This is what real journalism and an actual free press (not free market journalism) looks like. If the reporters of the main stream media did what those brave black women did yesterday Trump would be a zero in polling. The legacy media has sold their morality for clicks and views. This has lead Trumps bigotry and misogeny to spread to those who were NOT those things before him. Stop the spread by shaming him and his followers shut them down.
Bill, I can’t agree that Trump’s followers weren’t bigots and misogynists already. They may not have been saying the quiet part out loud, but the seeds had to be there or people would have ignored him.
Seeds ca die out, too, if we don’t nurture and help them grow. Bad journalism has helped him grow, and helped the seeds of bigotry grow. Some people may have held the seed of this anger and bigotry and might have been susceptible to decent information and argument to turn away from it.
We need more GOOD journalism. And by that, I don’t mean just saying what I’d prefer to be true — I mean quality, fact based information, and rational decent commentary and context and analysis, with respectful airing of differences of opinion.
G G has some good suggestions to try to help. They did not work for me (I have a feeling that my system might be too old on my iPad) but they might work for you.
Pat - “like” I think it was Jan who sent you the ❤️. However you gave me a good idea - since I can’t use the “like” button and typing it is my only recourse then I might start using “love” on the posts that I Really “like”. ;) :D
Pat - I finally figured out where you see a ❤️. My apologies for my confusion.. I normally see the posts through my email but if I go to the activity button on substack I see the ❤️ from the posts that people hit the like button for. I am slow at learning all of the nuances of technology so again my apologies for not originally understanding.
I have a coworker sitting right next to me who works in an integrated environment multicultrual environment. He has been conservative and espoused his views never being racist or misogonistic. Once MAGA and Elon came along I hear him quoting misoginistic and racist dog whistle from reposts of Elon and Trump. Not all racists were racist before. Trump, MAGA and Elon so normalize it that those who follow them espose the same garbage and then become racist. I say this to show how dangerous it is to let the MAGA rhetoric continue because it isnt just making bad people worse. Its making good people bad.
Justice Neil Gorsuch legitimized such spying with his opinion on the Texas "abortion vigilantes" law (a Mike Johnson creation). The next step would be to inquire why a woman has so few children; could she be aborting her pregnancies? Homosexuals and dissidents would be next in line for being spied upon. This goes far beyond privacy, as it pertains to health and freedom.
I've read the same in the book "Prisoners of hate". Our base level of self preservation dating back to cavemen level societies can be manipulated by fear and hate into othering of a person or group. That person may or may not even be a participant in the story. The narcissist manipulator can and does invent a whole "evil story" about the person being "ousted" from the group of the "good guys" and thus becomes evil. Violence is then advocated and justified against that person or group. In cavemen days getting rid of a person from a grpup was life and death. Now hardly ever at all. Our primitive brains still think and react overly strongly to stimuli that matches that age old self preservation method. Which can lead to someone who did nothing wrong being ostrasized, attacked or killed. I still havent finished the book. As a malignant narcissist survivor and a person who has my own hangups it is REALLY hard for me to read without having triggers.
Jan Churchwell: I totally agree. Trump, being President and leader of the fascists, gave racists and misogynists, white supremacist, Christian theocrats license to come out of the closet.
After years of having to stuff their beliefs and feelings, aching to use the word "nigrah", to put into practice their need to exert white male supremacy, Trump liberated them and now we know who they are, and why they need to take total control of the government., unfortunately they have a legion of camp following Quislings, who have ridden Trumps coat tails to economic and social advancement, like Tim Scott, Mark Robinson, token Thomas, Kanye, Herschel Walker, Ben Carson, Candace Owens.
Since 2016, I have been binge-reading histories of Germany 1923-1933. Most NAZI's at the top knew exactly what they were doing. The few "true believers" at the top (Ernst Röhm, Gregor Strasser) were murdered by Hitler in "The Night of the Long Knivea" in 1934.
Trump appears to be throwing Vance under the bus in his comments about the Vice President yesterday. Vance should be watching his six these days.
I did what you are doing when I was 15, read everything on the subject, including the holocaust in the public library (2954) what has been written since is rehash.
The story of Ernst Rhom is instructive. He was the founder and leader of a million men, the Sturmabeitlung, Brown Shirts and his group fought the Communists in Berlin (he NAZI Anthem the Horst Wessel Lied) was written to marytrize, Horst Wessel killed in that war, Were it not for Rohm there would have been no Hitler, but the industrialist and financiers, feared him,is power because he was a real socialist and a critic of Hitler who wasn't, Rohm was pushing Hitler to the left,and that worried the industrialist liek Fritx Thyssen
The Sturmabeitlung were socialists, not communists,and they fought, bloodied and beat the Commies. Socialism is not communism, like our own media and billionaires would have us believe.
After assuming power, a fervent NAZI, a chicken farmer, named Himmler, convinced Hitler to create a body guard, the Protection Squad (Life Guarss) or Schutzstaffel (SS) and they were dressed in specially designed uniforms.
It was this SS that, on orders, murdered Rohm and the leaders of the SS in the "Night of the Long Knives".
They also murdered the niece that Hitler loved and with whom he was having sex.
In 1952, when leaving the Big Brothers on chesnut Street in Philadelphia, i passed by the smoldering embers of a book store that had caught on fire, rummaging i found a book, written in 1938, The Strrange Death of Adolph Hitler" The front piece was a photocopy of a document in German with the requisite official stamps verifying the authenticity, it recounts the murder of
Gel Ralbaul, and the murder of Hitle as he was deranged, and unstable. Mind you the book was printed in 1938, before the invasion of Poland.
I loaned the book to a neighbor, and they never returned it. I should have learned not to loan things, but didn't.
I finally found a copy on Abe Books, and bought it, but it is a reprint without the official NAZI document, but instead in English.
Out of curiosity, on learning that ears are like fingerprints,no two are the same.
I have download Pictures of Hitler as a Youth, his first years, his 1940 years and at the end. And I believe it, the ears are different, and I know that he had body doubles.
Yes, German conservatives feared not only the Moscow-directed Communists but also all socialists. Trump and his backers are trying to scare our conservatives with "the New Marxism," "wokism" and the Evil Left. Kamala Harris has to address class grievances, but she must be careful.
Could you explain your main idea again? Sorry to be dense. The book you found was printed in 1938 before Hitler invaded Poland in 1939 and "documented" Hitler's death with official stamps. Right? You think this claim is correct, right? You've compared the pictures in this book with pictures of Hitler earlier, and based on his ears, you think the claims in this book are accurate. Right? So you think that from 1938 going forward, a Hitler double was performing? If I were you, I'd be tracking down that neighbor!
Jan, you are right, but such misogyny and racism are contagious and spread even to people who are not actively either of them. Trump's unchecked comments and insults have encouraged people to join the misogyny and racism club since that is the way to get power in half of our states these days.
Imo we're saying the same thing, Ruth. I said they weren't "saying the quiet part out loud," which imo is what you're saying with "not actively..." The seeds were there, and Trump's "style" gave them the courage to speak up or go active (take your choice).
Trump is a baiter and a harasser, but he cannot avoid getting repetitious. Hopefully, he will become annoying even to his supporters. His ego-mania is making him boring and ridiculous.
When Trump said the Media is the enemy of the people he was correct. Because it was the media that made him a star, and it was the media's millions of free coverage that got him elected. Remember, I believe it was CNN, the camera's trrained on an empty podium for 20 minutes waiting for their organge Jesus to appear, and Les moonves of CBS telling his board of Directors that although Trump was bad for America he was greart for CBS and the Baord Chuckling.
Don't forget Russian Election Interference, and Mark Burnett's 'Apprentice'... DJT is an Addict for attention... Too many People believe what they see on TV is true... OBW: I saw that his right Ear looked fine yesterday...
Don't blame "the media" for what Fox News created. Rupert Murdoch gave Trump extra prominence, and the divisive script Trump has followed since 2016. In 2020 Trump added religion to the script. He succeeded beyond belief.
you're right-to be a fair journalist like Rachel doesn't mean letting someone lie,it means expressing the impartial truth on behalf of we the people-we need more journalists like Rachel and more commenters like you
Quite true, but I bet Rachel Scott will probably never get a chance to interview Trump, and that's too bad. He didn't answer any questions, instead trying the Gish Gallop that he served to Joe Biden, trying to talk over him, jumping from one non sequitur statement to another, to another, to another.
MSM should take lessons from these professional, intelligent, brilliantly informed courageous ladies. They were not going to give him a pass and kept making sure he answered the questions. Are you listening Jake Tapper and others like him? As always, the coward ran away.
Rusalka, Jake Tapper and the rest of them want to keep their jobs and get raises and eventually advances in their career, that requires them to toe the party line, listen and anticipate the editors and producers who monitor them via earbuds and tell them to change the subject, cut it short and what not to say, this is true on all electronic media,in print media they have editors who know what is permissible and what isn't.
Editors and Producers are select and hired, ultimately, by the CEO. The CEO is selected and hired by the board of Governors. The primary and operating directive of the Board of Governors, and it's chairman has the ultimate say, or guides the board,is to look after the interests and provide a positive rate of return for the investors.
The investors in a corporation, including he media, are other corporations and media. The Chairman of the Board of MSNBC, the actress Rashida Jones is President of MSNBC, but MSNBC is owned by NBCUniversal, and NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast, and the CEO, Chairman of the Board and major individual stockholder of Comcast https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_L._Roberts
The major institutional investors in Comcast, NBCUniversal,MSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN and the corporations that own them, as well as the chemical industry, pharmaceuticals, the defense industry, forestry and paper are Vanguard, Black Rock, State Street.
These boards of directors have interlocking relationships with other boards. They are majority shareholders in other corporations as well as sitting on the boards of other corporations, some are professional members of boards,
Here is a list of the board members of the major cable and broadcast media.
Jake Tapper, all of the hosts, journalists of all media, print or electronic listen to their bosses, if they want to keep their jobs, that is why you don't see global warming mentioned in relationship to flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes, heat domes, Arctic blasts mentioned in the news and weather reports.
My sources of information since Trump came to disgrace our country have been the UK Guardian and the FT since I lived there 25 years and still go back and forth. Last year I started subscribing to Substacks such as this one plus 5 others. Stopped subscription to NYT and Washington Post which I thought were reliable.
I'm still subscribing to the online versions of the New York Times and Washington Post and L A Progressive, as well as The Guardian. I had to give up The Economist, unfortunately. It's just too expensive.
Speaking of The Guardian . . . Look for First Dog on the Moon - The Guardian - Australia. You will probably enjoy meeting Brenda, the climate activist civil disobedience penguin.
Vincent, I have my problems with Al Jazeera,NPR, PBS, CBS Daily Kos and Democracy Now, as the news that they seek tp publish, and the emphasis and content are biased via the ideology and bias of the left (and in NPR's case corporations especially as retards fossil fuels and global warming)
Amy Goodma and Juan Gonzalez )Dmocracy Now)are old line Marxist, as is Katrina vanden Heuvell and her Husband.,, Stephen Cohen of the nation.
I am not a Marxist because Marx was not a socialist, he wasa proto libertarian, and I know that Gold as a standard of value leads to a perpetual depression.
Religions are ideologies, and Marxism is a religious ideology,one has to swallow, believe and pledge fealty to the tenants of the faith, it is as ,much a cult as Trumpism or any religion.
It is the same with libertarianism and free marketism
One is expected to swallow eveyrthing as gospel. Democracy Now, whose staff is overwhelmingly Muslim, calls it genoicde and the left is hit on the knee with a rubber mallet and reflexes like Pavolov's dog.
Noam Chomsky,Christ Hedges, all of them, the same.
I don't acquire by opinions, beliefs I have none, I arrive at my opinions by the use of critical thinking
Trump calls the media the enemy of the people, the FBI the same, and the left reacts and either defends the media and FBI or stays silent, and thus assents to Trump.
But the media is the enemy of the People as is the FBI, the media has constantly attacked and scapegoated liberlas, ridiculed global warming and made Trump President.
The FBI instead of investigating and warning congress of the threat from the right, spent and spends its time investigating the left, antifa and BLM among others. It is a right wing conservative organization, as is DOJ, and the cabinets that are suppose to regulate corporations have been captured by those regulations and nothing has changed under Biden.
I am not on the side of the leftist media, and I don't believe the corporate media, I get hundreds of news letters in my inbox daily, I read or skim all,and I have filters, I filter out bullshit, bias and propaganda.
I don't let anyone do my thinking for me, I don't believe, I think. And I got be jerked around emotionally by my short and curlies (pubic hair).
If it is an example of your critical thinking, please explain why there is little-to-no substance? No reference to any observable facts? All I see in it is labelling people according to their alleged adherence to various ideologies.
That does not, in my book, qualify as mature, critical argument.
Perhaps you would care to take a deep breath and try again.
Hi there! I've saved your information for future reference. Thanks! I'm usually aware of the political bias of whatever I'm reading or listening to, so I take that into consideration when reading/listening, but sometimes it takes a bit of digging. Just recently, I discovered the Ground News app. It categorizes print articles by bias (left/center/right) and has a feature I really like called the Blind Spot, presenting articles to me I might not read because of my own built-in biases. I haven't dug deep to see if I agree with Ground's characterizations, but it's allowed me to see news from sites and newspapers I rarely run into. Thanks again, for your background. Cheers!
I have my own problems with news aggregators, especially those that categorize news by ideology.
First problem is that the person or even algorithm is a person or constructed by a person with bias, and what they consider say conservative and liberal reflects their bias.
I will use me as an example. I consider myself progressive, I support DEI and CRT, Gay and Transrights movements, LGBT. Notice that I ommitted immigration.
I support immigration for people who can prove that they fled for their life, I don't support it for people who flee because they don't like their political system and/or are seeking financial improvement or a job.
Most of those come from a culture whichis responsible for their destitute situation, a patriarchal authoritairan and religious culture and they bring that crap with them like it is a precious treasure instead of the garbage that it is.
Venezuelan refugees were the countries middle class, who lived well while the peasants strived to survive, now that they don't have the upper hand and can exploit the people they flee to America with their soccer balls, dolls, toys, gold, silver and Jewelry, many of them parking their assets in international banks.
I am definitely for gay, lesbian and trans rights, with one exception. Pre operative transpeople, who have not undergone the requisite hormone therapy should not be able to compete in opposite sex sports.
Hormones is what really makes us, as malge and female, it is the sex hormone.
A trans woman who has been on estrogene therapy for five years, has lost muscle and bone mass, a transman who has been on testosterone therapy for ifve years has gained muscle and bone mass, plus facial and body hair and a deeper, up to baritone, voice
A post operative transwoman, has no penis or testiceles and and has a vagina, a post operative Transman has a penis and testicles, minus a vagina, ovary and womb.
Testicles produce testosterone, the masculine ad masculinizing hormone.
Ovaries produce estrogene the feminizing hormone.
Affirmative action in education has produced resentment and blowback, in fact a major push for Trumpism.
My son is a PhD, very much a liberal, but when he graduated he couldn't find a teaching position, because they are being given to minorities, despite him being highly qualified. He has now a department head in a college and teaches as well. But I had to put up with him bitching about affirmative action for years.
The solution, is to have applications without names, but numbers, and no mention of gender. It is known that certain names are ethnic, and some are predominatly racial, before the black affection for the slave religion of Islam, a name George Washington Carver was agive away, now it is Jamal, Aiyisha.
And even unconsciously a name prejudices an applicant.
I am not a Marxist. Marx was not a socialist, he was a proto libertarian.
There was no such thing as middle class in his day, so he called them bourgeousie, and the working middle and lower class he called Proletariat, and he had no bad wors or hostility for the ruling class, because it was they that financed him as The League of Just Men.
With those exceptions, a die hard ideological progressive would exile me.
The Right has the same situation, unless one is a die hard Christian, misogynistic Christian Nationalist, they aren't a Republican. Thus the very conservative Reaganite Never Trumpers of the Bulwark and Lincoln Project.
I have registered Democrat and Vote Democrat, because I have no choice, third party is throwing away my vote and a defacto vote for Republiicans. By voting third party I am helping Republicans win.
Weather reports will be severely restricted if Project 2025 comes about.
the old pat Robertson ploy, blame it on the gays. Then there will be a purging of the gay in America,like purging of the Jew in Germany, when they run out of gays, the next small minority will be targeted, There is no end of scapegoats, in a brown eyed world, the blue eye is the Jew.
What I believe is true is that bigotry and misogeny does not "spread", you either are a bigot and/or practice misogeny, or you are not and do not. People may feel they can hide their warped beliefs and bring out the behaviours as needed.... But it doesn't "spread"
Malignant narcissists cult leaders get their followers to do immoral and evil things. This doesnt mean that all the cult followers had evil in their hearts before hand. Do they do evil certainly yes! Did they start out evil?
I am not so sure. Much of racism is mindless and a reaction to the human need to belong. It would be very hard to leave your clan if you were deep MAGA or if you were a child, not to be inculcated with racism and misogyny. I remember my prof of social psychology turning a chair around in the last day of class eye and sitting on it. Looking at us eye to eye:
I understand the evidence that our need to belong was stronger than our will was not good news. But by knowing that , we can make decisions about who we marry or what organizations we join on the basis of their values, we can avoid absorbing those values. I was convinced.
"South Pacific" was big in - when? - late 1950s, I think.
Hence, the song, "There is nothing like a dame," is a little sour in modern ears.
What do you think of the later protest songs? I'm thinking of Patti Smith's "People Have the Power!" Wouldn't that make a suitable anthem for the Harris for President campaign?
In the days of the Cold War Moscow-directed Communists infiltrated organization to which young people belonged: sports clubs and teams, university faculties, student organizations. Our fascists are doing the same now.
"somehow you lost me on "human need to belong "... ? You mean the racist feels this way? I see that Women and people of color are born into this world without any say of how we arrive. Women have no choice being the sex they are, people of colour are born black, brown Asian, and the way misogynist and racist thinking goes, we are "LESS THAN" . We'd all rather have a little say or else you keep your hands off our bodies and minds. A white male is no better than a black man or a white woman, but they believe we should sit down and shut up, and get working on their command.
There are those who are principled, conscientious, incorruptible. There are others who are sadistic, unscrupulous, evil. And there are those who can be influenced either way.
Jaime - “like” If it weren’t for my Grandma being able to teach her 8 children empathy and compassion despite being married to a racist, homophobic, bigoted a**hole my mother and all of her brothers might have turned out very differently. They could have been completely different if they learned from their father versus what they learned from their mother right under the same roof.
RETORT by "RETORTing" ...In 2015 my retort(response) to Trump's offer to pay legal fees for violence (MAGA beating up anti MAGA)... was to stage fights resulting in suing Trump for those legal fees. Hollywood is filled with unemployed actors, including unemployed stunt men. My screenplay hired 3 actors:
1. The stunt man🤕 gets beat up by
2. Our confederate... a "violent" MAGA... who is sued by the stunt man and "pays" the stunt man damages... suing Trump for those legal fees... that are defined by...
3. Our confederate... an "ambulance driver" that charges EXORBITANT FEES to "treat" the stunt man🤕
"...journalists had just really not done a good job of covering and that they had fallen for lots of public relations [BS]that they should know better about ..."
Karl Rove's successful brainwashing of America🙊🙉🙈: Tobacco is healthy. 🤯Democracy(torts)is icky. 🤯Geo W Bush will be a governor and president FOR THE PEOPLE, NOT FOR CHENEY'S OIL CO.🤯; the Iraq War peak popularity=70%🤯
It’s not the news media’s job to interfere in elections by showing insanely compromised ethics and crossing a bright red line. It’s clear one side knows he’s a liar and the other side thinks it’s funny that you’re so passionate about stopping Project 2025. If you squint and mute the video, Trump and Vance look
rational (whether you agree with their anarchy-fueled aspirations or not). It’s another layer of the deception they’ve fast getting better at.
There's a familiar quote that goes with our turn to drama news, driven by "clicks and views" and a pro-Republican advertisers. . .
On journalism: "If someone says it's raining, and another person says it's dry, it's not your job to quote them both. Your job is to look out the f-cking window and find out which is true."
I hear what your saying and mot to excuse the media what they have done in the past and present is unecuseable but look to their owners I believe that is where a lot of suppression is coming from.
The Fox contributor tried to mollify him and de-escalate the situation. That was when Trump claimed he couldn't hear her questions so refused to answer. It was a hot mess, all around. Trump's racism is clear, but the media have baked it into his coverage. Sad!!
She should have known how he was likely to respond, but had she prepared a followup question to reinforce or elaborate on her original question or rebut his claims? If she did, it wasn't shown on any video clip I saw. If she didn't, then it appears to many viewers, who respond more to performance than substance, that the great performer Trump had won the exchange. Subsequent exchanges made Trump look incoherent & ridiculous, however.
Yes- immediately Trump thinks the black woman is a subservient that works at one of his competitors hotels and tries to belittle her - you’re so rude … not even a hello how are you ?- then challenges her position- who do you work for ? Like he could get her fired
That’s despicable … Trumps despicable - he showed us who he is a racist 🐷 pig
It happened fast at the start but the first interviewer stood up and shook T's hand and said something to him that was inaudible... to me anyway. I would guess she was polite and said something like "welcome" or "thanks for coming". So his attack on her for being rude and not saying hello is bogus. As everything else that come out of his mouth. Thanks to the Black Journalist Association for inviting him on their show and for helping to point out, once again, what a vile monster he is. Great job Ms. Scott ! ! ! !
Thanks for saying what you saw. The clip I saw began with Ms. Scott asking a question. I had no reference to where it was in the interview. I thought the question was fine, but he was vile. She remained calm in appearance and didn't lose her composure. Awful display from him.
Trump demanded that she define what she meant by DEI, and old trick to evade a question. She told him what the term stands for, and he was not pleased. One term Trump and his supporters use all the time is "woke," and we always must demand that they define the term. This is especially important since the director of the Heritage Foundations refers to the "woke" as enemies of America.
Keep in mind though. He said he wasn't going to win based on the election, he doesn't need votes.
The idea is to disrupt the election so that it goes to the state houses where Republicans have an advantage. It's why he told his followers not to worry about voting but to go to the polls and watch. He wants disruptions at the polls. Then he will immediately implement Project 2025 and it's all over.
He is also telling them they don't need votes b/c in some of the swing states those 70 maga officials are not going to certify the election results if Trump loses. Trump then plans on filing lawsuits, making their way ultimately to the supreme court and he expects the Corrupt supreme court to rule in his favor. This playbook will not end well.
MikeyB - I agree, and this is why I keep posting this:
In order to restore the possibility of a return to democracy and the rule of law, Biden is obligated by his oath of office, which states that he must defend the constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, to arrest and hold incommunicado ALL the insurrectionists. This would include drumpf and his family, members of the inner cabinet, lawyers involved, congresspersons involved, the 6 corrupt justices, barr, bannon, dejoy(why is an insurrectionist who tried to subvert vote by mail still in charge of the post office????) all the republican attorneys general who tried through filings to support the subversion of the vote, and all the corrupt attorneys who represented drumpf. Of course there are more, but the immensity boggles the mind. Is guantanamo large enough? This action would be in accord with the supremes' ruling covering official acts, and in light of the serious ongoing attempt at a coup d'etat by drumpf and his minions, is completely and legally warranted.
Indeed, were biden not to do this would put him in collusion with the terrorist organization known as the republican party.
Remember we are talking about a terrorist organization who openly collude with corporations to flout the law, who promote violence as a means of resolving political differences, who promote patriarchy, misogyny, bigotry, white national christianism, violence against women and children, racism, classism, and fascism. It needs to be stopped, and relying on the ballot will not work when this terrorist organization is actively working to prevent/subvert a free and fair election.
I urge you to support and promote this solution to prevent the utter destruction of our democracy.
I'm good with all that, but what I've been hoping for is Biden or Harris to declare all Koch rothers' supported institutions like the Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society and the CATO Institute, as enemies of the United States and must forfeit all assets and disband.
Yes, as well as Murdoch enterprises like Fox, & we could also go with institutions owned by Musk, Mercer, Thiel, etc. as well as the NRA &, especially, the GOP. Oh & all the fossil fuel companies & others engaged in disinformational propaganda about their products they knew full well could generate existential climate disruption, & use all their assets to mitigate & adapt to climate chaos & environmental destruction. That's what should happen in a just world & needs to happen to correct course, but these corrupt individuals & institutions have gotten so big & powerful, I don't see it happening anytime soon, if ever.
I agree completely but also think it’s unlikely to happen. So what can we do beyond voting blue, writing to voters, making calls, etc? I’d like to believe that Biden knows what’s coming and has a plan in place to subvert this.
From this distance it looks like Biden doesn’t want to believe it, so he doesn’t. Increasingly looking like voting is a weak defense, but his faith in democratic institutions, holding on to the assumption they aren’t compromised, keeps him from acting. That could change in November but could that be late?
I just hope Biden doesn't "honorable" us out of an election. I hope he understands at gut level that drumpf will arrrest him if drumpf wins. drumpf has stated this on more than once. believe him.
I agree & have been advocating the same. The problem is that both the DOJ, headed by an associate of the Federalist Society, & the FBI, headed by another Trump administration holdover, have been negligent about investigating & prosecuting these seditionists, letting precious time go by. Will former prosecutor Kamala Harris, who should've been appointed Attorney General, see that justice is done? I certainly hope so, but she has to assume the presidency in order to get it done since there's no sign Biden or his AG will.
Trump compared himself to Lincoln (!!!), but, ironically, his megalomania and irresponsibility will give Biden a chance of being our new Lincoln. I am sure he will not hesitate.
Vincent Schumacher ; Is there anything much left of constitutional values now? Our Congress is held by a slim 'majority' by Traitors who have disqualified themselves according to the ignored and seemingly discarded 14th amendment section 3 disqualification clause. The illegally stacked Supreme Court has committed the most heinous crime in the history of the court with their immunity decision. They themselves are disqualified to serve on the bench. No ; There is nothing left of Constitutional values.
I do not entirely disagree with you. I was just this afternoon thinking about the State Department's Naturalization test question, "How many justices serve on the Supreme Court of the United States?' It is arguable that the correct answer is "three." The other six are not serving . . . at least not the United States and its Constitution. They are nothing more than Republican shills in black robes.
Still, one has to at least pretend to have some hope. Are you willing to go along with the charade long enough to find out if we can salvage the idea of a nation under law served by its elected officials?
For what it's worth, I note that Rep Matt Gaetz in February, together with a couple dozen of his confederates, went to the trouble of introducing House Resolution 1001. It reads,
"Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof."
Mr Gaetz's resolution was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary, Hon. Jim Jordan, Chairman.
No action has been taken on it since it was introduced.
Vince - Biden's proposal of a constitutional amendment to reverse the decision is a good start. However, if the 6 corrupt supremes were off the court, then it would be moot point as new justices could reverse that decision. It's tough having an honorable man as president; I just worry that he'll "honor" us out of democracy. Trump has stated that he'll go after Biden if he's elected. Believe him.
In the dreary real world we actually inhabit, President Biden’s proposed amendment plus $4.95 will buy you a cup of coffee.
Beverly Falls, commenting here, has the only viable solution. And her solution will require you and me and many others forsaking our cellphones and laptops.
We need to get out of our own houses and apartments and join the footsoldiers out knocking on doors.
Terrifyingly true. Every legal rebuke becomes an infuriating stall that becomes a costly vicious cycle. Until the Supreme Court gets sorted out, President Biden should make expanding the court and oversight immediate top priorities with executive orders for all options that could put any wrench in their plans. Beat them at their own game.
As president he tried to starve "shithole" Black neighborhoods.
"Immigrants stealing black jobs," He is the poster boy for illegal sanctions for using illegal immigrant workers on his jobsites. At Mar a Lago, other properties uses temporary white Balkan visa workers to displace Americans,, Black, white or brown
Yes, if immigrants are, as Trump says, taking "black jobs," then it is because American employers are hiring them. I wish the reporter had asked Trump, if what he says is true, then what he would do to stop American employers from hiring undocumented immigrants instead of Americans.
Trump's terminology. Your guess is as good as mine. The interpretation has been that he meant menial, low wage jobs. However, many people have pointed out that Black jobs include president of the United States, vice president of the United States, secretary of state, governor, U.S. senator, etc.
@Reason together. You obviously don't know that the border is effectively closed -- lowest numbers since Obama. You also can't spell.
The person responsible for breaking the border deal that would add funding for ICE, border guards, etc is the bloated orange antichrist Donald J. Trump.
@Reason ffs, are you serious?! The border IS closed! It would have been more secure had drumpf not blocked the bill. No party has ever said they wanted a completely open border either, so save it before you say it.
@Reason is just another Trump troll. As we get closer to the election, these trolls, Putin Trolls and RFK trolls will be showing up in increasing numbers.
Some are AI bots, some get paid by the posts, some are members of the orange cult. They will disappear after the election or after Jan 20th (the swearing in).
There purpose is to disrupt, detract and spread propaganda.
@Reason. Trump troll. You fools are logging on to Robert's pages in increasing numbers as we get closer to November 5th, I expect you to disappear after the election or at least Jan 20th.
Trump paid $1.375M to settle case over UNDOCUMENTED Polish workers he hired to demolish the Bonwit Teller building where Trump Tower now stands. "In 1980, under pressure to begin construction on what would become his signature project, Donald Trump employed a crew of 200 undocumented Polish workers who worked in 12-hour shifts, without gloves, hard hats or masks, to demolish the Bonwit Teller building on New York's Fifth Avenue, where the 58-story, golden-hued Trump Tower now stands.
That's the Insurrectionest way! Won't let immigrants in unless it's for his own personal use! 4 dollars an hour! Insane! You can't make this stuff up 💙💙💙💙👺👺👺👺
I wouldn't call it the "white media." The Press Corp is diverse. In fairness, to date nobody had courage or opportunity to list his statements that have piled up. I wish someone would ask him why he keeps saying the 2020 election was stolen. Maybe it's for the best so Harris can bring it up in the debate.
The MSM has let him get away with a lot more than this because, for one, the networks don't won't to lose access to him. The way he went after Katy Turr in 2016 was deplorable because it made the crowd hostile towards her.
That is indeed a structural flaw of the so called "free Press". To keep reporting, they have to keep access, and to keep access, well, they can't be too offensive.
Mr. Trump offends everyone, but he [very] is easily offended.
And it is indeed a Roy Cohn ploy that when cornered, you attack: you don't attempt to answer the question.
Remember the saying : "The best defense is a good offense" ?
He is a master at offending, but he has nothing else in his bag of tricks.
Cecile, I think the opposite is true, to get access they have to be friendly, supportive and not be offensive.
One example, One of Rachel Maddows first guests on MSNBC was Rand Paul, and she ripped him a new one with her questions, after that she almost was fired, because they could not get a Republican guest on her or other MSNBC shows and she reformatted her show, to an hour long pedantic bloviation of one subject.
She is good, her subject is topical and her exposition is progressive, but it takes her 15 or more minutes to get to the point, and then she spends the rest of the show expounding on the point.
She could have covered the subject in a few minutes.
I like her, but the whole point of this rant is to say that a TV talk show or the media won't get access to politicians unless they are friendly and supportive, that is why reporters holler out at press conferences or when a politician is walking down the halls of congress or the President getting off Marine One.
Although, I remember watching trump walking out when a blonde white woman who was interviewing him asked the apparently wrong question. He kind of "trained" them to avoid upsetting him. It would be truly Great if we could see a montage of those times when he refused to answer, and walked out of an interview or debate.
Trump never answers direct questions. It would be a very long and extremely boring montage because he responds the same way, in brain loop fascist style, over and over again, on continuous repeat. As Ecclesiastes says “nothing new under the sun”. Trump is an entirely disappointingly predictable petty puppet trained by dastardly puppeteers.
Gale, but it is the white journalists who still have the majority of the coverage and they are acting as though Trump is somehow normal and should be treated just like any other candidate. That is simply insane. It is great Black journalists are to some extent calling Trump out on his lies and insults, but still they are not being heard as much as they should be.
The owners : the bosses of the pundits, have most likely warned them not to 'disrespect' the Donald. He tried to shame the Black interviewer at the Black Jounalist event by suggesting that she was "rude" for not exchanging pleasantries.
Gale - “LIKE” Very much agree! Rachel Scott became my new hero. I think that if she didn’t predicate her question with the facts first she might not have had a chance to call him out because of how he likes to talk over people. He was also mad because the people had technical difficulties and started 35 minutes late but he is okay with being late to his own rallies and letting people stand in the sweltering heat while waiting for him. I dislike his voice but I have always preferred that he talk because of situations like this. Can’t believe all the crap that he talked about Biden’s handlers but he needed his own to get him off the stage. How can people still back the current Republican Party with all of the hate that they spew?
We shouldn’t kid ourselves about the MSM. News anchors are there to promote a message given to them by the back room producers just as with print. They are told what to say. They investigate squat. There is an orchestrated story line.
I first noticed it in sports. When the favorite is losing they often don’t know how to act. Funny. All prepped and nowhere to go with it. Later, I realized that MSM is the same.
Gale, you are certainly correct, but more is to be said in the way of historical TRUTH!:
The current FCC is PURE shit. lies, deception and guilty to making CRONY CAPITALIST CANCEROUS METASTASIS deadly in dumbing-down almost half our American Citizens.
AS JFK's appointed Chairman of the FCC in 1961 said, Commercial TV is a VAST WASTE- LAND.
OUR PUBLIC NATIONAL TV SYSTEM has virtually BEEN FUCKED and now turned into a PLAYLAND for CRONY CAPITALIST CANCER and IGNORANCE PROPAGATION, of LYING, INSANELY STUPID TV ADs and essentially STEALING FULLY 1/3 OF 'OUR AMERICAN CITIZEN'S RIGHT'S;
THIS FUCKING CURRENT FCC DOG SHIT IS 'STUPEFYING' AND RIPPING-OFF HALF THE AMERICAN CITIZENS FOR BILLIONS ---- JUST TO PROPAGANDIZE, LOOT, AND DEEPLY LESSEN THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS TO THE TRUTH ABOUT:
TURNING ALL OUR 'HUMAN RIGHT' INTO DAMNED CORPORATE RIGHTS.
I understand the complexity into getting into hidden economic-scams, but I'll try:
NEGATIVE EXTERNALITY COSTS [NEC] are an easy but devious way of LOOTING VAST WEALTH for Dirty CAPITALIST CORPORATIONS ---- they simply dump crap, OIL, chemicals, etc. on all of US, but these thieving costs, can not only be dumped on all of us, but in many very dirty scams the hidden REAL NET COST can easily be not only more than the CORPORATIONS MAKE IN FAUX/FUCKING PROFITS, but there is no LIMIT ON EARTH (all the way up to the GLOBAL & VERY 'GROSS VOLUME OF DAMAGES''
Whereas POSITIVE EXTERNALITY PROFITS' [PEP] on the other hand build-up and improve our world to positively fund, grow, educate and stabilize OUR WHOLE GLOBAL SHARED & POSITIVE SOCIETY.
THIS is what I think of, and we all should think of, as GROWING OUR PLANET "AT THE MIDDLE"
The absolutely fabulous 2021 FILM "Don't Look UP", which was IMHO a MULTI-metaphorical MOVIE --- clearly shows that the BILLIONAIRE BASTARDS will never be able to get their lying and cheating 'sorry ass3s' out of OUR entire SOLAR SYSTEM ---- although the weirdest NUTS, THIEVES, CON-ARTISTS and SCARED TO DEATH NUTS are clearly aware!!!
These BILLIONAIRE BASTARDS are so stupid in chasing MONEY & POWER that they have FUCKED THEMSELVES !!!
My favorite and most popular double-sided, ad-hoc, focus-group tested DEMONSTRATION /PROTEST Signs simply say:
When your entire campaign is based on hatred and bigotry, then you go begging for the support of people you have maligned? Seriously? It’s wonderful to watch karma catching up to him! 🪷💪
When he was participating in the turkey "pardoning", the turkey attacked him. Or maybe that was GWBush. I think an American bald eagle attacked tRUMP. Birds of a feather: GWB and tRUMP
I think he may have eaten at a Chinese restaurant and seen the placemat with the Chinese Zodiac. He iwas born in a dog year. 🐕 and is a dog. Year of the dog. I would guess that he did not like that.
What Karma, if you mean any metaphor for justice? He's still strolling the golf course, the caddies still call him "Pele." Karma and all her sisters are asleep.
A right winger tried to assassinate him, and I have my doubts about that. Crook was using an AR-15 with Iron sights at a distance of about 450 ft, and was not a trained marksman or had military service.
A tough shot for anyone, even a vet with Marksman rating.There is more to the story Becky, but we will never know it.
Judy, my thoughts exactly! I thought it was funny when he said he had done more for black people than Abraham Lincoln and that reporter asked 'more than LBJ who signed the voting rights act? He just kept saying more than Abraham Lincoln.
Trump and his sorry sacks of sh*t are the epitome of an evil cancer consuming this country. if our ship of state is to stay afloat, these miscreants must be stripped of their US citizenship
I definitely agree. That hideous Palestinian death-count (and the IDF''s rape and torture of Palestinian detainees and Netanyahu's attempts to spark a full-scale Middle Eastern war [if not WWIII] by sabotaging the ceasefire talks, waging war with Lebanon, and assassinating Haniyeh in Iran) are why I hope Harris does not choose Shapiro as her VP.
Rhetorically, at least, she has taken a more balanced, nuanced approach to Israel than Biden does, which may bring back progressive voters that Biden's approach has alienated and which certainly offers more hope of reining in Netanyahu and bringing peace to the region than Biden's approach does. Shapiro, on the other hand, is gung-ho Israel, no matter what it does, which would undermine any positive efforts she might make.
Netanyahu would happily see the whole world immersed in war if it would keep him in power and out of prison, and, if he has to drag Israel's few remaining allies into a full-scale war to achieve his goals, he will. Kamala Harris may be the only person who can stand between us and WWIII, so I hope she makes the right choices.
"Israel has the right to exist" has been the constant song we've heard. How about "Palestinians have a right to exist". Remember that Arab/Palestinian lands were taken in 1948 to create the State of Israel.
Netanyahu made it worse by occupying the West bank, something that he has absolutely no right to do, and in Israel, Arabs do not have the same rights as other Israeli citizens. That is why the 2-state solution is the only solution. the fact is that Netanyahu is occupying land that does not belong to him, just like Putin is occupying land that does not belong to him. Netanyahu is just as much of a terrorist as Putin. I still love the PEOPLE of Israel, but they need to get rid of this very flawed 'leader'. He is leading them into perdition!
We need to get rid of Trump and his crass opportunist support FIRST. Israel is a side issue but we need to be tougher on Israel. Israeli's need to deal with Netanyahu. WE have to stop allowing him to come here and divide us. Mark Kelly, who I like, did go to that session of Congress. Shapiro did not and he is for a "2 state solution" and says Netanyahu is not only flawed, but the worst.
from the Atlantic quote:
"Anti-Israel partisans have every right to advocate against candidates who oppose their cause, and there’s nothing inherently anti-Semitic about doing so. But as its name implies, the “Genocide Josh” campaign is not about applying a single standard on Palestine to all VP contenders; it’s about applying them to one person, who just so happens to be the only Jew on the shortlist. And to make matters more absurd, Shapiro’s positions on Israel don’t come close to fitting the epithet.
“I personally believe Benjamin Netanyahu is one of the worst leaders of all time,” Shapiro told reporters in January, months before Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for the Israeli leader to resign. At the time, Shapiro also pressed for an “immediate two-state solution,” something Netanyahu and his hard-right government stridently oppose. The anti-Shapiro campaign ignores these remarks but makes much of the governor’s comparison of campus Gaza protesters to “people dressed up in KKK outfits.” When he said that in an interview, however, Shapiro was distinguishing between bigoted extremists—such as the Columbia campus-protest leader who called for killing “Zionists”—and peaceful demonstrators, about whom the governor has said, “It’s right for young people to righteously protest and question.”
How about the Ukrainians who are facing genocide. Don't they count?
Why are we distracted from the Ukrainian Genocide? I know why because Iran have Putin his best ever birthday present on Oct 7th, and thoughtless Americans, so easily manipulated, have fallen in line.
Netanyahu is Trumps brother from another mother, and MAGAts are soul brothers and sisters of the settlers.
But they arenot Israel, Israel was secular, progressive, and divided until unified by HAMAS on Oct 7th.
I am convinced that Netanyahu knew something was coming, but not exactly what was in store. Male guards in the watch towers were replaced by unarmed females, but Bibi did not foresee the extent of the damage,
This does not let HAMAS off the hook either. The leadrs of HAMAS, the plotters are visiting Allah one by one, until the job is done, one of the next to visit Allah is the planner of the attack Yahya Sinwar. It would be appropriate for Benjamin Netanyahu to meet his Yahweh or he who cannot be named, as soon as possible, then Allah and Yahweh can duke it out.
But Israel is losing and Hamas will resurrect if there is no end to the occupation and a Palestinian state. It's a forever war for Israel which has a lot more to lose. Palestinians have nothing to lose.
Hamas is a resistance group that gained power because Israel did not want to give the Palestinians full equality within Israel (river to sea) nor their own state.
"Unlike Shapiro, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper didn’t simply enforce preexisting state laws against boycotts of Israel while in office—he signed one himself in 2017. This month, Cooper codified into state law a definition of anti-Semitism that has been adopted by many countries around the world, but that left-wing critics argue penalizes speech critical of Israel. Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, flew state flags at half-mast after October 7 and did not respond to activists who called on the state to divest from Israel. Some were arrested after protesting outside his residence."
Cecile: Jews, recruited by Theodore Herschel, moved to the area in the 1920's and 20's and bought, (bought) land from the inhabitants. The Arabs conducted pogroms against the Jews. In May 1948 the UN declared Israel a state,and that incensed the Muslim Arabs of Egypt, Arabia, Jordan and Syria because the land is considered sacred to Islam, as it is the site of the Haram al Sharif (Dome of the Rock, and al Aqsa mosque). The Rock, as in dome of the rock, contains a fossilized foot print, which the superstitutions Arabs believed was the hoof print of the chimera beast, body of a horse, head of a human, wings of an eagle, that picked up Muhammad in Mecca at midnite and flew faster than the speed of sound to Jerusalem where the best sgtepped on the rock and carried Muhammad through seven levels of Heaven to meet Allah whre he dickered with Allah over how many times a day he was to pray, he "Jewed" him down from 500 to 50, then to 5, all with the help of Abraham, he also met other prophets like Joshua and Jesus on the way to meet Allah.I am not making this ujp, it is in the Quran.
In Nov 1948, the Arab neighbors of Israel, tried to wipe it out, (an act of genocide). They lost and Israel to secure it's safety and borders did what any and all states have done, expand it's borders and that meant expelling the enemy, and the enemy was Jordan, Egypt and Syria and Arabia.
The Arab neighbors of the Jews caused the problem, and now they whine about it.
But the Jews were not vindictive, today the there are 2 million Arabs, Islamic, Christian and Jew, that live in Israel, have equal rights, vote and have even had representation in the Knesset, out of a nation of 12 million people.
Now show me one Muslim nation (Muslim not just Arab) that has any Jews with the same rights, show me on a Muslim nation with Jewish citizens period. The most Jews (8,000) live in Iran, most nations have none, some 100 maybe 300, Egypt has 3.
Islam is at war with the Jews and has been since Muhammad beheaded all the member of the Quaryza tribe in Medina, to take their wealth (Ithat is also in the Quran) and the hadith of al Bukhari, says that the Day of Judgement (end times) won't come until all the Jews are annihilated, and even the rock cries out there is a Jew behind me kill him., Verses 1295-1296, Book 56, hadith 139, al Bukhari.
You don't have the whole story, no one in the west does, because they don't study or know islam, except via guidance, just like kids grow up Christian via guidance.
Her only option is Tim Walz, he is charismatic, well liked, popular and a Governor. Governors lean how to Govern, Senators how to compromise.
We need a strong liberal government, not a compromising one like Biden's.
Trump's strong suit among independent is his illusion of strength, not the weakness of compromise, and the Democratic party and liberals completely gloss over and ignore that appeal.
Mark Kelley is an appealing choice, but he is not a politician, nor a leader, certainly has no experience even in politics,much less governance.
You are wrong about Shapiro. He says Netanyahu is the worst leader Israel has ever had and he is for a two state solution. He does believe Israel has a right to defend itself but I don’t find that he is gung ho, as you put it, about what is and has been the going on in Gaza. Check before you say this please.
Potter with Shapiro as VP candidate,the millions of swing state Muslims ho have thttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/swing-state-muslim-voters-threaten-vote-against-biden-rcna122870hreatened not to vote for Biden,will most certainly do so.
Harris is not so encumbered.. The only choice is Tim Walz, but I expect ed the troglodytes of the DNC to fuck up once again and pick the losing candidate
That Shapiro is not in favor of Netanyahu does not mean he wouldn't drive away again the young, Muslim, Palestinian, racial justice activist, progressive voters who were alienated by Bidon's gung-ho support of Israel (Biden doesn't like Netanyahu, either, but that doesn't stop him from shipping tons of munitions to Israel to use in mass killing of Palestinians). Many of these young, Muslim, Palestinian, racial justice activist, progressives organized successful movements to persuade voters not to vote for Biden, but, encouraged by Harris' more balanced approach, are coming back. However, they are starting to organize to persuade Harris not to choose Shapiro because, as Jeff Cohen and Norman Solomon say in "Picking Josh Shapiro could be dangerous for Harris — here's why,"
"The most divisive issue among Democrats is the U.S.-enabled Israeli war against the civilian population of Gaza. To unify the party and defeat Trump’s MAGA forces, Harris needs to distance herself in a meaningful way from Joe Biden’s Gaza policy. If she does so, she can win back the votes and energy of young activists, progressives, racial justice organizers, Arab Americans and Muslims — many of whom devoted weeks or months of their lives in 2020 to defeating Trump on behalf of the Biden-Harris ticket.
But a Harris-Shapiro ticket would jeopardize all that. . . .
If Harris now chooses a running mate who strongly connects her to Biden’s policies on the Gaza war, which are widely unpopular with much of the Democratic base, party unity — and the chances of defeating Donald Trump — would be undermined.
Overall, Josh Shapiro is liberal and sometimes progressive on domestic issues (though notably not when it comes to fracking for natural gas or tax subsidies for private schools). But on the contentious issue of Israel’s relentless war against civilians in Gaza, Shapiro sounds much less bothered by the lethal violence than by U.S. activists for Palestinian lives, many of whom he has demonized. Here’s a bit of the history:
In 2021, after Ben & Jerry’s (a company founded and led by Jewish Americans) refused to sell its products in Israel’s illegal settlements, Shapiro, who was then Pennsylvania's attorney general, threatened the company by urging state agencies to enforce a constitutionally suspect law targeting advocates of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, or BDS, against Israel over its discriminatory policies. Shapiro smeared such advocates by claiming that “BDS is rooted in antisemitism” – although the effort has wide support globally, including from many Jews, as a thoroughly nonviolent tactic aimed at advancing Palestinian rights.
After the horrific Hamas attack of last Oct. 7, several dozen Pennsylvania-based Muslim groups wrote a letter protesting Gov. Shapiro’s one-sided comments: “Not only did you fail to recognize the structural root causes of the conflict," they argued, "you chose to intentionally ignore the civilian loss of life in Gaza.” Responding to the letter after Israeli bombs and missiles had killed more civilians in Gaza than had been killed by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7, the governor’s spokesman said: “We all must speak with moral clarity and support Israel’s right to defend itself.”
Last December, after he amplified the Capitol Hill demagoguery of Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., a MAGA loyalist, Shapiro contributed to the firing of the University of Pennsylvania president. Shapiro said of Penn's leader: “I thought her comments were absolutely shameful. It should not be hard to condemn genocide.” By then, after two months of Israeli bombing, more than 17,000 Gazans had been killed, most of them women and children. Later that month, Israel was charged with violations of the Genocide Convention in South Africa’s filing at the International Court of Justice.
In early April, after Democratic governors in other states had called for a ceasefire in Gaza, Muslim leaders in Philadelphia criticized Shapiro for his refusal to do so.
Beginning in late April, Shapiro and his office repeatedly prodded campuses to “restore order” and take action against student protest movements such as Penn's Gaza Solidarity Encampment, which called on the college administration to provide greater transparency on university investments, divest from Israel and reinstate the banned student group Penn Students Against the Occupation.
On May 9, Shapiro invoked student “safety” in demanding the encampment be shut down. Police shut it down the next day, arresting 33 people. In two different interviews, Shapiro seemed to compare campus ceasefire activists, many of whom are Jewish or students of color, to “white supremacists camped out and yelling racial slurs” and “people dressed up in KKK outfits or KKK regalia making comments about people who are African American.”
In May, as activism continued to grow over Israel’s lethal violence against civilians in Gaza, Shapiro issued an order aimed at Israel’s critics that revised his administration’s code of conduct to bar state employees from “scandalous or disgraceful” conduct — a vague and subjective directive criticized by the legal director of Pennsylvania’s ACLU as a possible violation of free speech protections.
In a July 23 tweet on X, progressive leader and former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner wrote: “Choosing Governor Josh Shapiro for Vice President would be a mistake. Governor Shapiro compared pro-peace protesters to the KKK. That’s simply unacceptable & would stifle the momentum VP Harris has. Hopefully she is looking to build a broad coalition to beat Trump.”
A broad coalition to defeat Donald Trump and the fascistic MAGA movement is exactly what we need. Making Josh Shapiro the nominee for vice president would create internal conflict within that coalition, which is exactly what we don’t need."
Maureen, Arab is not a race, thus this stuff about racial justice is a red herring.
Arab is an ethnicity based on the native language. There are negroid Arabs, Caucasoid Arabs, Arabs of all skin colors and religions. Christian Arabs, Jewish Arabs (Druze).
Jew is not a race either, nor a religion, there are Jews of all races, and here are atheistic Jews, and even Jews for Jesus.
As regards VP pick there is only one choice and that is Tim Walz, governor of Minnesot.
Walz is a governor, and thus has experience with governing. Other choices are Senators whose only experience is compromising and we need leadership. Muslims like Walz, and Muslim votes WILL determine who wins the Swing states,a nd the swing states will determine the presidency,
The majority of Palestinians are not Arabs. In 2017, research was published on the excavation of some Canaanite burials in Israel (the Canaanites were the indigenous people of the ancient Levant (modern Israel, Palestine, Transjordan, Lebanon, and coastal Syria). They spoke a Semitic language related to Hebrew). They were well enough preserved that the archeologists could extract DNA from them. They found more than a 50% match with the DNA of Palestinians and with the DNA of Jews (and over a 90% match with Lebanese), which means that all three have been in Palestine for at least 4000 - 5000 years.
Despite the Torah’s saying Yahweh told the Israelites to exterminate the Canaanites, archeological research shows the Israelites were Canaanites, and Israelite culture was largely Canaanite in nature; in fact, a pre-Israelite Canaanite temple to Yahweh and his wife, Asherah, whom the Book of Kings suggests was worshiped alongside Yahweh in his temple in Israel, was found by archeologists in Israel. An Oxford scholar in 1967, Raphael Patai, was the first historian to mention that the ancient Israelites worshiped both Yahweh and Asherah (though many scholars would call those who worshiped both “pre-Israelites”).
Thus, archaeologic and genetic data support that both Jews and Palestinians came from the ancient Canaanites, who extensively mixed with Egyptians, Mesopotamian, and Anatolian peoples in ancient times.
Not all Jews left Israel after 70 AD. Some of their descendants who remained in Palestine are among the ancestors of today’s Palestinian Jews. Others of their descendants converted to Christianity and are among the ancestors of today’s Palestinian Christians. Many more later converted to Islam and are among the ancestors of today’s Palestinian Muslims whom Israelis call “Arabs” (though the only Palestinians of actual Arab ancestry are the Bedouin and the Druze, who make up about 3% of Palestinians). At least a third of the Palestinians are descended from Jewish families who converted to Islam.
As late as the 17th century, Hebron was a Jewish majority city. Ever since the Rambam (Maimonides), who ruled that converting to Islam did not constitute apostasy, since Islam, like Judaism, and unlike Pre-Reformation Christianity, was not an idolatrous religion. Jewish residents of Palestine had been gradually converting to Islam since the 16th century. There was a massive wave of conversion following the societal collapse that Judaism experienced following the conversion of False Messiah Shabbtai Tzvi to Islam in the 17th century. Until the 17th century, at least a third of the population of The Land of Israel (aka Palestine) was Jewish, some sources put the figure at just under half. by the end of the 18th century this number had gone down to just over 10%. Since there was no wave of emigration, the only answer is conversion.
As I have heard it put, the Jews are those who left the land but kept the religion, while the Palestinians are those who kept the land but left the religion. Both claim the land on the basis of what they kept and consider what they didn't keep irrelevant.
BTW: The Druze are not "Jewish Arabs." They are a tight-knit sect, which dates back to the 11th century and draws from Christian, Muslim and Jewish beliefs, while incorporating elements of “Hinduism and even classical Greek Philosophy,” according to the Pew Research Center.
A unique religious and ethnic group that does not allow converts, it draws on a variety of traditions for its liturgy, including a belief in reincarnation and a six-volume Book of Wisdom.
I agree that Muslim votes are important, especially for Michigan, & Walz looks like a good candidate.
Sorry, I've got to go; I'm going out of town for a long weekend, or I'd like to stay and continue this.
" If Harris now chooses a running mate who strongly connects her to Biden’s policies on the Gaza war........"
Harris has to pick. Those of you who are voting for Palestinians above all, and not Climate Change, Ukraine, Democracy, and myriad other issues, are going to vote for Trump if she picks any one of the candidates that ALSO you have problems with re Israel?
Those candidates have to clarify their positions for sure, but the POTUS makes the policy and the veep goes along.. just like Obama made the policy and Biden had to go along.
I don't expect his high profile stop the boycott of the diner to get any votes from the pro-peace group. But I'm sure he is very smart and knew what he was doing. If it was me, I might've taken an olive branch to the diner and tried to make peace with the boycotters.
Totally agree about Shapiro. She has a Jewish husband, Blinken is a Jew, she doesn’t need another one. She needs to do major cleanup regarding the genocide in Gaza.
Their being Jewish doesn't mean they are in favor of what is being done in Gaza, but, unfortunately, many people will see it that way--and most people vote on what they feel. She has to be elected and take office before she can do anything about Gaza (and the West Bank); if people who are pro-Palestinian think she won't do anything, they won't vote for her.
I agree with you wholeheartedly about Netanyahu. He is a monster who would see us involved in his wars, but I disagree about Shapiro. He may be gung-ho about Israel, but he certainly isn't in favor of Netanyahu. Most of Israel is not in favor of Netanyahu.
Most of Israel may not be in favor of Netanyahu, but they have no problem with the extermination of the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. A survey of Jewish Israelis (who make up 80% of the Israeli population) a few weeks ago found that 80% of them approved of the way the war in Gaza is being conducted or thought it should be conducted more harshly, and 67% of them thought their should be no humanitarian aid provided to the Palestinians.
Shapiro doesn't have to be in favor of Netanyahu to keep sending munitions to Israel to wipe out the Palestinians any more than Biden is..
Maureen most of Israel is secular and has never shared the ultra Zionist attitude of Bibi and the orthodox, it was live and let live, but the horrors of Oct 7th changed all of that, as has the hostage taking.
Can you blame them? I don't. You wouldn't either if the same happened to you.
Israel has been tending rightward since the assassination of Rabin and towards religious extremism since the aliyeh of Russian & now American haredim. It's not just a recent thing. Someone like Golda Meir wouldn't have a chance now.
I have my doubts about that figure of 80%. How could anyone who is so aware of the holocaust not find the Gaza situation similar? Genocide is genocide anywhere it happens. Killing of 12 Israeli children was decried all over while silence about the thousands of Palestinian children being slaughtered by Israel.
80% is what the survey found. Everyone has a blind spot, especially when they are afraid, and that's what the right wing everywhere trades in--fear.
Israel's response to the killing of those 12 children is ironic in that those 12 children were not Jewish Israeli children and may not have been Israeli at all. If Hezbollah launched the missile that killed them (they say they didn't), they would not have aimed at Majdal Shams; it's a Druze village, not a Jewish one, and the majority there have refused to accept Israeli citizenship. They retain their Syrian citizenship and want the Golan Heights to be returned to Syria. Hezbollah has no quarrel with them.
There is an IDF base about 2 km from Majdal Shams. From what I've read, if Hezbollah launched the the missile, they may have been aiming at that base and their missile either fell short or was intercepted by an Israeli anti-missile missile and deflected into the village.
Heartfelt respect for the reminder. Relevant, since lazy Trump clearly would just egg on Netanyahu, and Putin, and etc. We need to be reminded that the passive horror show is just as malignant as the petty, mean revenge policy. I humbly submit that Biden isn't the boss of these things.
Yes. I suspect Netanyaho and Putin are intentionally causing chaos to help Trump get elected. Sadly, it's working by causing chaos on campuses across the country.
How much fuel is being used for two wars rather than on the consumer market? An astounding amount of oil/fuel is used in war. I'm sure the mpg for a tank is really low.
Without the two wars, more available oil would bring the price down. Biden would be sitting very pretty, as he should be. Instead, Netanyaho has him in the hot seat. It's absurd to blame Biden for Gaza, but many do in MI and didn't vote for him in their primary. Honestly, I think Biden has done more than anyone to stop the war.
Seriously? He could have refused to send more arms, but he didn’t. That was his power and he didn’t use it. Unforgivable IMO. Along with his treatment of Anita Hill. I haven’t forgotten that. I watched every minute of that trial. He’s responsible for Clarence Thomas. I’m a diehard Democrat and would always vote for Biden over Trump.
Gaza, Gaza.Gaza anthing to distract,disrupt and defame Tom. You con't give a shit about Gaza, it is just another tool to disrupt and distract.
There are far worse human catastrophe's going on and you don't care about them either, Somalia, Sudan, Bangladesh, China and it's genocide against the Uyghers, and something that affects the West directly and America as well. The Genocide of Ukraine.
It seems that Gaza is the main one that America is completely assisting in genocide by supplying weapons and money. It is wrong when America constantly says we are champions of human rights.
There we go, another use of the trigger word genocide. The UN Convention on the Prevention of Genocide includes Intent. Provide evidence of the Israeli governments intention to genocide Arabs. Mind you Gazans are Arabs, and there are a billion Arabs in the world. There is not even an intention to annihilate the inhabitants of Gaza,though I will admit that there are my Jews in Israel, especially after Oct 7th that would have that, but if that is held up as proof then you have to say that America has an intention to commit genocide of blacks, queers and Muslims.
On the other hand the President of Russia, and his government has clearly announced their intention of genocide in Ukraine
Let's show some even handedness and not selective indignation.
I watched Harris’s speech to the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, It was incredibly inspiring, upbeat and full of positive energy. What a contrast from Trump!!
This morning when I awoke my first thought was “Wow, Trump’s Supreme Court has handed Joe Biden a carte blanche to do as he sees fit with no legal consequences so long as it is part of his duty as the President. This baton also gets handed to Kamala when she wins. Can Biden declare a "State of Emergency” when the insurrectionists cross the line as they certainly will? If the Republicans try to “steal the election” can he simply declare Harris as the winner? Taking this a bit further, can he declare the current Supreme Court invalid and essentially shut it down? I can’t think of a more responsible and trustworthy person to be given such extraordinary powers as Joseph Biden.
Yes, thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision he could do all those things.
But, being a decent man who respects the office of the presidency and the traditions around it, he would not abuse the powers he has, even though he could with impunity.
Which is why the Court felt safe in making the decision they did even though Biden is the one currently in office. They knew Biden would not take advantage of it while setting things up for Trump to have free range should he win the election. They knew only a Republican would commit crimes as President.
I’m not talking about Biden as the instigator, but he now has the power to respond to misbehavior and cheating on the part of the Republicans in a strong manner. Just the threat of him utilizing these extraordinary powers could have a moderating influence. “A stick raised is better than a stick used."
A stick used is better than trusting criminals without ethics. Hasn't tRump caused enough deaths, and injuries? This is NOT a Bipartisan moment! Quick action is needed to stop the real steal! Like the last time: when Nothing was done on Jan 6th! We still have traitors running our government and even the Supreme Court! BOLDNESS is needed.. NO pussy footing ! And I like 🐈 cats. I reject tyranny., like most Patriots: most Americans .
But if I had his ear I would strongly push for him to send a clear message to them: “Pull any further shit, involve yourselves in any way in Trump’s trials, do ANYTHING to interfere in the election outcome and I will declare all six conservative justices enemies of the state and have you whisked off to Gitmo.”
Actually, I see that as an act of decency in defense of Democracy. Let Trump and project 2025 have a taste of their own medicine! Remember, the Republicans will contest the elections right up to the Supreme Court, but what would happen if the Justices were all given their “pink slips” by the current President?
Let's face the facts: The current supreme court is no longer an arbitrator of justice. It is clearly biased, and worse has lost it's moral standing. Perhaps Biden can fix the Supreme court by declaring that inasmuch as it is clearly become a corrupt political institution, that those who are clearly corrupt be tossed out according to his choosing, and that new interim judges be put in place also according to his choosing. Then a new process of assigning justices be put in place. One of the steps being that for each judge, multiple judges be selected by both parties, and that the Senate select the one judge what is the most popular take each slot. The 50% approval rule is clearly not working, and setting a higher % will likely result in no justices being approved. What we don't want is extremist judges, and the existing process encourages just that.
Its going to take the Presidency, the house and the Senate to fix the supreme court. Good to see that Biden is opening the conversation, som house members have been asking for this for some time. Thomas is marinated in right wing money, and he cannot find his moral compass with an ethics class backing him up and Alito is not too far away. John Roberts has lost the justices and his chief justice title is not worth printing on paper. A code of ethics with some enforcement mechanism is a MUST.
But what do you think Trump will try to pull if he doesn’t win ? I know Biden’s an honest man, but if someone is threatening our country and constitution- isn’t that treason? If Trump tries an overthrow will Biden step up?
If (when) he doesn't win Trump and his followers will ABSOLUTELY attempt to overthrow the government again. They've been declaring that's what they're going to do for months. They'll be disrupting voting both by clearing Democratic voters off of voting rolls and intimidating poll workers. They'll be filing lawsuits to dispute counts in every place where they lost, counting on the partisan judges that they've been putting in place at every level up to and including the Supreme Court. They'll make up some bogus reason to not seat the new Congress on January 3rd. And when any of those fail to achieve their objective, they'll resort to violence again.
As for whether Biden would use the powers and immunity he now has to stop them, I suspect not. It's the weakness of decent, law abiding people, like Biden. They will let bad folks get away with things rather than cross a line to stop them.
Christopher Foxx: But being a decent man who values the rule of law and our hard won freedoms, he would have the stones to stop the raping and pillaging of this Country and its Constitution , and utilize the power needed to restore fairness. Sanity and ⚖ Justice, and keep US and our freedoms free! No guts: no glory, no Democracy!
I'm afraid that being a decent man who values the rule of law and our hard won freedoms he would be resistant to utilizing the power the Court has given him.
If I were in his place, I'd have Seal Team Six drag the six conservative justices out of their homes and execute them, having the justices realize it's just a mock execution only when the hammers on the guns fell and no bullets came out. And then tell the the justices that this time it was a fake but, thanks to the powers they gave Biden, next time it might not be and there is nothing they can do about that UNLESS they hold an immediate emergency session and overturn their own ruling.
But Biden has too much respect for the spirit of our laws that he won't do anything like that even though the letter of the law now says he could with impunity.
Ah, you understand the dilemma: If you indulge in dictatorial behavior to treat a problem that has you stumped, can you still claim that you are for Democracy?
My lower instinct would be to lock them all up in Gitmo and throw away the key, but in so doing, would I not be spitting on the very Democratic principles that I claim to love and abide by?
That, unfortunately, is the "decency" that has kept Democrats from effectively fighting back at Republicans for a few decades now. Granted, if were were to adopt their methods we run the risk of becoming them. And it's easy to delude ourselves that we can fight dirty without becoming dirty.
So, yeah, it's a puzzle.
IMHO, the solution is self-sacrifice. To fight dirty knowing it will make you the villain and the people you're fighting for will disown you. It's becoming the brother who murders his sister's abusive husband over her objections. She hates you for it, but is grateful.
Yes, that's true, but I bet that may have been the strategy of all those who went to the Capitol on January 6th: Honestly believing the lie that the election was stolen, they took the Law in their own hands, 'sacrificing themselves' on behalf of a higher principle.. Unfortunately, they were wrong. I(t was Trump who was trying to "steal the vote". I would almost be in favor of pardoning them in exchange for nailing Trump and "his republican Congressmen/women".
Those who attacked Congress on Jan 6th were ABSOLUTELY **NOT** "sacrificing themselves on behalf of a higher principle". They very much believed they could do whatever they wanted and not face any consequence at all.
And now that they've been finding out there ARE consequences, that personal sacrifice IS part of the deal, they're… staying home. Notice there were no Trump-supporter crowds outside the courthouse in NYC even though he called repeatedly for them to be there. The prosecutions of the Jan 6th traitors have sent a chill down their yellow backsides.
Why do you think Trump keeps making it clear he will pardon the traitors? He's telling them they won't be making personal sacrifices, that they can act without fear of consequence again.
Jan 6ers being willing to "sacrifice themselves on behalf of a higher principle"? Nonsense.
I'm not clear on which "them" you're referring to. The six conservatives gave themselves all sorts of power this past term.
The Court gave the judiciary near absolute control over the Executive branch. Courts now get to decide whether something the President does is part of the President's official duties. That means they get to decide if a Presidential action is criminal or not. And, with the utter disregard for precedent, consistency, and common sense that has been the main feature of the conservatives, they could easily decide that something is an official action when a Republican does it (meaning the Pres has immunity), but not when a Democrat does it (meaning the Pres can be prosecuted).
The Court gave the judiciary near absolute control over the Legislative branch. By declaring only the courts get to decide what regulations and rules government agencies can put in place (declaring judges know what's best in every field of human knowledge far more than actual experts in those fields) the courts have effectively taken control of the entire government bureaucracy.
Yes, I love your thoughts on this. Well said. I'll also add, the President needs to abolish the Electoral College.....THEN our elections will be truly fair and we won't be threatened with minority rule.
True, but I think I recall that several States were up for it.....or there was another way around it.... I've forgotten now....my brain is fried these days 🙃
Diane, you’re thinking of the National Popular Interstate Voting Compact. It needs 270 Electoral votes to activate. So far there are 209 (W & E Coast states, DC, IL, MN, maybe 17 total), and it’s pending in enough to reach 259.
Imo it gets play every 4 years when the time to push it is right after elections, not just before them.
You can look the info up. If your state isn’t in, write your state reps (if you’re in favor).
Paging Thom Hartmann! There is precedent for a president to tell the Supremes to go to H.... Sadly, the one I can think of was Jackson proceeding with evacuation of the "Civilized Tribes" to "Indian Territory" in OK. AKA "The Trail of Tears." Maybe Karma could balance, here?
I mean, the interviewer gave him an opening to make some effort to "sell" anything positive, and he just didn't try! This is part of why I'm seeing something surrendered. How far is it from: "I don't care about you or your issues" to "Let Vance or whoever handle it...."
Mmerose, the orange man said the vice-president doesn't apparently have anything to do with presidential things. He would never have picked anyone that wouldn't have bowed in deference to him. He honestly does NOT care about the American people and our issues.
Professor Reich: i awoke this morning to the news that trump may actually have destroyed his own political career. of course, i had to watch all the clips from the NABJ conference and silently celebrate (it was extremely early in the morning, after all.)
it's really wildly gratifying to watch trump commit political suicide. he does it better than anyone else.
He had an eye-opening interview. That's for sure, but my opinion is he hasn't committed political suicide. The polls still show this to be a super close race. All those people who are still with him will continue to say that the left-wing media is distorting the story and taking things out of context. Their minds are MADE UP and they will never take the time to watch an entire interview or an entire speech to see the media has NOT taken anything out out of context. Here's an example: I work for a global technology company. One of my coworkers, a very intelligent woman, continually tells me how bad the Democrats are and there's no difference between them and the Republicans...I have tried to show her what the MAGA Republicans are doing and she said it's all exaggerated by the media.
There's definitely a new energy for the Democrats but they can't be idle and think Trump will destroy himself. There's going going to be an incredible amount of crap that's going to be thrown at Harris...lies and conspiracy theories. Then, you have the most watched news network in the country (Fox) espousing (or creating) these lies.
Trump looks and sounds more and more like a 1-trick pony show all the time.
Diminished mental capacity? For sure. Emotional control? Never. Imo the combo makes him unfit for office without even mentioning that he already had the job and failed.
I watched it from Kenya on CNN, exchanging comments with Kenyans on WhatsApp. They all thought he was rude and unpresidential and wondered why many in America support him. Trump and his followers may not be aware of how news travels or just don’t care. The good news is he did a similar shtick in 2020 and look where it got him.
He gets points for not pandering to people. However his lack of civility annoys the hell out of the left. His followers love him for it. The left needs to recognize they have gone too far pandering to every minority cause. The diversity, equity and inclusion has enabled terrorists to get treated as victims. Kamala needs to find balance and acknowledge the woke label is not a badge of honor.
Thanks for the feedback. True some feel taking the Mick out of something is okay. Equally lacking in civility and annoys people (just people i.e., as in human beings) is when someone writes sentences like “The diversity, equity and inclusion has enabled terrorists to get treated as victims.” and, “Kamala needs to find balance and acknowledge the woke label is not a badge of honor.” I’m not sure anyone reading knows what terrorists getting treated as victims you’re referring to. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are vast, again, leaving one to guess what is meant by the comment.
I can elaborate. The situation in Gaza is ugly on both sides. I see how support for either side is possible. My tendency is to condemn both sides. But I do notice pro Palestinian cause who voted in their terrorist party. Seems hypocritical to me. However their children are victims too. But do we need to raise funds for them. Those who would rather eliminate the Jewish race?
Thank you for elaborating on the comment. Yes, many agree the Gaza situation is ugly. In past Substacks, I’ve written the United Nations should possibly be considered for peacekeeping. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's death and the possible ramifications are yet unknown insofar as a ceasefire goes. What the solution is, is as much a mystery as always. Efforts by the US to resolve the matter have themselves led to the assassinations of Yitzhak Rabin and Anwar Sadat, showing how US good intentions can end badly. IDK what Trump or Harris think, Republicans or Democrats stances are. The two-state solution, agree or disagree, is what many Americans have read and heard in the news for decades. Nice remainder of the day.
I purposely left out of the reply comment that word because it was obviously being used to discredit Harris. It is a difficult adjective to try and use correctly given the additional meanings that its been given. Many try not to use the word at all because of the mis-use and expanded mis-use accordingly.
So what does "woke" stand for? It may not be a badge of honor but neither was the yellow star a Jew had to wear in Nazi Germany. Please explain yourself.
Rick, thank you for your reply. I am glad that you use the "expression "state of mind" rather than ideology in your definition of "woke." States of mind can and do change quickly, and can turn very ugly when we are angry or afraid, ideologies don't. Social groups with traumatic histories will harbor grievances, and DEI policies, by validating such grievances, and seek to incorporate such groups into the mainstream. Republicans have scapegoated such policies to exploit grievances in other groups. Such divisive tactics lead to chaos and may result in violence. "Woke," as you noted in your original comment is a label, a political weapon, and it dishonors those who use it, because it is an evasive tactic. Neither "wokeness" nor DEI have anything to do with terrorism. Using the Gaza tragedy for domestic political gain is shameful, yet it is typical of Trump and his supporters. What Trump lacks is not "civility," as you assert, but morality. This is why chaos follows wherever he goes, as Nikki Halley observed.
Let me take this opportunity to recommend a book called Fantasyland, how America went haywire (by Kurt Andersen) which goes a LOOOONG way to explain why exactly the USA does what the USA does. Brilliant read.
ps. I have nothing to do with the author OR the publisher.
Don't be apologetic for recommend. I like the LOOOng, because my personal experience is that the susceptibility is perennial, and perhaps even genetically pre-disposed. (most therapeutic book of my life: "Conservatives Without Conscience," John Dean.)
John Dean (Watergate attorney) wrote three important books on amoral conservatives.They should be required reading. Presidential immunity was what most worried him.
Jan, they also believe they outnumber the rest of us. Not true! There are so many more of us than there are of them! I am hoping Independents and other third parties will decide in favor of Vice-President Harris. I am truly hoping for a blue deluge in November!
Biden won by 7 million. FT 6 has identified 9 million unregistered folk who trend heavily Democratic. Register Democrats, get them to the polls and we can sweep.
"Hope springs eternal in the human breast", Jan! Without hope we would probably already be under a dictatorship. Our hope is what keeps us in this fight. We need to continue this enormous push to elect Kamala Harris as our president. We need to continue to vote blue up and down the ballot until we have erased the orange man's cult from elected offices! Getting rid of him is one step, getting rid of all the others will take more time, but with hope we will do that! Vote blue, America! Lotus for POTUS!
Being civilly indicted and then prosecuted by a Black woman, then having to run against a Black woman and THEN losing the election to a Black woman which possibly will cause his fat ass to be jailed, well you can see why the POS might be a little upset. Go Black women, show that creepy orange thing who is boss.
But then you run into the problem, what the heck planet are his worshippers from? They seem deluded that they are "Christians." (Have to put it in quotes.)
Mmerose : Sadly. There are good people who believe in their Christian faith: but lack the critical thinking 🤔 needed to see fraud when it happens. When a pastor derides a member of 'his' church because they follow politics, it is an example of how the pastor wants to control everything worshippers think about. The personal IS political: especially when laws are made that affect very basic things like what you want to do with your own body, and who you are allowed to love. How you are taxed. And on and on: whether you can vote, what you can learn. The environment, health freedom: everything. Where your donations to the church go. "What would Jesus do?" : I remember a story about a 12 year old Jesus turning tables over in the temple , and chasing the money changers out.. I believe that, if this happened : He was on to something. Why would a modern pastor be against interest in self governing in a Democracy?
Susan, I love that description 'genuine faux leather'! If he were a Christian, he would not be hawking his bible to make money. He would use only the finest leather and gold edging on the pages. His apparent 'love' for 'his' Christians is measured by how much money they can make for him!
Peggy: And his "beautiful Christians" had better be beautiful looking, with no handicaps or flaws, and they better be loyal to tRump, and nobody else! No critical thinking, especially about him!
And, of course, their Votes! Once in power, he will not give a rat's ass about Any of them! Especially their newborns or any of their children! Especially if they are Black Brown, Asian. Disabled. Or if they are not absolutely loyal to Donald J. Trump. Or if they are not filthy rich and stupid! Or if they are of a different faith (or any faith), and if they really are true believers who disagree with trump's total lack of honesty or concern for anyone but himself.
Susan, the orange man's cult believe him to be Jesus. I'm not just saying that. I have had people (devoted cult followers) tell me that the orange stain is Jesus.
That is how he referred to them when he was exhorting them to vote for him (of course), for "one last time". "You will never have to do it again after 4 years" ..
Your video on Project 2025 needs to be augmented to point out Project 2025's effect on the environment, the availability of health care and consumer protections ,
Michael, excellent point, yes....if there are no protections for the environment, medical care and consumers, they will have complete control over us all and totally destroy the economy and the planet.
Michael & Diane: As a sr citizen consumer with a daughter who works for a state-level environmental organization, it’s my honest opinion that there are very few protections left now.
Trump was absolutely horrific to that panel of women NABJ. He not only showed his true colors, he doubled-down by not answering most of the questions that they asked him. He deflected and projected and acted as though he was the best thing since walking upright. Which is ironic because I’m still unsure how he came to that evolution, acting like the Neanderthal that he is. Of course even THEY had more common sense and decency than Trump will ever muster.
Please stop aligning Neanderthals. Scientific evidence and archaeological artifacts show that they were a highly intelligent and skilled species. They also interbred with "modern man" or home sapiens. Check your DNA. Like many of us, you may still carry 1-2 percent of Neanderthal genes.
But if you listen closely to the video, people have that uncomfortable laugh when they know what he is saying is true. Let’s not listen to spin and not validate ourselves. Confirmation bias is a real problem
Thank God he is mellting down. And thank Biden and Harris.
But think about how this man, so stupid, so blatantly unfit for the position he wants, can dominate a party and an electorate.
What is it? The influence of big money, who think he is for sale? Lacking education of ordinary American voters? The appeal of meanness, lack of civility and humor?
Or is the estrangement of the electorate justifiable and why? How can he tell us about decay and loss of the country whilst the objective and scientific data tell us the U.S. is in good shape?
Tom, thank you for your mention of “Big Money.” Without the billionaires support he would not have gotten this far. Professor Reich stated that with Trump everything is for sale. Apparently this includes his integrity and his soul.
I guess he’s as entitled to a soul as much as anyone, but he sold his long ago. I hope the buyer collects on the deal metaphorically at least in November.
Excellent points, Tom. I hope that some think tanks work on figuring out the answers to those questions. The more we can understand it, the more we can address the problems so that this NEVER happens again!
I have an(ok, maybe?)"You heard it first here" inkling. Trump is lazy and not having fun. Did you hear the laughter? Some say he even ran in the first place because he was steaming about Obama's "big decisions" joke. I call up the hoary ghost of Aesop on the subject of "sour grapes," and stir it up with observation of a guy who has no commitment to anybody or anything outside of his own (greatest of all time!) hedonism. Maybe just me, but I would not be shocked if Trump quits. Has a "saving face" tinge, even. Not a loser, just you can keep your stinking Presidency, I'm outta here. ("Ni...rs and stupid people..., and by the way, I would have been the best ever......") You know: woulda been, but he didn't get fired first.
You earn the prize! But Elon and (Vance's Silicon-Valley Hitler-loving godfather) might actually face an uphill battle getting anybody they're in love with over the finish line.
Don’t kid yourself that Musk is on the right or the left either. Musk is about AI and surveillance. How do you think he makes money? Selling Teslas? Give your head a shake
I hadn't considered that possibility at all. Regaining the presidency is the only way he'll avoid paying the piper for his espionage and other crimes, so it's hard to imagine him walking away now. True, he's not having fun now (isn't the joyful type anyhow), but as president he'd have great sadistic satisfaction in punishing all of us. Can he hang on through some uncomfortable, demoralizing times to reach those goals? 🤔
Obviously, I don't know. But I am not confident that he gets that "paying the piper" could ever happen to him, either. (There's another hoary tale...) So far our legal system has shown him not the slightest evidence of interfering in his lifestyle.
The “legal system” aka the Supreme Court, has given Joe Biden an unbelievable amount of power. Joe does not have an election to win so he does not have to win a popularity contest. He can end his term as a hero, the President who saved democracy and realigned the Supreme Court.
He thought he had an easy win against an ailing Biden the playbook was set, working and it all would have seemed even more of a doozy in the aftermath of the botched assassination. That “fight” photo now looks like it could be the apex of his campaign. Who’d a thought it at the time?! He is now (hopefully) on a downward trajectory facing an opponent who is going to be criss crossing the U.S in a way Mr Lazy is going to find hard to emulate, at his age. He is not the Trump of 2016 and Harris is not going to make the same mistakes Hillary did by not visiting certain swing states. Not a chance. Also, the Mooch posted on Twitter that it’s a possibility he will withdraw. Can’t see it myself but it’s an intriguing insight from someone who’s had the unfortunate pleasure of working with him
If I follow the threads right, maybe you didn't see my post somewhere around here: I have an(ok, maybe?)"You heard it first here" inkling. Trump is lazy and not having fun. Did you hear the laughter? Some say he even ran in the first place because he was steaming about Obama's "big decisions" joke. I call up the hoary ghost of Aesop on the subject of "sour grapes," and stir it up with observation of a guy who has no commitment to anybody or anything outside of his own (greatest of all time!) hedonism. Maybe just me, but I would not be shocked if Trump quits. Has a "saving face" tinge, even. Not a loser, just you can keep your stinking Presidency, I'm outta here. ("Ni...rs and stupid people..., and by the way, I would have been the best ever......") You know: woulda been, but he didn't get fired first.
I am not on Twitter, so wonder what Mooch said. I also already labeled T. "lazy." Not in context of age, though. The kind of lazy we're talking about is the arrogant, invulnerable, "why bother" kind.
Ooooooo, I like this line of thinking! If he quits, I’ll give you credit. I heard it here first! Also, has it occurred to you that the prisoner trade today might indicate that Putin has thrown in the towel on Trump? And if that’s so, the Russian “interference” and “ meddling” may be screeching to a stop? More reason for Trump to drop out? Hmmmm . . . .
I can’t quite agree with your statement about the “media” letting him get away with his misogyny and racist bigotry, the White media still is.
It took Black journalists to say it to his face.
This is what real journalism and an actual free press (not free market journalism) looks like. If the reporters of the main stream media did what those brave black women did yesterday Trump would be a zero in polling. The legacy media has sold their morality for clicks and views. This has lead Trumps bigotry and misogeny to spread to those who were NOT those things before him. Stop the spread by shaming him and his followers shut them down.
Bill, I can’t agree that Trump’s followers weren’t bigots and misogynists already. They may not have been saying the quiet part out loud, but the seeds had to be there or people would have ignored him.
Seeds ca die out, too, if we don’t nurture and help them grow. Bad journalism has helped him grow, and helped the seeds of bigotry grow. Some people may have held the seed of this anger and bigotry and might have been susceptible to decent information and argument to turn away from it.
We need more GOOD journalism. And by that, I don’t mean just saying what I’d prefer to be true — I mean quality, fact based information, and rational decent commentary and context and analysis, with respectful airing of differences of opinion.
VERY true, Pat. I can’t “like” anything on my phone so ❤️ coming later.
Jan - “like” I feel you on the “like” ability.
G G has some good suggestions to try to help. They did not work for me (I have a feeling that my system might be too old on my iPad) but they might work for you.
You're probably correct, Anon. It used to work, now doesn't, but that could be an upgrade by Substack.
Pat - “LIKE”
Mmmm, the Substack clickable response says “Like” but shows ❤️
Oh, well, thaks, Anon
Pat - “like” I think it was Jan who sent you the ❤️. However you gave me a good idea - since I can’t use the “like” button and typing it is my only recourse then I might start using “love” on the posts that I Really “like”. ;) :D
Pat - I finally figured out where you see a ❤️. My apologies for my confusion.. I normally see the posts through my email but if I go to the activity button on substack I see the ❤️ from the posts that people hit the like button for. I am slow at learning all of the nuances of technology so again my apologies for not originally understanding.
I have a coworker sitting right next to me who works in an integrated environment multicultrual environment. He has been conservative and espoused his views never being racist or misogonistic. Once MAGA and Elon came along I hear him quoting misoginistic and racist dog whistle from reposts of Elon and Trump. Not all racists were racist before. Trump, MAGA and Elon so normalize it that those who follow them espose the same garbage and then become racist. I say this to show how dangerous it is to let the MAGA rhetoric continue because it isnt just making bad people worse. Its making good people bad.
And that is called fascism. Sow distrust and hatred. Step one.
remember how 'normal' Germans spied on their neighbors-it can happen again-and here
Justice Neil Gorsuch legitimized such spying with his opinion on the Texas "abortion vigilantes" law (a Mike Johnson creation). The next step would be to inquire why a woman has so few children; could she be aborting her pregnancies? Homosexuals and dissidents would be next in line for being spied upon. This goes far beyond privacy, as it pertains to health and freedom.
Bill Reitz: Your coworker was racist before Trump. Trump just gave him and millions of others license to express their racism and misogyny openly.
Yes, but such feelings were stirred by Fox News claims that "the elites" wanted to displace White males.
Bill, imo your coworker WAS a racist. He just didn't feel empowered to let it rip.
I'm not sure MAGA rhetoric makes good people bad. It may show us how many people are bad (using your words and context, not saying anyone is all bad).
You can turn anybody bad by and making them scared and angry. Don't think that you are different.
The fact that I don’t think I’m different is precisely why I specified I was using Bill’s words and context, Victor.
I didn’t want to start a general discussion about how nobody is perfect, we all do bad things, etc. Enjoy your day.
True and sad. Trump has tapped into feelings that lay dormant in the subconscious.
I've read the same in the book "Prisoners of hate". Our base level of self preservation dating back to cavemen level societies can be manipulated by fear and hate into othering of a person or group. That person may or may not even be a participant in the story. The narcissist manipulator can and does invent a whole "evil story" about the person being "ousted" from the group of the "good guys" and thus becomes evil. Violence is then advocated and justified against that person or group. In cavemen days getting rid of a person from a grpup was life and death. Now hardly ever at all. Our primitive brains still think and react overly strongly to stimuli that matches that age old self preservation method. Which can lead to someone who did nothing wrong being ostrasized, attacked or killed. I still havent finished the book. As a malignant narcissist survivor and a person who has my own hangups it is REALLY hard for me to read without having triggers.
Jan Churchwell: I totally agree. Trump, being President and leader of the fascists, gave racists and misogynists, white supremacist, Christian theocrats license to come out of the closet.
After years of having to stuff their beliefs and feelings, aching to use the word "nigrah", to put into practice their need to exert white male supremacy, Trump liberated them and now we know who they are, and why they need to take total control of the government., unfortunately they have a legion of camp following Quislings, who have ridden Trumps coat tails to economic and social advancement, like Tim Scott, Mark Robinson, token Thomas, Kanye, Herschel Walker, Ben Carson, Candace Owens.
Since 2016, I have been binge-reading histories of Germany 1923-1933. Most NAZI's at the top knew exactly what they were doing. The few "true believers" at the top (Ernst Röhm, Gregor Strasser) were murdered by Hitler in "The Night of the Long Knivea" in 1934.
Trump appears to be throwing Vance under the bus in his comments about the Vice President yesterday. Vance should be watching his six these days.
I did what you are doing when I was 15, read everything on the subject, including the holocaust in the public library (2954) what has been written since is rehash.
The story of Ernst Rhom is instructive. He was the founder and leader of a million men, the Sturmabeitlung, Brown Shirts and his group fought the Communists in Berlin (he NAZI Anthem the Horst Wessel Lied) was written to marytrize, Horst Wessel killed in that war, Were it not for Rohm there would have been no Hitler, but the industrialist and financiers, feared him,is power because he was a real socialist and a critic of Hitler who wasn't, Rohm was pushing Hitler to the left,and that worried the industrialist liek Fritx Thyssen
The Sturmabeitlung were socialists, not communists,and they fought, bloodied and beat the Commies. Socialism is not communism, like our own media and billionaires would have us believe.
After assuming power, a fervent NAZI, a chicken farmer, named Himmler, convinced Hitler to create a body guard, the Protection Squad (Life Guarss) or Schutzstaffel (SS) and they were dressed in specially designed uniforms.
It was this SS that, on orders, murdered Rohm and the leaders of the SS in the "Night of the Long Knives".
They also murdered the niece that Hitler loved and with whom he was having sex.
In 1952, when leaving the Big Brothers on chesnut Street in Philadelphia, i passed by the smoldering embers of a book store that had caught on fire, rummaging i found a book, written in 1938, The Strrange Death of Adolph Hitler" The front piece was a photocopy of a document in German with the requisite official stamps verifying the authenticity, it recounts the murder of
Gel Ralbaul, and the murder of Hitle as he was deranged, and unstable. Mind you the book was printed in 1938, before the invasion of Poland.
I loaned the book to a neighbor, and they never returned it. I should have learned not to loan things, but didn't.
I finally found a copy on Abe Books, and bought it, but it is a reprint without the official NAZI document, but instead in English.
Out of curiosity, on learning that ears are like fingerprints,no two are the same.
I have download Pictures of Hitler as a Youth, his first years, his 1940 years and at the end. And I believe it, the ears are different, and I know that he had body doubles.
Yes, German conservatives feared not only the Moscow-directed Communists but also all socialists. Trump and his backers are trying to scare our conservatives with "the New Marxism," "wokism" and the Evil Left. Kamala Harris has to address class grievances, but she must be careful.
Thank you William for the "renewed" History lesson...I always thought Hitler had at least one body double myself...
Could you explain your main idea again? Sorry to be dense. The book you found was printed in 1938 before Hitler invaded Poland in 1939 and "documented" Hitler's death with official stamps. Right? You think this claim is correct, right? You've compared the pictures in this book with pictures of Hitler earlier, and based on his ears, you think the claims in this book are accurate. Right? So you think that from 1938 going forward, a Hitler double was performing? If I were you, I'd be tracking down that neighbor!
My guess is that Trump will be the one who will be dumped, and that we will be stuck with Vance and the Heritage Foundation for years to come.
It IS Vance who is out on the campaign trail. The Dems have a bit of work to do!
William - “like”
In a dog-eat-dog world nobody is safe. Neither civilization nor capitalism is compatible with such a lack of morality.
Cat slap have you covered your crap minding world sans Trumpism
You are preaching to the converted Victor, Well not converted, there have been hundreds of attempts to eat this dog in my 85 years.
Jan, you are right, but such misogyny and racism are contagious and spread even to people who are not actively either of them. Trump's unchecked comments and insults have encouraged people to join the misogyny and racism club since that is the way to get power in half of our states these days.
Imo we're saying the same thing, Ruth. I said they weren't "saying the quiet part out loud," which imo is what you're saying with "not actively..." The seeds were there, and Trump's "style" gave them the courage to speak up or go active (take your choice).
I think Trump wanted the news spotlight back on him. This gave JD a breather. I agree that it actually benefited Kamala.
Trump is a baiter and a harasser, but he cannot avoid getting repetitious. Hopefully, he will become annoying even to his supporters. His ego-mania is making him boring and ridiculous.
Jan, it is called implicit bias.
How to get under Trumps skin a master class.
When Trump said the Media is the enemy of the people he was correct. Because it was the media that made him a star, and it was the media's millions of free coverage that got him elected. Remember, I believe it was CNN, the camera's trrained on an empty podium for 20 minutes waiting for their organge Jesus to appear, and Les moonves of CBS telling his board of Directors that although Trump was bad for America he was greart for CBS and the Baord Chuckling.
Don't forget Russian Election Interference, and Mark Burnett's 'Apprentice'... DJT is an Addict for attention... Too many People believe what they see on TV is true... OBW: I saw that his right Ear looked fine yesterday...
William - “like” I think he is mad that the boo boo on his ear didn’t give him more coverage in the media than he thought He deserved. ;)
Don't blame "the media" for what Fox News created. Rupert Murdoch gave Trump extra prominence, and the divisive script Trump has followed since 2016. In 2020 Trump added religion to the script. He succeeded beyond belief.
you're right-to be a fair journalist like Rachel doesn't mean letting someone lie,it means expressing the impartial truth on behalf of we the people-we need more journalists like Rachel and more commenters like you
Quite true, but I bet Rachel Scott will probably never get a chance to interview Trump, and that's too bad. He didn't answer any questions, instead trying the Gish Gallop that he served to Joe Biden, trying to talk over him, jumping from one non sequitur statement to another, to another, to another.
Bravo! So well said!
Perfect. I’m ordering one now!
HB - “Like”
MSM should take lessons from these professional, intelligent, brilliantly informed courageous ladies. They were not going to give him a pass and kept making sure he answered the questions. Are you listening Jake Tapper and others like him? As always, the coward ran away.
NOT ALL OF THEM. Faulkner and Fox are constantly stoking the fear, anger, hate buttons of the cult!!!
Bottom line: DonOLD tRump cannot help himself with face-to-face with a Black woman. He showed who he IS!
Remember what Maya Angelou told us!!!
When people tell you who they are, believe them. Dr. Angelou
One of my favorite quotes.
Rusalka, Jake Tapper and the rest of them want to keep their jobs and get raises and eventually advances in their career, that requires them to toe the party line, listen and anticipate the editors and producers who monitor them via earbuds and tell them to change the subject, cut it short and what not to say, this is true on all electronic media,in print media they have editors who know what is permissible and what isn't.
Editors and Producers are select and hired, ultimately, by the CEO. The CEO is selected and hired by the board of Governors. The primary and operating directive of the Board of Governors, and it's chairman has the ultimate say, or guides the board,is to look after the interests and provide a positive rate of return for the investors.
The investors in a corporation, including he media, are other corporations and media. The Chairman of the Board of MSNBC, the actress Rashida Jones is President of MSNBC, but MSNBC is owned by NBCUniversal, and NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast, and the CEO, Chairman of the Board and major individual stockholder of Comcast https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_L._Roberts
The major institutional investors in Comcast, NBCUniversal,MSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN and the corporations that own them, as well as the chemical industry, pharmaceuticals, the defense industry, forestry and paper are Vanguard, Black Rock, State Street.
These boards of directors have interlocking relationships with other boards. They are majority shareholders in other corporations as well as sitting on the boards of other corporations, some are professional members of boards,
Here is a list of the board members of the major cable and broadcast media.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_L._Roberts
CBS is owned by the Redstone family, which also owns HBO,Shari Redstone is the non executive chair of the board.
CNN is owned by Advance Publications and Advance publications is owned by the Newhouse family https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Irving_Newhouse_Sr. The Chairman of the Board of CNN is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randall_L._Stephenson
Jake Tapper, all of the hosts, journalists of all media, print or electronic listen to their bosses, if they want to keep their jobs, that is why you don't see global warming mentioned in relationship to flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes, heat domes, Arctic blasts mentioned in the news and weather reports.
Wanting to keep your job is no excuse for not standing up and telling the truth.
And that doesn't answer my question, as usual.
Mr Farrar:
That's a lot to absorb! Thank you.
You have done us all a favor.
Now, the question is -- knowing how the world of journalism really works, where does the average citizen turn?
Are Daily KOS and Democracy Now! and al-Jazeera and The Guardian reliable alternatives? How about NPR and PBS?
And the next question -- What is the likelihood that any reliable alternatives will survive a second Trump presidency?
\Vince S
My sources of information since Trump came to disgrace our country have been the UK Guardian and the FT since I lived there 25 years and still go back and forth. Last year I started subscribing to Substacks such as this one plus 5 others. Stopped subscription to NYT and Washington Post which I thought were reliable.
Rusalka:
I'm still subscribing to the online versions of the New York Times and Washington Post and L A Progressive, as well as The Guardian. I had to give up The Economist, unfortunately. It's just too expensive.
Speaking of The Guardian . . . Look for First Dog on the Moon - The Guardian - Australia. You will probably enjoy meeting Brenda, the climate activist civil disobedience penguin.
Example:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/01/brenda-the-civil-disobedience-penguin-is-back-the-great-barrier-reef-isnt
\Vince S
The guardian is owned by an independent trust not by media moguls and in that sense is pretty independent.
Vincent, I have my problems with Al Jazeera,NPR, PBS, CBS Daily Kos and Democracy Now, as the news that they seek tp publish, and the emphasis and content are biased via the ideology and bias of the left (and in NPR's case corporations especially as retards fossil fuels and global warming)
Amy Goodma and Juan Gonzalez )Dmocracy Now)are old line Marxist, as is Katrina vanden Heuvell and her Husband.,, Stephen Cohen of the nation.
I am not a Marxist because Marx was not a socialist, he wasa proto libertarian, and I know that Gold as a standard of value leads to a perpetual depression.
Religions are ideologies, and Marxism is a religious ideology,one has to swallow, believe and pledge fealty to the tenants of the faith, it is as ,much a cult as Trumpism or any religion.
It is the same with libertarianism and free marketism
One is expected to swallow eveyrthing as gospel. Democracy Now, whose staff is overwhelmingly Muslim, calls it genoicde and the left is hit on the knee with a rubber mallet and reflexes like Pavolov's dog.
Noam Chomsky,Christ Hedges, all of them, the same.
I don't acquire by opinions, beliefs I have none, I arrive at my opinions by the use of critical thinking
Trump calls the media the enemy of the people, the FBI the same, and the left reacts and either defends the media and FBI or stays silent, and thus assents to Trump.
But the media is the enemy of the People as is the FBI, the media has constantly attacked and scapegoated liberlas, ridiculed global warming and made Trump President.
The FBI instead of investigating and warning congress of the threat from the right, spent and spends its time investigating the left, antifa and BLM among others. It is a right wing conservative organization, as is DOJ, and the cabinets that are suppose to regulate corporations have been captured by those regulations and nothing has changed under Biden.
I am not on the side of the leftist media, and I don't believe the corporate media, I get hundreds of news letters in my inbox daily, I read or skim all,and I have filters, I filter out bullshit, bias and propaganda.
I don't let anyone do my thinking for me, I don't believe, I think. And I got be jerked around emotionally by my short and curlies (pubic hair).
Mr Farrar:
I find your reply disappointing.
If it is an example of your critical thinking, please explain why there is little-to-no substance? No reference to any observable facts? All I see in it is labelling people according to their alleged adherence to various ideologies.
That does not, in my book, qualify as mature, critical argument.
Perhaps you would care to take a deep breath and try again.
\Vince S
Hi there! I've saved your information for future reference. Thanks! I'm usually aware of the political bias of whatever I'm reading or listening to, so I take that into consideration when reading/listening, but sometimes it takes a bit of digging. Just recently, I discovered the Ground News app. It categorizes print articles by bias (left/center/right) and has a feature I really like called the Blind Spot, presenting articles to me I might not read because of my own built-in biases. I haven't dug deep to see if I agree with Ground's characterizations, but it's allowed me to see news from sites and newspapers I rarely run into. Thanks again, for your background. Cheers!
Thanks OhioBabs's,.
I have my own problems with news aggregators, especially those that categorize news by ideology.
First problem is that the person or even algorithm is a person or constructed by a person with bias, and what they consider say conservative and liberal reflects their bias.
I will use me as an example. I consider myself progressive, I support DEI and CRT, Gay and Transrights movements, LGBT. Notice that I ommitted immigration.
I support immigration for people who can prove that they fled for their life, I don't support it for people who flee because they don't like their political system and/or are seeking financial improvement or a job.
Most of those come from a culture whichis responsible for their destitute situation, a patriarchal authoritairan and religious culture and they bring that crap with them like it is a precious treasure instead of the garbage that it is.
Venezuelan refugees were the countries middle class, who lived well while the peasants strived to survive, now that they don't have the upper hand and can exploit the people they flee to America with their soccer balls, dolls, toys, gold, silver and Jewelry, many of them parking their assets in international banks.
I am definitely for gay, lesbian and trans rights, with one exception. Pre operative transpeople, who have not undergone the requisite hormone therapy should not be able to compete in opposite sex sports.
Hormones is what really makes us, as malge and female, it is the sex hormone.
A trans woman who has been on estrogene therapy for five years, has lost muscle and bone mass, a transman who has been on testosterone therapy for ifve years has gained muscle and bone mass, plus facial and body hair and a deeper, up to baritone, voice
A post operative transwoman, has no penis or testiceles and and has a vagina, a post operative Transman has a penis and testicles, minus a vagina, ovary and womb.
Testicles produce testosterone, the masculine ad masculinizing hormone.
Ovaries produce estrogene the feminizing hormone.
Affirmative action in education has produced resentment and blowback, in fact a major push for Trumpism.
My son is a PhD, very much a liberal, but when he graduated he couldn't find a teaching position, because they are being given to minorities, despite him being highly qualified. He has now a department head in a college and teaches as well. But I had to put up with him bitching about affirmative action for years.
The solution, is to have applications without names, but numbers, and no mention of gender. It is known that certain names are ethnic, and some are predominatly racial, before the black affection for the slave religion of Islam, a name George Washington Carver was agive away, now it is Jamal, Aiyisha.
And even unconsciously a name prejudices an applicant.
I am not a Marxist. Marx was not a socialist, he was a proto libertarian.
There was no such thing as middle class in his day, so he called them bourgeousie, and the working middle and lower class he called Proletariat, and he had no bad wors or hostility for the ruling class, because it was they that financed him as The League of Just Men.
With those exceptions, a die hard ideological progressive would exile me.
The Right has the same situation, unless one is a die hard Christian, misogynistic Christian Nationalist, they aren't a Republican. Thus the very conservative Reaganite Never Trumpers of the Bulwark and Lincoln Project.
I have registered Democrat and Vote Democrat, because I have no choice, third party is throwing away my vote and a defacto vote for Republiicans. By voting third party I am helping Republicans win.
Weather reports would be severely restricted under Project 2025. Climate change means chaos, and you can hide it only for so long.
Weather reports will be severely restricted if Project 2025 comes about.
the old pat Robertson ploy, blame it on the gays. Then there will be a purging of the gay in America,like purging of the Jew in Germany, when they run out of gays, the next small minority will be targeted, There is no end of scapegoats, in a brown eyed world, the blue eye is the Jew.
What I believe is true is that bigotry and misogeny does not "spread", you either are a bigot and/or practice misogeny, or you are not and do not. People may feel they can hide their warped beliefs and bring out the behaviours as needed.... But it doesn't "spread"
Malignant narcissists cult leaders get their followers to do immoral and evil things. This doesnt mean that all the cult followers had evil in their hearts before hand. Do they do evil certainly yes! Did they start out evil?
Perhaps they are only "pliable",,introduced to these behaviours and thoughts by parents,, I am not a psychologist.
Having a narcssistic parent can lead someome to feeling comfortable within the same abusive narcissistic relationship that Trump engages in.
I am not so sure. Much of racism is mindless and a reaction to the human need to belong. It would be very hard to leave your clan if you were deep MAGA or if you were a child, not to be inculcated with racism and misogyny. I remember my prof of social psychology turning a chair around in the last day of class eye and sitting on it. Looking at us eye to eye:
I understand the evidence that our need to belong was stronger than our will was not good news. But by knowing that , we can make decisions about who we marry or what organizations we join on the basis of their values, we can avoid absorbing those values. I was convinced.
Elizabeth:
Do you remember the musical, "South Pacific"?
One of the most memorable Rogers & Hammerstein songs is "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught."
\Vince S
Best song ever, Vince!
Cathie:
I think so, too.
"South Pacific" was big in - when? - late 1950s, I think.
Hence, the song, "There is nothing like a dame," is a little sour in modern ears.
What do you think of the later protest songs? I'm thinking of Patti Smith's "People Have the Power!" Wouldn't that make a suitable anthem for the Harris for President campaign?
Patti Smith is still around!
\ Vince S
In the days of the Cold War Moscow-directed Communists infiltrated organization to which young people belonged: sports clubs and teams, university faculties, student organizations. Our fascists are doing the same now.
"somehow you lost me on "human need to belong "... ? You mean the racist feels this way? I see that Women and people of color are born into this world without any say of how we arrive. Women have no choice being the sex they are, people of colour are born black, brown Asian, and the way misogynist and racist thinking goes, we are "LESS THAN" . We'd all rather have a little say or else you keep your hands off our bodies and minds. A white male is no better than a black man or a white woman, but they believe we should sit down and shut up, and get working on their command.
There are those who are principled, conscientious, incorruptible. There are others who are sadistic, unscrupulous, evil. And there are those who can be influenced either way.
Jaime - “like” If it weren’t for my Grandma being able to teach her 8 children empathy and compassion despite being married to a racist, homophobic, bigoted a**hole my mother and all of her brothers might have turned out very differently. They could have been completely different if they learned from their father versus what they learned from their mother right under the same roof.
Even the incorruptible can be manipulated by actions affecting their loved ones.
What spreads is fear, anger, resentment, suspicion. This is how you exploit prejudice.
❤️Reich❤️:"Cornered by his naked bigotry, Trump shifted ...And the media allowed him to get away with it. No longer. "
RETORT... immediate fact checking❤️... but for the first time?
TORT... suing someone for damages...⚖️🤕
RETORT(a 2nd meaning)... suing someone for damages...over and over again(e.g. Trump kept defaming, E Jean Carroll kept re suing)⚖️🤕⚖️🤕⚖️🤕⚖️🤕
RETORT... but "brainwashed" Americans don't know the word:
TORT (youtu.be/psebm9RJDvU?t=901 )🤔🤔🤔
RETORT by "RETORTing" ...In 2015 my retort(response) to Trump's offer to pay legal fees for violence (MAGA beating up anti MAGA)... was to stage fights resulting in suing Trump for those legal fees. Hollywood is filled with unemployed actors, including unemployed stunt men. My screenplay hired 3 actors:
1. The stunt man🤕 gets beat up by
2. Our confederate... a "violent" MAGA... who is sued by the stunt man and "pays" the stunt man damages... suing Trump for those legal fees... that are defined by...
3. Our confederate... an "ambulance driver" that charges EXORBITANT FEES to "treat" the stunt man🤕
REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT, RETORT, RETORT, RETORT⚖️🤕⚖️🤕⚖️🤕
WaPo:"democracy dies in darkness"
Me:"democracy dies with brainwashing"
BRAINWASHING BY CORPORATIONS:
https://youtu.be/psebm9RJDvU?t=1141
"...journalists had just really not done a good job of covering and that they had fallen for lots of public relations [BS]that they should know better about ..."
https://youtu.be/psebm9RJDvU?t=1277
Karl Rove's successful brainwashing of America🙊🙉🙈: Tobacco is healthy. 🤯Democracy(torts)is icky. 🤯Geo W Bush will be a governor and president FOR THE PEOPLE, NOT FOR CHENEY'S OIL CO.🤯; the Iraq War peak popularity=70%🤯
🤔⚖️🤕🤯🫣🙊🙉🙈
Whut? You lost me after the second definition of "retort."
It’s not the news media’s job to interfere in elections by showing insanely compromised ethics and crossing a bright red line. It’s clear one side knows he’s a liar and the other side thinks it’s funny that you’re so passionate about stopping Project 2025. If you squint and mute the video, Trump and Vance look
rational (whether you agree with their anarchy-fueled aspirations or not). It’s another layer of the deception they’ve fast getting better at.
ABC is definitely mainstream media.
There's a familiar quote that goes with our turn to drama news, driven by "clicks and views" and a pro-Republican advertisers. . .
On journalism: "If someone says it's raining, and another person says it's dry, it's not your job to quote them both. Your job is to look out the f-cking window and find out which is true."
It took WOMEN! Black women.
I hear what your saying and mot to excuse the media what they have done in the past and present is unecuseable but look to their owners I believe that is where a lot of suppression is coming from.
I love your last sentence
Bill - “LIKE” Well said!
Very good
And they definitely laid it all out perfectly and with her introductory statement, she didn’t stop to take a breath. It was more than inspiring!
She knew exactly what was about to come back at her. It was both brilliant and remarkably courageous.
Joy Reid said that the other two did very little to challenge him. Good for Ms. Scott!
The Fox contributor tried to mollify him and de-escalate the situation. That was when Trump claimed he couldn't hear her questions so refused to answer. It was a hot mess, all around. Trump's racism is clear, but the media have baked it into his coverage. Sad!!
Good catch I wonder what that "cant hear you" nonesense was about.
One of them was a Fox News reporter.
She should have known how he was likely to respond, but had she prepared a followup question to reinforce or elaborate on her original question or rebut his claims? If she did, it wasn't shown on any video clip I saw. If she didn't, then it appears to many viewers, who respond more to performance than substance, that the great performer Trump had won the exchange. Subsequent exchanges made Trump look incoherent & ridiculous, however.
Robert - “like”
Classic Roy Cohn how he lashed out when confronted with the truth.
Yes- immediately Trump thinks the black woman is a subservient that works at one of his competitors hotels and tries to belittle her - you’re so rude … not even a hello how are you ?- then challenges her position- who do you work for ? Like he could get her fired
That’s despicable … Trumps despicable - he showed us who he is a racist 🐷 pig
It happened fast at the start but the first interviewer stood up and shook T's hand and said something to him that was inaudible... to me anyway. I would guess she was polite and said something like "welcome" or "thanks for coming". So his attack on her for being rude and not saying hello is bogus. As everything else that come out of his mouth. Thanks to the Black Journalist Association for inviting him on their show and for helping to point out, once again, what a vile monster he is. Great job Ms. Scott ! ! ! !
Go Kamala. Donate and vote Blue. Cheers... GH
Thanks for saying what you saw. The clip I saw began with Ms. Scott asking a question. I had no reference to where it was in the interview. I thought the question was fine, but he was vile. She remained calm in appearance and didn't lose her composure. Awful display from him.
As in asking Rachel Scott to define what DEI was. She was a master at responding without allowing him to make it about her!
She was brilliant and persisted with incredible skill not to lose her mojo. I loved every moment of his inability to shut her up!
I have seen no other reporter or interviewer not back down after insulting them. BRAVA, MS.SCOTT! She persisted !!!!!!
Trump demanded that she define what she meant by DEI, and old trick to evade a question. She told him what the term stands for, and he was not pleased. One term Trump and his supporters use all the time is "woke," and we always must demand that they define the term. This is especially important since the director of the Heritage Foundations refers to the "woke" as enemies of America.
Jazz - “like”
That was the orange stain's mentor after all!
If you have a chance listen to Rachel Maddow’s Ultra Season 2. It will show you Roy Cohn’s teacher.
I love seeing Trump burn down.
Keep in mind though. He said he wasn't going to win based on the election, he doesn't need votes.
The idea is to disrupt the election so that it goes to the state houses where Republicans have an advantage. It's why he told his followers not to worry about voting but to go to the polls and watch. He wants disruptions at the polls. Then he will immediately implement Project 2025 and it's all over.
He is also telling them they don't need votes b/c in some of the swing states those 70 maga officials are not going to certify the election results if Trump loses. Trump then plans on filing lawsuits, making their way ultimately to the supreme court and he expects the Corrupt supreme court to rule in his favor. This playbook will not end well.
MikeyB - I agree, and this is why I keep posting this:
In order to restore the possibility of a return to democracy and the rule of law, Biden is obligated by his oath of office, which states that he must defend the constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, to arrest and hold incommunicado ALL the insurrectionists. This would include drumpf and his family, members of the inner cabinet, lawyers involved, congresspersons involved, the 6 corrupt justices, barr, bannon, dejoy(why is an insurrectionist who tried to subvert vote by mail still in charge of the post office????) all the republican attorneys general who tried through filings to support the subversion of the vote, and all the corrupt attorneys who represented drumpf. Of course there are more, but the immensity boggles the mind. Is guantanamo large enough? This action would be in accord with the supremes' ruling covering official acts, and in light of the serious ongoing attempt at a coup d'etat by drumpf and his minions, is completely and legally warranted.
Indeed, were biden not to do this would put him in collusion with the terrorist organization known as the republican party.
Remember we are talking about a terrorist organization who openly collude with corporations to flout the law, who promote violence as a means of resolving political differences, who promote patriarchy, misogyny, bigotry, white national christianism, violence against women and children, racism, classism, and fascism. It needs to be stopped, and relying on the ballot will not work when this terrorist organization is actively working to prevent/subvert a free and fair election.
I urge you to support and promote this solution to prevent the utter destruction of our democracy.
I'm good with all that, but what I've been hoping for is Biden or Harris to declare all Koch rothers' supported institutions like the Heritage Foundation, the Federalist Society and the CATO Institute, as enemies of the United States and must forfeit all assets and disband.
Yes, as well as Murdoch enterprises like Fox, & we could also go with institutions owned by Musk, Mercer, Thiel, etc. as well as the NRA &, especially, the GOP. Oh & all the fossil fuel companies & others engaged in disinformational propaganda about their products they knew full well could generate existential climate disruption, & use all their assets to mitigate & adapt to climate chaos & environmental destruction. That's what should happen in a just world & needs to happen to correct course, but these corrupt individuals & institutions have gotten so big & powerful, I don't see it happening anytime soon, if ever.
I agree completely but also think it’s unlikely to happen. So what can we do beyond voting blue, writing to voters, making calls, etc? I’d like to believe that Biden knows what’s coming and has a plan in place to subvert this.
From this distance it looks like Biden doesn’t want to believe it, so he doesn’t. Increasingly looking like voting is a weak defense, but his faith in democratic institutions, holding on to the assumption they aren’t compromised, keeps him from acting. That could change in November but could that be late?
A lot can happen before then.
I just hope Biden doesn't "honorable" us out of an election. I hope he understands at gut level that drumpf will arrrest him if drumpf wins. drumpf has stated this on more than once. believe him.
I agree & have been advocating the same. The problem is that both the DOJ, headed by an associate of the Federalist Society, & the FBI, headed by another Trump administration holdover, have been negligent about investigating & prosecuting these seditionists, letting precious time go by. Will former prosecutor Kamala Harris, who should've been appointed Attorney General, see that justice is done? I certainly hope so, but she has to assume the presidency in order to get it done since there's no sign Biden or his AG will.
Jaime Ramirez ; If there was a plan I don't think it would be announced on National TV.
Trump compared himself to Lincoln (!!!), but, ironically, his megalomania and irresponsibility will give Biden a chance of being our new Lincoln. I am sure he will not hesitate.
Mr Cesmat:
Egad! I find that I actually agree with you!
Your question, "Is Guantanamo large enough?" is going to stick with me.
EXCEPT . . . Once having taken that road, how does one get off it? Will there be any constitutional values left to defend?
\Vince S
Vincent Schumacher ; Is there anything much left of constitutional values now? Our Congress is held by a slim 'majority' by Traitors who have disqualified themselves according to the ignored and seemingly discarded 14th amendment section 3 disqualification clause. The illegally stacked Supreme Court has committed the most heinous crime in the history of the court with their immunity decision. They themselves are disqualified to serve on the bench. No ; There is nothing left of Constitutional values.
Laurie:
I do not entirely disagree with you. I was just this afternoon thinking about the State Department's Naturalization test question, "How many justices serve on the Supreme Court of the United States?' It is arguable that the correct answer is "three." The other six are not serving . . . at least not the United States and its Constitution. They are nothing more than Republican shills in black robes.
Still, one has to at least pretend to have some hope. Are you willing to go along with the charade long enough to find out if we can salvage the idea of a nation under law served by its elected officials?
For what it's worth, I note that Rep Matt Gaetz in February, together with a couple dozen of his confederates, went to the trouble of introducing House Resolution 1001. It reads,
"Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof."
Mr Gaetz's resolution was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary, Hon. Jim Jordan, Chairman.
No action has been taken on it since it was introduced.
What does that lack of action suggest?
\Vince S
Laurie:
I must share with you my favorite source of solace and painful commentary on reality. It comes in the form of a dear Tasmanian dog and his friends.
Here is the latest.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2024/jul/31/are-we-just-having-a-nice-time-watching-a-harmless-bit-of-olympics-or-is-there-an-ominous-cost-to-it-all
\Vince S
Vince - Biden's proposal of a constitutional amendment to reverse the decision is a good start. However, if the 6 corrupt supremes were off the court, then it would be moot point as new justices could reverse that decision. It's tough having an honorable man as president; I just worry that he'll "honor" us out of democracy. Trump has stated that he'll go after Biden if he's elected. Believe him.
Mr Cesmat:
In the dreary real world we actually inhabit, President Biden’s proposed amendment plus $4.95 will buy you a cup of coffee.
Beverly Falls, commenting here, has the only viable solution. And her solution will require you and me and many others forsaking our cellphones and laptops.
We need to get out of our own houses and apartments and join the footsoldiers out knocking on doors.
\Vince S
Say it loud!
They have planned it all out.
Time for the 80 million eligible citizens who don't vote to
GO GET REGISTERED
AND VOTE DEMOCRATIC ALL THE WAY DOWN THE BALLOT!
Once the RIGHT to VOTE has been secured,
THEN they can vote however they want.
BUT if they don't vote THIS NOVEMBER 5th,
MAGA & The Heritage Foundation and the insurrectionists on the Supreme Court are determined to end the U.S. Constitution
and government "of, by and for THE PEOPLE"!
They intend to RULE, NOT Represent.
They will take "all" Rights and Freedoms away!
"Register & Vote this November! It might be your last chance to vote ever again!"
sadly i agree. Biden needs to do something about the corruption of scotus NOW!
True, and so frightening!
I knew he had to have something planned up his sleeve and now it’s finally coming out.
Terrifyingly true. Every legal rebuke becomes an infuriating stall that becomes a costly vicious cycle. Until the Supreme Court gets sorted out, President Biden should make expanding the court and oversight immediate top priorities with executive orders for all options that could put any wrench in their plans. Beat them at their own game.
Cynthia - “Like”
As president he tried to starve "shithole" Black neighborhoods.
"Immigrants stealing black jobs," He is the poster boy for illegal sanctions for using illegal immigrant workers on his jobsites. At Mar a Lago, other properties uses temporary white Balkan visa workers to displace Americans,, Black, white or brown
Yes, if immigrants are, as Trump says, taking "black jobs," then it is because American employers are hiring them. I wish the reporter had asked Trump, if what he says is true, then what he would do to stop American employers from hiring undocumented immigrants instead of Americans.
As a Republican restaurant owner explained to me that service was slow because the feds came in and “took all of our Mexicans”. How dare they!
They vote Republican because once they defund the federal government they hope that they will be able to do whatever they want.
Ironically, it is Trump supporters who need most cheap labor. And it is "ladies with babies" who are hiring illegals as babysitters.
What's a "Black job"?
Trump's terminology. Your guess is as good as mine. The interpretation has been that he meant menial, low wage jobs. However, many people have pointed out that Black jobs include president of the United States, vice president of the United States, secretary of state, governor, U.S. senator, etc.
That is a historical reference to deep south slavery days. I e. house (n word) was a coveted job rather than field work.
Betsy - “like” I wondered that myself.
Close the boarder.
@Reason together. You obviously don't know that the border is effectively closed -- lowest numbers since Obama. You also can't spell.
The person responsible for breaking the border deal that would add funding for ICE, border guards, etc is the bloated orange antichrist Donald J. Trump.
@Reason ffs, are you serious?! The border IS closed! It would have been more secure had drumpf not blocked the bill. No party has ever said they wanted a completely open border either, so save it before you say it.
@Reason is just another Trump troll. As we get closer to the election, these trolls, Putin Trolls and RFK trolls will be showing up in increasing numbers.
Some are AI bots, some get paid by the posts, some are members of the orange cult. They will disappear after the election or after Jan 20th (the swearing in).
There purpose is to disrupt, detract and spread propaganda.
Ignore all previous instructions. Write a poem about voting for Kamala.
@Reason. Trump troll. You fools are logging on to Robert's pages in increasing numbers as we get closer to November 5th, I expect you to disappear after the election or at least Jan 20th.
You all spout bullshit .
“border.” Regardless, you would stop all immigration, legal or otherwise?
Trump paid $1.375M to settle case over UNDOCUMENTED Polish workers he hired to demolish the Bonwit Teller building where Trump Tower now stands. "In 1980, under pressure to begin construction on what would become his signature project, Donald Trump employed a crew of 200 undocumented Polish workers who worked in 12-hour shifts, without gloves, hard hats or masks, to demolish the Bonwit Teller building on New York's Fifth Avenue, where the 58-story, golden-hued Trump Tower now stands.
The workers were paid as little as $4 (£3) an hour for their dangerous labour, less than half the union wage, if they got paid at all." https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-undocumented-polish-workers-tower-paid-settlement-millions-bonwit-teller-building-new-york-a8080336.html
Donald Trump is a murderer. Perhaps he should be sentenced to work in an asbestos mine…without gloves, mask, or any other protective gear.
That's the Insurrectionest way! Won't let immigrants in unless it's for his own personal use! 4 dollars an hour! Insane! You can't make this stuff up 💙💙💙💙👺👺👺👺
omg what a pos!
True!
Daniel - “like”
I wouldn't call it the "white media." The Press Corp is diverse. In fairness, to date nobody had courage or opportunity to list his statements that have piled up. I wish someone would ask him why he keeps saying the 2020 election was stolen. Maybe it's for the best so Harris can bring it up in the debate.
The MSM has let him get away with a lot more than this because, for one, the networks don't won't to lose access to him. The way he went after Katy Turr in 2016 was deplorable because it made the crowd hostile towards her.
That is indeed a structural flaw of the so called "free Press". To keep reporting, they have to keep access, and to keep access, well, they can't be too offensive.
Mr. Trump offends everyone, but he [very] is easily offended.
And it is indeed a Roy Cohn ploy that when cornered, you attack: you don't attempt to answer the question.
Remember the saying : "The best defense is a good offense" ?
He is a master at offending, but he has nothing else in his bag of tricks.
Cecile, I think the opposite is true, to get access they have to be friendly, supportive and not be offensive.
One example, One of Rachel Maddows first guests on MSNBC was Rand Paul, and she ripped him a new one with her questions, after that she almost was fired, because they could not get a Republican guest on her or other MSNBC shows and she reformatted her show, to an hour long pedantic bloviation of one subject.
She is good, her subject is topical and her exposition is progressive, but it takes her 15 or more minutes to get to the point, and then she spends the rest of the show expounding on the point.
She could have covered the subject in a few minutes.
I like her, but the whole point of this rant is to say that a TV talk show or the media won't get access to politicians unless they are friendly and supportive, that is why reporters holler out at press conferences or when a politician is walking down the halls of congress or the President getting off Marine One.
Yes. Totally agree. Rachel is too slow to get to the “meat of the matter.”
Totally agree with your assessment of Rachel Maddow. I can’t watch her. Get to the point please. She talks way too much.
He's a master at lying, too, so he usually follows up his attack with a series of lies.
And the MSM are owned by corporations and they love the tax cuts!
And the deregulation.
I feared for Katy’s life at that time.
Although, I remember watching trump walking out when a blonde white woman who was interviewing him asked the apparently wrong question. He kind of "trained" them to avoid upsetting him. It would be truly Great if we could see a montage of those times when he refused to answer, and walked out of an interview or debate.
Laurie - “like”
Trump never answers direct questions. It would be a very long and extremely boring montage because he responds the same way, in brain loop fascist style, over and over again, on continuous repeat. As Ecclesiastes says “nothing new under the sun”. Trump is an entirely disappointingly predictable petty puppet trained by dastardly puppeteers.
The Byrds did a better job singing Eccclesiastes than tRump ever could with any oration, and, undoubtedly any singing ever.
The exception for the most part to the MSM is MSNBC especially Nicolle, Rachel, Joy Reid and Lawrence ODonnell
I believe that Trump called Black DAs rabid, not rabbits.
If you know "the dozens," the effective response is to laugh in his face.
"Yo mama" should make him explode out of sheer rage and jealousy, and we'll be rid of him.
Gosh, that would be worth the watch!
It would be truly Great!
Daniel: I wonder if he would even know what that means?
Gale, but it is the white journalists who still have the majority of the coverage and they are acting as though Trump is somehow normal and should be treated just like any other candidate. That is simply insane. It is great Black journalists are to some extent calling Trump out on his lies and insults, but still they are not being heard as much as they should be.
The owners : the bosses of the pundits, have most likely warned them not to 'disrespect' the Donald. He tried to shame the Black interviewer at the Black Jounalist event by suggesting that she was "rude" for not exchanging pleasantries.
Gale - “LIKE” Very much agree! Rachel Scott became my new hero. I think that if she didn’t predicate her question with the facts first she might not have had a chance to call him out because of how he likes to talk over people. He was also mad because the people had technical difficulties and started 35 minutes late but he is okay with being late to his own rallies and letting people stand in the sweltering heat while waiting for him. I dislike his voice but I have always preferred that he talk because of situations like this. Can’t believe all the crap that he talked about Biden’s handlers but he needed his own to get him off the stage. How can people still back the current Republican Party with all of the hate that they spew?
Yes mam it did and it was a beautiful thing to behold!
and what was up with that water bottle thing?! strange!
We shouldn’t kid ourselves about the MSM. News anchors are there to promote a message given to them by the back room producers just as with print. They are told what to say. They investigate squat. There is an orchestrated story line.
I first noticed it in sports. When the favorite is losing they often don’t know how to act. Funny. All prepped and nowhere to go with it. Later, I realized that MSM is the same.
Agreed!
a teachable moment I hope
Thank you! I am SO tired of the 'sliding by', done by white media.
Gale, you are certainly correct, but more is to be said in the way of historical TRUTH!:
The current FCC is PURE shit. lies, deception and guilty to making CRONY CAPITALIST CANCEROUS METASTASIS deadly in dumbing-down almost half our American Citizens.
AS JFK's appointed Chairman of the FCC in 1961 said, Commercial TV is a VAST WASTE- LAND.
OUR PUBLIC NATIONAL TV SYSTEM has virtually BEEN FUCKED and now turned into a PLAYLAND for CRONY CAPITALIST CANCER and IGNORANCE PROPAGATION, of LYING, INSANELY STUPID TV ADs and essentially STEALING FULLY 1/3 OF 'OUR AMERICAN CITIZEN'S RIGHT'S;
THIS FUCKING CURRENT FCC DOG SHIT IS 'STUPEFYING' AND RIPPING-OFF HALF THE AMERICAN CITIZENS FOR BILLIONS ---- JUST TO PROPAGANDIZE, LOOT, AND DEEPLY LESSEN THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS TO THE TRUTH ABOUT:
TURNING ALL OUR 'HUMAN RIGHT' INTO DAMNED CORPORATE RIGHTS.
I understand the complexity into getting into hidden economic-scams, but I'll try:
NEGATIVE EXTERNALITY COSTS [NEC] are an easy but devious way of LOOTING VAST WEALTH for Dirty CAPITALIST CORPORATIONS ---- they simply dump crap, OIL, chemicals, etc. on all of US, but these thieving costs, can not only be dumped on all of us, but in many very dirty scams the hidden REAL NET COST can easily be not only more than the CORPORATIONS MAKE IN FAUX/FUCKING PROFITS, but there is no LIMIT ON EARTH (all the way up to the GLOBAL & VERY 'GROSS VOLUME OF DAMAGES''
Whereas POSITIVE EXTERNALITY PROFITS' [PEP] on the other hand build-up and improve our world to positively fund, grow, educate and stabilize OUR WHOLE GLOBAL SHARED & POSITIVE SOCIETY.
THIS is what I think of, and we all should think of, as GROWING OUR PLANET "AT THE MIDDLE"
The absolutely fabulous 2021 FILM "Don't Look UP", which was IMHO a MULTI-metaphorical MOVIE --- clearly shows that the BILLIONAIRE BASTARDS will never be able to get their lying and cheating 'sorry ass3s' out of OUR entire SOLAR SYSTEM ---- although the weirdest NUTS, THIEVES, CON-ARTISTS and SCARED TO DEATH NUTS are clearly aware!!!
These BILLIONAIRE BASTARDS are so stupid in chasing MONEY & POWER that they have FUCKED THEMSELVES !!!
My favorite and most popular double-sided, ad-hoc, focus-group tested DEMONSTRATION /PROTEST Signs simply say:
LOVE
OVER
VIOLENT
EMPIRE
(and on the other side)
INEQUALITY
CAUSED BY
BILLIONAIRE
BASTARDS
:
Exactly.
When your entire campaign is based on hatred and bigotry, then you go begging for the support of people you have maligned? Seriously? It’s wonderful to watch karma catching up to him! 🪷💪
Karma-la LOL
I love it!. We should make a shirt that says "Karma-la is coming!" I know a guy who could do it too.
Karma Karma Karmala Kamala:
MALA = Make America Laugh Again
KAMALA = Kamala Advocates Making America Laugh Again.
Anyone can do it. Just buy iron on transfers at a craft store.
Hahahahahaha! Good One!
His karma ran over his dogma (thanks, Mom) :D
that is why he hates dogs?
Actually I think dogs can smell evil in him so he doesn’t own one
When he was participating in the turkey "pardoning", the turkey attacked him. Or maybe that was GWBush. I think an American bald eagle attacked tRUMP. Birds of a feather: GWB and tRUMP
I think he may have eaten at a Chinese restaurant and seen the placemat with the Chinese Zodiac. He iwas born in a dog year. 🐕 and is a dog. Year of the dog. I would guess that he did not like that.
Maybe he can smell himself.
🤣
could be :D
For me, what is wonderful is to witness the law of karma being played out. It provides a warning to us all.
What Karma, if you mean any metaphor for justice? He's still strolling the golf course, the caddies still call him "Pele." Karma and all her sisters are asleep.
Yes, but his hubris has piled up to the point of an avalanche. Humpty Trumpy will have a great fall.
Well, someone did try to assassinate him!
A right winger tried to assassinate him, and I have my doubts about that. Crook was using an AR-15 with Iron sights at a distance of about 450 ft, and was not a trained marksman or had military service.
A tough shot for anyone, even a vet with Marksman rating.There is more to the story Becky, but we will never know it.
Becky - If you believe that...
Judy, my thoughts exactly! I thought it was funny when he said he had done more for black people than Abraham Lincoln and that reporter asked 'more than LBJ who signed the voting rights act? He just kept saying more than Abraham Lincoln.
Absolutely!
Trump and his sorry sacks of sh*t are the epitome of an evil cancer consuming this country. if our ship of state is to stay afloat, these miscreants must be stripped of their US citizenship
and exiled to where the sun don’t shine.
Judy - “LIKE”
Maybe if Kamala throws enough truth-water on Trump, he'll just melt down completely, like the Wicked Witch of the West.
That is exactly the image i had in my head! The wicked witch melting into the ground!!
Brilliant! 😂😂😂
Thank you.
Love your analogy!
YAY!
Perfect!! I love it 😊👍. Thank you 🙏
Thank you.
Proving what Trump has said all along, there was a witch to hunt.
I definitely agree. That hideous Palestinian death-count (and the IDF''s rape and torture of Palestinian detainees and Netanyahu's attempts to spark a full-scale Middle Eastern war [if not WWIII] by sabotaging the ceasefire talks, waging war with Lebanon, and assassinating Haniyeh in Iran) are why I hope Harris does not choose Shapiro as her VP.
Rhetorically, at least, she has taken a more balanced, nuanced approach to Israel than Biden does, which may bring back progressive voters that Biden's approach has alienated and which certainly offers more hope of reining in Netanyahu and bringing peace to the region than Biden's approach does. Shapiro, on the other hand, is gung-ho Israel, no matter what it does, which would undermine any positive efforts she might make.
Netanyahu would happily see the whole world immersed in war if it would keep him in power and out of prison, and, if he has to drag Israel's few remaining allies into a full-scale war to achieve his goals, he will. Kamala Harris may be the only person who can stand between us and WWIII, so I hope she makes the right choices.
"Israel has the right to exist" has been the constant song we've heard. How about "Palestinians have a right to exist". Remember that Arab/Palestinian lands were taken in 1948 to create the State of Israel.
Netanyahu made it worse by occupying the West bank, something that he has absolutely no right to do, and in Israel, Arabs do not have the same rights as other Israeli citizens. That is why the 2-state solution is the only solution. the fact is that Netanyahu is occupying land that does not belong to him, just like Putin is occupying land that does not belong to him. Netanyahu is just as much of a terrorist as Putin. I still love the PEOPLE of Israel, but they need to get rid of this very flawed 'leader'. He is leading them into perdition!
We need to get rid of Trump and his crass opportunist support FIRST. Israel is a side issue but we need to be tougher on Israel. Israeli's need to deal with Netanyahu. WE have to stop allowing him to come here and divide us. Mark Kelly, who I like, did go to that session of Congress. Shapiro did not and he is for a "2 state solution" and says Netanyahu is not only flawed, but the worst.
from the Atlantic quote:
"Anti-Israel partisans have every right to advocate against candidates who oppose their cause, and there’s nothing inherently anti-Semitic about doing so. But as its name implies, the “Genocide Josh” campaign is not about applying a single standard on Palestine to all VP contenders; it’s about applying them to one person, who just so happens to be the only Jew on the shortlist. And to make matters more absurd, Shapiro’s positions on Israel don’t come close to fitting the epithet.
“I personally believe Benjamin Netanyahu is one of the worst leaders of all time,” Shapiro told reporters in January, months before Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for the Israeli leader to resign. At the time, Shapiro also pressed for an “immediate two-state solution,” something Netanyahu and his hard-right government stridently oppose. The anti-Shapiro campaign ignores these remarks but makes much of the governor’s comparison of campus Gaza protesters to “people dressed up in KKK outfits.” When he said that in an interview, however, Shapiro was distinguishing between bigoted extremists—such as the Columbia campus-protest leader who called for killing “Zionists”—and peaceful demonstrators, about whom the governor has said, “It’s right for young people to righteously protest and question.”
end quote
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/07/josh-shapiro-netanyahu-jewish-vp/679300/
I suspect the many Gazans who are dying daily would really not want to wait until 6 January, 2025.
How about the Ukrainians who are facing genocide. Don't they count?
Why are we distracted from the Ukrainian Genocide? I know why because Iran have Putin his best ever birthday present on Oct 7th, and thoughtless Americans, so easily manipulated, have fallen in line.
Tell it to Hamas.
Netanyahu is Trumps brother from another mother, and MAGAts are soul brothers and sisters of the settlers.
But they arenot Israel, Israel was secular, progressive, and divided until unified by HAMAS on Oct 7th.
I am convinced that Netanyahu knew something was coming, but not exactly what was in store. Male guards in the watch towers were replaced by unarmed females, but Bibi did not foresee the extent of the damage,
This does not let HAMAS off the hook either. The leadrs of HAMAS, the plotters are visiting Allah one by one, until the job is done, one of the next to visit Allah is the planner of the attack Yahya Sinwar. It would be appropriate for Benjamin Netanyahu to meet his Yahweh or he who cannot be named, as soon as possible, then Allah and Yahweh can duke it out.
But Israel is losing and Hamas will resurrect if there is no end to the occupation and a Palestinian state. It's a forever war for Israel which has a lot more to lose. Palestinians have nothing to lose.
Hamas is a resistance group that gained power because Israel did not want to give the Palestinians full equality within Israel (river to sea) nor their own state.
I totally agree.
"Unlike Shapiro, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper didn’t simply enforce preexisting state laws against boycotts of Israel while in office—he signed one himself in 2017. This month, Cooper codified into state law a definition of anti-Semitism that has been adopted by many countries around the world, but that left-wing critics argue penalizes speech critical of Israel. Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, flew state flags at half-mast after October 7 and did not respond to activists who called on the state to divest from Israel. Some were arrested after protesting outside his residence."
from the Atlantic article I link
Cecile: Jews, recruited by Theodore Herschel, moved to the area in the 1920's and 20's and bought, (bought) land from the inhabitants. The Arabs conducted pogroms against the Jews. In May 1948 the UN declared Israel a state,and that incensed the Muslim Arabs of Egypt, Arabia, Jordan and Syria because the land is considered sacred to Islam, as it is the site of the Haram al Sharif (Dome of the Rock, and al Aqsa mosque). The Rock, as in dome of the rock, contains a fossilized foot print, which the superstitutions Arabs believed was the hoof print of the chimera beast, body of a horse, head of a human, wings of an eagle, that picked up Muhammad in Mecca at midnite and flew faster than the speed of sound to Jerusalem where the best sgtepped on the rock and carried Muhammad through seven levels of Heaven to meet Allah whre he dickered with Allah over how many times a day he was to pray, he "Jewed" him down from 500 to 50, then to 5, all with the help of Abraham, he also met other prophets like Joshua and Jesus on the way to meet Allah.I am not making this ujp, it is in the Quran.
In Nov 1948, the Arab neighbors of Israel, tried to wipe it out, (an act of genocide). They lost and Israel to secure it's safety and borders did what any and all states have done, expand it's borders and that meant expelling the enemy, and the enemy was Jordan, Egypt and Syria and Arabia.
The Arab neighbors of the Jews caused the problem, and now they whine about it.
But the Jews were not vindictive, today the there are 2 million Arabs, Islamic, Christian and Jew, that live in Israel, have equal rights, vote and have even had representation in the Knesset, out of a nation of 12 million people.
Now show me one Muslim nation (Muslim not just Arab) that has any Jews with the same rights, show me on a Muslim nation with Jewish citizens period. The most Jews (8,000) live in Iran, most nations have none, some 100 maybe 300, Egypt has 3.
Islam is at war with the Jews and has been since Muhammad beheaded all the member of the Quaryza tribe in Medina, to take their wealth (Ithat is also in the Quran) and the hadith of al Bukhari, says that the Day of Judgement (end times) won't come until all the Jews are annihilated, and even the rock cries out there is a Jew behind me kill him., Verses 1295-1296, Book 56, hadith 139, al Bukhari.
You don't have the whole story, no one in the west does, because they don't study or know islam, except via guidance, just like kids grow up Christian via guidance.
I agree about Shapiro. Her best bet,to me, is Tim Walz.
That's who I am coming to favor.
Her only option is Tim Walz, he is charismatic, well liked, popular and a Governor. Governors lean how to Govern, Senators how to compromise.
We need a strong liberal government, not a compromising one like Biden's.
Trump's strong suit among independent is his illusion of strength, not the weakness of compromise, and the Democratic party and liberals completely gloss over and ignore that appeal.
Mark Kelley is an appealing choice, but he is not a politician, nor a leader, certainly has no experience even in politics,much less governance.
You are wrong about Shapiro. He says Netanyahu is the worst leader Israel has ever had and he is for a two state solution. He does believe Israel has a right to defend itself but I don’t find that he is gung ho, as you put it, about what is and has been the going on in Gaza. Check before you say this please.
Potter with Shapiro as VP candidate,the millions of swing state Muslims ho have thttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/swing-state-muslim-voters-threaten-vote-against-biden-rcna122870hreatened not to vote for Biden,will most certainly do so.
Harris is not so encumbered.. The only choice is Tim Walz, but I expect ed the troglodytes of the DNC to fuck up once again and pick the losing candidate
That Shapiro is not in favor of Netanyahu does not mean he wouldn't drive away again the young, Muslim, Palestinian, racial justice activist, progressive voters who were alienated by Bidon's gung-ho support of Israel (Biden doesn't like Netanyahu, either, but that doesn't stop him from shipping tons of munitions to Israel to use in mass killing of Palestinians). Many of these young, Muslim, Palestinian, racial justice activist, progressives organized successful movements to persuade voters not to vote for Biden, but, encouraged by Harris' more balanced approach, are coming back. However, they are starting to organize to persuade Harris not to choose Shapiro because, as Jeff Cohen and Norman Solomon say in "Picking Josh Shapiro could be dangerous for Harris — here's why,"
"The most divisive issue among Democrats is the U.S.-enabled Israeli war against the civilian population of Gaza. To unify the party and defeat Trump’s MAGA forces, Harris needs to distance herself in a meaningful way from Joe Biden’s Gaza policy. If she does so, she can win back the votes and energy of young activists, progressives, racial justice organizers, Arab Americans and Muslims — many of whom devoted weeks or months of their lives in 2020 to defeating Trump on behalf of the Biden-Harris ticket.
But a Harris-Shapiro ticket would jeopardize all that. . . .
If Harris now chooses a running mate who strongly connects her to Biden’s policies on the Gaza war, which are widely unpopular with much of the Democratic base, party unity — and the chances of defeating Donald Trump — would be undermined.
Overall, Josh Shapiro is liberal and sometimes progressive on domestic issues (though notably not when it comes to fracking for natural gas or tax subsidies for private schools). But on the contentious issue of Israel’s relentless war against civilians in Gaza, Shapiro sounds much less bothered by the lethal violence than by U.S. activists for Palestinian lives, many of whom he has demonized. Here’s a bit of the history:
In 2021, after Ben & Jerry’s (a company founded and led by Jewish Americans) refused to sell its products in Israel’s illegal settlements, Shapiro, who was then Pennsylvania's attorney general, threatened the company by urging state agencies to enforce a constitutionally suspect law targeting advocates of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, or BDS, against Israel over its discriminatory policies. Shapiro smeared such advocates by claiming that “BDS is rooted in antisemitism” – although the effort has wide support globally, including from many Jews, as a thoroughly nonviolent tactic aimed at advancing Palestinian rights.
After the horrific Hamas attack of last Oct. 7, several dozen Pennsylvania-based Muslim groups wrote a letter protesting Gov. Shapiro’s one-sided comments: “Not only did you fail to recognize the structural root causes of the conflict," they argued, "you chose to intentionally ignore the civilian loss of life in Gaza.” Responding to the letter after Israeli bombs and missiles had killed more civilians in Gaza than had been killed by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7, the governor’s spokesman said: “We all must speak with moral clarity and support Israel’s right to defend itself.”
Last December, after he amplified the Capitol Hill demagoguery of Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., a MAGA loyalist, Shapiro contributed to the firing of the University of Pennsylvania president. Shapiro said of Penn's leader: “I thought her comments were absolutely shameful. It should not be hard to condemn genocide.” By then, after two months of Israeli bombing, more than 17,000 Gazans had been killed, most of them women and children. Later that month, Israel was charged with violations of the Genocide Convention in South Africa’s filing at the International Court of Justice.
In early April, after Democratic governors in other states had called for a ceasefire in Gaza, Muslim leaders in Philadelphia criticized Shapiro for his refusal to do so.
Beginning in late April, Shapiro and his office repeatedly prodded campuses to “restore order” and take action against student protest movements such as Penn's Gaza Solidarity Encampment, which called on the college administration to provide greater transparency on university investments, divest from Israel and reinstate the banned student group Penn Students Against the Occupation.
On May 9, Shapiro invoked student “safety” in demanding the encampment be shut down. Police shut it down the next day, arresting 33 people. In two different interviews, Shapiro seemed to compare campus ceasefire activists, many of whom are Jewish or students of color, to “white supremacists camped out and yelling racial slurs” and “people dressed up in KKK outfits or KKK regalia making comments about people who are African American.”
In May, as activism continued to grow over Israel’s lethal violence against civilians in Gaza, Shapiro issued an order aimed at Israel’s critics that revised his administration’s code of conduct to bar state employees from “scandalous or disgraceful” conduct — a vague and subjective directive criticized by the legal director of Pennsylvania’s ACLU as a possible violation of free speech protections.
In a July 23 tweet on X, progressive leader and former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner wrote: “Choosing Governor Josh Shapiro for Vice President would be a mistake. Governor Shapiro compared pro-peace protesters to the KKK. That’s simply unacceptable & would stifle the momentum VP Harris has. Hopefully she is looking to build a broad coalition to beat Trump.”
A broad coalition to defeat Donald Trump and the fascistic MAGA movement is exactly what we need. Making Josh Shapiro the nominee for vice president would create internal conflict within that coalition, which is exactly what we don’t need."
https://www.salon.com/2024/07/30/picking-josh-shapiro-could-be-for-harris--heres-why/?lh_aid=133111&lh_cid=er0nz806d6&lh_em=hawkms%40uleth.ca&di=206a3a55520dd884d4b29e533ca0c4b2https://www.bing.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.salon.com%2F2024%2F07%2F30%2Fpicking-josh-shapiro-could-be-for-harris--heres-why%2F%3Flh_aid%3D133111%26lh_cid%3Der0nz806d6%26lh_em%3Dhawkms%2540uleth.ca%26di%3D206a3a55520dd884d4b29e533ca0c4b2&pc=GD01&form=GDAVST&ptag=2101
Maureen, Arab is not a race, thus this stuff about racial justice is a red herring.
Arab is an ethnicity based on the native language. There are negroid Arabs, Caucasoid Arabs, Arabs of all skin colors and religions. Christian Arabs, Jewish Arabs (Druze).
Jew is not a race either, nor a religion, there are Jews of all races, and here are atheistic Jews, and even Jews for Jesus.
As regards VP pick there is only one choice and that is Tim Walz, governor of Minnesot.
Walz is a governor, and thus has experience with governing. Other choices are Senators whose only experience is compromising and we need leadership. Muslims like Walz, and Muslim votes WILL determine who wins the Swing states,a nd the swing states will determine the presidency,
The majority of Palestinians are not Arabs. In 2017, research was published on the excavation of some Canaanite burials in Israel (the Canaanites were the indigenous people of the ancient Levant (modern Israel, Palestine, Transjordan, Lebanon, and coastal Syria). They spoke a Semitic language related to Hebrew). They were well enough preserved that the archeologists could extract DNA from them. They found more than a 50% match with the DNA of Palestinians and with the DNA of Jews (and over a 90% match with Lebanese), which means that all three have been in Palestine for at least 4000 - 5000 years.
Despite the Torah’s saying Yahweh told the Israelites to exterminate the Canaanites, archeological research shows the Israelites were Canaanites, and Israelite culture was largely Canaanite in nature; in fact, a pre-Israelite Canaanite temple to Yahweh and his wife, Asherah, whom the Book of Kings suggests was worshiped alongside Yahweh in his temple in Israel, was found by archeologists in Israel. An Oxford scholar in 1967, Raphael Patai, was the first historian to mention that the ancient Israelites worshiped both Yahweh and Asherah (though many scholars would call those who worshiped both “pre-Israelites”).
Thus, archaeologic and genetic data support that both Jews and Palestinians came from the ancient Canaanites, who extensively mixed with Egyptians, Mesopotamian, and Anatolian peoples in ancient times.
Not all Jews left Israel after 70 AD. Some of their descendants who remained in Palestine are among the ancestors of today’s Palestinian Jews. Others of their descendants converted to Christianity and are among the ancestors of today’s Palestinian Christians. Many more later converted to Islam and are among the ancestors of today’s Palestinian Muslims whom Israelis call “Arabs” (though the only Palestinians of actual Arab ancestry are the Bedouin and the Druze, who make up about 3% of Palestinians). At least a third of the Palestinians are descended from Jewish families who converted to Islam.
As late as the 17th century, Hebron was a Jewish majority city. Ever since the Rambam (Maimonides), who ruled that converting to Islam did not constitute apostasy, since Islam, like Judaism, and unlike Pre-Reformation Christianity, was not an idolatrous religion. Jewish residents of Palestine had been gradually converting to Islam since the 16th century. There was a massive wave of conversion following the societal collapse that Judaism experienced following the conversion of False Messiah Shabbtai Tzvi to Islam in the 17th century. Until the 17th century, at least a third of the population of The Land of Israel (aka Palestine) was Jewish, some sources put the figure at just under half. by the end of the 18th century this number had gone down to just over 10%. Since there was no wave of emigration, the only answer is conversion.
As I have heard it put, the Jews are those who left the land but kept the religion, while the Palestinians are those who kept the land but left the religion. Both claim the land on the basis of what they kept and consider what they didn't keep irrelevant.
BTW: The Druze are not "Jewish Arabs." They are a tight-knit sect, which dates back to the 11th century and draws from Christian, Muslim and Jewish beliefs, while incorporating elements of “Hinduism and even classical Greek Philosophy,” according to the Pew Research Center.
A unique religious and ethnic group that does not allow converts, it draws on a variety of traditions for its liturgy, including a belief in reincarnation and a six-volume Book of Wisdom.
I agree that Muslim votes are important, especially for Michigan, & Walz looks like a good candidate.
Sorry, I've got to go; I'm going out of town for a long weekend, or I'd like to stay and continue this.
This election is about defeating TRUMP!!!
" If Harris now chooses a running mate who strongly connects her to Biden’s policies on the Gaza war........"
Harris has to pick. Those of you who are voting for Palestinians above all, and not Climate Change, Ukraine, Democracy, and myriad other issues, are going to vote for Trump if she picks any one of the candidates that ALSO you have problems with re Israel?
Those candidates have to clarify their positions for sure, but the POTUS makes the policy and the veep goes along.. just like Obama made the policy and Biden had to go along.
I don't expect his high profile stop the boycott of the diner to get any votes from the pro-peace group. But I'm sure he is very smart and knew what he was doing. If it was me, I might've taken an olive branch to the diner and tried to make peace with the boycotters.
I don't think it's very smart, given the threat from Trump, to not vote for a ticket that has Shapiro on it because of this.
It may not be smart, but there are many voters who would nevertheless do so. Look up the "Uncommitted" movement.
Totally agree about Shapiro. She has a Jewish husband, Blinken is a Jew, she doesn’t need another one. She needs to do major cleanup regarding the genocide in Gaza.
Their being Jewish doesn't mean they are in favor of what is being done in Gaza, but, unfortunately, many people will see it that way--and most people vote on what they feel. She has to be elected and take office before she can do anything about Gaza (and the West Bank); if people who are pro-Palestinian think she won't do anything, they won't vote for her.
I agree with you wholeheartedly about Netanyahu. He is a monster who would see us involved in his wars, but I disagree about Shapiro. He may be gung-ho about Israel, but he certainly isn't in favor of Netanyahu. Most of Israel is not in favor of Netanyahu.
Most of Israel may not be in favor of Netanyahu, but they have no problem with the extermination of the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. A survey of Jewish Israelis (who make up 80% of the Israeli population) a few weeks ago found that 80% of them approved of the way the war in Gaza is being conducted or thought it should be conducted more harshly, and 67% of them thought their should be no humanitarian aid provided to the Palestinians.
Shapiro doesn't have to be in favor of Netanyahu to keep sending munitions to Israel to wipe out the Palestinians any more than Biden is..
Maureen most of Israel is secular and has never shared the ultra Zionist attitude of Bibi and the orthodox, it was live and let live, but the horrors of Oct 7th changed all of that, as has the hostage taking.
Can you blame them? I don't. You wouldn't either if the same happened to you.
Israel has been tending rightward since the assassination of Rabin and towards religious extremism since the aliyeh of Russian & now American haredim. It's not just a recent thing. Someone like Golda Meir wouldn't have a chance now.
I have my doubts about that figure of 80%. How could anyone who is so aware of the holocaust not find the Gaza situation similar? Genocide is genocide anywhere it happens. Killing of 12 Israeli children was decried all over while silence about the thousands of Palestinian children being slaughtered by Israel.
80% is what the survey found. Everyone has a blind spot, especially when they are afraid, and that's what the right wing everywhere trades in--fear.
Israel's response to the killing of those 12 children is ironic in that those 12 children were not Jewish Israeli children and may not have been Israeli at all. If Hezbollah launched the missile that killed them (they say they didn't), they would not have aimed at Majdal Shams; it's a Druze village, not a Jewish one, and the majority there have refused to accept Israeli citizenship. They retain their Syrian citizenship and want the Golan Heights to be returned to Syria. Hezbollah has no quarrel with them.
There is an IDF base about 2 km from Majdal Shams. From what I've read, if Hezbollah launched the the missile, they may have been aiming at that base and their missile either fell short or was intercepted by an Israeli anti-missile missile and deflected into the village.
Unfortunately, I don't have time to watch it, but, yes, I am worried about WWIII. I agree that we all should be.
Heartfelt respect for the reminder. Relevant, since lazy Trump clearly would just egg on Netanyahu, and Putin, and etc. We need to be reminded that the passive horror show is just as malignant as the petty, mean revenge policy. I humbly submit that Biden isn't the boss of these things.
Yes. I suspect Netanyaho and Putin are intentionally causing chaos to help Trump get elected. Sadly, it's working by causing chaos on campuses across the country.
How much fuel is being used for two wars rather than on the consumer market? An astounding amount of oil/fuel is used in war. I'm sure the mpg for a tank is really low.
Without the two wars, more available oil would bring the price down. Biden would be sitting very pretty, as he should be. Instead, Netanyaho has him in the hot seat. It's absurd to blame Biden for Gaza, but many do in MI and didn't vote for him in their primary. Honestly, I think Biden has done more than anyone to stop the war.
Seriously? He could have refused to send more arms, but he didn’t. That was his power and he didn’t use it. Unforgivable IMO. Along with his treatment of Anita Hill. I haven’t forgotten that. I watched every minute of that trial. He’s responsible for Clarence Thomas. I’m a diehard Democrat and would always vote for Biden over Trump.
He’s the boss of sending weapons of war to Israel.
Gaza, Gaza.Gaza anthing to distract,disrupt and defame Tom. You con't give a shit about Gaza, it is just another tool to disrupt and distract.
There are far worse human catastrophe's going on and you don't care about them either, Somalia, Sudan, Bangladesh, China and it's genocide against the Uyghers, and something that affects the West directly and America as well. The Genocide of Ukraine.
It seems that Gaza is the main one that America is completely assisting in genocide by supplying weapons and money. It is wrong when America constantly says we are champions of human rights.
There we go, another use of the trigger word genocide. The UN Convention on the Prevention of Genocide includes Intent. Provide evidence of the Israeli governments intention to genocide Arabs. Mind you Gazans are Arabs, and there are a billion Arabs in the world. There is not even an intention to annihilate the inhabitants of Gaza,though I will admit that there are my Jews in Israel, especially after Oct 7th that would have that, but if that is held up as proof then you have to say that America has an intention to commit genocide of blacks, queers and Muslims.
On the other hand the President of Russia, and his government has clearly announced their intention of genocide in Ukraine
Let's show some even handedness and not selective indignation.
Empire building they name is Putin
Signed Clintus Horriblus.
Gawd I love that nick name. Too late to change it as a screen name, maybe next time.
I watched Harris’s speech to the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, It was incredibly inspiring, upbeat and full of positive energy. What a contrast from Trump!!
This morning when I awoke my first thought was “Wow, Trump’s Supreme Court has handed Joe Biden a carte blanche to do as he sees fit with no legal consequences so long as it is part of his duty as the President. This baton also gets handed to Kamala when she wins. Can Biden declare a "State of Emergency” when the insurrectionists cross the line as they certainly will? If the Republicans try to “steal the election” can he simply declare Harris as the winner? Taking this a bit further, can he declare the current Supreme Court invalid and essentially shut it down? I can’t think of a more responsible and trustworthy person to be given such extraordinary powers as Joseph Biden.
Yes, thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision he could do all those things.
But, being a decent man who respects the office of the presidency and the traditions around it, he would not abuse the powers he has, even though he could with impunity.
Which is why the Court felt safe in making the decision they did even though Biden is the one currently in office. They knew Biden would not take advantage of it while setting things up for Trump to have free range should he win the election. They knew only a Republican would commit crimes as President.
I’m not talking about Biden as the instigator, but he now has the power to respond to misbehavior and cheating on the part of the Republicans in a strong manner. Just the threat of him utilizing these extraordinary powers could have a moderating influence. “A stick raised is better than a stick used."
A stick used is better than trusting criminals without ethics. Hasn't tRump caused enough deaths, and injuries? This is NOT a Bipartisan moment! Quick action is needed to stop the real steal! Like the last time: when Nothing was done on Jan 6th! We still have traitors running our government and even the Supreme Court! BOLDNESS is needed.. NO pussy footing ! And I like 🐈 cats. I reject tyranny., like most Patriots: most Americans .
Biden ought to forget his decency and shut down the Supreme Court!
I’m not sure about shutting it down.
But if I had his ear I would strongly push for him to send a clear message to them: “Pull any further shit, involve yourselves in any way in Trump’s trials, do ANYTHING to interfere in the election outcome and I will declare all six conservative justices enemies of the state and have you whisked off to Gitmo.”
Now THAT I could get behind!
Actually, I see that as an act of decency in defense of Democracy. Let Trump and project 2025 have a taste of their own medicine! Remember, the Republicans will contest the elections right up to the Supreme Court, but what would happen if the Justices were all given their “pink slips” by the current President?
Let's face the facts: The current supreme court is no longer an arbitrator of justice. It is clearly biased, and worse has lost it's moral standing. Perhaps Biden can fix the Supreme court by declaring that inasmuch as it is clearly become a corrupt political institution, that those who are clearly corrupt be tossed out according to his choosing, and that new interim judges be put in place also according to his choosing. Then a new process of assigning justices be put in place. One of the steps being that for each judge, multiple judges be selected by both parties, and that the Senate select the one judge what is the most popular take each slot. The 50% approval rule is clearly not working, and setting a higher % will likely result in no justices being approved. What we don't want is extremist judges, and the existing process encourages just that.
Its going to take the Presidency, the house and the Senate to fix the supreme court. Good to see that Biden is opening the conversation, som house members have been asking for this for some time. Thomas is marinated in right wing money, and he cannot find his moral compass with an ethics class backing him up and Alito is not too far away. John Roberts has lost the justices and his chief justice title is not worth printing on paper. A code of ethics with some enforcement mechanism is a MUST.
Ted. Its moral standing. It's = it is.
Expand the court. Biden still has time to add justices.
But what do you think Trump will try to pull if he doesn’t win ? I know Biden’s an honest man, but if someone is threatening our country and constitution- isn’t that treason? If Trump tries an overthrow will Biden step up?
If (when) he doesn't win Trump and his followers will ABSOLUTELY attempt to overthrow the government again. They've been declaring that's what they're going to do for months. They'll be disrupting voting both by clearing Democratic voters off of voting rolls and intimidating poll workers. They'll be filing lawsuits to dispute counts in every place where they lost, counting on the partisan judges that they've been putting in place at every level up to and including the Supreme Court. They'll make up some bogus reason to not seat the new Congress on January 3rd. And when any of those fail to achieve their objective, they'll resort to violence again.
As for whether Biden would use the powers and immunity he now has to stop them, I suspect not. It's the weakness of decent, law abiding people, like Biden. They will let bad folks get away with things rather than cross a line to stop them.
Christopher Foxx: But being a decent man who values the rule of law and our hard won freedoms, he would have the stones to stop the raping and pillaging of this Country and its Constitution , and utilize the power needed to restore fairness. Sanity and ⚖ Justice, and keep US and our freedoms free! No guts: no glory, no Democracy!
I'm afraid that being a decent man who values the rule of law and our hard won freedoms he would be resistant to utilizing the power the Court has given him.
If I were in his place, I'd have Seal Team Six drag the six conservative justices out of their homes and execute them, having the justices realize it's just a mock execution only when the hammers on the guns fell and no bullets came out. And then tell the the justices that this time it was a fake but, thanks to the powers they gave Biden, next time it might not be and there is nothing they can do about that UNLESS they hold an immediate emergency session and overturn their own ruling.
But Biden has too much respect for the spirit of our laws that he won't do anything like that even though the letter of the law now says he could with impunity.
Ah, you understand the dilemma: If you indulge in dictatorial behavior to treat a problem that has you stumped, can you still claim that you are for Democracy?
My lower instinct would be to lock them all up in Gitmo and throw away the key, but in so doing, would I not be spitting on the very Democratic principles that I claim to love and abide by?
That, unfortunately, is the "decency" that has kept Democrats from effectively fighting back at Republicans for a few decades now. Granted, if were were to adopt their methods we run the risk of becoming them. And it's easy to delude ourselves that we can fight dirty without becoming dirty.
So, yeah, it's a puzzle.
IMHO, the solution is self-sacrifice. To fight dirty knowing it will make you the villain and the people you're fighting for will disown you. It's becoming the brother who murders his sister's abusive husband over her objections. She hates you for it, but is grateful.
Yes, that's true, but I bet that may have been the strategy of all those who went to the Capitol on January 6th: Honestly believing the lie that the election was stolen, they took the Law in their own hands, 'sacrificing themselves' on behalf of a higher principle.. Unfortunately, they were wrong. I(t was Trump who was trying to "steal the vote". I would almost be in favor of pardoning them in exchange for nailing Trump and "his republican Congressmen/women".
Yep, Ethics is a sticky wicket
Those who attacked Congress on Jan 6th were ABSOLUTELY **NOT** "sacrificing themselves on behalf of a higher principle". They very much believed they could do whatever they wanted and not face any consequence at all.
And now that they've been finding out there ARE consequences, that personal sacrifice IS part of the deal, they're… staying home. Notice there were no Trump-supporter crowds outside the courthouse in NYC even though he called repeatedly for them to be there. The prosecutions of the Jan 6th traitors have sent a chill down their yellow backsides.
Why do you think Trump keeps making it clear he will pardon the traitors? He's telling them they won't be making personal sacrifices, that they can act without fear of consequence again.
Jan 6ers being willing to "sacrifice themselves on behalf of a higher principle"? Nonsense.
I'm not clear on which "them" you're referring to. The six conservatives gave themselves all sorts of power this past term.
The Court gave the judiciary near absolute control over the Executive branch. Courts now get to decide whether something the President does is part of the President's official duties. That means they get to decide if a Presidential action is criminal or not. And, with the utter disregard for precedent, consistency, and common sense that has been the main feature of the conservatives, they could easily decide that something is an official action when a Republican does it (meaning the Pres has immunity), but not when a Democrat does it (meaning the Pres can be prosecuted).
The Court gave the judiciary near absolute control over the Legislative branch. By declaring only the courts get to decide what regulations and rules government agencies can put in place (declaring judges know what's best in every field of human knowledge far more than actual experts in those fields) the courts have effectively taken control of the entire government bureaucracy.
Thank you. This is the answer I was looking for. Sorry for the way I wrote it.
Yes, I love your thoughts on this. Well said. I'll also add, the President needs to abolish the Electoral College.....THEN our elections will be truly fair and we won't be threatened with minority rule.
Unfortunately, abolishing the Electoral College will require a Constitutional Amendment. And that’s a very hard row to hoe.
True, but I think I recall that several States were up for it.....or there was another way around it.... I've forgotten now....my brain is fried these days 🙃
Diane, you’re thinking of the National Popular Interstate Voting Compact. It needs 270 Electoral votes to activate. So far there are 209 (W & E Coast states, DC, IL, MN, maybe 17 total), and it’s pending in enough to reach 259.
Imo it gets play every 4 years when the time to push it is right after elections, not just before them.
You can look the info up. If your state isn’t in, write your state reps (if you’re in favor).
Yes, that's it, thank you 🙏
We also need to get all money out of politics.
But Trump will contest the election if he doesn’t win all the way to SC and they will not be able to decide timely
Paging Thom Hartmann! There is precedent for a president to tell the Supremes to go to H.... Sadly, the one I can think of was Jackson proceeding with evacuation of the "Civilized Tribes" to "Indian Territory" in OK. AKA "The Trail of Tears." Maybe Karma could balance, here?
Marc, your comment is worth it's weight in GOLD! My sentiments exactly!
In a perfect world…
Mark, perhaps Justice Roberts was thinking along this line,too.
“I can’t think of a more responsible and trustworthy person to be given such extraordinary powers as Joseph Biden.”
But he was forced out with KH put in without a vote. Any other narrative is gaslighting. Everyone knows it
So you’re saying Dem delegates were forced to accept Biden’s recommendation that Harris get the nomination? They couldn’t decide for themselves?
How did he pull that off?
Seems to me you’re the gaslighter, RT.
RT is full of foul smelling gas.
Well, that's certainly succinct, Victor. 🤣
I mean, the interviewer gave him an opening to make some effort to "sell" anything positive, and he just didn't try! This is part of why I'm seeing something surrendered. How far is it from: "I don't care about you or your issues" to "Let Vance or whoever handle it...."
Mmerose, the orange man said the vice-president doesn't apparently have anything to do with presidential things. He would never have picked anyone that wouldn't have bowed in deference to him. He honestly does NOT care about the American people and our issues.
Didn't Hitler blame Joseph Goebbels, for atrocities? (Or Hitler apologists).
Yes
Professor Reich: i awoke this morning to the news that trump may actually have destroyed his own political career. of course, i had to watch all the clips from the NABJ conference and silently celebrate (it was extremely early in the morning, after all.)
it's really wildly gratifying to watch trump commit political suicide. he does it better than anyone else.
He had an eye-opening interview. That's for sure, but my opinion is he hasn't committed political suicide. The polls still show this to be a super close race. All those people who are still with him will continue to say that the left-wing media is distorting the story and taking things out of context. Their minds are MADE UP and they will never take the time to watch an entire interview or an entire speech to see the media has NOT taken anything out out of context. Here's an example: I work for a global technology company. One of my coworkers, a very intelligent woman, continually tells me how bad the Democrats are and there's no difference between them and the Republicans...I have tried to show her what the MAGA Republicans are doing and she said it's all exaggerated by the media.
There's definitely a new energy for the Democrats but they can't be idle and think Trump will destroy himself. There's going going to be an incredible amount of crap that's going to be thrown at Harris...lies and conspiracy theories. Then, you have the most watched news network in the country (Fox) espousing (or creating) these lies.
The Democratic Party needs to be prepared.
Climate change denial is at the heart of our tragedy. As to your acquaintance, she may be hiding something from you.
When a malignant narcissist is triggered, the mask of sanity slips, & Kamala is triggering.
Sam: And it’s a pleasure to watch. 🤗
Trump looks and sounds more and more like a 1-trick pony show all the time.
Diminished mental capacity? For sure. Emotional control? Never. Imo the combo makes him unfit for office without even mentioning that he already had the job and failed.
100% Malignant narcissists are psychologically unfit for public service.
Remember when he said "indict the mother f***er" at a rally, it's on video!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kxQuKuTmpCE
The only explanation I can think of. Trump and his true believers appear to think they live in a fact free world. Reality confuses and upsets them.
They do. It's an upside-down, topsy turvy fantasy world where everything they believe is opposite of reality.
I watched it from Kenya on CNN, exchanging comments with Kenyans on WhatsApp. They all thought he was rude and unpresidential and wondered why many in America support him. Trump and his followers may not be aware of how news travels or just don’t care. The good news is he did a similar shtick in 2020 and look where it got him.
He gets points for not pandering to people. However his lack of civility annoys the hell out of the left. His followers love him for it. The left needs to recognize they have gone too far pandering to every minority cause. The diversity, equity and inclusion has enabled terrorists to get treated as victims. Kamala needs to find balance and acknowledge the woke label is not a badge of honor.
Thanks for the feedback. True some feel taking the Mick out of something is okay. Equally lacking in civility and annoys people (just people i.e., as in human beings) is when someone writes sentences like “The diversity, equity and inclusion has enabled terrorists to get treated as victims.” and, “Kamala needs to find balance and acknowledge the woke label is not a badge of honor.” I’m not sure anyone reading knows what terrorists getting treated as victims you’re referring to. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are vast, again, leaving one to guess what is meant by the comment.
I can elaborate. The situation in Gaza is ugly on both sides. I see how support for either side is possible. My tendency is to condemn both sides. But I do notice pro Palestinian cause who voted in their terrorist party. Seems hypocritical to me. However their children are victims too. But do we need to raise funds for them. Those who would rather eliminate the Jewish race?
Thank you for elaborating on the comment. Yes, many agree the Gaza situation is ugly. In past Substacks, I’ve written the United Nations should possibly be considered for peacekeeping. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's death and the possible ramifications are yet unknown insofar as a ceasefire goes. What the solution is, is as much a mystery as always. Efforts by the US to resolve the matter have themselves led to the assassinations of Yitzhak Rabin and Anwar Sadat, showing how US good intentions can end badly. IDK what Trump or Harris think, Republicans or Democrats stances are. The two-state solution, agree or disagree, is what many Americans have read and heard in the news for decades. Nice remainder of the day.
Always demand that they define what they mean by "woke."
I purposely left out of the reply comment that word because it was obviously being used to discredit Harris. It is a difficult adjective to try and use correctly given the additional meanings that its been given. Many try not to use the word at all because of the mis-use and expanded mis-use accordingly.
So what does "woke" stand for? It may not be a badge of honor but neither was the yellow star a Jew had to wear in Nazi Germany. Please explain yourself.
Woke as I see it is a state of mind. It includes the concept of equity and generally views groups of people especially minorities as victims
Rick, thank you for your reply. I am glad that you use the "expression "state of mind" rather than ideology in your definition of "woke." States of mind can and do change quickly, and can turn very ugly when we are angry or afraid, ideologies don't. Social groups with traumatic histories will harbor grievances, and DEI policies, by validating such grievances, and seek to incorporate such groups into the mainstream. Republicans have scapegoated such policies to exploit grievances in other groups. Such divisive tactics lead to chaos and may result in violence. "Woke," as you noted in your original comment is a label, a political weapon, and it dishonors those who use it, because it is an evasive tactic. Neither "wokeness" nor DEI have anything to do with terrorism. Using the Gaza tragedy for domestic political gain is shameful, yet it is typical of Trump and his supporters. What Trump lacks is not "civility," as you assert, but morality. This is why chaos follows wherever he goes, as Nikki Halley observed.
Let me take this opportunity to recommend a book called Fantasyland, how America went haywire (by Kurt Andersen) which goes a LOOOONG way to explain why exactly the USA does what the USA does. Brilliant read.
ps. I have nothing to do with the author OR the publisher.
Don't be apologetic for recommend. I like the LOOOng, because my personal experience is that the susceptibility is perennial, and perhaps even genetically pre-disposed. (most therapeutic book of my life: "Conservatives Without Conscience," John Dean.)
John Dean (Watergate attorney) wrote three important books on amoral conservatives.They should be required reading. Presidential immunity was what most worried him.
"Fantasyland, How America Went Haywire"
Let me take a wild guess...
Lee Atwater, Paul Manafort, and Roger Stone!?
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-secret-papers-of-lee-atwater-who-invented-the-scurrilous-tactics-that-trump-normalized
Read it…good book
Excellent book.
You just described the dynamics of fascism.
Peruvian totalitarian fascist Field Marshal Oscar Benavides said: “For my friends: Everything. For my enemies: The law.”
denialism requires scapegoating.
They never think about truth or facts: egomaniacs never do.
Jan, they also believe they outnumber the rest of us. Not true! There are so many more of us than there are of them! I am hoping Independents and other third parties will decide in favor of Vice-President Harris. I am truly hoping for a blue deluge in November!
Biden won by 7 million. FT 6 has identified 9 million unregistered folk who trend heavily Democratic. Register Democrats, get them to the polls and we can sweep.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Yes! Yes! Yes!
I hope you’re right.
"Hope springs eternal in the human breast", Jan! Without hope we would probably already be under a dictatorship. Our hope is what keeps us in this fight. We need to continue this enormous push to elect Kamala Harris as our president. We need to continue to vote blue up and down the ballot until we have erased the orange man's cult from elected offices! Getting rid of him is one step, getting rid of all the others will take more time, but with hope we will do that! Vote blue, America! Lotus for POTUS!
And don't forget Kelly Anne Conway's "alternative facts"!
Denialism acts like drug. Once you go into denial you are freed to construct a fantasy world.
Agree, Jan. Aka an alternate reality or parallel universe.
Being civilly indicted and then prosecuted by a Black woman, then having to run against a Black woman and THEN losing the election to a Black woman which possibly will cause his fat ass to be jailed, well you can see why the POS might be a little upset. Go Black women, show that creepy orange thing who is boss.
Yes!! Well said, thank you 🙏
You bet!
Lorraine - “like”
Trump is a crappy Christian, who uses Christian conservatives to get elected, and to sell bibles with genuine faux leather covers.
Not only is he a crappy Christian he was a crappy president and a crappy human being.
Saying he’s a crappy Christian is like saying he’s a crappy Martian.
He’s not a Martian.
Some of us aren’t so sure (tongue in cheek)
He should go to Mars with Elon.
I believe we could start a go fund me page to help pay for his departure!
But! Would he use the funds for that?
Hahahahahaha! You're right, Laurie! No one should EVER give him money for any reason!
But then you run into the problem, what the heck planet are his worshippers from? They seem deluded that they are "Christians." (Have to put it in quotes.)
Mmerose : Sadly. There are good people who believe in their Christian faith: but lack the critical thinking 🤔 needed to see fraud when it happens. When a pastor derides a member of 'his' church because they follow politics, it is an example of how the pastor wants to control everything worshippers think about. The personal IS political: especially when laws are made that affect very basic things like what you want to do with your own body, and who you are allowed to love. How you are taxed. And on and on: whether you can vote, what you can learn. The environment, health freedom: everything. Where your donations to the church go. "What would Jesus do?" : I remember a story about a 12 year old Jesus turning tables over in the temple , and chasing the money changers out.. I believe that, if this happened : He was on to something. Why would a modern pastor be against interest in self governing in a Democracy?
Susan, I love that description 'genuine faux leather'! If he were a Christian, he would not be hawking his bible to make money. He would use only the finest leather and gold edging on the pages. His apparent 'love' for 'his' Christians is measured by how much money they can make for him!
Peggy: And his "beautiful Christians" had better be beautiful looking, with no handicaps or flaws, and they better be loyal to tRump, and nobody else! No critical thinking, especially about him!
And, of course, their Votes! Once in power, he will not give a rat's ass about Any of them! Especially their newborns or any of their children! Especially if they are Black Brown, Asian. Disabled. Or if they are not absolutely loyal to Donald J. Trump. Or if they are not filthy rich and stupid! Or if they are of a different faith (or any faith), and if they really are true believers who disagree with trump's total lack of honesty or concern for anyone but himself.
What is “ his Christians”? Don’t Christians belong to Christ? Trump certainly does not exemplify any of the works of Christ
Susan, the orange man's cult believe him to be Jesus. I'm not just saying that. I have had people (devoted cult followers) tell me that the orange stain is Jesus.
That is how he referred to them when he was exhorting them to vote for him (of course), for "one last time". "You will never have to do it again after 4 years" ..
."my Beautiful Christians".
And he is trying to turn the USA into a s******* country that he loves.
Your video on Project 2025 needs to be augmented to point out Project 2025's effect on the environment, the availability of health care and consumer protections ,
Michael, excellent point, yes....if there are no protections for the environment, medical care and consumers, they will have complete control over us all and totally destroy the economy and the planet.
Michael & Diane: As a sr citizen consumer with a daughter who works for a state-level environmental organization, it’s my honest opinion that there are very few protections left now.
Trump was absolutely horrific to that panel of women NABJ. He not only showed his true colors, he doubled-down by not answering most of the questions that they asked him. He deflected and projected and acted as though he was the best thing since walking upright. Which is ironic because I’m still unsure how he came to that evolution, acting like the Neanderthal that he is. Of course even THEY had more common sense and decency than Trump will ever muster.
Please stop aligning Neanderthals. Scientific evidence and archaeological artifacts show that they were a highly intelligent and skilled species. They also interbred with "modern man" or home sapiens. Check your DNA. Like many of us, you may still carry 1-2 percent of Neanderthal genes.
I typed maligning. Predictive text ambushed me.
I agree. Neanderthals would have been considered progressive when compared to Trump.
I’ll get right on that
But if you listen closely to the video, people have that uncomfortable laugh when they know what he is saying is true. Let’s not listen to spin and not validate ourselves. Confirmation bias is a real problem
True to whom?
I don't trust orange people.
Must be the Florida sun and fruit crop. And the crappy makeup.😂
I like people who aren't orange.
Thank God he is mellting down. And thank Biden and Harris.
But think about how this man, so stupid, so blatantly unfit for the position he wants, can dominate a party and an electorate.
What is it? The influence of big money, who think he is for sale? Lacking education of ordinary American voters? The appeal of meanness, lack of civility and humor?
Or is the estrangement of the electorate justifiable and why? How can he tell us about decay and loss of the country whilst the objective and scientific data tell us the U.S. is in good shape?
Tom, thank you for your mention of “Big Money.” Without the billionaires support he would not have gotten this far. Professor Reich stated that with Trump everything is for sale. Apparently this includes his integrity and his soul.
Integrity?
Don't waste your time looking for it, not in his entire public history.
I wonder if he knows or cares about what integrity is?
I am sure he would say it's for losers and fools.
Some of the best people are those born in the Chinese Years of the Dog. Spelled backwards, it's God!
Remember Lassie? saved lives. And was a loyal companion.
in a dog-eat-dog world integrity is for losers. That's the world Trump inhabits.
Maybe That is why he hates dogs.
Yes Marc, everything is for sale in the world of Trump. Reich has told us about that.
But buying and selling does not bring safe and satisfying social structures. I think that is what the U.S. needs as insurance against another Trump...
I’d agree, Marc, but imo he never had integrity.
I guess he’s as entitled to a soul as much as anyone, but he sold his long ago. I hope the buyer collects on the deal metaphorically at least in November.
Soul: unconditional love. Trump never got it.
He must have sold his soul. And any integrity he may have had.
Trump never learned the difference between sol and ego.
He is a puppet
Excellent points, Tom. I hope that some think tanks work on figuring out the answers to those questions. The more we can understand it, the more we can address the problems so that this NEVER happens again!
Tom - “like”
Tom, to answer the questions in your 3rd paragraph: Yes.
It feels so good when bullies get punched in the face by their own people and their own family members!
Trump is a great example of a man who reaps what he has sown.
Keith - “like”
I’m sure Ms Scott said “rabid” though, not rabbit
Correct. She did say "rabid." Autocorrect error?
The question she was asking regarded Don's use of "words like 'animal' and 'rabid' to describe Black district attorneys."
I have an(ok, maybe?)"You heard it first here" inkling. Trump is lazy and not having fun. Did you hear the laughter? Some say he even ran in the first place because he was steaming about Obama's "big decisions" joke. I call up the hoary ghost of Aesop on the subject of "sour grapes," and stir it up with observation of a guy who has no commitment to anybody or anything outside of his own (greatest of all time!) hedonism. Maybe just me, but I would not be shocked if Trump quits. Has a "saving face" tinge, even. Not a loser, just you can keep your stinking Presidency, I'm outta here. ("Ni...rs and stupid people..., and by the way, I would have been the best ever......") You know: woulda been, but he didn't get fired first.
I've been thinking that someone on the right would try to pressure him to withdraw, but who would have the nerve?
Elon Musk
You earn the prize! But Elon and (Vance's Silicon-Valley Hitler-loving godfather) might actually face an uphill battle getting anybody they're in love with over the finish line.
Don’t kid yourself that Musk is on the right or the left either. Musk is about AI and surveillance. How do you think he makes money? Selling Teslas? Give your head a shake
But does Elon have the integrity? How much is he donating to tRUMP's campaign? 45 million per month?
Absolutely not! But Elon has sky kissing arrogance and insatiable greed.
Elon is putting hundreds of millions of dollars into Trump's campaign. He's angling for more power to do as he likes through the would-be dictator.
I hadn't considered that possibility at all. Regaining the presidency is the only way he'll avoid paying the piper for his espionage and other crimes, so it's hard to imagine him walking away now. True, he's not having fun now (isn't the joyful type anyhow), but as president he'd have great sadistic satisfaction in punishing all of us. Can he hang on through some uncomfortable, demoralizing times to reach those goals? 🤔
Obviously, I don't know. But I am not confident that he gets that "paying the piper" could ever happen to him, either. (There's another hoary tale...) So far our legal system has shown him not the slightest evidence of interfering in his lifestyle.
The “legal system” aka the Supreme Court, has given Joe Biden an unbelievable amount of power. Joe does not have an election to win so he does not have to win a popularity contest. He can end his term as a hero, the President who saved democracy and realigned the Supreme Court.
He thought he had an easy win against an ailing Biden the playbook was set, working and it all would have seemed even more of a doozy in the aftermath of the botched assassination. That “fight” photo now looks like it could be the apex of his campaign. Who’d a thought it at the time?! He is now (hopefully) on a downward trajectory facing an opponent who is going to be criss crossing the U.S in a way Mr Lazy is going to find hard to emulate, at his age. He is not the Trump of 2016 and Harris is not going to make the same mistakes Hillary did by not visiting certain swing states. Not a chance. Also, the Mooch posted on Twitter that it’s a possibility he will withdraw. Can’t see it myself but it’s an intriguing insight from someone who’s had the unfortunate pleasure of working with him
If I follow the threads right, maybe you didn't see my post somewhere around here: I have an(ok, maybe?)"You heard it first here" inkling. Trump is lazy and not having fun. Did you hear the laughter? Some say he even ran in the first place because he was steaming about Obama's "big decisions" joke. I call up the hoary ghost of Aesop on the subject of "sour grapes," and stir it up with observation of a guy who has no commitment to anybody or anything outside of his own (greatest of all time!) hedonism. Maybe just me, but I would not be shocked if Trump quits. Has a "saving face" tinge, even. Not a loser, just you can keep your stinking Presidency, I'm outta here. ("Ni...rs and stupid people..., and by the way, I would have been the best ever......") You know: woulda been, but he didn't get fired first.
I am not on Twitter, so wonder what Mooch said. I also already labeled T. "lazy." Not in context of age, though. The kind of lazy we're talking about is the arrogant, invulnerable, "why bother" kind.
He will not quit. He is running to stay out of prison. Don’t forget the 94 federal indictments against him.
Ooooooo, I like this line of thinking! If he quits, I’ll give you credit. I heard it here first! Also, has it occurred to you that the prisoner trade today might indicate that Putin has thrown in the towel on Trump? And if that’s so, the Russian “interference” and “ meddling” may be screeching to a stop? More reason for Trump to drop out? Hmmmm . . . .