When will the Republican Party members realize that they are the Titanic and Trump is the iceberg?
Trump killed the border bill, he appointed 3 Supreme Court judges who repealed Roe, he kowtows to Putin and has never said anything negative about him! Are they all really that stupid?
Can you believe that this is the party of Lincoln?
It was infiltrated by Jessee Helms Republicans - that is, the neo-Confederate Southern Democrats, called simply "Southern Democrats" - along with Newt Gingrich in response to the Civil Rights Era, when the Democratic party started getting "darker" - as they would've been inclined to say >at that time< among other whites.
Knowing Trump, he has already arranged to have a printing press installed in Mar-A-Lago, one that is capable of producing bills with ink that won't run in the wash.
The Joan Baez version obscures the message a bit in the medium. At the time, the only part you could usually make out on a juke box or transistor radio was the hook lyric - the song's title. It's not clear that it's supposed to be a Confederate soldier singing it. After all, it was a group of young, soldier age men, "The Band"'s song.
Trump isn't a Republican and has no sense of this party's history or indeed any other history.He is a product of American capitalism forged by graft,deceit and the hyperbole fostered by tv presence.Few however in the media have landed any punches on him and indeed the Internet has amplified the image of him as a martyr to liberal thinkers and their system of self advancement. American democracy hangs by a thread held in the capricious hands of its supreme court judges and quirky legal processes which may grind on past the election day and nullify the final day of rrckoning for Donald J.Trump.My conclusion is influenced by the inability of Biden to project presidential potency and the US voters' general scepticism about this particular party 'product' and his lacklustre impact on overseas affairs that of course matter alot in the preservation of US dominance in military and economic affairs.
I have been bothered lately by the possibility of something scary happening. Having witnessed the transformation so many who have suffered because of the MAGA infection, I'm consumed with fear over the future possibility that whatever they contracted might mutate and jump into the human population.
In the end, when they lose, they are always the ones to say, I never did like him!
The deadly coup attempt and lackluster legal consequences have affected the health of the public. This on top of having our voices silenced when we repeatedly win the popular vote but don’t get the person in office that WE elected!
Literally affecting our health, Seeking. Not just those who needlessly died from covid but all the headaches, ulcers, palpitations, etc. he’s giving all of us.
That’s what I meant. I am getting borderline high blood pressure…I’ve always had blood pressure below what is considered ideal. Many doctors have reported on the increased number of anxieties and stress due specifically to trump’s attempt to destroy hard-fought-for rights! And general democracy!
Trump has an estrogen carrying attorney who no doubt charges for her services. Oddly similar to the arrangement he had with Stormy Daniels. The only difference being one was worth his time while the other wasted it. Trump loved "Stormy" whether she knows it or not.
Donald, wherever do you get all these titillating tidbits? Anyway, with respect to A. Habba, I find it interesting to watch her performances for the cameras after court proceedings. I wonder if she rehearses them? like a grade b actress, not even as good as boobert or marjtraitorgreen. but at least she's (according to her) pretty. how can she still have a law license?
Trashing Biden plays right into Putin’s hands. Biden isn’t the problem. We’re fortunate he’s our president right now. Trump is a tool being used by the GOP to create chaos. So is the 2nd amendment. It’s another tool that’s meant to somehow make the majority of Americans long for a dictatorship instead of a President—an iron-fisted “Daddy” figure promising to make everything all better.
Republicans can’t get the popular vote - they’re always too extreme - so now they’ve backed an extreme liar -Trump - willing to do or say anything - makes no sense when they get caught in their own lies
Arch, I agree with you, but there’s a dark twist in play as well. Corporate owned media has gone over to the dark side. They’ve done it because the GOP
has promised more tax cuts for corporations and an
end to having to fund half of their employees’ Social Sec. In return republicans can expect large campaign contributions and other perks like Justice
Thomas got for voting the “right” way.
In past years we could and did expect the bigger
media outlets to explain various things our government did in an honest and unbiased way. Of
course there were some that leaned to the right and others that leaned to the left, but no one disputed the facts. The media attitude that was prevalent in Watergate days is long gone. They simply don’t care about our government operating honestly or dishonestly or care about the American people as long as they keep making money—the more money the better.
Corporations, especially media corporations have made a choice. They aren’t covering President Biden to the extent they covered other presidents before Trump appeared on the scene. When they do cover him it’s often slanted negatively. When Trump was president they covered his trip to North Korea like it was the second coming of Christ. They found very few negative things to say about a president who boasted he and a murderous dictator were exchanging “love letters.”
During Watergate the press had a field day, “Today, Watergate is a symbol of investigative reporting worldwide, and the suffix ‘-gate’is used to describe scandals everywhere…Their stories got little traction at first, as the White House stonewalled and Nixon won a landslide re-election that year. But the evidence kept piling up. The team’s reporting helped unravel the threads of a massive criminal conspiracy, filled with break-ins, political dirty tricks, laundered money, illegal spying, and obstruction of justice. ‘Nixon had turned his White House, to a remarkable extent, into a criminal enterprise,’Bernstein and Woodward later wrote.” (impact.gijn.org) (Investigative Impact)
When Trump was president, all of the above that
made Nixon’s presidency a “criminal enterprise” was
happening again only worse, much worse. But it hasn’t been covered the same way by the major media outlets. They aren’t even covering Russia’s
substantial and ongoing interference in our political system. Why not?
Not only did Russia spend millions and fund an enormous social media disinformation machine
to help Trump get elected—they’re still doing it.
“The Russian government spent money to create
and run botnets, spent money to organize and promote dozens of political rallies within the U.S.
and spent money to successfully hack the Clinton campaign, Democratic Party orgs, and state election administrators and agencies. Every bit of this activity is in connection with a federal, state, or local election, and every bit of it violates 52 U.S.C. § 30121, the ban on foreign-national spending in U.S. elections. From the Special Counsel [ Mueller’s] report and other analysis, we know that much of this activity continues today.” (Ellen Weintraub, Chair,
statement above? If so, I don’t remember reading or hearing about it. I do remember Attorney General
Barr giving us a very slanted & dishonest report
about Special Counsel Mueller’s report, but very
little was made of it. Why? In the Watergate years
Ms. Weintraub’s statement would’ve been a major media event, because what she’s saying is, a foreign, long-term ENEMY head of state fraudulently interfered in our elections on behalf of the Republican party’s candidate who was elected and we’ve done nothing about it.
Yes I can. They have shown us exactly who and what they are since Nixon. They canonized Ronald Reagen, who brought forth much of the rot that destroyed America with Citizens United and the end of the Fairness Act. Thus we got the creation of FOX and other propaganda outlets that poisoned our citizenry and brought us an increasingly illegitimate and corrupt (no longer) Supreme Court. Their crowning achievement, the hideous, insidious trump.
The audacity to call people welfare queens when his deregulation created welfare for corporations! And since then the Rescumlicons have taken it to warp-speed.
We need legislation that addresses corporate subsidies because thanks to republicans it’s out of control. But, the only way to pass that legislation would be if we have dem majorities in both the House and Senate.
Exactly. No matter what happens in November, having strong control of both is so important and I wish there were more outlets to get that word out. EVERY position matters, from local water district to POTUS.
Benefits of every kind are almost nonexistent in the southern states. Eduction, maternal-child mortality, etc etc. I can’t understand why anyone but an oligarch would choose to live there.
Nancy, I agree. And yet so many Republicans (Christie included) hail Reagan as the “gold standard”. Far from it. Remember his treasonous involvement with the Contras? (Thom Hartmann’s Substack newsletter. He should have been tried for treason along with Nixon).
Saint Ronnie was a fraud with a great speech writer and with a big headed wife and her astrologer running this country. Mr. Trickle Down has been falsely revered for far too long. I still cant believe Jennifer Rubin bought his bullshit.
Reagan’s deregulation caused collapse in banking and financial markets later - Trump wants even more deregulation- Will people ever learn from these hucksters?
If you're talking about the higher up Repub electeds there are plenty nearly all that know Trump is an iceberg. They are willing hostages and wait for the natural course of events to bring him down. They won't say the emperor has no clothes. Nobody wants to be another Cheney.Profiles in cowardice.
@steve reed. I get what you are saying. But I would like to warn that calling people cowards is a way of de-fang-ing a very dangerous beast. The most fervent supporters of the tangerine twat waddle are not cowards - they are co-conspirators with their own agenda to undermine our rule of law and the constraints on their moneyed sponsors. Their caucus is made up of both abject cowards who know better and who won't risk their jobs over a principled stand plus the co-conspirators who are not cowards, but rather dangerous agents of negative change.
I wish you had not asked that. I find it hard to resist a challenge but it gives me a chance to clarify my own thoughts on the general question of influencing people for 2024.
So there are 2 facets of "messaging"
First is the content of the message .
Second is its distribution, though McLuhan's "the medium is the message" means that the medium of distribution also carries a message. Include in that who the deliver of the message is perceived to be. Are they perceived to be trusted?
Message content always need to be fashioned with the audience in mind. I doubt that messaging on Trump as a dangerous iceberg, dangerous to democracy and America, is the strongest message for ex-Trump or weak Trump undecideds. I say that based on some polling I have seen that also agree with my intuitions.
What should the content be ? Start with what the demographics should be for the top priority target audience. If you look at this polling you find where the undecided vote is:
south 9% west 8%
independents 7% and even democrats 5%
(Repubs are 1% undecided-forget them.)
<50K income 10% undecided
non college 9% black 12% , latino 13%
genZ and millenials 11% (vs silent generation 2%)
rural 9%
also, Democrat women undecideds 7%, vs Democratic men undecideds 3%
So, low income blacks and Latinos who are non-college living in the south rural areas would be the ideal low hanging fruit.
The level of messaging (volume) would be modified by which areas are critical to notch wins for Biden, House and Senate. You’ll not going to throw much effort into southern areas where there is zero win chance, though I would argue one has to spend something as an investment.
Democrats have a built in disadvantage as long as the MSM reports an event X with the headline “Trumps says this about X”. I don’t know that this can be fixed.
I’d like to write more on content and distribution but have to go.
What I can't believe is that no one realizes the orange trump is just a mid level player. The real crooks Jamie Dimon Fraud Chase are the lions still roaming that campsite while the GAs and FBI chase mice.
It's not plugging - it's sharing. Why are we not talking about the white elite crime and accounting control fraud that did the take down from 2008.
Oh yes, we still have bank regulators to put them in jail.
I'll keep posting this until the cows come home.
The Inside Job, The Con, How to Rob a Bank is to Own One.
Elite White Collar Crime is stealing billions a year from all of us - don’t you care?
The ownership of our country by ruthless corporate power is indeed the problem. It was already a big problem when the Citizen United decision was handed down. If you raise kids to admire capitalism and lust for wealth, they will fall for the next crazed trillionaire. Kids admire Musk already.
As previously stated, the central force contributing to transnational crime is what I call the marketocracy, i.e., the supremacy of market values and rules that overshadow the power of nation states and existing international law. There are three additional forces that characterize marketocracy: moral inversion, double dehumanization, and the pecking order. It is capitalism that has taken over the planet and is killing us all. It is capitalism that puts US made weapons in the hands of criminals. As in Iran-Contra. As in Mexican drug cartels. As in every Banana Republic in Latin America. As in our overthrow of democratic governments.
Sho' `nuff. So now what are we going to do about it? Pass laws that overturn Citizens United. How long will that take? Until we can get rid of the conservatives in the relevant federal courts. We don't have that long. The planet is dying. All of us, democrats, republicans, conservatives, christians, hindus, muslims, shamans, chimpanzees, bonobos, swans and seals, are going to die ugly deaths. Very bad and ugly deaths. Before 2050.
Martha Ture ; I wonder why there has been no 'noise' , even on progressive podcasts, about the Traitors still sitting in Congress, who are marching to tRump's orders ; the guy who likes Putin, the murderer? Why isn't there a campaign to throw those who violated and are now violating, their oaths of office ;, not just to refuse to vote to certify Biden's win, but who are not serving their constituents, and betraying their oaths yet again , by giving 'comfort' to our enemy. Purging Congress of this infection may help things to move in the direction of our common good. these 'representatives' are disqualified for holding office in our government!
Money in politics has always been a problem and Citizens United put the problem on steroids. Money = free speech = if you ain't got the bread shut the F up. As Tevye sings in "Fiddler on the Roof" “If I Were a Rich Man,” including this exquisite line: “When you’re rich, they think you really know.
Janet Adams ; Yes, it is ironic that Democrat Clinton ended Glas Steagal ; and ended "Welfare as we knew it' replacing it with something even worse, for those needing it. This nightmare has not happened overnight. It is encouraging when Democrats win like the special elections recently. Santos was one toxic 'member ' of Congress that overstayed his unwelcome. Justice denied!
Yes. Recommend Michael Sandel's books on the dominance of market values that have crowded out other humane values.
How do you enable younger people growng up to realize that their/our market crazed culture is bankrupt in many ways. Education. An understanding of history.
Anyone in the teaching biz like me (with 47 years experience) will tell you this is the most energetic, inspired, creative generation since the 60s. They are disillusioned yes. They should be--Democrats have been trying to hide in illusions since the 80s. They're not, at their best, reformists: they are anti-capitalist. And they did almost all the drudge work to get the vote out for Biden. I don't like to hear them slammed!
The only time in my life I didn't vote for someone running for a major office is when I didn't vote for Clinton's re-election. It was hard to vote for him the first time, frankly, after he allowed the execution of a mentally disabled boy while still governor of Arkansas. He did it in order to win the election. Speaks ill of him, and of his under-estimation of the American people, and of the beautiful state of Arkansas.
I get so frustrated too. But then I watched the documentary about women fighting to vote. If I can't vote for a candidate, I write in a name. I did vote for a republican last time but he was very middle ground and there wasn't any progressive on the ballot. County election.
I don't mean to be annoying on here but when I watched Bill Black many years back on TED talks and started reading more - the fraud was so much worse than I wanted to imagine.
We've created some perverse incentives in this country. We have a beautiful earth and I actually hug my trees! I hope that making comments on here makes a difference.
I hope the elected Dems will do a CLG if needed, I would do it. (career limiting gesture)
Janet--Regulating wall street can prove to be counterproductive at some point in the future. There has to be a means by which to adequately tax the wealthy.
What fraud would that be, Janet? Alas, the laws written by the running dogs for their masters make "regulate Wall Street" a vague trope. We have plenty of regulations now and they would work pretty well if they were used. But.
Lots and lots of it. The regulations at this point are weak and the GAs refuse to bring cases. What do you suggest - give up?? Pack our bags? Where to go?
====
The Inside Job, The Con, How to Rob a Bank is to Own One.
Elite White Collar Crime is stealing billions a year from all of us - don’t you care?
on what? fraud, greed, corruption, that's still on going? I'm not lawyer. If the statute is limited it's because the wrote a new law to get out of the crime.
Keith, if Lincoln could speak from his grave, I truly believe he would say that the republicans today are most definitely NOT a part of the party he belonged to!!
They are not stupid. They only want the craven priorities of power and greed. They don't give a crap anymore about their country, they no longer care about democracy here or around the world - in fact they threaten national security here and around the world. They have ditched the constitution, the bill of rights and are covertly throwing half the country under the bus. They are inciting a civil war - are basically criminals being derelict in their duties. They are traitors and long after Trump is gone - their dishonor will remain.
Keith, you’re assuming republicans are still interested in democracy & governing. They aren’t.
They support Trump because he creates chaos.
Republicans are almost bizarrely opposed to any kind of serious gun control even though gunfire is now the leading cause of death for children in America. They screamed about non-existent “open borders” & “Biden’s border policies,” then after months of negotiations they are handed a bill that has 90% of what they demanded and they refuse to even consider it. Republicans stood by Trump as he hawked quack cures (remember horse paste?)and said people should drink bleach and refuse to
wear a mask during a viral pandemic. They lowered
the corporate tax rate on profitable corporations & then insist on cutting spending on social safety net programs so we can lower our national debt. They manipulate parents with disinformation who then go to School Board meetings and shout at board members or they accost teachers and shout at them.
They make it hard for people to vote and scream “voter fraud” when they don’t like the result of an election. None of these behaviors make any sense unless they’re deliberately trying to create prolonged chaos. Prolonged chaos destabilizes our government and our culture. The GOP is a corrupt
political party that has in turn corrupted our U.S. Supreme Court and Federal Election Commission.
Their goal is to destroy our democratic government
Maybe, just maybe, the ignorant Trump supporters will finally realize they are the fools who believed that he was sent here by God! “Hope springs eternal”
With all due respect to you, Keith, and to everyone who reads this . . . sadly I have to respond, Yeah, but look what happened to Lincoln.
I keep reading and hearing on the news that so many of the Republicans in office are living in fear for their families' security and lives. Mitt Romney is paying $5,000 a week for beefed-up security. Look what happened to Nancy Pelosi's husband. Many pro-Trumpers in office are being swatted. Trump puts out the call daily on his "Truth" Social, and in his campaign speeches, and even from outside court houses where he's had to appear for hearings, thru hateful rhetoric that his followers then act upon. I think many would quit on Trump, but Trump has his base so riled up with all of his lies . . . OBVIOUSLY, MANY OF THEM WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO GO AFTER ANYONE WHO OPPOSES TRUMP. I heard on the news this morning that Mike Johnson has left the House the aid money package to act upon, AND HE'S LEFT TOWN FOR TWO WEEKS! WHAT does THAT tell you??
I have said for year that this is the way Nazi Germany started. Now we have a band of people in power at all levels that are full of power greed and believe the BS the Chump and his minions have pedaled (and we know that he didn't start it, he is just the figure head that made it acceptable to everyone to get behind). We are headed to our own "1939 Germany" and take over of Government if we don't find a way of preventing Chump from getting a second term! Our democracy is already starting to crumble...we need to prop our country try up--somehow!
Dear Elizabeth, I keep saying that we must each take braver steps than just talking to each other. Many people advocate for working to get out the vote, to contact as many people in that way as possible. I advocate for contacting people in what are supposed to be more powerful positions, such as the Dept. of Justice, the White House Contact website, calling legislators on both sides of the aisle and leaving strong messages. I said that I wrote to Sen. Chuck Schumer last week; I fired off a letter to Biden and had it out in the mailbox at 6:30 yesterday morning for pickup. You can send emails but I don't recommend that if you want to remain somewhat anonymous. Just get really mad and don't cower before the "powers that be." WE THE PEOPLE PAY THEIR SALARIES, AFTER ALL! Wasn't it a former FBI agent who just got snagged for lying about something Biden supposedly did regarding his and Hunter's attempts (NOT!) to "bribe" Barrisma officials in Ukraine, which never happened! They're just flawed humans, in some cases. This isn't Russia . . . I seriously doubt it ever will be. And look at the Navalny situation. Even though Putin has had people arrested and detained JUST FOR LAYING FLOWERS AND PROTESTING AT MEMORIALS, STILL THEY ARE DOING IT. People are sick of Putin! He has to keep KILLING people who've stood up against him, and The People are getting wiser over there. He didn't kill Pussy Riot members. He feared Navalny, and Pregozin (sp?), the head of the Wagner Group, who started to stage a coup against him. Putin's actions are known to the whole world . . . Let's see how much longer HE lasts! Take heart! And act with strength and bravery.
What’s truly amazing is how completely different Trump and his idiots’ rhetoric is outside of the courtroom and when they are inside the courtroom! What a bunch of liars!
I'm afraid the nation is the Titanic and tRump and the tRumplicans are the iceberg. Unless we can steer the nation away from the iceberg, or melt the iceberg, we're in trouble....
The GOP is not the party of Lincoln. It is some grotesque corrupt monster today set on the destruction of our country. The most dangerous political party in the world. It IS Donald Trump.
It's a story from the King Arthur cycle, or from an Irish saga. Yulia Navalny, widow of an honorable rebel murdered by an evil king, stands before the Court of good kings and demands justice.
It would seem Donald Trump is testing a mathematical theory that states when two negatives are multiplied together the answer is always a positive integer. However, in Trump's case the man has accumulated enough social and personal faux pas to qualify him as being voted Mr. Negativity and I'm positive of that. Trump collects indiscretions like a bee collects pollan. An invisible aura of questionable legality surrounds Trump's inwardly spiraling lifestyle which seems to be sucking the life out of any aspirations he might have about stayed out of the gray bar motel. Sadly, if Trump was a dog he would be a dirty one! Trump doesn't fear Hell he actually looks forward to the experience, he thinks all the women in Hell are in Heat.
Trump has never had any discipline- he’s always gotten away with his indiscretions - it’s about time to get the wooden spoon out and whack him on his butt- he deserves all punishment we can deal out - the man tried to overthrow our government
But if he doesn’t pay it, he can’t file an appeal and then the court appointed fiduciary of his assets can confiscate them to pay the fine. He has the same 30 days to come up with the bond plus interest to appeal the fraud verdict.
Apparently - according to Cohen in the last quarter of the interview, that Velshi confirms - the case he just lost will be forwarded to federal investigators as well as IRS for further action. If that's true, Tovarich МАГАт has only just begun to bleed. Sooner or later his billionaire supporters will begin to view any further support as throwing good money after bad.
I hope this is the beginning of the End. Trump will not be able to wriggle out of his legal troubles no matter what. But I am not sufficiently optomisitic to think we're home free. It will need the realization by the mainstream media that they are backing a loser, a big time loser, for America to win in November.
Fay, In my view, while we must continue to press for mainstream media that is guided by democratic principals, equally important, as engaged citizens, we must train ourselves and acquire the knowledge and strength to take whatever responsibility we can for making democracy real here at home.
Daniel, Because I’m not certain from your comment as to what is unreported, I don’t know how to reply. I should add I am having difficulties with my audio; thus, I couldn’t hear Robert’s and Heather’s exchange.
Just sayin 'that the media throughout flyover country does not report the good news. No mention of the NY judgment. Didn't report that the Hunter/Joe "whistleblower" was indicted. That we are still negotiating re Gaza, etc. They don't know that Bidenomica works. That new jobs are opening.
My home town is 20 miles from East Liverpool so they did report that Biden was there, but the residents there are mostly MAGATs, as are virtually all the public officials on the Ohio side of the state line.
And the damage AGAIN is done. People will only remember the slander of that misinformation. Everywhere it was reported, they should be required to report the truth DAILY for a week or however long the fake news had been reported.
Daniel, Thank you for the clarification. Considering the desire for bigger profits typically drives media coverage, I don’t imagine, try as we might, we can exert a meaningful enough impact between now and November. Accordingly, as I repeatedly post, our engagement, or energy, our caring, and our work everywhere else can, and will, make a sufficiently robust difference.
Many newspapers do not deserve the moniker “journalism.” Rather, they deserve to be called “publishers,” which puts them into the same pot as Junk Mail.
I became so angry listening to what I knew to be lies or half truths I had my cable disconnected last spring, Haven't missed TV one bit since. I now get my news from trusted sources on line. I don't need to listen to talking heads bobbing in line with their overly wealthy masters.
Fay, I would consider you among the sorely needed truth warriors whose participation in grassroots engagement can have a meaningful impact. If you’re interested in ways of additionally engaging, see my reply to Mary Blaine Campbell, who is part of this thread.
Thank you Barbara, but at 91, with a bad back and no support from my knees, I'm kind of useless. The best I can manage now are small cash donations and insisting my grandkids vote.
Fay, I hardly view you as “useless.” To that end, I imagine you doing as much as possible of what I sense you already are doing—inserting your wise and informed voice into as many spaces as afforded you.
Mary, One way to get started is through postcarding, letter writing, phone- and text-banking, canvassing, and the like, all of which have been shown to exert a meaningful impact. A second way is to join grassroots organizations like FieldTeam6 and The Union, to name a couple, which offer a host of ways to help turn out the vote. As for me, I presently am part of a group that has started laying the groundwork for building a nationwide pro-democracy movement rooted both in mutual respect and social accountability and in its fidelity to the rule of law and the Constitution. We are nearing the stage of reaching out to high profile, courageous, moral leaders to help bring recognition to our project. Our goals, largely, center on uniting, inspiring, and energizing people, who already know we are under threat, to commit to participating in saving our democracy and also, hopefully, waking up those asleep to the necessity and urgency. I plan to share our progress with this forum as we proceed.
Thanks for your inspirational answer. I am part of what I think of as a nationwide pro-democracy movement, have been getting out the vote for 10 years with those activities, including working with Field Team 6, Swing Blue, Sister District and Workers Circle, but I like the idea of trying to push the news media back into a recognition of its Constitutional obligation to supporting democracy, which I don’t see any organized push for. Their financial situation is dire, which accounts for a lot of their irresponsibility— can you say more about how you plan to go about getting them back on track? (And getting 30 million off Fox and worse?)
Fay, I know the mainstream media will not reach that realization because of who owns them; however, there are soooo many podcasts and groups like this one that spreads the word constantly and informs voters about what is at stake here in November. These groups like Lincoln project who put ads in place informing the public about trump. We will continue to spread the word and I believe we will win in November!
Peggy, Thank you for writing. I would add that there is unimpeachable data substantiating that postcarding, letter writing, phone banking, text banking, canvassing, and the like exert a significant impact.
I have read several reports about that and you are right, those activities make all the difference!! I'm old and have arthritis but I will continue to send out postcards, write letters, and talk to my neighbors and people in my community about the importance of this coming election. No one should sit on the sidelines for this one. It could either be the election that saves Democracy or the last election we will have!
Fay, I don’t think we should refer to Main Stream Media anymore. There is no such animal. The ultra right owns most of it. It’s just “media”. This is as big of a threat to our survival as a country as trump is.
The media has enabled the lies. It’s easy to search for ultimate owners.
Good to see you Fay, it’s been a while…probably because I’m drowning in emails!
professor reich: AT LAST!! i voted "this is the beginning of the end" in your poll because IT IS!!!! HALLELUJAH!!
seriously, though ... it looks like trump is running out of allies since he doesn't pay his minions (he even set up a GoFundMe!) and they -- stupid as they are -- are getting wise to his thieving, grifting ways.
okay, all you (probably correct naysayers), just let me celebrate for a few minutes, okay?
It was a happy day for me, too, GrrlScientist!! I felt like finally, for a few moments, trump faced accountability and he had to know that more of this may be in his future.
I voted Other. I agree he is in trouble, but he's pulled such a con job on some people that I still worry about the threat. Could the portal to his alternate universe just please close?!!
I now wonder if Trump's fascination with Russia is a deep seated envy of Putin's ability to lock up and terminate opponents at will. This might foretell our future starting November 6.
Of course. Trump is a tyrannical bully, like Putin, who's after one thing: power. This means crushing his adversaries, however he can. And he won't stop.
Food, rent and gas prices are the only thing that Americans focus on - Trump says “ only I can fix it” but has no plans … how stupid are Americans that believe in a LOSER to fix their problems? He can’t even fix his own personal problems…. When you ask these people how he will fix things, they are stuck in a robotic repeat of Trump will fix it… Trump will fix it … it’s like they are ZOMBIES
High rent and high food prices are due to price gouging by the greedy corporations as Prof. Reich has taught us.
For example both Pepsis and Coca-Cola have raised their prices even though it costs less to make these products. Why? Because they are monopolies. The antitrust laws need to be enforced.
Neither Biden nor Trump can do anything about gas prices. That’s how stupid Trump is and all those who believe him,
Engoron's decision, which Michael Cohen called "fair" and indeed was, is a wonderful thing, and I do feel it's the beginning of the end for Trump, an end that will come rapidly now with jail time coming in the Stormy Daniels election interference case. But on balance, yesterday was a terrible, terrible day for me. I’ve felt this way only a few times in my life — when Kennedy was assassinated — when Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered — when Yitzhak Rabin was killed by an Israeli right-winger and his efforts for peace in the Holy Land were lost. And that’s how I feel about Alexei Navalny’s death: I feel hollowed out and as if a major piece of a wonderful future was ripped off the board by the worst of bad players. And I feel strongly the timing is not accidental: it comes on the heels of Tucker Carlson’s betrayal of everything American and Donald Trump’s “permission” given the world’s sleaziest, vilest dictator to take any European country he likes. But it's like Navalny said: we don't have permission to give up. Rage. Rage against the dying of the light.
Morgaan, I feel the same way. It was a triumph of evil over good. And I imagine Trump cheering the Russian monster on while growing horns and a tail himself.
The Russian police can try to snuff out every lighted candle and crush every tiny bouquet of flowers and tear up every image of Navalny appearing on the streets in Russian metropolises and villages, but the pent-up rage the Russians feel isn't going away. They know Navalny, one of the few ever to really stand up to Russia's worst dictator since Ivan the Terrible, was murdered by Vladimir Putin, and they're going to the polls in March. The Russian government is trying to tell everyone that Navalny died of a blood clot, but his doctor instantly refuted it saying that Navalny had no medical condition that would warrant such a conclusion. And now -- oh, quel surprise!!! -- Navalny's body is missing. What? Did he disappear like his hero, Obiwan Kenobi, at the moment of his death? More than 200 people have been arrested already. ... My fear, of course, is that Putin's forces have such massive control over every resource in the country that the protests, like those over Mahsa Amini's death in Iran, will be worn down over time. The Iranians and the Russians have ground down opposition over and over again simply by outlasting a besieged and, in the end, exhausted protest movement. That is why they need the help of the international community, and they need to be deprived of the trade that sustains them. And Ukraine needs every possible support as the only country to stand against Russian aggression. And what do Iran, Russia, and the Saudi regime run by a murderer have in common: RELIANCE ON OIL WEALTH. And two of the three have their foreign assets Donald Trump and Jared Kushner. I hope Navalny's death takes down Putin -- and MAGA -- in the same moment.
But do you really believe the polls will be rigged? I think no matter how the Russian people vote, Putin, like Trump, will declare himself the winner. Anyone who says otherwise will be murdered. It’s the Putin way.
True. And Putin does it the way Saddam Hussein used to do it--and the way the Ayatollah Khomeini does it: he disqualifies opponents from running in the first place. Saddam used to win 100% of the vote -- and voting was MANDATORY in Iraq.
I agree Stan. The world is hearing about this and the murder connection directly to Putin. In my mind, a private citizen should not be interviewing another monster we’ve engaged-Putin. And to declare that sometimes leaders HAVE TO KILL! The US should have pulled Tucker’s passport and left him in Russia. Let Putin “take care” of him.
Morgaan, I agree with everything you said. Navalny’s death was timed this way for a reason. There are more of us and it will be unfortunate if we are forced to prove this in the streets!
Yes. And did you see Tucker Carlson's response to the Egyptian journalist who asked him why he didn't confront Putin on Navalny and the opposition? Tucker Carlson said all leaders kill. See Heather Cox Richardson on this. It's shocking. Now Trump is saying HE is Navalny and HE and his MAGAns are the opposition. The man knows no shame.
While I voted “This is the start of the end,” still, channeling Navalny, I presume none of us doubts we must stay in the fight relative to every cherished cause and candidate, up and down the ballot, as though we were running 10 points behind.
There are so many young people repeating what the right wants them to repeat…Genocide Joe, and audaciously saying the 2 options for pres are the same. Even when I list President Biden’s many positive accomplishments, they wipe that out. I point out to them that they will end up with genocide in this country if they allow trump to be elected. His lunatics are still installed as judges and SCOTUS! A chance for our democracy or FASCISM? I understand the anger, but denying the reality of the dire consequences makes them as single-minded as MAGA. That too is scary!
@SeekingReason, To be clear, I am no less concerned than you about folks who accept the false equivalency claims you rightly have noted. In response, as I previously have posted, I am part of a group that has started laying the groundwork for building a nationwide pro-democracy movement rooted both in mutual respect and social accountability and in its fidelity to the rule of law and the Constitution. We are nearing the point of reaching out to high profile, courageous moral figures to help bring recognition to our project. Our goal, in large part, entails uniting, inspiring, and energizing people broadly, who know we are under threat, to commit to participating in saving our democracy and also, hopefully, waking up those asleep to the necessity and urgency. I will keep fellow subscribers apprised of our progress.
Daniel, Seeing I imagine, from our previous exchanges, that you are aware of my involvement with FieldTeam6, I presume the link is intended to spread awareness of this platform.
Certainly a good beginning. Personally, I'm watching the physical deterioration of the man. He's looking a bit worse each time I see him. And that's only the outside. No telling how great a physical toll his moral corruptness is charging his internal organs, etc. The only thing in his favor are his no drinking, no smoking habits. But his diet....ech! I guess just stay tuned?
He will wriggle out vs he is in trouble are answers to a third-party, "nothing I can do about it" question. I'm interested in exploring how we can affect the outcome. Democracy is too important to be a spectator betting dport at this time in history.
...but Hunter Biden's Laptop Robert! And you left out Hillary's emails!
Was Obama really born here? I am speaking about Michelle, and her kids. How do we know that Barack was the father? I could have just sworn I saw Bigfoot abducted by Aliens and I know that the slippery slope Democrats are behind all of this. Biden is too old yet he is the mastermind behind the Deep State and it comes from all those kids served up as pizza.
I know all this because I heard it all on FOX. So it must be true.
We seem to lose sight of the fact that the entire international world is watching the lack of internal power the US has. European countries are frightened because they are within easy target of Russia. They will all be affected by what happens with our election in Nov.
I have a recurring dream in which #MangoWanker Turdking is at a rally, pisses himself, and has a massive stroke...
Disabling and debilitating, unable to type or tweet, incontinent and helpless and unable to speak, fed through an IV and pooping into a bedpan, but fully aware of the prison hospital, for the rest of his LONG life.
Mind fully active, unable to speak or type or write, trapped for years in his fat criminal body, contemplating the million crimes he committed, hated and humiliated by all. In a PRISON hospital
When will the Republican Party members realize that they are the Titanic and Trump is the iceberg?
Trump killed the border bill, he appointed 3 Supreme Court judges who repealed Roe, he kowtows to Putin and has never said anything negative about him! Are they all really that stupid?
Can you believe that this is the party of Lincoln?
It ISN’T the party of Lincoln. Hasn’t been for decades.
It was infiltrated by Jessee Helms Republicans - that is, the neo-Confederate Southern Democrats, called simply "Southern Democrats" - along with Newt Gingrich in response to the Civil Rights Era, when the Democratic party started getting "darker" - as they would've been inclined to say >at that time< among other whites.
Knowing Trump, he has already arranged to have a printing press installed in Mar-A-Lago, one that is capable of producing bills with ink that won't run in the wash.
will they say "In Trump we Trust"?
Penny--Sadly, it has a nice ring to it.
🤣🤣
And there are all those who deny racism is the core of conservative Republican
policies. The denials come in the usual rationalizations which is the forte of racists.
The GOP would love living in Russia. When I was there a few years ago it was lily white
At one time that was more or less true. Eisenhower started to ball rolling on integration: https://www.politico.com/story/2007/09/eisenhower-was-key-desegregation-figure-005885
These are not those times, and the Confederates are avenging themselves on the party that "drove dixie down" in 1865.
I think it no accident this song was popular in 1969, or thereabouts: https://youtu.be/QC-eDtV5O0Q?si=jUj5F54jS88t-Nzl Nostalgia or "bloody shirt"?
Compare with the contemporaneous Joan Baez version: https://youtu.be/28cg3iCEtWM?si=lAdBXQiE6XDR69w-
The Joan Baez version obscures the message a bit in the medium. At the time, the only part you could usually make out on a juke box or transistor radio was the hook lyric - the song's title. It's not clear that it's supposed to be a Confederate soldier singing it. After all, it was a group of young, soldier age men, "The Band"'s song.
Precisely Christopher. So ridiculous for R fascists to take credit for a liberal minded president!
Trump isn't a Republican and has no sense of this party's history or indeed any other history.He is a product of American capitalism forged by graft,deceit and the hyperbole fostered by tv presence.Few however in the media have landed any punches on him and indeed the Internet has amplified the image of him as a martyr to liberal thinkers and their system of self advancement. American democracy hangs by a thread held in the capricious hands of its supreme court judges and quirky legal processes which may grind on past the election day and nullify the final day of rrckoning for Donald J.Trump.My conclusion is influenced by the inability of Biden to project presidential potency and the US voters' general scepticism about this particular party 'product' and his lacklustre impact on overseas affairs that of course matter alot in the preservation of US dominance in military and economic affairs.
Democracy or Fascism?
Yes, that is the question.
Where is Stanistan ? I know where Canuckistan is, but Stanistan ????
Near Cossittstan.
Which is nowhere near Trumpistan! Or if it bordered Trumpistan, I would do a Putin on it and invade it.
Jim, read about it at www.foreignpolicy.com/Welcome to Stanistan.
I have been bothered lately by the possibility of something scary happening. Having witnessed the transformation so many who have suffered because of the MAGA infection, I'm consumed with fear over the future possibility that whatever they contracted might mutate and jump into the human population.
In the end, when they lose, they are always the ones to say, I never did like him!
The deadly coup attempt and lackluster legal consequences have affected the health of the public. This on top of having our voices silenced when we repeatedly win the popular vote but don’t get the person in office that WE elected!
Literally affecting our health, Seeking. Not just those who needlessly died from covid but all the headaches, ulcers, palpitations, etc. he’s giving all of us.
That’s what I meant. I am getting borderline high blood pressure…I’ve always had blood pressure below what is considered ideal. Many doctors have reported on the increased number of anxieties and stress due specifically to trump’s attempt to destroy hard-fought-for rights! And general democracy!
Can you believe the havoc this one idiot is creating? It defies belief. And all because of a weak ego. Incredible.
BTW, I just subscribed to your Substack. I’m looking forward to it!
Seeking--It is time for the EC to go--
It is a system that allows corrupting the vote. I wholeheartedly agree Donald.
You’re really on a roll today, Donald. Good one!
And if they say that Jan. 6 was a test run, then........
Gordon--Then grab your bible and pass the ammunition.
Donald ; education and the truth will give immunity.
Laurie--those two things will make immunity unnecessary.
Donald, that's really funny. thanks, I needed that.
Trump has an estrogen carrying attorney who no doubt charges for her services. Oddly similar to the arrangement he had with Stormy Daniels. The only difference being one was worth his time while the other wasted it. Trump loved "Stormy" whether she knows it or not.
Donald, wherever do you get all these titillating tidbits? Anyway, with respect to A. Habba, I find it interesting to watch her performances for the cameras after court proceedings. I wonder if she rehearses them? like a grade b actress, not even as good as boobert or marjtraitorgreen. but at least she's (according to her) pretty. how can she still have a law license?
Paul--One can do wonders if you know whose bed your boots are under. As for my tidbits, I have a bush out back.
I'm not that gifted, but I knew Trump was rotten after his casinos failed, stiffing workers and investors alike.
Failed casino has always floored me. The house (small h) always wins. What kind of an idiot tanks a casino? (Rhetorical question of the day.) 😆
Don't understand it, Gordon. MAGA & Donald Trump has *always* been thin-of-mind and character, yet he controls the entire R party??
Simply incomprehensible.
At least Trump is getting torched by the Courts 🙏...
Trashing Biden plays right into Putin’s hands. Biden isn’t the problem. We’re fortunate he’s our president right now. Trump is a tool being used by the GOP to create chaos. So is the 2nd amendment. It’s another tool that’s meant to somehow make the majority of Americans long for a dictatorship instead of a President—an iron-fisted “Daddy” figure promising to make everything all better.
Republicans can’t get the popular vote - they’re always too extreme - so now they’ve backed an extreme liar -Trump - willing to do or say anything - makes no sense when they get caught in their own lies
Arch, I agree with you, but there’s a dark twist in play as well. Corporate owned media has gone over to the dark side. They’ve done it because the GOP
has promised more tax cuts for corporations and an
end to having to fund half of their employees’ Social Sec. In return republicans can expect large campaign contributions and other perks like Justice
Thomas got for voting the “right” way.
In past years we could and did expect the bigger
media outlets to explain various things our government did in an honest and unbiased way. Of
course there were some that leaned to the right and others that leaned to the left, but no one disputed the facts. The media attitude that was prevalent in Watergate days is long gone. They simply don’t care about our government operating honestly or dishonestly or care about the American people as long as they keep making money—the more money the better.
Corporations, especially media corporations have made a choice. They aren’t covering President Biden to the extent they covered other presidents before Trump appeared on the scene. When they do cover him it’s often slanted negatively. When Trump was president they covered his trip to North Korea like it was the second coming of Christ. They found very few negative things to say about a president who boasted he and a murderous dictator were exchanging “love letters.”
During Watergate the press had a field day, “Today, Watergate is a symbol of investigative reporting worldwide, and the suffix ‘-gate’is used to describe scandals everywhere…Their stories got little traction at first, as the White House stonewalled and Nixon won a landslide re-election that year. But the evidence kept piling up. The team’s reporting helped unravel the threads of a massive criminal conspiracy, filled with break-ins, political dirty tricks, laundered money, illegal spying, and obstruction of justice. ‘Nixon had turned his White House, to a remarkable extent, into a criminal enterprise,’Bernstein and Woodward later wrote.” (impact.gijn.org) (Investigative Impact)
When Trump was president, all of the above that
made Nixon’s presidency a “criminal enterprise” was
happening again only worse, much worse. But it hasn’t been covered the same way by the major media outlets. They aren’t even covering Russia’s
substantial and ongoing interference in our political system. Why not?
Not only did Russia spend millions and fund an enormous social media disinformation machine
to help Trump get elected—they’re still doing it.
“The Russian government spent money to create
and run botnets, spent money to organize and promote dozens of political rallies within the U.S.
and spent money to successfully hack the Clinton campaign, Democratic Party orgs, and state election administrators and agencies. Every bit of this activity is in connection with a federal, state, or local election, and every bit of it violates 52 U.S.C. § 30121, the ban on foreign-national spending in U.S. elections. From the Special Counsel [ Mueller’s] report and other analysis, we know that much of this activity continues today.” (Ellen Weintraub, Chair,
Federal Election Commission, fec.gov, 4/18/19)
Did the large media outlets cover Ms. Weintraub’s
statement above? If so, I don’t remember reading or hearing about it. I do remember Attorney General
Barr giving us a very slanted & dishonest report
about Special Counsel Mueller’s report, but very
little was made of it. Why? In the Watergate years
Ms. Weintraub’s statement would’ve been a major media event, because what she’s saying is, a foreign, long-term ENEMY head of state fraudulently interfered in our elections on behalf of the Republican party’s candidate who was elected and we’ve done nothing about it.
Yes I can. They have shown us exactly who and what they are since Nixon. They canonized Ronald Reagen, who brought forth much of the rot that destroyed America with Citizens United and the end of the Fairness Act. Thus we got the creation of FOX and other propaganda outlets that poisoned our citizenry and brought us an increasingly illegitimate and corrupt (no longer) Supreme Court. Their crowning achievement, the hideous, insidious trump.
And don’t forget Reagan created the Welfare Queen meme, which demonized both Black mothers and the social safety net.
The audacity to call people welfare queens when his deregulation created welfare for corporations! And since then the Rescumlicons have taken it to warp-speed.
We need legislation that addresses corporate subsidies because thanks to republicans it’s out of control. But, the only way to pass that legislation would be if we have dem majorities in both the House and Senate.
Exactly. No matter what happens in November, having strong control of both is so important and I wish there were more outlets to get that word out. EVERY position matters, from local water district to POTUS.
Exactly
Benefits of every kind are almost nonexistent in the southern states. Eduction, maternal-child mortality, etc etc. I can’t understand why anyone but an oligarch would choose to live there.
There's no shortage of audacity among that crowd.
Nancy, I agree. And yet so many Republicans (Christie included) hail Reagan as the “gold standard”. Far from it. Remember his treasonous involvement with the Contras? (Thom Hartmann’s Substack newsletter. He should have been tried for treason along with Nixon).
Saint Ronnie was a fraud with a great speech writer and with a big headed wife and her astrologer running this country. Mr. Trickle Down has been falsely revered for far too long. I still cant believe Jennifer Rubin bought his bullshit.
Make Reagan National Washington National again.
Reagan’s deregulation caused collapse in banking and financial markets later - Trump wants even more deregulation- Will people ever learn from these hucksters?
Keith--If Trump reached into his pants pocket and grabbed his loose change, the man would find he has no common "cents."
Donald-What! With all the “two cents” he puts in, minute after minute, day after day? He must have cornered the market on copper by now!
Stephanie--The 2 pence coin was originally struck in bronze. That would explain the hair color.
Good one!! I'm going to use that one, Donald!!
Peggy--Feel free.
If you're talking about the higher up Repub electeds there are plenty nearly all that know Trump is an iceberg. They are willing hostages and wait for the natural course of events to bring him down. They won't say the emperor has no clothes. Nobody wants to be another Cheney.Profiles in cowardice.
@steve reed. I get what you are saying. But I would like to warn that calling people cowards is a way of de-fang-ing a very dangerous beast. The most fervent supporters of the tangerine twat waddle are not cowards - they are co-conspirators with their own agenda to undermine our rule of law and the constraints on their moneyed sponsors. Their caucus is made up of both abject cowards who know better and who won't risk their jobs over a principled stand plus the co-conspirators who are not cowards, but rather dangerous agents of negative change.
Agree. The Jim Jordan type treasonous SOBs.
@steve reed. How do we get this message out to ex-Trump supporters who might be wavering on how to vote?
MESSAGING CONTENT AND DISTRIBUTION
For content see https://researchcollaborative.org/messaging
I wish you had not asked that. I find it hard to resist a challenge but it gives me a chance to clarify my own thoughts on the general question of influencing people for 2024.
So there are 2 facets of "messaging"
First is the content of the message .
Second is its distribution, though McLuhan's "the medium is the message" means that the medium of distribution also carries a message. Include in that who the deliver of the message is perceived to be. Are they perceived to be trusted?
Message content always need to be fashioned with the audience in mind. I doubt that messaging on Trump as a dangerous iceberg, dangerous to democracy and America, is the strongest message for ex-Trump or weak Trump undecideds. I say that based on some polling I have seen that also agree with my intuitions.
What should the content be ? Start with what the demographics should be for the top priority target audience. If you look at this polling you find where the undecided vote is:
south 9% west 8%
independents 7% and even democrats 5%
(Repubs are 1% undecided-forget them.)
<50K income 10% undecided
non college 9% black 12% , latino 13%
genZ and millenials 11% (vs silent generation 2%)
rural 9%
also, Democrat women undecideds 7%, vs Democratic men undecideds 3%
So, low income blacks and Latinos who are non-college living in the south rural areas would be the ideal low hanging fruit.
The level of messaging (volume) would be modified by which areas are critical to notch wins for Biden, House and Senate. You’ll not going to throw much effort into southern areas where there is zero win chance, though I would argue one has to spend something as an investment.
https://maristpoll.marist.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/NPR_PBS-NewsHour_Marist-Poll_USA-NOS-and-Tables_202402021437.pdf
Message content generally: This is still relevant https://www.vox.com/vox-conversations-podcast/2022/1/31/22869091/democrats-messaging-dan-pfeiffer-midterms-2022
Democrats have a built in disadvantage as long as the MSM reports an event X with the headline “Trumps says this about X”. I don’t know that this can be fixed.
I’d like to write more on content and distribution but have to go.
See https://researchcollaborative.org/messaging
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/winning-messages-anat-shenker-osorio/id1334328470?i=1000550681279
Yes, and I think they should be called that as often and as publicly as possible.
Exactly - I’ve never seen more cowards in one room before
What I can't believe is that no one realizes the orange trump is just a mid level player. The real crooks Jamie Dimon Fraud Chase are the lions still roaming that campsite while the GAs and FBI chase mice.
It's not plugging - it's sharing. Why are we not talking about the white elite crime and accounting control fraud that did the take down from 2008.
Oh yes, we still have bank regulators to put them in jail.
I'll keep posting this until the cows come home.
The Inside Job, The Con, How to Rob a Bank is to Own One.
Elite White Collar Crime is stealing billions a year from all of us - don’t you care?
https://youtu.be/T2IaJwkqgPk?si=ZaP5CZZz7W_Xxmj-
https://youtu.be/J_IFGV9Y13c?si=_S3yf2ZDcc1I3MkN
https://youtu.be/T2IaJwkqgPk?si=6HsYWwy8P_KKJgDX
https://www.thecon.tv
https://www.ted.com/talks/william_black_how_to_rob_a_bank_from_the_inside_that_is?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz1b__MdtHY
The ownership of our country by ruthless corporate power is indeed the problem. It was already a big problem when the Citizen United decision was handed down. If you raise kids to admire capitalism and lust for wealth, they will fall for the next crazed trillionaire. Kids admire Musk already.
As previously stated, the central force contributing to transnational crime is what I call the marketocracy, i.e., the supremacy of market values and rules that overshadow the power of nation states and existing international law. There are three additional forces that characterize marketocracy: moral inversion, double dehumanization, and the pecking order. It is capitalism that has taken over the planet and is killing us all. It is capitalism that puts US made weapons in the hands of criminals. As in Iran-Contra. As in Mexican drug cartels. As in every Banana Republic in Latin America. As in our overthrow of democratic governments.
Martha Ture ; Citizens United made it 'legal', even though it is immoral, destructive and Unconstitutional.
Sho' `nuff. So now what are we going to do about it? Pass laws that overturn Citizens United. How long will that take? Until we can get rid of the conservatives in the relevant federal courts. We don't have that long. The planet is dying. All of us, democrats, republicans, conservatives, christians, hindus, muslims, shamans, chimpanzees, bonobos, swans and seals, are going to die ugly deaths. Very bad and ugly deaths. Before 2050.
Martha Ture ; I wonder why there has been no 'noise' , even on progressive podcasts, about the Traitors still sitting in Congress, who are marching to tRump's orders ; the guy who likes Putin, the murderer? Why isn't there a campaign to throw those who violated and are now violating, their oaths of office ;, not just to refuse to vote to certify Biden's win, but who are not serving their constituents, and betraying their oaths yet again , by giving 'comfort' to our enemy. Purging Congress of this infection may help things to move in the direction of our common good. these 'representatives' are disqualified for holding office in our government!
Let's start with the first issue and then work our way down the line.
We must regulate Wall Street.
references - https://www.thecon.tv
Money in politics has always been a problem and Citizens United put the problem on steroids. Money = free speech = if you ain't got the bread shut the F up. As Tevye sings in "Fiddler on the Roof" “If I Were a Rich Man,” including this exquisite line: “When you’re rich, they think you really know.
Yes, but the final blow was Glas Seagal gone with the flick of the pen from Clinton.
The rest of it was just downhill consequences.
https://www.thecon.tv
Janet Adams ; Yes, it is ironic that Democrat Clinton ended Glas Steagal ; and ended "Welfare as we knew it' replacing it with something even worse, for those needing it. This nightmare has not happened overnight. It is encouraging when Democrats win like the special elections recently. Santos was one toxic 'member ' of Congress that overstayed his unwelcome. Justice denied!
Yes. Recommend Michael Sandel's books on the dominance of market values that have crowded out other humane values.
How do you enable younger people growng up to realize that their/our market crazed culture is bankrupt in many ways. Education. An understanding of history.
For one thing, their well-warranted fear of climate change. Throw in abortion and you’ve got some powerful tools to convince them.
Steve: Which Republicans-led states are working hard to eradicate.
Have you followed Seeking Rents a substack about the current Florida session. It's scary.
Unfortunately, the young people today just want a quick fix / they are unwilling to work hard for the future of all.
I disagree. They’re scared to death of climate change and working very hard to change things.
Anyone in the teaching biz like me (with 47 years experience) will tell you this is the most energetic, inspired, creative generation since the 60s. They are disillusioned yes. They should be--Democrats have been trying to hide in illusions since the 80s. They're not, at their best, reformists: they are anti-capitalist. And they did almost all the drudge work to get the vote out for Biden. I don't like to hear them slammed!
I'm going with somewhere in between Susan and Paula.
It was also our failures to regulate wall street - the biggest blow was Clinton getting rid of Glass Seagal act.
https://www.thecon.tv
Sure, there are lots of issues. The first step is to put Jamie Dimon on a public trial and jail sentence.
What is “double dehumanization”?
Dehumanization as in non-white males are less than human; dehumanization as normalized state of affairs.
Ah "dehumanized as in normalized state of affairs"--got it.
Well, look at what Clinton did - he got rid of Glass Seagal Act. Yes, it was Reagan before him etc. But that was a huge turning point.
We are all living under the "shadow" of wall street private equity firms. They don't have to hide it. They don't care.
The only time in my life I didn't vote for someone running for a major office is when I didn't vote for Clinton's re-election. It was hard to vote for him the first time, frankly, after he allowed the execution of a mentally disabled boy while still governor of Arkansas. He did it in order to win the election. Speaks ill of him, and of his under-estimation of the American people, and of the beautiful state of Arkansas.
Ooooo, I didn't know he did that.
I get so frustrated too. But then I watched the documentary about women fighting to vote. If I can't vote for a candidate, I write in a name. I did vote for a republican last time but he was very middle ground and there wasn't any progressive on the ballot. County election.
I don't mean to be annoying on here but when I watched Bill Black many years back on TED talks and started reading more - the fraud was so much worse than I wanted to imagine.
We've created some perverse incentives in this country. We have a beautiful earth and I actually hug my trees! I hope that making comments on here makes a difference.
I hope the elected Dems will do a CLG if needed, I would do it. (career limiting gesture)
Oh I wrote someone in that time, a well-known feminist scholar (Eve Sedgwick)! But that is effectively the same as not voting.
That's Glass- Steagall. https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/glass-steagall-act
Sorry - auto correct does me in on here. I'll add that link to my collection for copy and paste.
:)))
Putin has what Trump wants, the ability to make people disappear while having total immunity from prosecution.
First - put Jamie Dimon on trial for fraud and the rest of the crooks Obama left in position.
If we regulate wall street, then the republicans will be beaten back for a while until the anti regulation league surfaces again.
I'll keep sharing it - https://www.thecon.tv
Love it! Yes, it’s beyond time for this.
Janet--Regulating wall street can prove to be counterproductive at some point in the future. There has to be a means by which to adequately tax the wealthy.
First regulate and put them in jail on trial now
and then put the tax (that was there) back on them.
It's requires constant vigilance. ;)
What fraud would that be, Janet? Alas, the laws written by the running dogs for their masters make "regulate Wall Street" a vague trope. We have plenty of regulations now and they would work pretty well if they were used. But.
Lots and lots of it. The regulations at this point are weak and the GAs refuse to bring cases. What do you suggest - give up?? Pack our bags? Where to go?
====
The Inside Job, The Con, How to Rob a Bank is to Own One.
Elite White Collar Crime is stealing billions a year from all of us - don’t you care?
https://youtu.be/T2IaJwkqgPk?si=ZaP5CZZz7W_Xxmj-
https://youtu.be/J_IFGV9Y13c?si=_S3yf2ZDcc1I3MkN
https://youtu.be/T2IaJwkqgPk?si=6HsYWwy8P_KKJgDX
https://www.thecon.tv
https://www.ted.com/talks/william_black_how_to_rob_a_bank_from_the_inside_that_is?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz1b__MdtHY
https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/glass-steagall-act
Glass - Steagall Act
Yes - big corporations and the lack of regulations has created monopolies that are controlling prices and inflation
Yes, and I told a person in a store during the pandemic that it's NOT a cost increase it's price gouging. Business use that as an excuse.
Is there a statute of limitations on that, Janet?
on what? fraud, greed, corruption, that's still on going? I'm not lawyer. If the statute is limited it's because the wrote a new law to get out of the crime.
Well, let’s start with the fraud stemming from the mortgage manipulation that caused the meltdown in 2008.
Yes!
this is a long to do list -we'd better get busy....
;)
Keith, if Lincoln could speak from his grave, I truly believe he would say that the republicans today are most definitely NOT a part of the party he belonged to!!
Answers
1 In November if they lose BIG
2 Yes they are
3 Has not been since Goldwate in 64
They are not stupid. They only want the craven priorities of power and greed. They don't give a crap anymore about their country, they no longer care about democracy here or around the world - in fact they threaten national security here and around the world. They have ditched the constitution, the bill of rights and are covertly throwing half the country under the bus. They are inciting a civil war - are basically criminals being derelict in their duties. They are traitors and long after Trump is gone - their dishonor will remain.
Forever!
Yes, they are that stupid.
Can a felon be President?
According to a forthcoming Supreme Court decision, apparently so, even if he’s tried to overthrow the government. What a country.
Keith, you’re assuming republicans are still interested in democracy & governing. They aren’t.
They support Trump because he creates chaos.
Republicans are almost bizarrely opposed to any kind of serious gun control even though gunfire is now the leading cause of death for children in America. They screamed about non-existent “open borders” & “Biden’s border policies,” then after months of negotiations they are handed a bill that has 90% of what they demanded and they refuse to even consider it. Republicans stood by Trump as he hawked quack cures (remember horse paste?)and said people should drink bleach and refuse to
wear a mask during a viral pandemic. They lowered
the corporate tax rate on profitable corporations & then insist on cutting spending on social safety net programs so we can lower our national debt. They manipulate parents with disinformation who then go to School Board meetings and shout at board members or they accost teachers and shout at them.
They make it hard for people to vote and scream “voter fraud” when they don’t like the result of an election. None of these behaviors make any sense unless they’re deliberately trying to create prolonged chaos. Prolonged chaos destabilizes our government and our culture. The GOP is a corrupt
political party that has in turn corrupted our U.S. Supreme Court and Federal Election Commission.
Their goal is to destroy our democratic government
and replace it with a dictatorship.
Maybe, just maybe, the ignorant Trump supporters will finally realize they are the fools who believed that he was sent here by God! “Hope springs eternal”
With all due respect to you, Keith, and to everyone who reads this . . . sadly I have to respond, Yeah, but look what happened to Lincoln.
I keep reading and hearing on the news that so many of the Republicans in office are living in fear for their families' security and lives. Mitt Romney is paying $5,000 a week for beefed-up security. Look what happened to Nancy Pelosi's husband. Many pro-Trumpers in office are being swatted. Trump puts out the call daily on his "Truth" Social, and in his campaign speeches, and even from outside court houses where he's had to appear for hearings, thru hateful rhetoric that his followers then act upon. I think many would quit on Trump, but Trump has his base so riled up with all of his lies . . . OBVIOUSLY, MANY OF THEM WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO GO AFTER ANYONE WHO OPPOSES TRUMP. I heard on the news this morning that Mike Johnson has left the House the aid money package to act upon, AND HE'S LEFT TOWN FOR TWO WEEKS! WHAT does THAT tell you??
I have said for year that this is the way Nazi Germany started. Now we have a band of people in power at all levels that are full of power greed and believe the BS the Chump and his minions have pedaled (and we know that he didn't start it, he is just the figure head that made it acceptable to everyone to get behind). We are headed to our own "1939 Germany" and take over of Government if we don't find a way of preventing Chump from getting a second term! Our democracy is already starting to crumble...we need to prop our country try up--somehow!
Dear Elizabeth, I keep saying that we must each take braver steps than just talking to each other. Many people advocate for working to get out the vote, to contact as many people in that way as possible. I advocate for contacting people in what are supposed to be more powerful positions, such as the Dept. of Justice, the White House Contact website, calling legislators on both sides of the aisle and leaving strong messages. I said that I wrote to Sen. Chuck Schumer last week; I fired off a letter to Biden and had it out in the mailbox at 6:30 yesterday morning for pickup. You can send emails but I don't recommend that if you want to remain somewhat anonymous. Just get really mad and don't cower before the "powers that be." WE THE PEOPLE PAY THEIR SALARIES, AFTER ALL! Wasn't it a former FBI agent who just got snagged for lying about something Biden supposedly did regarding his and Hunter's attempts (NOT!) to "bribe" Barrisma officials in Ukraine, which never happened! They're just flawed humans, in some cases. This isn't Russia . . . I seriously doubt it ever will be. And look at the Navalny situation. Even though Putin has had people arrested and detained JUST FOR LAYING FLOWERS AND PROTESTING AT MEMORIALS, STILL THEY ARE DOING IT. People are sick of Putin! He has to keep KILLING people who've stood up against him, and The People are getting wiser over there. He didn't kill Pussy Riot members. He feared Navalny, and Pregozin (sp?), the head of the Wagner Group, who started to stage a coup against him. Putin's actions are known to the whole world . . . Let's see how much longer HE lasts! Take heart! And act with strength and bravery.
What’s truly amazing is how completely different Trump and his idiots’ rhetoric is outside of the courtroom and when they are inside the courtroom! What a bunch of liars!
It’s not a question of stupidity although it sure seems that way. I used to say the same thing.
The problem is they have an agenda and they
talk and act the way they do because it supports their agenda. They’re creating a false reality.
I suspect that technique might have worked well
in the past, but today we have instant access to factual information and websites like this one
where we get together as a community and
compare notes. So that technique doesn’t work
as well as it used to.
I'm afraid the nation is the Titanic and tRump and the tRumplicans are the iceberg. Unless we can steer the nation away from the iceberg, or melt the iceberg, we're in trouble....
Stupid, no. What does Trump have on them is a better question.
The GOP is not the party of Lincoln. It is some grotesque corrupt monster today set on the destruction of our country. The most dangerous political party in the world. It IS Donald Trump.
And Trump is not very intelligent - he keeps tripping over his narcissism
When I heard of Navalny’s assassination, it was one of the most painful days of my long life (80 in April!).
When I learned Judge Engeron had imposed a 400 million dollar fine on THE BIG JERK, I felt a bit more hope.
It's a story from the King Arthur cycle, or from an Irish saga. Yulia Navalny, widow of an honorable rebel murdered by an evil king, stands before the Court of good kings and demands justice.
It would seem Donald Trump is testing a mathematical theory that states when two negatives are multiplied together the answer is always a positive integer. However, in Trump's case the man has accumulated enough social and personal faux pas to qualify him as being voted Mr. Negativity and I'm positive of that. Trump collects indiscretions like a bee collects pollan. An invisible aura of questionable legality surrounds Trump's inwardly spiraling lifestyle which seems to be sucking the life out of any aspirations he might have about stayed out of the gray bar motel. Sadly, if Trump was a dog he would be a dirty one! Trump doesn't fear Hell he actually looks forward to the experience, he thinks all the women in Hell are in Heat.
Just remember, the cube of a negative is negative!
DZK--That's 3 negatives multiplied together not two.
Right. That's exactly what it means.
Trump has never had any discipline- he’s always gotten away with his indiscretions - it’s about time to get the wooden spoon out and whack him on his butt- he deserves all punishment we can deal out - the man tried to overthrow our government
Susan--That thought isn't in the past tense.
Agree.
Me too !
Good news/bad news.
What about TREASON?
Yes, I should have included treason in my answer. I must have had a senior moment to leave it out.
Yes, and throughout all Trump’s TREASONOUS remarks about NATO and Putin, Merrick Garland remains silent.
The billionaires will figure a way to cover Trump's bills. Foreign and domestic billionaires
So far, he has not paid the E.Jean II supersedeas. 9 days to go.
9 days to go before? Jail??
No. Before the judgment is executable.. .
So they will start seizing his properties? (I apologize, I am only familiar with small claims court!).
I would love to watch that! Then trump will be plummeted into loss of wealth-good!
Here's a thought: https://youtu.be/wSGNVliR4yA?si=VTU7FeEY1owOKWSU
Shocking he is even allowed to do a “Go Fund Me”, for a criminal! They should pull it. Who do we complain to?
Who OWNS GoFundMe? They would be who you petition.
Thank you! That is a beautiful thing.
That is true and it always makes me angry! He always finds a way to dance just out of accountability's reach!!!
But if he doesn’t pay it, he can’t file an appeal and then the court appointed fiduciary of his assets can confiscate them to pay the fine. He has the same 30 days to come up with the bond plus interest to appeal the fraud verdict.
A good interview by Velshi with Cohen - who appears to be showing signs of wear, himself - indicating that this is but only the beginning of his end:
https://youtu.be/mwafxk381OE?si=bXpKko6vpOu2DgrG
Apparently - according to Cohen in the last quarter of the interview, that Velshi confirms - the case he just lost will be forwarded to federal investigators as well as IRS for further action. If that's true, Tovarich МАГАт has only just begun to bleed. Sooner or later his billionaire supporters will begin to view any further support as throwing good money after bad.
I hope this is the beginning of the End. Trump will not be able to wriggle out of his legal troubles no matter what. But I am not sufficiently optomisitic to think we're home free. It will need the realization by the mainstream media that they are backing a loser, a big time loser, for America to win in November.
Fay, In my view, while we must continue to press for mainstream media that is guided by democratic principals, equally important, as engaged citizens, we must train ourselves and acquire the knowledge and strength to take whatever responsibility we can for making democracy real here at home.
Monitoring the New Castle Pa News, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, etc, this morning, NOT EVEN REPORTED.
Who owns them....
😮
Daniel, Because I’m not certain from your comment as to what is unreported, I don’t know how to reply. I should add I am having difficulties with my audio; thus, I couldn’t hear Robert’s and Heather’s exchange.
Just sayin 'that the media throughout flyover country does not report the good news. No mention of the NY judgment. Didn't report that the Hunter/Joe "whistleblower" was indicted. That we are still negotiating re Gaza, etc. They don't know that Bidenomica works. That new jobs are opening.
My home town is 20 miles from East Liverpool so they did report that Biden was there, but the residents there are mostly MAGATs, as are virtually all the public officials on the Ohio side of the state line.
Sounds like mainland China - the feed in those areas is maintained by fascist pro Trump idiots
Our media is in a wrecked state esp in rural America. Food deserts. News deserts.
And the damage AGAIN is done. People will only remember the slander of that misinformation. Everywhere it was reported, they should be required to report the truth DAILY for a week or however long the fake news had been reported.
Daniel, Thank you for the clarification. Considering the desire for bigger profits typically drives media coverage, I don’t imagine, try as we might, we can exert a meaningful enough impact between now and November. Accordingly, as I repeatedly post, our engagement, or energy, our caring, and our work everywhere else can, and will, make a sufficiently robust difference.
Many newspapers do not deserve the moniker “journalism.” Rather, they deserve to be called “publishers,” which puts them into the same pot as Junk Mail.
Yes, Barbara Jo!!
I became so angry listening to what I knew to be lies or half truths I had my cable disconnected last spring, Haven't missed TV one bit since. I now get my news from trusted sources on line. I don't need to listen to talking heads bobbing in line with their overly wealthy masters.
Fay, I would consider you among the sorely needed truth warriors whose participation in grassroots engagement can have a meaningful impact. If you’re interested in ways of additionally engaging, see my reply to Mary Blaine Campbell, who is part of this thread.
Thank you Barbara, but at 91, with a bad back and no support from my knees, I'm kind of useless. The best I can manage now are small cash donations and insisting my grandkids vote.
Fay, I hardly view you as “useless.” To that end, I imagine you doing as much as possible of what I sense you already are doing—inserting your wise and informed voice into as many spaces as afforded you.
You are very kind, Barbara
How would you start?
Mary, One way to get started is through postcarding, letter writing, phone- and text-banking, canvassing, and the like, all of which have been shown to exert a meaningful impact. A second way is to join grassroots organizations like FieldTeam6 and The Union, to name a couple, which offer a host of ways to help turn out the vote. As for me, I presently am part of a group that has started laying the groundwork for building a nationwide pro-democracy movement rooted both in mutual respect and social accountability and in its fidelity to the rule of law and the Constitution. We are nearing the stage of reaching out to high profile, courageous, moral leaders to help bring recognition to our project. Our goals, largely, center on uniting, inspiring, and energizing people, who already know we are under threat, to commit to participating in saving our democracy and also, hopefully, waking up those asleep to the necessity and urgency. I plan to share our progress with this forum as we proceed.
Thanks for your inspirational answer. I am part of what I think of as a nationwide pro-democracy movement, have been getting out the vote for 10 years with those activities, including working with Field Team 6, Swing Blue, Sister District and Workers Circle, but I like the idea of trying to push the news media back into a recognition of its Constitutional obligation to supporting democracy, which I don’t see any organized push for. Their financial situation is dire, which accounts for a lot of their irresponsibility— can you say more about how you plan to go about getting them back on track? (And getting 30 million off Fox and worse?)
Fay, I know the mainstream media will not reach that realization because of who owns them; however, there are soooo many podcasts and groups like this one that spreads the word constantly and informs voters about what is at stake here in November. These groups like Lincoln project who put ads in place informing the public about trump. We will continue to spread the word and I believe we will win in November!
Peggy, Thank you for writing. I would add that there is unimpeachable data substantiating that postcarding, letter writing, phone banking, text banking, canvassing, and the like exert a significant impact.
I have read several reports about that and you are right, those activities make all the difference!! I'm old and have arthritis but I will continue to send out postcards, write letters, and talk to my neighbors and people in my community about the importance of this coming election. No one should sit on the sidelines for this one. It could either be the election that saves Democracy or the last election we will have!
Peggy, Sending you a virtual hug from MA.
I got it Barbara Jo!! Here's one right back at'cha!! Thanks!
Peggy, these things are our best hope!
Fay, I don’t think we should refer to Main Stream Media anymore. There is no such animal. The ultra right owns most of it. It’s just “media”. This is as big of a threat to our survival as a country as trump is.
The media has enabled the lies. It’s easy to search for ultimate owners.
Good to see you Fay, it’s been a while…probably because I’m drowning in emails!
I agree, Seeking Reason. I got so disgusted last spring, I had my cable disconnected. And I understand your "drowning in emails.
I agree. Tovarich МАГАт is >definitely< in trouble. The question is whether anything substantive comes of it.
professor reich: AT LAST!! i voted "this is the beginning of the end" in your poll because IT IS!!!! HALLELUJAH!!
seriously, though ... it looks like trump is running out of allies since he doesn't pay his minions (he even set up a GoFundMe!) and they -- stupid as they are -- are getting wise to his thieving, grifting ways.
okay, all you (probably correct naysayers), just let me celebrate for a few minutes, okay?
It was a happy day for me, too, GrrlScientist!! I felt like finally, for a few moments, trump faced accountability and he had to know that more of this may be in his future.
I voted Other. I agree he is in trouble, but he's pulled such a con job on some people that I still worry about the threat. Could the portal to his alternate universe just please close?!!
I’m not a naysayer to this. I also voted that it’s the beginning of the end, even though the end should have happened 3 years ago.
I now wonder if Trump's fascination with Russia is a deep seated envy of Putin's ability to lock up and terminate opponents at will. This might foretell our future starting November 6.
Of course. Trump is a tyrannical bully, like Putin, who's after one thing: power. This means crushing his adversaries, however he can. And he won't stop.
You missed the Mueller Report!
Yes Trumps tiny brain is only interested in power and $$$
Charles, that’s exactly how I feel
Scary thoughts, Charles!! I would hope that here in America, we would prevent trump from emulating putin's evil deeds.
Food, rent and gas prices are the only thing that Americans focus on - Trump says “ only I can fix it” but has no plans … how stupid are Americans that believe in a LOSER to fix their problems? He can’t even fix his own personal problems…. When you ask these people how he will fix things, they are stuck in a robotic repeat of Trump will fix it… Trump will fix it … it’s like they are ZOMBIES
High rent and high food prices are due to price gouging by the greedy corporations as Prof. Reich has taught us.
For example both Pepsis and Coca-Cola have raised their prices even though it costs less to make these products. Why? Because they are monopolies. The antitrust laws need to be enforced.
Neither Biden nor Trump can do anything about gas prices. That’s how stupid Trump is and all those who believe him,
Engoron's decision, which Michael Cohen called "fair" and indeed was, is a wonderful thing, and I do feel it's the beginning of the end for Trump, an end that will come rapidly now with jail time coming in the Stormy Daniels election interference case. But on balance, yesterday was a terrible, terrible day for me. I’ve felt this way only a few times in my life — when Kennedy was assassinated — when Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered — when Yitzhak Rabin was killed by an Israeli right-winger and his efforts for peace in the Holy Land were lost. And that’s how I feel about Alexei Navalny’s death: I feel hollowed out and as if a major piece of a wonderful future was ripped off the board by the worst of bad players. And I feel strongly the timing is not accidental: it comes on the heels of Tucker Carlson’s betrayal of everything American and Donald Trump’s “permission” given the world’s sleaziest, vilest dictator to take any European country he likes. But it's like Navalny said: we don't have permission to give up. Rage. Rage against the dying of the light.
Morgaan, I feel the same way. It was a triumph of evil over good. And I imagine Trump cheering the Russian monster on while growing horns and a tail himself.
Ooooooh! What a GREAT dig on Trump! I must smile. Horns and a tail. Forked tail to go with his forked tongue!
Yes, the good news about Drumpf’s being held to account was balanced by news of Navalny’s murder.
The Russian police can try to snuff out every lighted candle and crush every tiny bouquet of flowers and tear up every image of Navalny appearing on the streets in Russian metropolises and villages, but the pent-up rage the Russians feel isn't going away. They know Navalny, one of the few ever to really stand up to Russia's worst dictator since Ivan the Terrible, was murdered by Vladimir Putin, and they're going to the polls in March. The Russian government is trying to tell everyone that Navalny died of a blood clot, but his doctor instantly refuted it saying that Navalny had no medical condition that would warrant such a conclusion. And now -- oh, quel surprise!!! -- Navalny's body is missing. What? Did he disappear like his hero, Obiwan Kenobi, at the moment of his death? More than 200 people have been arrested already. ... My fear, of course, is that Putin's forces have such massive control over every resource in the country that the protests, like those over Mahsa Amini's death in Iran, will be worn down over time. The Iranians and the Russians have ground down opposition over and over again simply by outlasting a besieged and, in the end, exhausted protest movement. That is why they need the help of the international community, and they need to be deprived of the trade that sustains them. And Ukraine needs every possible support as the only country to stand against Russian aggression. And what do Iran, Russia, and the Saudi regime run by a murderer have in common: RELIANCE ON OIL WEALTH. And two of the three have their foreign assets Donald Trump and Jared Kushner. I hope Navalny's death takes down Putin -- and MAGA -- in the same moment.
Morgaan- Me too. I really hope someone takes putin out…perhaps his own generals.
But do you really believe the polls will be rigged? I think no matter how the Russian people vote, Putin, like Trump, will declare himself the winner. Anyone who says otherwise will be murdered. It’s the Putin way.
True. And Putin does it the way Saddam Hussein used to do it--and the way the Ayatollah Khomeini does it: he disqualifies opponents from running in the first place. Saddam used to win 100% of the vote -- and voting was MANDATORY in Iraq.
It's crushing. It's just crushing.
I agree Stan. The world is hearing about this and the murder connection directly to Putin. In my mind, a private citizen should not be interviewing another monster we’ve engaged-Putin. And to declare that sometimes leaders HAVE TO KILL! The US should have pulled Tucker’s passport and left him in Russia. Let Putin “take care” of him.
Morgaan, I agree with everything you said. Navalny’s death was timed this way for a reason. There are more of us and it will be unfortunate if we are forced to prove this in the streets!
Yes- imagine Navalnys wife - what sorrow - we need to call out “ little sick man Putin” for what he is - a murderer
Yes. And did you see Tucker Carlson's response to the Egyptian journalist who asked him why he didn't confront Putin on Navalny and the opposition? Tucker Carlson said all leaders kill. See Heather Cox Richardson on this. It's shocking. Now Trump is saying HE is Navalny and HE and his MAGAns are the opposition. The man knows no shame.
While I voted “This is the start of the end,” still, channeling Navalny, I presume none of us doubts we must stay in the fight relative to every cherished cause and candidate, up and down the ballot, as though we were running 10 points behind.
There are so many young people repeating what the right wants them to repeat…Genocide Joe, and audaciously saying the 2 options for pres are the same. Even when I list President Biden’s many positive accomplishments, they wipe that out. I point out to them that they will end up with genocide in this country if they allow trump to be elected. His lunatics are still installed as judges and SCOTUS! A chance for our democracy or FASCISM? I understand the anger, but denying the reality of the dire consequences makes them as single-minded as MAGA. That too is scary!
@SeekingReason, To be clear, I am no less concerned than you about folks who accept the false equivalency claims you rightly have noted. In response, as I previously have posted, I am part of a group that has started laying the groundwork for building a nationwide pro-democracy movement rooted both in mutual respect and social accountability and in its fidelity to the rule of law and the Constitution. We are nearing the point of reaching out to high profile, courageous moral figures to help bring recognition to our project. Our goal, in large part, entails uniting, inspiring, and energizing people broadly, who know we are under threat, to commit to participating in saving our democracy and also, hopefully, waking up those asleep to the necessity and urgency. I will keep fellow subscribers apprised of our progress.
Yes- that is really sad
Absolutely!!!
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Daniel, Seeing I imagine, from our previous exchanges, that you are aware of my involvement with FieldTeam6, I presume the link is intended to spread awareness of this platform.
We need espirit de corps !!!!
Agreed!
So where is the IRS? Why no federal tax evasion case?
I don’t know about that but I suspect that he could continue to be indicted and sued for a long time. This isn’t the end.
Supposedly there's an ongoing audit.
The problem is they have taken away the money for the IRS to go after these big guys. You can thank the House Republicans.
Give me a break.
Certainly a good beginning. Personally, I'm watching the physical deterioration of the man. He's looking a bit worse each time I see him. And that's only the outside. No telling how great a physical toll his moral corruptness is charging his internal organs, etc. The only thing in his favor are his no drinking, no smoking habits. But his diet....ech! I guess just stay tuned?
IMHO he's disoriented x 3.
I was hoping the verdict would give him a heart attack.
He has dementia
He will wriggle out vs he is in trouble are answers to a third-party, "nothing I can do about it" question. I'm interested in exploring how we can affect the outcome. Democracy is too important to be a spectator betting dport at this time in history.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/ Expand our vase and we win!
Write letters to voters with Vote Forward.
...but Hunter Biden's Laptop Robert! And you left out Hillary's emails!
Was Obama really born here? I am speaking about Michelle, and her kids. How do we know that Barack was the father? I could have just sworn I saw Bigfoot abducted by Aliens and I know that the slippery slope Democrats are behind all of this. Biden is too old yet he is the mastermind behind the Deep State and it comes from all those kids served up as pizza.
I know all this because I heard it all on FOX. So it must be true.
Bud Weiser
Casey, 👍🏼🎯
We must keep playing to the court of public opinion. The jury are the citizens who will vote on Election Day.
1. Claiming immunity is admitting guilt, but I was allowed to do it.
2. I declassified the documents is admitting that they were stolen.
3. Delay instead of going to court to clear one’s name is a tactic of a guilty person. and a chicken.
4. Pleading the fifth is what the guilty do, he has said.
5. Whining that they are the victim is what cry babies do when they are caught.
6. Men putting on makeup and dyeing their hair is what insecure people do who are hiding their true selves.
7. Name calling is what schlock comedians do, not good comedians or political leaders.
8. not allowing bringing bills up to be voted on is what losers do to circumvent what the people want.
9 violence by bullies is the last resort of a loser.
10. A man who is never accompanied by his wife reveals that the one who knows him best can’t stand him. Maybe he smells bad.
What can it mean that she won’t let him near her even for the photo opportunities.
11. A rich man who needs to beg the public for money to pay his lawyers is disputable.
12. A man who sides with our enemy is traitorous
The politician who side with him instead of with the people they represent are going to lose. Good.
The negative ads are writing themselves.
If only American taxpayers could hurl the words. "You're fired!" to the Dump base in Congress for not doing their jobs.
👏👏👏 You are a very smart and perceptive person, DK. Thank you for pointing all of this out. No one else seems to see this stuff.
We seem to lose sight of the fact that the entire international world is watching the lack of internal power the US has. European countries are frightened because they are within easy target of Russia. They will all be affected by what happens with our election in Nov.
Excellent reminder!!
Thank you Paula
Real Justice:
I have a recurring dream in which #MangoWanker Turdking is at a rally, pisses himself, and has a massive stroke...
Disabling and debilitating, unable to type or tweet, incontinent and helpless and unable to speak, fed through an IV and pooping into a bedpan, but fully aware of the prison hospital, for the rest of his LONG life.
#MangoWanker #Mobster #Traitor #Rapisttt
#GOPtraitors #Trump #Putin
#Fascists
#Murdoch
#Reagan began the CRIMINAL GOP
😄William, I know this shouldn’t make me laugh, but it did.
A silencing stroke??
Mind fully active, unable to speak or type or write, trapped for years in his fat criminal body, contemplating the million crimes he committed, hated and humiliated by all. In a PRISON hospital
We have discovered a use for the prison at Guantanamo Bay.
Yes Stan…Guantanamo is available and suitable
I luv that thought, I almost feel guilty having this great big smile on my face as I read it.
....smile still here and guilt long gone😁