Thanks for the good advice. I am doing my best to be hopeful. It is hard sometimes when the coverage of the insanity seems endless. It has been a treat this weekend not to hear one story about Trump and Kump on my local news and the NPR briefs. We have not had a break this long in ages, 4 days. Maybe if we can get at least some of our media to only cover Trump and Kump when something specific happens instead of anticipating "later this week, Trump is supposed to ____" or "Trump is supposed to show up for ____ next week" (the same nothing for days ahead of anything happening, then covering the nothing event for hours upon hours). It makes it seem as though Trump really is being maligned as he claims, which he is not. Trump has lied and cheated his way through life, he is finally maybe being held accountable for a fraction of what he has done. We don't need to be beat over the head with it every day.
Also, post about and speak about the amazing success story of the Biden presidency. And correct people who complain that he is just not “inspiring”. The press is once again displaying their bias. They will not do their job, so we must do it for them.
The last time I saw a post like that, bemoaning DJT but calling Biden “uninspiring”, I countered with a long list of this president’s accomplishments and then asked “what would it take to inspire you”
The guy who made the post did not answer but many others did. Point taken.
It happens I am reading Robert Reich's post today in Potsdam, just south of Berlin, in the Karl Foerster house which has been saved for the German nation as an exemplary cultural treasure. When one considers Trump, and the life of Karl Foerster (1874-1970), a great plantsman and garden designer, who had to live through the rise of the Nazis, then the second world war, the destruction of Berlin, and the conquest of eastern Germany by Russia in 1945 followed by subjection for 45 years of police state (of which Foerster suffered 'only' 25), one appreciates just what can happen to great civilisations if they allow a tyrant to take control. Trump has already set out an agenda like Hitler's play book: abolish the rule of law, unleash the storm troopers, incarcerate the liberal opposition, terrorize! The USA is the greatest exemplar of liberal democracy in human history. For this very reason Putin and all the other oligopolistic dictators want it destroyed. The next US election thus becomes a decisive moment for the entire human race. The lawful institutions the USA created to protect the constitution must incarcerate Trump and his followers so as to preserve democracies all over the world. The only other outcome is a descent into barbarism.
Ciao from Italy. If you are or know one of the 6.5 million US citizens living abroad remind them that they can vote!! Send them to votefromabroad.org to register and request an overseas ballot. Our overseas votes can be the margin of victory in tight races!
Make sure that insurrectionists are prosecuted. Pressure Garland, even local prosecutors. Every state has statutes that make threats a crime. Also criminal conspiracy. E.G. if two MAGATs agree to give aid and comfort to insurrection, that's a crime. When they know that jail is inevitable they don't act out.
IMHO the House, specifically McCarthy, Gym Jordan, et al are obstructing justice. Put them on notice.
The odds of Trump actually running are slim. Fox, WSJ have not been telling their readers.....
I still think he'll never stand trial. I think he's delusional and scared and the amygdala dictates fight or flight. He has to know that he has little chance of fighting 91 counts with more to come. DOJ wins about 96% of all cases and Trump has 91 counts, making it look impossible.
He's in jeopardy of getting major judgments that far exceed his domestic assets. Key is the NY civil Oct 2 non jury trial for fraud, liquidated damages $250 mil. Exposure maybe a bil. He doesn't have it. His money is overseas.
And he'll have to defend several suits that can keep him off the ballot. The people arguing for it are mostly Federalist members like Luttig, who was to the right of Atilla. The way it's supposed to work is that a state can bar a candidate based on a preponderance of evidence standard. The argument is that he's admitted it in Truth Social and in interviews. The DC and Hotlanta cases are based on a finding of probable cause by a grand jury, which switches the burden to Trump to disprove it. Last year a New Mexico USDC applied it. It was last used extensively during WW I. But these advocates are not Democrats... this is not political.
According to his recent financial filings most of his assets and income are overseas. Next year in Abu Dhabi. Here's the Florida letter invoking 14th Amendment, Section 3.https://freespeechforpeople.org/.../fsfp-mfv-fl-letter-to...
As I said yesterday, MAGATs. IMHO insurrectionists shot their wad on Jan 6, 2021. I have been upset with Garland, the wuss. Consider behavior analysis. Hit them up the side of the head with a metaphorical 2 by 4 and they have an attitude adjustment.
Again, every state has statutes that make threats a crime. Also criminal conspiracy. E.G. if two MAGATs agree to give aid and comfort to insurrection, that's a crime. When they know that jail is inevitable they don't act out.
Thank you for helping us see the current test of our nation, as a democracy, as a unified (though diverse) peoples, as active persons who must work to hold our country to our basic, Constitutional principles. It is tempting to leave the work that needs to be done, to others; to past ent arguments; or to avoid the troubles that we meed to face.
Part of me thinks that you must be missing the usual excitement and anticipation of teaching at the start of a new term, being now retired. But whether that true or not, I thank you for broadening your "instruction" to all of us, who need your leadership and excitement to be active in what our nation requires now. Thank you for being a very important motivator, helping keep us active and continuing whatever involvement we need, to work together to help our country get through this challenge.
I think the thing to do in the coming months is to harpoon the Republican brand, using phraseology that exposes their “win at all costs” strategy. They don’t care a fig about their constituents, seeing them as pawns willingly sacrificed – sometimes literally.
They are #ProSTRIFE, choosing to inflict unnecessary hardships on their supporters,, both economically and physically, because they were bought and paid for years ago.
They aren’t conservative, they are #CORPservative - in servitude only to their corporate and billionaire donors.
They are trying to supplant democracy with #RepubloFascism, and willing to choke off the voice of the people at the ballot box if that’s what’s required to retain unjust power.
Won’t you please consider these hashtags in your own messaging? And remember, we support the only party that has any interest in #22ndCenturyThinking. We are the only people in this nation looking to make sure that civilization still exists for our grand children.
Wait a minute. Is it possible that trump isn't as bad as all that? Is Robert overreacting and blowing everything out of proportion? Maybe trump did have some good ideas. Maybe the economy was better with trump. Maybe trump isn't a racist and misogynist. Maybe he is not to be feared to the extent that Robert thinks. Maybe he can make America great again. Maybe I've lost my f**king mind! Of course, he's a dirty, rotten scoundrel of the third order. Of course, he's so dangerous for people like most who read Robert's page that it's imperative that he not get near the White House ever again. He has that one quality that I've feared and despised in people since I was 3 years old. He understands how to completely corrupt everyone close to him. He knows how to get them to do whatever he wants, and his motives are absolutely corrupt. That's a tool I've seem my competitors use all my life. I've seen many who were not competition but who were seeking power and favor from people I knew or went to school with. The power to control peoples' behavior for self serving purposes by those who are totally immoral and absolutely unethical is something I seen as I've travelled through this life. I've seen it worked to perfection. I've seen it manipulate my honest and good friends. I've seen it used to hurt me. That's what trump possesses. That's his only tool, and he isn't afraid to use it in every situation that may arise. That is something we need to fear. It's why we must stop trump in his tracks. The really sad part is that he could use that skill for good, and actually get a lot done, but people like that who prey on the weaknesses of others can't even recognize good. It's a foreign concept. Their power comes from the dark side of humanity.
Yea, for sure, we must join hands and hearts and slay the evil dragon once and for all. I'm all in. I'll make my donations and encourage others to do the same. I'll follow Robert's advice to the extent that I can. I know you will, too. I am convinced we can defeat him. trump really is that dangerous and onerous. We all know that down to our toenails.
Thanks for this excellent advice. I’m an expat living in England, but will do all I can from here. Any suggestions for Americans in my position would be very helpful, too. Thanks again!
Very practical advice and strategies to behold. I live in Ohio. It used to be a purple state which prided itself with electing the eventual president whether it be Democrat or Republican. Not anymore! I am now surrounded with people who I used to know as reasonable and levelheaded, but now have completely lost their mind and have given up on our system of government. They now are ready to move to dictatorship and oligarchy to, in their eyes, "take back America." They believe only what they want to believe. They refuse to look at multiple sources of information and have dissolved themselves of facts. I will do my best to hope for the best for democracy continuing here in Ohio. However, the "compromise" which used to exist in our politics is gone for now. Most days I just can't believe I am waking up to "this" America.
Several years ago, I tried to start a movement where Senior Citizens (a group I belong to) are offered the chance to move from Blue states to Purple states, and have their moving expenses paid for by the party. There is nothing illegal or unethical about that, but I was dismayed by the response. I haven't mentioned it in years (I think) until I saw you listed this as one of the actions individuals can take.
Media is infaturated with focusing on trivial issues such as personalities, "potentential" issues, and gossip. Such content is easier and cheaper to produce than developing solid journalistic content. They need to be called through every available means for their laziness. If real news was reported rather than a daily dose of junk food equivalent, some charcters would end forgotten--as they should be.
Isn’t there still time for a Democratic Primary with Debates? The best way to “avoid complacency” is for Democrats to offer up a candidate who Democrats and even Independents can get excited about. We can do better than Joe Biden. Let’s nominate the best, brightest and sharpest Democrat we can find.
I understand RR's concern and alarm. The road ahead is hard, but it is no harder than the road Lincoln and his followers trod from 1858 until Lincoln's death. Indeed, it may well be less hard, because those who oppose plutocracy are better organized than they were in 1858. My recommendation is not to panic, not to lash out against "the world" nor to accept false friends whose presence tarnish your cause with their perversions and will alienate those would be your allies. I suggest you try to empty, to totally empty your mind, then sit silently for five minutes and pray to God for guidance. If you love God, even if you have blemished your life with serious sin, I believe He will come to you and show you a path forward. If God is silent, then follow your heart and do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Thanks for the good advice. I am doing my best to be hopeful. It is hard sometimes when the coverage of the insanity seems endless. It has been a treat this weekend not to hear one story about Trump and Kump on my local news and the NPR briefs. We have not had a break this long in ages, 4 days. Maybe if we can get at least some of our media to only cover Trump and Kump when something specific happens instead of anticipating "later this week, Trump is supposed to ____" or "Trump is supposed to show up for ____ next week" (the same nothing for days ahead of anything happening, then covering the nothing event for hours upon hours). It makes it seem as though Trump really is being maligned as he claims, which he is not. Trump has lied and cheated his way through life, he is finally maybe being held accountable for a fraction of what he has done. We don't need to be beat over the head with it every day.
Also, post about and speak about the amazing success story of the Biden presidency. And correct people who complain that he is just not “inspiring”. The press is once again displaying their bias. They will not do their job, so we must do it for them.
The last time I saw a post like that, bemoaning DJT but calling Biden “uninspiring”, I countered with a long list of this president’s accomplishments and then asked “what would it take to inspire you”
The guy who made the post did not answer but many others did. Point taken.
It happens I am reading Robert Reich's post today in Potsdam, just south of Berlin, in the Karl Foerster house which has been saved for the German nation as an exemplary cultural treasure. When one considers Trump, and the life of Karl Foerster (1874-1970), a great plantsman and garden designer, who had to live through the rise of the Nazis, then the second world war, the destruction of Berlin, and the conquest of eastern Germany by Russia in 1945 followed by subjection for 45 years of police state (of which Foerster suffered 'only' 25), one appreciates just what can happen to great civilisations if they allow a tyrant to take control. Trump has already set out an agenda like Hitler's play book: abolish the rule of law, unleash the storm troopers, incarcerate the liberal opposition, terrorize! The USA is the greatest exemplar of liberal democracy in human history. For this very reason Putin and all the other oligopolistic dictators want it destroyed. The next US election thus becomes a decisive moment for the entire human race. The lawful institutions the USA created to protect the constitution must incarcerate Trump and his followers so as to preserve democracies all over the world. The only other outcome is a descent into barbarism.
My husband and I have started working as poll workers here in Detroit since 2020 election.
My brother who lives in NYS starting donating to races in other states that were neck and neck to help insure a blue win. Now we do the same.
Ciao from Italy. If you are or know one of the 6.5 million US citizens living abroad remind them that they can vote!! Send them to votefromabroad.org to register and request an overseas ballot. Our overseas votes can be the margin of victory in tight races!
Thank you for your helpful advice about preparing for the election and surviving the next 14 months.
"You're going to have to fight like hell, or you're not going to have a country anymore!"
It's time to make some good trouble.
Make sure that insurrectionists are prosecuted. Pressure Garland, even local prosecutors. Every state has statutes that make threats a crime. Also criminal conspiracy. E.G. if two MAGATs agree to give aid and comfort to insurrection, that's a crime. When they know that jail is inevitable they don't act out.
IMHO the House, specifically McCarthy, Gym Jordan, et al are obstructing justice. Put them on notice.
The odds of Trump actually running are slim. Fox, WSJ have not been telling their readers.....
Not generally reported,. Judge Howell made a determination that he is a flight risk. https://themessenger.com/politics/trump-flight-risk-federal-judge-ruling-indictments?fbclid=IwAR2grqwinv0aQVnkYOJlImsSTqhj7QCH37m_ghUDJZwDmuHnSLekqa9p6cc
I still think he'll never stand trial. I think he's delusional and scared and the amygdala dictates fight or flight. He has to know that he has little chance of fighting 91 counts with more to come. DOJ wins about 96% of all cases and Trump has 91 counts, making it look impossible.
He's in jeopardy of getting major judgments that far exceed his domestic assets. Key is the NY civil Oct 2 non jury trial for fraud, liquidated damages $250 mil. Exposure maybe a bil. He doesn't have it. His money is overseas.
And he'll have to defend several suits that can keep him off the ballot. The people arguing for it are mostly Federalist members like Luttig, who was to the right of Atilla. The way it's supposed to work is that a state can bar a candidate based on a preponderance of evidence standard. The argument is that he's admitted it in Truth Social and in interviews. The DC and Hotlanta cases are based on a finding of probable cause by a grand jury, which switches the burden to Trump to disprove it. Last year a New Mexico USDC applied it. It was last used extensively during WW I. But these advocates are not Democrats... this is not political.
According to his recent financial filings most of his assets and income are overseas. Next year in Abu Dhabi. Here's the Florida letter invoking 14th Amendment, Section 3.https://freespeechforpeople.org/.../fsfp-mfv-fl-letter-to...
As I said yesterday, MAGATs. IMHO insurrectionists shot their wad on Jan 6, 2021. I have been upset with Garland, the wuss. Consider behavior analysis. Hit them up the side of the head with a metaphorical 2 by 4 and they have an attitude adjustment.
Again, every state has statutes that make threats a crime. Also criminal conspiracy. E.G. if two MAGATs agree to give aid and comfort to insurrection, that's a crime. When they know that jail is inevitable they don't act out.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_behavior_analysis
Thank you for helping us see the current test of our nation, as a democracy, as a unified (though diverse) peoples, as active persons who must work to hold our country to our basic, Constitutional principles. It is tempting to leave the work that needs to be done, to others; to past ent arguments; or to avoid the troubles that we meed to face.
Part of me thinks that you must be missing the usual excitement and anticipation of teaching at the start of a new term, being now retired. But whether that true or not, I thank you for broadening your "instruction" to all of us, who need your leadership and excitement to be active in what our nation requires now. Thank you for being a very important motivator, helping keep us active and continuing whatever involvement we need, to work together to help our country get through this challenge.
I think the thing to do in the coming months is to harpoon the Republican brand, using phraseology that exposes their “win at all costs” strategy. They don’t care a fig about their constituents, seeing them as pawns willingly sacrificed – sometimes literally.
They are #ProSTRIFE, choosing to inflict unnecessary hardships on their supporters,, both economically and physically, because they were bought and paid for years ago.
They aren’t conservative, they are #CORPservative - in servitude only to their corporate and billionaire donors.
They are trying to supplant democracy with #RepubloFascism, and willing to choke off the voice of the people at the ballot box if that’s what’s required to retain unjust power.
Won’t you please consider these hashtags in your own messaging? And remember, we support the only party that has any interest in #22ndCenturyThinking. We are the only people in this nation looking to make sure that civilization still exists for our grand children.
Wait a minute. Is it possible that trump isn't as bad as all that? Is Robert overreacting and blowing everything out of proportion? Maybe trump did have some good ideas. Maybe the economy was better with trump. Maybe trump isn't a racist and misogynist. Maybe he is not to be feared to the extent that Robert thinks. Maybe he can make America great again. Maybe I've lost my f**king mind! Of course, he's a dirty, rotten scoundrel of the third order. Of course, he's so dangerous for people like most who read Robert's page that it's imperative that he not get near the White House ever again. He has that one quality that I've feared and despised in people since I was 3 years old. He understands how to completely corrupt everyone close to him. He knows how to get them to do whatever he wants, and his motives are absolutely corrupt. That's a tool I've seem my competitors use all my life. I've seen many who were not competition but who were seeking power and favor from people I knew or went to school with. The power to control peoples' behavior for self serving purposes by those who are totally immoral and absolutely unethical is something I seen as I've travelled through this life. I've seen it worked to perfection. I've seen it manipulate my honest and good friends. I've seen it used to hurt me. That's what trump possesses. That's his only tool, and he isn't afraid to use it in every situation that may arise. That is something we need to fear. It's why we must stop trump in his tracks. The really sad part is that he could use that skill for good, and actually get a lot done, but people like that who prey on the weaknesses of others can't even recognize good. It's a foreign concept. Their power comes from the dark side of humanity.
Yea, for sure, we must join hands and hearts and slay the evil dragon once and for all. I'm all in. I'll make my donations and encourage others to do the same. I'll follow Robert's advice to the extent that I can. I know you will, too. I am convinced we can defeat him. trump really is that dangerous and onerous. We all know that down to our toenails.
Thanks for this excellent advice. I’m an expat living in England, but will do all I can from here. Any suggestions for Americans in my position would be very helpful, too. Thanks again!
Very practical advice and strategies to behold. I live in Ohio. It used to be a purple state which prided itself with electing the eventual president whether it be Democrat or Republican. Not anymore! I am now surrounded with people who I used to know as reasonable and levelheaded, but now have completely lost their mind and have given up on our system of government. They now are ready to move to dictatorship and oligarchy to, in their eyes, "take back America." They believe only what they want to believe. They refuse to look at multiple sources of information and have dissolved themselves of facts. I will do my best to hope for the best for democracy continuing here in Ohio. However, the "compromise" which used to exist in our politics is gone for now. Most days I just can't believe I am waking up to "this" America.
Several years ago, I tried to start a movement where Senior Citizens (a group I belong to) are offered the chance to move from Blue states to Purple states, and have their moving expenses paid for by the party. There is nothing illegal or unethical about that, but I was dismayed by the response. I haven't mentioned it in years (I think) until I saw you listed this as one of the actions individuals can take.
Let's hope (and encourage) that there is more media coverage of the silliness of most main-stream media. The work of Media Matters and its analysis of the paucity of coverage of Hurricane Idalia is a good example (https://www.mediamatters.org/broadcast-networks/despite-clear-signals-hurricane-idalia-was-influenced-climate-change-less-2-tv).
Media is infaturated with focusing on trivial issues such as personalities, "potentential" issues, and gossip. Such content is easier and cheaper to produce than developing solid journalistic content. They need to be called through every available means for their laziness. If real news was reported rather than a daily dose of junk food equivalent, some charcters would end forgotten--as they should be.
Isn’t there still time for a Democratic Primary with Debates? The best way to “avoid complacency” is for Democrats to offer up a candidate who Democrats and even Independents can get excited about. We can do better than Joe Biden. Let’s nominate the best, brightest and sharpest Democrat we can find.
I understand RR's concern and alarm. The road ahead is hard, but it is no harder than the road Lincoln and his followers trod from 1858 until Lincoln's death. Indeed, it may well be less hard, because those who oppose plutocracy are better organized than they were in 1858. My recommendation is not to panic, not to lash out against "the world" nor to accept false friends whose presence tarnish your cause with their perversions and will alienate those would be your allies. I suggest you try to empty, to totally empty your mind, then sit silently for five minutes and pray to God for guidance. If you love God, even if you have blemished your life with serious sin, I believe He will come to you and show you a path forward. If God is silent, then follow your heart and do unto others as you would have them do unto you.