn" they depicted Russkies and Cubans as EVIL abject enemies, since they were then seen as "commies" sadistically invading our sovereign nation.
Ironic how they are now seen as beneficent, great, 'pals' and even 'comrades' now being seen as the right wing's beloved abject fascists invading a sovereign, democratic (despite what all of Pootie's trolls come on here and claim otherwise!) country.
Hypocrisy is considered a strong, positive trait to these 4th REICH NAZIS
Oh my goodness. Is this not comparable to people still loving Hitler even though he's just invaded Poland.This pretty scary when you think about it. The Russian army divided up Poland with Nazi Germany,so beware of Russia and their alliance with Trump.
You can very well make the arument that Putin Kim and trump are the new axis of evil. It is important to understand the following just because you have power and influence doesn't mean you have intelligence or wisdom. After Bill Clinton violated the United States agreement with Russia that if Germany was allowed to be a pro-western nation that Nato would not move 1inch eastward. the United states blatantly broke its promise as far east as they possibly could. Putin could have made a great case to the UN that the USA violated the agreement that they made on Nato. Instead he invaded Ukraine a violation of the UN carter much like the United States invading Iraq. Kim is a crazed Dictator who is trying to make himself relevant and would like there to be one Korea with him running it. Trump of course is a self promoting con-man who has had the Corporate Media act as his publicity agent for over 40 years. Trump is the most evil because he is being given credibility and stature and the corporate Media is promoting him as someone who again should be President
Trump has no respect for anyone or anything except money.
Our Constitution- he wants to have his own and do away with our democracy. He’s envious of Putin, Xi, Kim Jong Un and other dictators who have full control of their countries.
He loves their military parades!
The IRS- he has been cooking the books his whole adult life
He has publicly stated during the debate with Hillary Clinton when she confronted him on not paying federal taxes, “That makes me smart “. If the majority of Americans followed suit we wouldn’t have a country! The Rich have been getting away with not paying their fair share for decades! Paying taxes is what keeps America going. It pays for the Government, the military, social security, Medicare, infrastructure, education, etc…
Military- he was able to get a deferment for bone spurs because his father was rich. He has called our soldiers suckers and losers. He publicly defamed John McCain.
Women- he has absolutely no respect for women. “Grab them by the pussy. When you’re a star they let you do it. “
That’s a crock. No self respecting woman would let him anywhere near them! He consistently calls women disrespectful names, crooked Hillary, nasty Nancy, Coco Chow, Crazy Liz Cheney, peekaboo James, wacky Omarosa
Pocahontas, etc…..
The physically handicapped- He mocked the reporter, Serge Kovaleski, who has arthrogryposis, a congenital condition affecting the joints.
Republicans- who have come to their senses and realize that Trump is an existential threat to our country and our democracy. His disrespectful name for them, RINOs.
Anyone who opposes him- family, possibly friends, not sure if he has any, former employees of his firm, former members of his administration, etc…
Everyone has focused on Joe Biden and Donald Trump for the upcoming election. What every American should focus on is which Administration will do more for the average American. President Biden, like a baseball manager, is only as good as the players he has to manage. The big difference is that Presidents pick their players. Support the Biden administration because they are passing legislation that helps Average Americans.
Thats's nice - I'm thinking AXIS of "EVIL" / Evil-ish -----> USA very distracted (esp. by Trump ) and China makes further incursions in South China Sea. Hong Kong schedule for totalitarianism moved up 20 years and "Democracy" totally cancelled (past tense - already happened).
USA distracted by Ukraine - USA Navy sent home with it's tail between its legs in South China Sea - beeeeee -'cause of a profound need to avoid WW III.
Iran + what Russia really wanted to do + N. Korea + What China is mandated to do in Taiwan (very tempting) .
If China manages to precipitate a world financial crash then it may be in a position to give Taiwan an Ultimatum while Putin amps up serious chaos and nuclear saber rattling in Europe and beyond.
BEST outcome for the USA would be Taiwanese (skilled in the arts of semiconductor and chip manufacturing) setting up shop in Wisconsin).
BUT the Taiwanese may opt to move to Germany instead. 'cuz 'Merikkka.
China - Russia - Iran - N korea and others know how to live with manifest, profound and very draconian austerity - "We" the people in the USA don't (not so much) and "They" Axis of "Evil" know it.
"Evil" being a relative term in respect of US foreign policy from Vietnam onwards.
This is such stupid analysis. Will elites in the US and the West ever get past looking "axes of evil", "New Hitlers", "FDR vis a vis Churchill and Stalin" behind every door?? It's not 1939 anymore. Chamberlain is dead. There is no Nazi Germany. There is no USSR. We live in a completely different world with different actors and different motives. Can someone like Mr. Reich please grow the hell up and bring their thinking to 2023?
We're at more risk from our own government than anything overseas. Putin is no threat unless you view multilateralism as a threat. We're doing all we can to help make that a reality with our stupid funding of Ukraine. We fund Ukraine while our own people starve and live under bridges with their minds rotted by drugs. Fuck you. You're the one with your head in the sand.
We could take care of our own if we didn’t give tax breaks to billionaires while regular people get screwed! The billionaires make or pay to have rules made that keep them from having to be responsible, same with paying our representatives to do nothing for the American people. There are so many problems to fix here at home, but nobody willing to compromise to get anything done.
Bullshit. Billionaires are running our government. What was Nancy Pelosi's net worth when she entered the House in the 80's? What was Obama's when he was an Illinois state senator? Pete Buttigieg is an Ivy League trained McKinsey Consultant. Do you think he gives a shit about the little guy, all the nonsense about "Mayor Pete" notwithstanding. Bernie Sanders is a supposed socialist with *multiple residences*, and his wife ran a college. Joe Biden is *filthy fucking rich*, as are the Clintons, and the Bushes, and the Kerrys - all of them. John Kerry, the hypocrite "climate czar" (what populist party makes peace with calling someone a fucking CZAR??) only sold his private jet (repeat: his private jet. I drive a Ford Escape, and I don't want to hear jack shit about the climate until these liars and thieves divest themselves of a little of their *comfort*) a year or two ago when the optics got a little too hot for him to handle.
Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post. Jeff Bezos donates to the Democratic Party. Mark Zuckerberg donates to the Democratic Party. Jack Dorsey donates to the Democratic Party. Ask yourself, should a supposed party of labor and populism be populated with so many rich assholes? Have those rich assholes been the ones to oversee deregulation and failure to enforce things like anti-trust laws, because maybe it benefitted them quite a little bit?
Harry Truman was a scrappy son of a nobody who scratched and clawed his way into politics and ultimately the White House, and whose hero was William Jennings Bryan, a preacher, orator, and activist for peace and the little guy.
Hillary Rodham went to Wellesley; Bill went to Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship. George W Bush is the scumbag son of a former director of the CIA and a member of one of America's most elite families. Do you think any of these people care in the slightest about me, and about you?
We're getting screwed by billionaires, all right. The ones running the government.
Do you honestly believe those Richie Riches don't donate to Repuglicons, too? GWBush and DJTrump gave those wealthy people BIGLY tax breaks that applied to many wealthy Repuglicons and Democrats in Congress, too. How about GWBush bailing out his Wall Street buddies in October of 2008 with no caveat that the "help" was to be paid back? At least when Obama bailed out the auto industry, they were required to repay the Federal government, and they did. Yes, oligarchs "pay" to run the government and they do "play nice" with both Repuglicons and Democrats, but at least Dems have a growing list of incumbents and up-and-coming newbie candidates who are refusing to accept Big Money campaign contributions. There is some ope for the Democrats but the Repuglicons have all already sold their souls to the devil that is Big Biz and the 1%ers.
@Sandra. One thing I like about your reply is the way you acknowledge the role of money in politics and that even our favorite politicians are not immune to its power. It's complicated and we can only try to pick out the most honest and least crooked politicians to make up our coalition and try to move the needle towards justice.
You want easy, soft targets that fit your narrative of the world. What you and many who follow Mr. Reich don't like or want is any criticism of the Democratic Party because it feels like pointing the gun at yourselves. But that's exactly what's needed. If this country had the party of FDR again we might have the muscle to get us out of the morass we're in.
Sorry, but the D's are the ones in power. They have the White House, have one half of the legislative branch, and have a number of state legislators. And they range from weakness to outright facilitation of the decline of the United States.
On their watch inflation goes up, monetary policy sucks and hurts working class pocketbooks, gas prices go up, illegal immigration (which hurts the working poor most of all) is astronomical (and facilitated on the public dime - I see the buses of them that my taxes are paying for on I-25 regularly now. I didn't vote for that), record quantities of Chinese funded fentanyl comes over the southern border each day to poison our people, food prices are higher - but hey, at least Michelle Lujan Grisham is declaring public emergencies about guns in Albuquerque, am I right??
No. That fucking imbecile in the White House isn't fit to lick the sweat off of FDR's ass. The same goes for the rest of posers and preeners in the supposed party of populism and labor in this country. A bigger bunch of ineffective losers, liars, and pretenders there never was. Maybe we can reanimate Huey Long's corpse, it would be a hell of a lot more effective.
They have written the rules that they spread around on thumb drives to put these cookie cutter laws on every single state agenda! It's been a great long play that's finally grabbed our attention! Sort of like slowly boiling a frog!
"We fund Ukraine while our own people starve and live under bridges with their minds rotted by drugs."
There were people living "under bridges with their minds being rotted by drugs" long before Putin invaded Crimea and started the war with Ukraine. If we weren't helping Ukraine do you honestly believe all that money would be used in the US to solve problems regarding hunger, poverty, homelessness, drug abuse, etc? If so, then you are very naive...the US didn't solve those issues before we starting sending military and humanitarian aide to Ukraine, and it wouldn't if we stopped helping Ukraine now. Furthermore, not helping Ukraine, which would allow Putin to take over all of Ukraine, opens the door for Putin to encroach on and attack surrounding NATO countries, which would be far worse for the US financially than just helping Ukraine fight Putin. And it would also mean US boots on the ground to fight against Putin's military in whichever NATO country would be next on his list to invade.
And @MarianneCates is correct...the US could begin to put a dent in those domestic problems if BIG BIZ and 1%ers weren't given the massive tax breaks they've "purchased" in the form of massive campaign contributions from certain members of Congress. But, no, let's do it your naive way...let's just ignore the crazy autocrats of the world and concentrate only on ourselves...nothing will change domestically...homeless people will still be living under bridges rotting their minds with drugs. Seriously, give your head a shake to clear the cobwebs because you aren't living in 2023.
@Jennifer. Political scientists know what drives poverty in the US. So does Dr. Reich. The reasons why it doesn’t get fixed are the same reasons why it got that way in the first place; the American system is structured to favor elites. Only vigorous political action by real democrats helps keep a level playing field (meaning a fair balance between taxes, rule of law, and government services.
@Jennifer. The ones who join the Democratic Party, vote Democratic, hold office as Democratic officials, and before you get too quick, yes some officials who have a public service orientation who may not fully agree with the Democratic Party platform on issues but who nonetheless are working for "the people" and not (as much) for the moneyed interests.
Putin is a threat in a US election, but not the one most people think. Sure, he arranged something like $100m to be spent on the US elections manipulation (how much of which was spent by Prigozhin?) - mustered a few hundred million "page views" - which, in a world involving billions of page views per day, is like warning a battalion of marines about a dangerous Chihuahua. (It did get attention though...and that's relevant, since foreign funding for elections interference is NOT protected by Citizens United...)
But all of that is silly (as is the Russian redhead "spy" who infiltrated the NRA by...well, whatever she was doing).
The danger is Russian influence - or any foreign influence - is more financial than that. Show me a billionaire with "hard" assets rather than leverage inflating their wealth and you'll show me someone who can't be bought very easily. Trump doesn't own much of the Trump-branded properties - he owns his name on the building and some piece of the profits. Fairly easy to obtain leverage over any specific billionaire just through financial pressures.
And of course, there are other sorts of leverage...
Russia does have nuclear weapons (as Elon Musk apparently fretted about). But we have never lived in a world where billionaires with inscrutable (or self-serving) motives could independently act. We don't really need to fear Russia. We do need to fear Russians buying off the same billionaires who buy off certain states in America.
You're right of course that the biggest threats come from the inside - but outsiders are fully capable of exploiting and embracing those insider threats, and while Russia appears spooky today, their much more powerful neighbor to the south may have been bankrolling Musk and Trump for quite some time...
And that's where Reich isn't being stupid. For these powers, why bother building a battleship or a major army division when you might buy a billionaire for less money and get the same strategic objectives?
Putin the new-Hitler; is using the Hitler playbook. And you can’t even attempt to justify Kim Jon starving his people to death. trumpet 🎺 is a traitor and a terrorist who wanted to be emperor for life only a few good people stop them from getting there. Now he’s running for cover, trying to stay out of jail for being a traitor and a terrorist, and the enemy of the people of the United States.
Trump is Putin's puppet. Prior to the 2016 election Trump was desperately looking for $500 million. No banks would loan it to him. However, he cut a deal with Deutsche Bank. Deutsche Bank is controlled by the Russian oligarchs. Putin is the no. 1 Russian oligarch. So does Trump owe his allegiance to America or Putin? Who do you think?
So true! Everyone who believes that Trumpledumps is a great business man should read more about how he had mismanaged the money his father gave him. After owing so much, he had a "fire sale" on all his real estate holdings that his father developed. He "scr@#d his siblings out of their inheritance and killed the "goose that continued laying golden eggs" by selling all off to one bidder, buying for cheap! Then he realized that now he no longer had steady rental income! Really!! Shockingly he was only to pay the interest on his loans that one time. What a stupid man!
I personally love the fact that the Great Trumpeter's original stake comes from his grandfather's whorehouse in the Yukon during the hold rush
OLD NEWS
Future news. His day will come Oct. 2 in a non jury trial in NY involving accusations that he overstated his assets by $bils to get loans and understated his assets to establish value for aad valorem taxes.
Let’s hope.
Still valid.
YES, bears repeating, albeit his dumber than a rock, brainwashed MAGAts will never hear it, let alone believe it. :(
That shows how bad of a businessman he is. It's pertinent.
Erm... news doesn't get old.
-that the Deathcult members FEEEEEEEEEEL isn't real!
disgusting and classless statement.
And they engineered the retirement of SCOTUS justice Kennedy, whose son was up to his neck in criminal Deutsch Bank
Justice Anthony Kennedy’s son worked at Deutsche Bank and gave Trump loans. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2018/07/12/untangling-the-links-between-trump-deutsche-bank-and-justice-kennedys-son/
So true. Trump is Putin's puppet. I wonder how much money he owes his master?
And he was president of the United States? Americans are that stupid?
"Deutsche Bank is controlled by the Russian Oligarchs" - astonishing claim. How could Deutsche Bank be controlled by Oligarchs? It is a listed company.
OLD NEWS
Still valid.
Just because you're old news doesn't mean everything is.
Are YOU a cultmember???
Do you mean "legally giving to Ukraine to prevent America's #1 enemy since the USSR was created?" Or did you mean to type, "I am a Russki bot here to heckle Americans?"
The Putin/trump MaGa have infected Substack now. Bummer
This is incoherent nonsense. "Anyone with a half a brain know the corruption Biden has with Ukraine." Leaving aside the poor grammar, what are you talking about? The risible nonsense promoted by the right-wingers about Burisma and Hunter Biden? There has never been any kind of evidence of Joe Biden being involved in any kind of corruption in Ukraine (what he did do was serve as point man for an effort by the US government and several allies to push Ukraine to fire a prosecutor who was *failing* to fight corruption. "...arming a strongman with a long list of human rights violation is pretty typical of the non-thinker". Again, what are you even saying here? While the US has in the past (and even today, in the case of the Saudis and the current right-wing Israeli government) armed plenty of strongmen with terrible human rights records, in this case, the US is arming a democratic nation that is *fighting against* a strongman with a terrible human rights record who launched an unprovoked attack on them. And it isn't as if not helping Ukraine would actually have meant any more money for either Hawaii or feeding the hungry. Biden and the Democrats are doing their best to fund both, as they should. It is the Republicans who are standing in the way, with some help from people like you who engage in nonsensical attacks on Biden.
Good use of the word risible.
Now see if you can write a more acerbic paragraph using the term "Redolent" - with the broader scope and intent of singing / toasting / light burning of Diem 25.
Good Luck.
Extra points if you can state why it is Dr. Mittens / Bernie does not feel entirely comfortable jumping on the Diem 25 "Bus".
This message might self destruct when it can be bothered to delete itself.
There are some points you make Lonny and I am sorry for these people being so rude.
I too think that the money spent on weapons and the military should have helped the people in the US.
I guess I will be called something awful too.
So sad that substack comments are getting like mainstream media. It wasn't like this before.
It seems to me that there is an important isue here that you are missing Jennifer. Putin has been our enemy for decades now, beginning with his KGB status as a Russian spy and assassin. It's widely believed by our IT agencies that he murdered Amrerican spies, personally.
The world went through horendous growing pains, you might say, throughout the decades of the Cold War, until its end in the Reagan years, and what you need to understand here, is that Putin will never stop making the efforts he made throughout those years to eventually conquer the entire planet and end any demcratic efforts around the world. It is still his desire to rebuild the Soviet Union, which has begun in his unbelievably arrogant move to steal a free country for his own purposes, recognised as such by the rest of the world. If he succeeds, he will never stop. Next would be Poland I suppose, and then the remaining countries of the old Soviet Union , many of which are now our NATO allies. They would be attacked, which may well result in WWIII, which would result in a far larger financial burden on the US, and, the loss of American military lives, and quite possibly, our own lives here in the US.
Stopping his move on Ukraine now, would be a far cheaper affair than WWIII would be, if you insist on thinking of this in terms of money, but when our debt is now in the trillions, the money we're now spending in Ukraine seems like a completely reasonable price to pay, so as to prevent Putin from leading the entire planet into disaster. "Billions" ? I know. Sounds outrageous. But this county spends billons on everything, and all the time. I see this as an investment in world peace, that'll save us many more billions in the future.
As for our own disasters here in America? I have no doubt that at present, the money needed to help our citizens in their hour of need will be made available to them. At least for now. If the effects of GW continue to get worse, then that may be a question that we need to face in the future.
Biden is under tremendous strain, but its my view that he'll continue to face our problems one at a time, as he has done, and pretty darn well imv. So far, he's been handling Putin, perfectly, so as to prevent our own boots on the ground involvment in a possibly coming world war. We can, and must, support him in 2024, in order to give him time to solidify his efforts to save us from the disaster that was tfg, which only strenghtened Putin, instead of protecting us, from him.
One more thing; NATO is all that stands between us and the worst actors on the planet, in their desire to end democracy the world over. Kim and Putin would like to destroy the US and turn us into a communist state, under their thumb, and do away with the greatest effort to establish democracy the world has ever known; the USA. NATO, is our best bet if we want to prevent that and protect us from them.
He has been your enemy for decades because you were brought up on anti=communist propaganda.
Wake up America?
What you just said in your last comment is pure garbage. Everything in it is made up lies and disinformation. You should be the one that is embarrassed with your bald faced lies and disinformation. Stay away, garbage intellectual TROLL... Take your lies elsewhere.
Thank you, sheila. Comrade Boris is a great name for the ''garbage TROLL''
Geez, I hate borscht! If there was ever a reason to not vote for Trump, it is to prevent it from becoming our national dish.
Listen to yourself....shameful and pathetic pathetic pathetic.
Well, whoopy doo, that sure is impressive. WOW WEE.. i have lived in 50 nations, If you can come in here and tell lies, then so can i to you, Garbage TROLL.
WTF are you talking about?!?
Or should I be asking how's the weather in St. Petersburg (Ru) now??
Lost an old high school friend to the cult. You would figure a person who was bullied and also has health issues (ie need and took the vaccine) would be against the bully Republicans but alas the MAGA propaganda is very strong and its believers want to fight over their views constantly. There is one thing they do well. Shouting down all dissent so theirs is the only voice heard.
MAGA cultee dont engage.
Spoken like a true troll.
I agree. Attacking people is not right.
Why don't you tell us all Lonny?
Oh paaaaaLEZE with the Hunter Biden.. I hesitate to even call it an issue, because if there was anything behind it, given the masive resources of the GOP, they certainly would have produced evidence of his so called corruption, by now ! They have not, and given the massive problems we now face, much of which has been caused by the GOP and tfg, I could not care any less about Hunter Freaking Biden. If he committed crimes, then the right, who have been WAiling about it, need to produce evidence! If they do have any? Then FINE! BUST the man! Put him in prison for the rest of his life! Same goes for his father. I could not care less, because I am a true believer in the rule of law.
I don't know where you've been, but they've been investigating the Hunter/Joe Biden thing for years. They haven't and won't, produce anything for the American people to see, because, I believe, it doesn't exist. In fact, I'm coming to believe that they, the right, are now so completely dishonest and completely political, that they are now holding back what they may or may not have until we're closer to the election, so that the American people will have little or no time before the election to examine their so-called evidence, so that they have a better chance of convincing some of us that their "evidence", is real. I for one, will be having none of it. The GOP and their high dollar donors are now the worst threat the American people face. Hopefully, a ton of We The People, will not stand for it, see who our real foes are, and continue to work towards the demise of the Republican party, and in support of our Democracy.
Hillary Clinton called tfg out in an early debate, long before the masses could see who he is. ; Putin's puppet. "Only a Pawn in the Game!" (Bob Dylan).
Every single day I lament how much better off our country would be without the Electoral College! She won the popular vote! Just think how much damage Trumpledumps caused during his four years of his presidency! All of that and his Insurrection attempts would not have occurred!
The Atlantics article this month about how far behind our country has fallen with democracy is excellent. Recommend to all...
Could you please provide the link?
The Electoral College maintains the states supremacy over the federal government. The states elect the president, not the people.
There's absolutely nothing Constitutional about the Electoral College! Nothing. It helped the South elect Presidential candidates after the Civil War!
It's in our Constitution, but there is NOTHING AT ALL democratic about it. ;)
We are the ONLY system which labels itself as a 'democracy' IN THIS WORLD which has that racist, fascist POS system to elect it's head of government.
Of course, the rightwingnutter, despotic, RepugnaF**KS will claim that we do not live in a democracy at all.
Yes, they do! They make a point of pride to state that we're not a Democracy but a Republic, as if we should be happy about that! Repugnants are definitely not in favor of a Democracy, they prefer an Authoritarian Oligarchy, like Russia, as long as they are in charge. People are waking up to this. And so their answer is to restrict voters rights.
Yup, the very FIRST 'othersideism' right wing talking point out of their mouths, as if a reflex!
They CANNOT explain away however THEIR batshit insane FreeDUMB Caucus' overt and blatant literal belittling of, and berating of actual democracy (see; insipid 4th REICH harpy, Boebert's BS 'talks').
At least she is honest in admitting her desire and demand for a FASCIST REGIME to control this land, the others are much less forthcoming in their wishes.
Yes, the Electoral College is mentioned in the United States Constitution. Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Constitution states that “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress” 1. The Electoral College is a method for indirectly electing the president of the United States. It was established by Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution and modified by the 12th and 23rd Amendments 2. However, it is important to note that the term “Electoral College” does not actually appear in the Constitution
Elizabeth, You need to read Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution. That's where the Electoral College is defined.
It was created to KEEP BLACK AMERICANS FROM VOTING. PERIOD.
It was obsolete when Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
As I recall, it was enacted to prevent Insurectionists, as in southern, Confederate, insurectionists, as in traitors who fought against the Union in the Civil War, from running for federal office, including the presidency, after the Civil War, and had nothing to do with voters, at all. Somebody correct me if my memory has failed me.
Yes, that seems to be the problem.
Whenever I hear that fear about "mob rule" I think, isn't that what Democracy should be? And whose the mob?
Yes, Democracy! One man, one vote! That is not what we have here, and we're all just watching any semblance of it slip away.
Basically, the Electoral College killed Roe v Wade as well.
The Electoral College is killing this country.
Ménage a Trois.
I'd prefer Lwaxana, Deanna and Riker. Ah well, I'm 78. Though I am relatively healthy, If the US ship isn't righted soon, I'll probably be gone before the final downfall of our flawed democracy.
Did you mean to say, "Though I am relatively healthy, if the US ship isn't righted soon, the final downfall of our flawed democracy will occur before I'll be gone"? Because that's what I'm feeling at 75.
Sandra--To go where no man has gone before.
Beam me up, SCOTTY!
David--Those were the days my friend.
Come on Laurie.....anyone with half a brain could see this!
Apparently, Kim is taking rhetoric lessons from the Republican Party, i.e., projecting one’s own crimes onto your enemy. Calling his alliance with Putin a battle against imperialism, are we to think Ukraine attacked Russia to expand its empire? This is the same crap as calling the Bidens a crime family, ingenuously ignoring Ivanka, Jared, the Trump company, and of course Don the don.
And they took their lessons from Goebbels!
Donald Trump incited an insurrection against the official government of the United States of America; he now endorses Putin over the policies of the official government of the United States of America. He is a traitor -call him out for what he is. Democrats need to show some damn backbone.
I’m worried. The power is in the hands of fools. (Tromp and friends)How does this happen what is wrong with our fellow citizens? I don’t understand what they are believing.
As one 45er put it, "He's there for ME." Some people prefer to have others think for them. They like the warm fuzzy dopaminergic connection to a parental figure, probably seated in the primitive brain. Those nerve connections are ages-old and very strong. Think of children who defend and stay with abusive parents. For whatever reason, child abuse, an enabling alcoholic parent or low self-esteem, these people never had strong connections to their prefrontal cortex, the center of rational thought. Even some educated people are 45ers.
Exactly what I’ve been thinking, Anne. He’s their abusive father redux.
THIS!!
"Big daddy god-savior is gonna make it all alright for me, he will destroy all of those scary, evil; 'libtards', commie pinko *** leftists, not lily-white, and not Christian demons for me, and make sure that I have everything, and they have NOTHING!"
Damn straight, David
The country has morphed from "Just do it" to "Just do it for me."
The Propaganda machine is working! Just like Roger said, repeating that big lie frequently enough and eventually these sheep believe it. Americans have been told not to trust legitimate news, the FBI, the courts, the Government, Libraries, and now schools! I guess that leaves just Fox and Newsmax that they trust!
I wrote a reply along similar lines but it disappeared! Is there a limit on words or do they get checked before posting?
"How does this happen what is wrong with our fellow citizens? I don’t understand what they are believing."
IMHO, they like that Trump is a racist, bigot, homophobe, xenophobe, sexist, etc. He allows them to feel good about themselves for being the same way. Plus, they all think the "others," i.e., POC, are getting stuff that they aren't getting because they're white.
I have a right wing male friend who I have known for 50 years. We were talking several months ago and he had the nerve to say, "When will we [i.e., white folks] start getting the perks that POC are getting. This has been going on for 40+ years." My response to him was, "You get back to me when you have been repressed, ignored, treated like chattel, etc. for 400 years and then we can talk. Until then, your white entitlement has given you a lot your entire life. Now you have to share 'life and society' with 'the others.' Get used to it instead of whining." He had nothing to say in response because he knows what I said was a true representation of the lives of white people for hundreds of years in this country.
They watched too much Fox so called “News”
Can’t fix dumb on purpose !
It is their BS racist zero sum mentality.
i.e.; "IF any POC/others are getting ANYTHING AT ALL, it must be coming out of MY pockets/coffers to give it to them."
They have to believe that Trump is the true President because then everything falls into place - including being entitled to go to war against those usurping the "true" government. Their premise is absolutely wrong but you cannot argue beliefs with facts.
The reason the tin-foil-hat crowd continues to genuflect before TFG is exactly the same reason people continue to tout the "advantages" of dietary supplements for weight loss, memory enhancement, sexual enhancement and the like. Having made the purchase, even if the product is valueless, the firm desire to not appear stupid drives you to delude yourself to the value of your initial expenditure. Furthermore, you may very well continue to pour money or effort into promoting the product (or in this case, TFG's candidacy). In economics, this is the classical sunk cost fallacy. (...if I just put a little more into this investment, it will turn around any time now...)
The same behavior makes casinos rich as bettors continue to put coins into a slot machine in the belief the machine is ready to deliver a large payout.
With TFG, we put chips on the roulette table continually on the red numbers when the wheel is entirely black. Only the house, aka TFG, will win at this game.
Common sense is not common.
@Doug. You describe confirmation bias - never admit you might have been wrong! The message to former Trumpers has to be that Trump has changed. That way, they won't have to admit being wrong to vote for him last time and they are not compelled to vote for him next time.
OTOH, I've tried one or two of those products and just threw them away when they didn't work. Then I admitted to trying it to my friends and advised them not to. I still don't understand those people.
Patricia,
We’ll just have to call MAGA what they really are... Communists! They rather lost their minds( oh, is that where their minds went?), over Communists in the past.
Since most of them don’t recognize the actual, factual meaning of truth, I think they can all be comfortable by being called Communists.
They are communists in much the same way as Stalin was a communist (even though he was not, technically).
They really are much more FASCISTS than anything else though. ;)
Education!
Putin thinks he's Trump'defacto s campaign manager. Liz Cheney: “Putin has now officially endorsed the Putin-wing of the Republican Party.” Won 2016 for him. See Mueller Report. Putin more recently is charged with war crimes.
In my discussion group yesterday, we dicussed BRIC. Brazil, Russia, India, and China under the belief that these economies would dominate global growth by 2050. The BRICS nations offered a source of foreign expansion for firms and strong returns fShe voted for Trumpor institutional investors.
Next year, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Argentina, the UAE and Ethiopia will join the current five members Other countries like North Korea, Vietnam may be involved. One common denominator looks like they have greater inflation and less growth that the US and want to replace the dollar as the world's currency. Another seems to he envy and hatred of the US.
Meanwhile our "allies" like Saudi Arabia have been undermining our economy since 1971. OPEC/Saudi/Russia has reduced energ y production, IMHO to support Trump's candidacy. They own our largest oil refinery, control companies like Exxon.
Candidates like Cornel West and RFK Jr parrot the Putin line. Althou our Florida Batistanos are Trumpers, Cuba is sending troops to support Russia. Some Republicans like MTG stsand with Putin.
Biden has saved us from Fasciscm -- so far. The media has not been able to identify those who stand with Putin and those who stand for freedom -- here and in the Ukraine. Most probably a war criminal, Putin is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation (under articles 8(2)(a). .https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/situation-ukraine-icc-judges-issue-arrest-warrants-against-vladimir-vladimirovich-putin-and#:~:text=Mr%20Vladimir%20Vladimirovich%20Putin%2C%20born,articles%208(2)(a
We have two choices: demoocracy and Fascism.
whatever happened to the mueller report?
Barr.
aka; SCUMp's Carl Schmitt
You flatter Barr.
Yes, true, because despite his abject EVIL fascism, supposedly Schmitt had some intellect as well.
Mueller “identified numerous links between the Russian government and the Trump Campaign” and established that the Trump Campaign “showed interest in WikiLeaks's releases of documents and welcomed their potential to damage candidate Clinton."
https://www.acslaw.org/projects/the-presidential-investigation-education-project/other-resources/key-findings-of-the-mueller-report/
Exactly, David!
Yes, Barr's cover letter explanatio reduced Mueller's report to "there's nothing here, move along" . Most people didn't read it. I did. Mueller was very constrained, not allowed to investigate Trump's financial records. It was nothing like the Starr Investigation of Clinton. Yet, he still provided clear evidence of Obstruction in at least ten separate instances.
Mueller established that Russia engaged in extensive attacks on the U.S. election system in 2016.
So I'm wondering why this is so disputed by so many? Why hasn't the obstruction of justice that Mueller concluded that drumpf did ever been addressed?
Republicans!
Mueller did not say that Trump colluded. Garland is a wuss, did noy prosecute the obstruction of justice counts.
That's why trump's toilet takes 17 flushes for it to go down.
Well! It proves that Trumpledumps is full of @h!t!
@Paul. Swallowed by the bureaucracy under the theory you can't mess with the CURRENT President (at the time (Trump).
Cuba doesn’t seem keen on the idea on sending troops to support Russia, according to the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/08/cuba-ukraine-russia-recruitment-network?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Still, Cubans are there.
And, forced to enlist!
Thanks for your great work, although all the news you so brilliantly highlight is so terrible. One thing I wish in all the talk about banning books and harassing libraries is where the funding and organization is coming for this. I also think what the Republican's real agenda is could still receive more attention! I also wish there was more emphasis on what individuals can do to help the economy. Should we spend more, save more, and on what kinds of things? Often when there is a crisis there has been a coherent message. Perhaps there is no way we, the public, can affect things, but might be worth a try.
Vote, help get out the vote. Today. And tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow... :)
Well said.
I hear there is a lot of 'grassroots' organzing going on. I imagine this is one way to start.
Well said Carole.
Oh yes. I almost forgot. The Republican agenda, as I've come to see it through my reading, is now based upon nothing that has to do with helping regular Americans get through our days. Now, they are all about retribution, about getting even, because we called tfg out on his despicable intentions for this country, his corrupt behaviour in Ukraine, and his cozying up to the worst people in the world, (tfg has actually said, right out loud, that we need to destroy the Constitution!) and because the truth is that they have come to see that Black and Brown people will be the majority in this nation by 2040, and this terrifies them, completely, and explains their current desperation, their blatant attempts to overthrough an election, in their efforts to turn the country upside down so as to have the upper hand, completely, by 2040.
Mitt Romney said a day or two ago, that while most of our US Senators have said to him, right out loud, that they despise tfg, and have since 2016, they continue to praise him, in public.
Without a doubt, this is because they are terrified that tfg's base might desert them at the polls, if they don't pledge alegence, to TFG. Romney also said that a great many of them don't care if we remain a democracy, or not. I mean, imagine this! These people, who are supposed to be the gaurdians of Democracy, those who work for we the American people, and for our betterment, but the absolute truth is that they don't care what happens to us, or, our Democracy. They want to burn it down and then sift through the ashes looking for anything of value that they can take home to their mansions on lakes, and at the seashore, and in the Carribean, and in Europe, among many other terrific places to live.
It is absolutely clear that they have no policies that relate in any way to the furtherance of our nation. None. No healthcare policy, no infrastructure policy.. Put it this way; If Biden has a policy on anything at all that he believes will help working Americans, they, are simply against it, while stating no reason at all for being against it. Its just "NOPE! We disagree." They have, no policies, about anything, other than revenge, about saving tfg, because if he gets re-elected, they think, tfg would become a permanent, president, and if that happens, they will also get to keep their cushy jobs until they die from the poisionous coruption in their hearts.
The truth is, I'm coming to believe, the GOP is now collapsing under the weight of it's corruption. WIth any luck, this election will be the end of it. Forever. All we need to do is to beat them, one last time.
As much as I love that idea, that we might spend more in certain areas, in order to be helpful, I just don't think that the masses, where such an effort would have to come from are in a position where they can decide such things, being that they mostly live from paycheck to paycheck. Very few of us have ever known the kinds of salaries and retirement benefits that say, the UAW think are just normal American wages. Our best bet is to donate to worthy Democratic causes, and to always be seeking out places where our money will be well spent. And then vote of course. We need the biggest turnout at the polls that this country has ever seen.
trump and those like him need to be voted out of having any possibility of influence or power.
Liars and cowards all.
Destroying things is easy they built nothing.
I’d add Xi in there, making it a quartet.
It’s still hard to believe that the Republican Party has come to this. But it has.
Yes, remember how with their original 2A propaganda flick "Red Dawn" they depicted Russkies and Cubans as EVIL abject enemies, since they were then seen as "commies" sadistically invading our sovereign nation.
Ironic how they are now seen as beneficent, great, 'pals' and even 'comrades' now being seen as the right wing's beloved abject fascists invading a sovereign, democratic (despite what all of Pootie's trolls come on here and claim otherwise!) country.
Hypocrisy is considered a strong, positive trait to these 4th REICH NAZIS
Robert. The really sad thing is he is proud to be grouped with these killers. And the maga proud will cheer him on.
Oh my goodness. Is this not comparable to people still loving Hitler even though he's just invaded Poland.This pretty scary when you think about it. The Russian army divided up Poland with Nazi Germany,so beware of Russia and their alliance with Trump.
You can very well make the arument that Putin Kim and trump are the new axis of evil. It is important to understand the following just because you have power and influence doesn't mean you have intelligence or wisdom. After Bill Clinton violated the United States agreement with Russia that if Germany was allowed to be a pro-western nation that Nato would not move 1inch eastward. the United states blatantly broke its promise as far east as they possibly could. Putin could have made a great case to the UN that the USA violated the agreement that they made on Nato. Instead he invaded Ukraine a violation of the UN carter much like the United States invading Iraq. Kim is a crazed Dictator who is trying to make himself relevant and would like there to be one Korea with him running it. Trump of course is a self promoting con-man who has had the Corporate Media act as his publicity agent for over 40 years. Trump is the most evil because he is being given credibility and stature and the corporate Media is promoting him as someone who again should be President
I guess that was a verbal agreement made by Bush Sr but verbal agreements are meaningless in the real world. We have trouble with written agreements.
The Three Stooges for oligarchs of the world!
Why that's an insult to the Three Stooges
The three stooges were much more intelligent than TUMP, Putin, and Kim. Those 3 should be called, ''The Three Fascist Stooges''
Thee most disrespectful American ever!
Trump has no respect for anyone or anything except money.
Our Constitution- he wants to have his own and do away with our democracy. He’s envious of Putin, Xi, Kim Jong Un and other dictators who have full control of their countries.
He loves their military parades!
The IRS- he has been cooking the books his whole adult life
He has publicly stated during the debate with Hillary Clinton when she confronted him on not paying federal taxes, “That makes me smart “. If the majority of Americans followed suit we wouldn’t have a country! The Rich have been getting away with not paying their fair share for decades! Paying taxes is what keeps America going. It pays for the Government, the military, social security, Medicare, infrastructure, education, etc…
Military- he was able to get a deferment for bone spurs because his father was rich. He has called our soldiers suckers and losers. He publicly defamed John McCain.
Women- he has absolutely no respect for women. “Grab them by the pussy. When you’re a star they let you do it. “
That’s a crock. No self respecting woman would let him anywhere near them! He consistently calls women disrespectful names, crooked Hillary, nasty Nancy, Coco Chow, Crazy Liz Cheney, peekaboo James, wacky Omarosa
Pocahontas, etc…..
The physically handicapped- He mocked the reporter, Serge Kovaleski, who has arthrogryposis, a congenital condition affecting the joints.
Republicans- who have come to their senses and realize that Trump is an existential threat to our country and our democracy. His disrespectful name for them, RINOs.
Anyone who opposes him- family, possibly friends, not sure if he has any, former employees of his firm, former members of his administration, etc…
Everyone has focused on Joe Biden and Donald Trump for the upcoming election. What every American should focus on is which Administration will do more for the average American. President Biden, like a baseball manager, is only as good as the players he has to manage. The big difference is that Presidents pick their players. Support the Biden administration because they are passing legislation that helps Average Americans.
Thats's nice - I'm thinking AXIS of "EVIL" / Evil-ish -----> USA very distracted (esp. by Trump ) and China makes further incursions in South China Sea. Hong Kong schedule for totalitarianism moved up 20 years and "Democracy" totally cancelled (past tense - already happened).
USA distracted by Ukraine - USA Navy sent home with it's tail between its legs in South China Sea - beeeeee -'cause of a profound need to avoid WW III.
Iran + what Russia really wanted to do + N. Korea + What China is mandated to do in Taiwan (very tempting) .
If China manages to precipitate a world financial crash then it may be in a position to give Taiwan an Ultimatum while Putin amps up serious chaos and nuclear saber rattling in Europe and beyond.
BEST outcome for the USA would be Taiwanese (skilled in the arts of semiconductor and chip manufacturing) setting up shop in Wisconsin).
BUT the Taiwanese may opt to move to Germany instead. 'cuz 'Merikkka.
China - Russia - Iran - N korea and others know how to live with manifest, profound and very draconian austerity - "We" the people in the USA don't (not so much) and "They" Axis of "Evil" know it.
"Evil" being a relative term in respect of US foreign policy from Vietnam onwards.
This is such stupid analysis. Will elites in the US and the West ever get past looking "axes of evil", "New Hitlers", "FDR vis a vis Churchill and Stalin" behind every door?? It's not 1939 anymore. Chamberlain is dead. There is no Nazi Germany. There is no USSR. We live in a completely different world with different actors and different motives. Can someone like Mr. Reich please grow the hell up and bring their thinking to 2023?
Stick your head in the sand at your own right risk!! You have no idea what is coming.
We're at more risk from our own government than anything overseas. Putin is no threat unless you view multilateralism as a threat. We're doing all we can to help make that a reality with our stupid funding of Ukraine. We fund Ukraine while our own people starve and live under bridges with their minds rotted by drugs. Fuck you. You're the one with your head in the sand.
We could take care of our own if we didn’t give tax breaks to billionaires while regular people get screwed! The billionaires make or pay to have rules made that keep them from having to be responsible, same with paying our representatives to do nothing for the American people. There are so many problems to fix here at home, but nobody willing to compromise to get anything done.
Bullshit. Billionaires are running our government. What was Nancy Pelosi's net worth when she entered the House in the 80's? What was Obama's when he was an Illinois state senator? Pete Buttigieg is an Ivy League trained McKinsey Consultant. Do you think he gives a shit about the little guy, all the nonsense about "Mayor Pete" notwithstanding. Bernie Sanders is a supposed socialist with *multiple residences*, and his wife ran a college. Joe Biden is *filthy fucking rich*, as are the Clintons, and the Bushes, and the Kerrys - all of them. John Kerry, the hypocrite "climate czar" (what populist party makes peace with calling someone a fucking CZAR??) only sold his private jet (repeat: his private jet. I drive a Ford Escape, and I don't want to hear jack shit about the climate until these liars and thieves divest themselves of a little of their *comfort*) a year or two ago when the optics got a little too hot for him to handle.
Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post. Jeff Bezos donates to the Democratic Party. Mark Zuckerberg donates to the Democratic Party. Jack Dorsey donates to the Democratic Party. Ask yourself, should a supposed party of labor and populism be populated with so many rich assholes? Have those rich assholes been the ones to oversee deregulation and failure to enforce things like anti-trust laws, because maybe it benefitted them quite a little bit?
Harry Truman was a scrappy son of a nobody who scratched and clawed his way into politics and ultimately the White House, and whose hero was William Jennings Bryan, a preacher, orator, and activist for peace and the little guy.
Hillary Rodham went to Wellesley; Bill went to Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship. George W Bush is the scumbag son of a former director of the CIA and a member of one of America's most elite families. Do you think any of these people care in the slightest about me, and about you?
We're getting screwed by billionaires, all right. The ones running the government.
Do you honestly believe those Richie Riches don't donate to Repuglicons, too? GWBush and DJTrump gave those wealthy people BIGLY tax breaks that applied to many wealthy Repuglicons and Democrats in Congress, too. How about GWBush bailing out his Wall Street buddies in October of 2008 with no caveat that the "help" was to be paid back? At least when Obama bailed out the auto industry, they were required to repay the Federal government, and they did. Yes, oligarchs "pay" to run the government and they do "play nice" with both Repuglicons and Democrats, but at least Dems have a growing list of incumbents and up-and-coming newbie candidates who are refusing to accept Big Money campaign contributions. There is some ope for the Democrats but the Repuglicons have all already sold their souls to the devil that is Big Biz and the 1%ers.
@Sandra. One thing I like about your reply is the way you acknowledge the role of money in politics and that even our favorite politicians are not immune to its power. It's complicated and we can only try to pick out the most honest and least crooked politicians to make up our coalition and try to move the needle towards justice.
Funny how you didn’t mention the Koch’s, ALEC, Leonard Leo, Harlan Crow.
You want easy, soft targets that fit your narrative of the world. What you and many who follow Mr. Reich don't like or want is any criticism of the Democratic Party because it feels like pointing the gun at yourselves. But that's exactly what's needed. If this country had the party of FDR again we might have the muscle to get us out of the morass we're in.
Sorry, but the D's are the ones in power. They have the White House, have one half of the legislative branch, and have a number of state legislators. And they range from weakness to outright facilitation of the decline of the United States.
On their watch inflation goes up, monetary policy sucks and hurts working class pocketbooks, gas prices go up, illegal immigration (which hurts the working poor most of all) is astronomical (and facilitated on the public dime - I see the buses of them that my taxes are paying for on I-25 regularly now. I didn't vote for that), record quantities of Chinese funded fentanyl comes over the southern border each day to poison our people, food prices are higher - but hey, at least Michelle Lujan Grisham is declaring public emergencies about guns in Albuquerque, am I right??
No. That fucking imbecile in the White House isn't fit to lick the sweat off of FDR's ass. The same goes for the rest of posers and preeners in the supposed party of populism and labor in this country. A bigger bunch of ineffective losers, liars, and pretenders there never was. Maybe we can reanimate Huey Long's corpse, it would be a hell of a lot more effective.
They have written the rules that they spread around on thumb drives to put these cookie cutter laws on every single state agenda! It's been a great long play that's finally grabbed our attention! Sort of like slowly boiling a frog!
Actually, if the top 1% of Americans paid their full share of taxes as they once did during the Eisenhower years, we wouldn't have a deficit!
"We fund Ukraine while our own people starve and live under bridges with their minds rotted by drugs."
There were people living "under bridges with their minds being rotted by drugs" long before Putin invaded Crimea and started the war with Ukraine. If we weren't helping Ukraine do you honestly believe all that money would be used in the US to solve problems regarding hunger, poverty, homelessness, drug abuse, etc? If so, then you are very naive...the US didn't solve those issues before we starting sending military and humanitarian aide to Ukraine, and it wouldn't if we stopped helping Ukraine now. Furthermore, not helping Ukraine, which would allow Putin to take over all of Ukraine, opens the door for Putin to encroach on and attack surrounding NATO countries, which would be far worse for the US financially than just helping Ukraine fight Putin. And it would also mean US boots on the ground to fight against Putin's military in whichever NATO country would be next on his list to invade.
And @MarianneCates is correct...the US could begin to put a dent in those domestic problems if BIG BIZ and 1%ers weren't given the massive tax breaks they've "purchased" in the form of massive campaign contributions from certain members of Congress. But, no, let's do it your naive way...let's just ignore the crazy autocrats of the world and concentrate only on ourselves...nothing will change domestically...homeless people will still be living under bridges rotting their minds with drugs. Seriously, give your head a shake to clear the cobwebs because you aren't living in 2023.
Oh please! You must be on some real weird shit to be in such a head space. But you do you, bro and have a nice life.
US blames everyone else BUT themselves. Years of not taking notice of politics.
@Jennifer. Political scientists know what drives poverty in the US. So does Dr. Reich. The reasons why it doesn’t get fixed are the same reasons why it got that way in the first place; the American system is structured to favor elites. Only vigorous political action by real democrats helps keep a level playing field (meaning a fair balance between taxes, rule of law, and government services.
What are 'real' Democrats?
@Jennifer. The ones who join the Democratic Party, vote Democratic, hold office as Democratic officials, and before you get too quick, yes some officials who have a public service orientation who may not fully agree with the Democratic Party platform on issues but who nonetheless are working for "the people" and not (as much) for the moneyed interests.
Putin is a threat in a US election, but not the one most people think. Sure, he arranged something like $100m to be spent on the US elections manipulation (how much of which was spent by Prigozhin?) - mustered a few hundred million "page views" - which, in a world involving billions of page views per day, is like warning a battalion of marines about a dangerous Chihuahua. (It did get attention though...and that's relevant, since foreign funding for elections interference is NOT protected by Citizens United...)
But all of that is silly (as is the Russian redhead "spy" who infiltrated the NRA by...well, whatever she was doing).
The danger is Russian influence - or any foreign influence - is more financial than that. Show me a billionaire with "hard" assets rather than leverage inflating their wealth and you'll show me someone who can't be bought very easily. Trump doesn't own much of the Trump-branded properties - he owns his name on the building and some piece of the profits. Fairly easy to obtain leverage over any specific billionaire just through financial pressures.
And of course, there are other sorts of leverage...
Russia does have nuclear weapons (as Elon Musk apparently fretted about). But we have never lived in a world where billionaires with inscrutable (or self-serving) motives could independently act. We don't really need to fear Russia. We do need to fear Russians buying off the same billionaires who buy off certain states in America.
You're right of course that the biggest threats come from the inside - but outsiders are fully capable of exploiting and embracing those insider threats, and while Russia appears spooky today, their much more powerful neighbor to the south may have been bankrolling Musk and Trump for quite some time...
And that's where Reich isn't being stupid. For these powers, why bother building a battleship or a major army division when you might buy a billionaire for less money and get the same strategic objectives?
Why don’t you relocate, find out, and get back to us. You can follow Tara Reade.
It is 1939 all over again.
Putin the new-Hitler; is using the Hitler playbook. And you can’t even attempt to justify Kim Jon starving his people to death. trumpet 🎺 is a traitor and a terrorist who wanted to be emperor for life only a few good people stop them from getting there. Now he’s running for cover, trying to stay out of jail for being a traitor and a terrorist, and the enemy of the people of the United States.
Learn history the main thing that changes is the individuals but the methods are repeating repeating repeating...
I can't believe that Mr. Tucker is a subscriber.
Believe it. And I'm not going anywhere.