When we needed the Supreme Court to restrain the Legislative and Executive from creating a government for sale, they failed. And why is that? (Please check the vote tally by the SCOTUS on Citizens United, OK?) It's not that "Democrats and Republicans" simply found campaign finance norms to their favor. It's because REPUBLICANS game planned their oligarchic takeover of the country as far back as Lewis Powell, in bed with the billionaire class who have funded the destruction of Labor and the privatization/deregulation of America. I'm sick and tired of Democrats being given a disproportionate share of the blame for the catastrophic future we've created. They've made grave mistakes, and they've been seduced by power, but it was never their intention to distort and pervert our country's democratic tradition. But the Reaganites and their MAGA offspring have always been devoted to enriching the wealthy and polarizing the country into political dysfunction.
A most accurate and profound summation. A nation who has allowed democracy to deteriorate and oligarchs to rule everything. Every branch of government - our checks and balances - has an elected majority courtesy of the Billionaires. There will no longer be any "check" in place and the "balance" of power has entirely shifted to one class. The American Oligarchy courtesy of the unprincipled, undisciplined GOP.
With respect, I would have to say that the GOP does indeed have discipline--they have been planning this exact future since Lewis Powell. That takes rigid party discipline.
That there are some extreme MAGAs messing up the works for those who prefer quietly serving the oligarchy...fanaticism provides much of the energy for any movement...what has happened is the fanaticism was generated by the under-informed poor working folks who were seduced into the MAGA movement by lies and false promises. MAGAs seem to waking up to the fact that not only have they been used but that those they have elected do not share the same goals. Not an uncommon end result of movements driven by fanatics and directed by people with ulterior motives.
And about principles--you can't say that movement conservatism doesn't have "principles"...it's just that their principles are all in service to themselves and their corporate, oligarchical masters.
Yes, a bunch of lowlife dregs is who they are. Those wealthy white men (and one orange hued one) duped a bunch of poor, white, and stupid people to help them achieve their wealth hoarding to an extreme extent we’ve never seen before. This new “Gilded Age” is of the gold-plated, tacky, gauche, no class variety. The good ole Social Register must be rolling over in its grave. At least the Robber Barons had manners, charm, and sophistication while they robbed people blind. At least that, I suppose. What a time in history. The tackiest, most despicable bunch of evil clowns and losers. Wow. Just wow.
the repubs have been much like the Chinese,excelling in long-term thinking and planning-too bad for all of us they're both so wrong in what they believe
I share the pain, feeling ashamed about the childisch stupidity of the president-elect. But I don't need to spell this out. We have seen this Trump for years, listened to him, laughed about him, but now he has the opportunity to devastate everything we invested in, that is socially.
I hoped to read shame, creativity about emergency exits, small gains in political resistance in the GOP.
The stench of GOP, democrats need to point out that stench, emanating from GOP, point it out, each and every time, make them wear it, make them own it, every bit of crapola by them and their dear leader, that they seek to try and do and do not give an inch and only work with them if it really helps people and supports democratic cherished values and not of one, by and for the rich agenda, they, the GOP have been and are bought and paid for, like their bought for Supreme Court, a court that made him a "King and above the law"
thank you. Well put. But "discipline "? It may be more of a matter of what do they have to lose. Even when they "lose" they still get to live in a Democracy that had benefited all the people even those who are determined to make the benefits only for themselves.
The environment we all share, is in much in the cross hairs once again but on a colossal scale, for Trump, "his corrupt Supreme Court" and his minions or crony cabinet of billionaires, case in point, Doug Burgum, another super rich guy with hands tied to the oil cartel, a cartel we as taxpayers have been subsidizing big time for decades now, to our own detriment of destruction and that of the natural world and may I add, how indeed it is so obvious the greed factor, when it comes to what the grand ole poo party, the GOP, do not mind, having us taxpayers subsidize, when it comes to "their interests" like big oil taxpayer subsidies, "no problem for them there, they're all on board"- but the moment we have something like say, renewable energy tax credits for consumers to save money, example to encourage consumers to buy, electric cars and or solar panels and thereby help save the planet from their greed, it's hell no, we GOP, we will fight tooth and nail, against anything, that helps people in any way and helping at the same time to protect our environment, from them and their greedy and cruel hurtful policies.
The Missouri GOP and oil interests have fought the Grain Belt Express Project for many years. It finally has the go ahead and will produce 2,500 MW of power for MO, IL, and Indiana. A large nuclear plant generates 1,000 to 1600 MW for comparison.
Um🤔, there are some references I have read, about emergency powering of your home, via a certain set of rechargeable car batteries, the science or tech, is rapidly evolving
His response to the hostages was correct a small task force but the Military management was incompetent…
Delta force was born out of that failure…
Bin Laden hunting team was the result of learning from his mistakes. Obama had multiple levels of military response ready to insure the seal team six could accomplish its goal and fight its way back to base . Kandahar air base had Army Airborne contingent ready along with air assets and Naval Air Assets standing by to potentially back up seal team six mission.
We often fail to recognize the role a corporate-owned media plays in the plutocratization of the USA, Inc. They are the gatekeepers protecting the lies and deception; the protectors of the corporate powers that "own" the media through the billions they spend in advertising to enrich these corporate-owned mouthpieces. And now the oligarchs are squeezing free speech and open thought even more by taking control of the narratives on social media. Democracy is strongest when we have a wide array of "voices in the marketplace," but when that number is shrunk drastically and under control of nefarious capitalists and self-serving thieves, the oppostion is muffled and that democracy dies in silence.
Mainstream media, including television and radio stations and newspapers, is owned by billionaires and billionaire corporations who focused on Biden's every stumble or stutter, but did not report Biden's great accomplishments. Instead, there focused on Trump every day to keep him relevant. We haven't had real journalism since Reagan gutted the FCC and got rid of the " Fairness Doctrine "!
It's 9 minutes from Noam Chomsky. Please move the needle to the beginning. He describes 40 years in a nutshell. Fox News and Murdoch's media properties.
The election was hacked. Harris won! Are we going to let them cheat?
Musk said, “Everything can get hacked.”
Elon wanted access to India’s voting machines. They use a very different system. They have a “sealed system .”
Unlike the United States where almost all our machines get connected to the internet at one point or another: for updating the software, to download the ballot information for each county into all the machines. So they have to connect them to the internet to update & download & then we disconnect them for the process of voting and counting.
However, the new data that has been leaked out of Clark County, Nevada shows the more ballots that get counted, the more the lean goes to Trump. Harris never gets more than 40%, and Trump always gets over 60%.
The weird thing about that is, in the mail in voting for that county, Harris carried at 60%. Yet when the votes were all counted, she barely eeked out a win for that county as well as eeking out a win for a second county in Nevada. But ALL the other counties swung to Trump.
What this new data is showing, in the beginning, in 0-200 votes cast, votes were spread around, there was a blue and red crazy mess of dots on the chart, i.e.. THERE WAS NO PATTERN.
As more and more ballots get counted, around 400, instead of an overlapping spread of red and blue, Harris slowly begins to only get 40% of the vote and Trump gets 60% consistently, i.e., YOU SEE A PATTERN.
THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED! THAT IS NOT NORMAL VOTING PATTERNS!
As he says very clearly in the video; ‘THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE BY ALGORITHMIC MANIPULATION.’ I.e., this can’t be anything other than some kind of computer manipulation of the vote count.
“Dire Talk’s” newest video breaks down data that can only be created by algorithmic manipulations. Here are the “receipts:”
We know Trump cheated in the last two elections. He cheats on his taxes, he cheats to get loans, he cheats at golf, he cheated on all 3 wives, this is a man you want to check.
Remember, Musk met with Putin several times; Putin, the master of election rigging.
We the American people need to stand up and demand this election be annulled just as Romania did for election interference by Russia.
I always wondered when Trump said those insane things during his rallies (although I acknowledge that most of what comes out of his mouth is verbal diarrhea) - e.g., I don't need your vote, we will win anyway; I will take care of women even if they don't want me to; immigrants eating cats and dogs, etc. etc.. It was as if he knew that regardless of what he did or said, he would win. And putting Project 2025 out there --- any normal American would be repulsed by what these insane "Christians" were espousing. Nevertheless, he continued with his insane ravings - and then they made sure that he won by just enough so as not to raise too many eyebrows .......
HIs going after the pollster because she said Harris was winning also seemed odd. But the "powers that be" did not investigate this, so I guess we will never know.
I still don't want to believe that the country and the world are now irreparably broken .....
I agree that this election was stolen yet again and that a hand recount would be vital to the sane future of our country BUT even if that would happen and Harris/Walz were declared the rightful winners of the election,do you think these monsters would just stop their their massive dirty tricks and simply go away? Nope. They have abundantly demonstrated that they don’t care about the welfare of our country, its laws or about truth and that they will continue to do exactly as they please. Like classic child predators, they have given the gullible adult children of our country a tasty dose of candy, and proceeded to co-op their compliant behavior to their own evil purposes. I am too old to physically participate but as much as I abhor violence, I fear that may be the only way to show them that they may not enslave us to their nefarious goals. Despite the superficial comforts offered by other writers on this Substack, that it takes years for deranged, autocrats to push us to the dark side, I believe we are out of time because too many of our citizens have lined up for their passports into a dark cold future. I deeply wish I could say something more hopeful.
Marlo. Thanks for this information. It agrees with what IT election security professional. Stephen Spooner writes about hacking of the 2024 election (also used in Ohio on 2004 when Bush "won" against John Kerry. Documented and verified. You shared the info that Stephen Spooner on this Forum. Too. Which supports this information. Good work!
Marlo: we need to ask those who support Democracy to push for a hand recount. In at least two precincts per swing state, especially in the blue wall swing states. Billions were spent in ads filled with lies and defamation of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. It was like when they Swift boated John Kerry.
I have been calling. I called AOC, Jeffries, Pelosi, Peters, Stevens , Raskin. If they can see this is a fraud, how can they go through with this transfer?
Laurie, Republicans don't even honor recounts, but continue to maintain they were cheated. They no longer respect the compact between citizens, that is, the agreement that we will recognize the legitimacy of the person who garners the most votes, even if we detest that person, politically speaking. For this reason, I don't recognize Trump as my President. To this day, he and his MAGA followers say that he won the 2020 election. The Trump Administration won't even hire anyone who won't say that the 2020 election was stolen. They have broken the compact, so I'm no longer obligated to abide by it. Unless their future candidates will agree to restoring the compact, we can't have a democracy. When campaigning, Trump would never agree to recognizing the results of an election if he lost.
Marlo. Stephen Spooner has said that the best and quickest way to prove hacking is to pick at least two precincts in each swing state. Those in the so called "blue wall" In the Great Lakes region especially, and do hand recounts, machine recounts will not show the hack. But hacking also happened in non swing states he said. Of course, the swing states yielded the biggest bang . Faster to get the hand recounts in swing states. I can't believe that it is up to Kamala Harris to demand a recount. It is obvious that tRump has threatened death to people who cross him. John Kerry and AL Gore walked away for a reason. We need to ask those in Congress who support Democracy to push for a hand recount. At least in swing states.
IMarlo: I agree! I wonder how we can get this on media, even TV? Maybe Blue Sky, too? I am not tech savvy. But I bet lots of voters would participate in a push for a hand recount of at least two precincts in each of the swing states. .After all, they had their "Cyber Ninjas" and months of court challenges and vote counting in stadiums. Only to find out that Biden had More votes. 61 court cases virtually all won, even with some Republican judges in the mix.
I will enthusiastically participate in any action that can prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that TFG is an illegitimate POTUS. This all feels disturbingly familiar.
Courting the rubes who have no lives because they’ve been cheated out of a decent education by republicans.
MAGA did not develop the instinct for critical thought. To dig past the thinly veiled corruption looking for the truth isn’t particularly hard. Yet they’ve been listening to the most absurd promises and lies. Do they know what propaganda is?
They aren’t interested in the truth. As long as the lies hurts the people they blame for their lack of ambition. It’s just easier to buy T-shirts, flags, ridiculous signage, and attend hate rallies.
I’ve been watching them slip down the stupidity slope for 10 years. What remains of the original MAGA supporters is a steaming pile of idiocy at the bottom of the shallow gene pool of intellect and dementia.
We saw what happened on 1/6/2021. I don’t need anyone to explain to me exactly what I was watching. But MAGA does.
I lean toward Laurie’s explanation of how this has happened again. The same players, the useful idiot, the money, and of course the rubes who spend their money on a fraud. They make up the backdrop TFG (produced and directed by Putin, et al) trying to portray a large swath of America that supports the imaginary and cheers for an authoritarian regime. This carefully constructed narrative, along with unlimited amounts of money (f-you SCOTUS and Citizens United) has shifted our country from a democracy to Idiocracy.
I do not understand how we are not demanding any sort of secondary authentication of how/who counted the votes casts. That would make sense of any election with the razor thin margin like this whether fraud is implied or not. Where are our voices? Why are they silent? We have only ourselves to rely on. No courts, no reliable news, not one objection. Why?
Because the billionaires want what they want. Total control like Putin has over the citizens of Russia. The ability to rob our treasury and even take the money we paid in to Social Security .Freedom to speak the truth and get news that is not lies . Fairness .
Better idea: Write/call the Whitehouse and urge Biden to instruct the national archivist to ratify the Equal rights Amendment. Virginia approved it last year meeting the threshold for passage. The restriction that it be ratified by 1983 might be declared unconstitutional (the American Bar thinks it is) in which case-boom, ERA becomes the 28th amendment to the Constitution.
What about the ACLU, the American Civil Liberties Union? If election integrity is not a legitimate thing for Civil Liberties, what is? This regime was killing women and threatening free speech before this sham election! Unconstitutional laws against abortion have now been used to kill women suffering miscarriages. We need a remedy, at least to get the word out. The election has been hacked. Lives are at stake. Our country is burning while plans are being made to open protected land to more drilling.
Ever notice how quiet about the election Joe and Kamala are? They should have called for hand recounts and forensic audits. But nope nothing but Kamala conceding before the votes were fully counted and on Decemberlamely presiding over the certification of IT. Joe just mouths platitudes about the "peaceful transfer of power" and says they'll show up at the farce calling itself an inauguration. They will do nothing, I'm sfraid because they don't care. They can escape to a foreign country. It's those who trusted them and voted for a better future who will now suffer, along with Trump's deluded cult members.
I have contacted the WH, VP Kamala, senator Chris Murphy, and have tried to get a few trusted independent journalists to look at it and no response! I have also attempted spreading the word through BLUESKY and Substack! No response…how are we supposed to do this? I don’t have a huge following and am only one voice!
I think Spoonamore's claims are almost certainly false, in the particulars and in the conclusions.
Here in St Louis County the election head walked me and others through the voting mechanics and answered my concerns. At all times the election digital data on the machines was physically disconnected from and shielded from the internet and electromagnetic interference. I don't know how the data was transmitted from the county to the state level for tally, but any discrepancies would be identified.Easily. I have a professional background which included responsibility for data and data processing center security and I was satisfied with their handling of the voting data.
@steve reed. Don't give up friend. In two years we have another chance to shake this plague and bring some real public servants into positions of power and influence.
You can’t see data by “walking through”. The truth would be in HAND recounts of 2 precincts in each swing state in the original blue areas that swung red.
Elon wanted access to India’s voting machines. They use a very different system. They have a “sealed system .”
Unlike the United States where almost all our machines get connected to the internet at one point or another: for updating the software, to download the ballot information for each county into all the machines. So they have to connect them to the internet to update & download & then we disconnect them for the process of voting and counting.
However, the new data that has been leaked out of Clark County, Nevada shows the more ballots that get counted, the more the lean goes to Trump. Harris never gets more than 40%, and Trump always gets over 60%.
The weird thing about that is, in the mail in voting for that county, Harris carried at 60%. Yet when the votes were all counted, she barely eeked out a win for that county as well as eeking out a win for a second county in Nevada. But ALL the other counties swung to Trump.
What this new data is showing, in the beginning, in 0-200 votes cast, votes were spread around, there was a blue and red crazy mess of dots on the chart, i.e.. THERE WAS NO PATTERN.
As more and more ballots get counted, around 400, instead of an overlapping spread of red and blue, Harris slowly begins to only get 40% of the vote and Trump gets 60% consistently, i.e., YOU SEE A PATTERN.
THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED! THAT IS NOT NORMAL VOTING PATTERNS!
As he says very clearly in the video; ‘THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE BY ALGORITHMIC MANIPULATION.’ I.e., this can’t be anything other than some kind of computer manipulation of the vote count.
“Dire Talk’s” newest video breaks down data that can only be created by algorithmic manipulations. Here are the “receipts:”
We know Trump cheated in the last two elections. He cheats on his taxes, he cheats to get loans, he cheats at golf, he cheated on all 3 wives, this is a man you want to check.
Remember, Musk met with Putin several times; Putin, the master of election rigging.
Correct, those “conspiracy theories” are espoused by the ignorant. The Dire Talks YouTube video (and Substack) has documented, true “receipts.” But to know them, you need to watch it. Have you?
@Marlo. Ordinarily I would undertake to check sources. But this is like saying that Yuri Geller bends spoons with his mind. All the false evidence is insinuated into the "show" thus giving the impression of validity. It's just too tedious to rebut each false point or unsupported assertion.
@Marlo. You, and the unfortunate people below who are drinking your KoolAid, are doing Putin's work for him. You are undermining American confidence in their institutions. You are basically saying that the system is corrupted and both sides do it.
WRONG! Our institutions are robust. Democrats, by and large, have not participated in election fraud and have not made spurious conspiracy claims. Many credible sources have confirmed the integrity of the 2024 elections. To believe in some conspiracy is to make yourself blind to the real facts of the case, and blind to facts ends up being stupid.
I think Putin's master slimers have created a conspiracy theory that is just like what Trump does in his politics - Trump blames his opponents for the same criminal behavior that Trump himself engages. Marlo, and other TROLLS are using the same reverse psychology to undermine Democratic commitment to truth, process, fairness and the integrity of American electoral institutions. Don't fall for it my friends...
Everything Can Be Faked , Tax Cuts, Video, Voices , Tears, Heartfelt Endorsements, Yes Even Sincerity can be Faked. Beautiful People Fake in Hollywood, Less Good looking people Fake in Politics ( I Feel Your Pain )…
We should all request that Democracy Now! carry the story that Many of us want. A hand re-count and investigation of the 2024 election. There are IT security experts saying that it is evident that the election was hacked. Stephen Spooner is a professional election security expert who has explained what happened on his substack. We are told that Kamala Harris is the only one who can request a re-count. It is well known that tRUMP has threatened many people in government and the media who crossed him by reporting things that he does not want to be reported. I don't doubt that she was threatened, and her family too. Trump has been criming his whole career as an adult. He suppressed the court actions, threatened judges, prosecutors and their families, it is well documented .It is only fair and just that this be investigated. He will destroy our country, if he is not brought to justice. also those who have enabled him.
It's true that these plutocratic Republicans played the long game to establish a money-worshipping oligarchy, but Democrats did little to stop them, and sometimes even joined them. The Democrats who most zealously try to do something about the problem are pushed aside by the party establishment as "too far left." Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer even said in 2016 that Democrats would not bother with blue collar working people, instead focusing on educated, affluent suburban voters.
Right now, as an example, I am thinking about Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who has been railing against our bought-and-paid-for federal judiciary, and trying to do something about it. However, the party establishment has never chosen him as chair or ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, instead selecting milquetoast Richard Durbin.
Anyone who has held a position in Congress or the White House bears some responsibility.
Time for new leadership for sure. GOP has a major ally with corporate allies more so than Dems, no matter how much people want to demonize Dems for their corporate support. And GOP has so many other supporting INSTITUTONALIZED orgs with marketing savvy and media and corporate connections.
Sen Whitehouse recently making noise about Dems need a comparable infrastructure.
That cost lots of money. How much of that billion the DNC raised went into infrastructure for the future do you think? Some did. Our state party got some money. Not enough. DNC is now 20 million in debt.
Remember when Hillary ran and she discovered there was no effective DNC- it was in shambles ? She gets a lot of blame for rigging things for her benefit but what she should have done when she found the mess she found- that the DNC was 2 mil in debt for example.?
I recommend this Brazile article about the DNC as she was the interim director. Pretty eye opening.
The plain truth is that millions voted for Trump, because they like their gas-powered cars and have been led to believe that Biden/Harris's push away from fossil fuels has led to high prices. That was enough to sink Harris. This game is over.
When corporate lawyers are appointed to a court, they will have already sold their souls. Powell was a tobacco corporate lawyer. It goes on from there with a straight line to Citizens United.
I agree, the rise of Trumpism goes squarely with the Republican party. There is no longer a reasonably conservative group amongst the Republicans that is interested in truly governing..
Kerry - I think the Citizens United decision was made with every knowledge of the end game. These are not stupid people; yes, self-serving, and oligarch serving, but not stupid. Remember that Roberts was part of the "legal" mechanism that got the supreme court at that time to give the election to Bush. His seating on the supreme court was reward for services rendered. Also, Kavanaugh and Barrett were on that team. Coincidence? I think not. If it were not their intention to distort and pervert our countries democratic tradition, they would not have turned the presidency into a monarchy with the immunity decision. They would have abided by the 14th amendment. That's not what we see, is it?
I am also so disgusted and often angry by this both sides nonsense.
I could waste an hour writing up a list of mainstream media distortions of issues like this ...
Just one quick example- When a messed up kid from a Republican family with a house full of weapons, took a shot at Trump- it was called political violence- as if it was a Dem making a political statement.... The media called for less violence and division from both sides, as if Dems were the ones trying to divide the country and calling for their followers to take up arms and storm the capital, shoot the FBI agents who searched Mara Largo, slam Pelosi's husband in the head with a hammer, threaten every politician and innocent poll worker who opposed their agenda .... But hey- Dems called Trump a fascist and that is the same thing ...
Of course the No-Longer-Anything-Like-Supreme Court failed to protect us from creating a situation wherein Congress and the Presidency would be for sale to the highest bidder. Too many members of the Court had already sold out, themselves -
First and foremost, to the ideology of a religion which ensnares and holds it adherents by psychologically damaging them so that it is, thereafter, impossible for them to believe themselves capable of doing or being good and that they are condemned to eternal damnation just for being born into the world and, thereby, being infected with "original sin."
Then after creating this psychological dis-ease within its adherents, the church claims to be the only cure, but that cure is restricted to folk who are willing to do and be whatever the church tells them they must. Should any member of one of those churches sense God calling them to other beliefs and courses of action, the church tells them to cast God's inspirations aside because the adherent's worship must be reserved for the church and its leaders, and God's inspirations to change and growth are always a threat to such churches.
A corollary of this, of course, is that those damaged by these churches are left with a hole ripped out of their personalities - a whole which they yearn to fill. The only form of human capable of filling that hole is a human fetus between conception and birth (because it has not yet been infected with "original sin." Deep emotional attachment to "the unborn" fills in the heartache left by the ripped out piece of these folks' damaged personalities with the result that, for the folk most affected, the unborn become far more valuable than any human after birth can possibly be.
Such folk are doubly vulnerable to manipulation based on the very human ideas of their church leaders, many of them devoting their lives to protecting "the unborn" and controlling women (which is a bit of an obsession for many of their celibate and/or proto incel, even if married, clergy). They end up with the very questionable belief that it is holy to force those very human ideas (and rejection of God in favor of the church) down the throats of the entire nation in response to the church's promise that keeping church leaders happy (while ignoring God) will bring tremendous blessings on them and the nation.
Their second sell out, then, has been allowing themselves to be recruited and surreptitiously kept so comfortable that they have no need to think more deeply about or consider their beliefs in light of the Constitution. Making various family members of the justices dependent on their wealthy benefactors has also been used as a form of manipulation to keep the Justices from ever straying into Constitutional (rather than Christian Sharia) law.
The reality is, of course that the "conservative" justices of the Supreme Court have sold their souls to forms of faith wherein they are falsely promised long life, prosperity and good health (heaven on earth?) if they will but worship very human churches and seek to keep the very human leaders of those churches happy, and in concert with that, have sold out the Constitution and our Democracy.
If sounds as if those churches are offering their followers the same gifts offered by the evil one and rejected by Jesus after his 40 days in the Wilderness at the beginning of his ministry, you're not far wrong. Indeed, some of the most famous (especially in our current media environment) religious leaders have become very adept at leading astray those who desire a form of religion in which they seek, not to follow God in doing service among other humans after the example of Jesus, but seek to turn God into their cosmic concierge (something which God will never become).
In the end, our "conservative" Supreme Court" justices and the leaders they follow and are in liege to, are not serving God, they are serving themselves (and the evil one, if you believe in a personified source of evil). They will not bring "heaven on earth," but the opposite. I suspect when they reach the next life, they will be in for a bit of a shock. God will love them anyway, of course, but God will not be amused.
Yep, all roads lead to Citizens United! Question: Can Congress override or eliminate it? And if so, could a certain percentage of our massive taxpayer-funded trillions-dollar budget be directed to funding federal elections (and hopefully states would follow)? This could remove the oligarchs from that equation anyway.
Kerry, thank you for putting this into such clear perspective. For most Democrats most of the time it is making " grave mistakes". For the Republicans it is their plan and a way of life.
Kerry Truchero, I’m a senior citizen, a Californian, a tree hugger, the daughter of a U.S. Navy officer, and a progressive since before I could vote. About that time, my father taught me that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, something that too many of our congress critters walk on. I’ll take Sen. Sanders and Rep. AOC, thank you.
Thank you for Professor for memorializing President Jimmy Carter, the most decent president in American history. His legacy is even more important now in that America’s soul is under attack.
I feel that the best way to honor President Jimmy Carter is to emulate his dedication to service. He said that that handing over the presidency to Ronald Reagan was one of the hardest things he did in his life. But rather than to give into dismay and despair, he and Rosalyn dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to helping others all the way through their lives. He and Roslyn contributed one week a year minimum to Habitat for Humanity building homes. He also helped nonprofits to do their jobs more effectively. The need for nonprofit activity will become greater than ever, and there are many on this Substack with many years of experience that can be of use to these groups. These groups need bookkeeping skills, education skills, business skills, and technical skills. These are all contributions that we can make at no cost. Engaging ourselves in service to others will be the best offense and not just a defense against depression and despair and at the same time we will be honoring Jimmy Carter.
Character is all the difference. Jimmy and Roslyn left the White House to build houses for poor folks among other services to those in need.
Reagan left the White House and went to Japan for 8 days with an invitation from the Fujisankei Communications Group and the Japanese Government. He collected $2 million for his effort. Just saying... GH
I have friends who say, "Character is all the difference." That opinion forced me to clarify my own thought, which is that Results Matter by far the most. I can appreciate Jimmy Carter's Habitat for Humanity efforts without ever thinking he was a good President. He did nothing effective to stop the "malaise" in our economy. When pressed by Reagan on nuclear policy he said he would ask his daughter Amy for advice, at age ~12! He was a good man but naive.
Reagan and Trump focus and achieve results, generally beneficial for Americans.
Bill, Reagan tried to reunify the country after the Vietnam tragedy. Trump has done his best to divide the country, and, thus far, this is his only achievement. Don't be a Murdoch parrot!
Darn! I guess I am "mud" in this stew, but Carter also signed the bill to cut any federal spending for abortions, I'm sure with righteous eyes raised to heaven that at least the government would not assist sluts to indulge in wantonness. We don't need theocracy, either!
I didn’t know that. I believe that he was personally opposed to abortion, but I thought he supported women’s rights. I’ll have to research your point for myself. It’s complicated (as Asha and Renato have taught me).
Thank you for this detail. I’m not sure I remember that the Hyde Amendment was about abortion. And as an active member of NARAL at the time I hope I was aware of the politics involved. I’m still reeling that Roe was overturned.
Samuel Leach is a TROLL attempting to distract us from Robert Reich Substack. Use the three dots to the right of his post and report him. Eventually, Robert Reich will delete all his posts for us. Do not bother to respond to him.
The word hopeless, is just what the MAGA GOP wants everyone to feel, that way, it makes their job of an American oligarchy, a country by and for the rich, that much easier to come to pass.
So true, John! We must keep hope alive for everyone who is feeling there isn't any. We will get through this. Marc Nevas wrote a great piece for Ronald Logan on the Crisis and Transition. He talks about a United Front of Moral People and it is an excellent read! I've told others who are feeling hopeless and abandoned by their party to give it a read. It will calm your soul and bring you peace along with hope. We must continue to fight!
Peggy, you either calm your soul, or you fight! Be aware that the members of the Heritage Foundation consider themselves to be a united front of moral people. Nice-sounding words may mask an ugly intent.
When we fight! we win! sadly that nice slogan did not come to pass, that is Kamala Harris be our next President and Time Magazine had the gall, to call Trump, man of the Year? what vomit!
Not only that, John, but that orange smear had the audacity to whine and complain that the flags being flown at half-mast to honor President Carter would "take away" from his inauguration!! What a POS!
Orange Smear indeed, normally I would somewhat refrain from name calling but with the likes of Trump, one of the most distasteful people in the world, he should get every bit coming to him and none of it should be good
Donald Trump is a GIGANTIC ORANGE SMEAR POS! I HATED IT THAT THE #1 POS WAS ALLOWED TO BE AT JIMMY CARTER'S FUNERAL TODAY, SPREADING HIS STINK ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!
I’ve been writing my Representatives about enacting Amendment 14 Section 3 and encouraging others to do the same. But there was no debate they just rubber stamped the man who started a riot to block Biden’s win.
So what’s happening? Seems like nothing. Seems like the Constitution is already being made irrelevant. Seems like those in power don’t care.
This is NOT business as usual. This is the beginning of the end of 248 years of democracy.
The answer to reforming our democracy might be within a movement to reform the healthcare system because healthcare is a necessity we all share, no matter our origins, ethnicity, religion, or gender.
Yes, Gloria. And I would urge everyone to stay as positive as possible about our ability to continue creating a better future. We have our work cut out for us. I know it’s tempting to pull the covers up and close our eyes. But there are millions of us who want to save this democratic republic. Push back whenever and wherever you can.
Yes, Gloria. Dems must set priorities, and health has to be at the top. Medicare for All has widespread appeal, but it also faces very stiff opposition, and Medicare for some may be part of that opposition. Current Medicare recipients may fear losing some of their benefits. Besides, Medicare has been corrupted by the medical-pharmaceutical complex. We don''t need to reinvent the wheel; some European countries have better health systems than ours. People are suffering and dying; they desperately want us to act, and we must!.
I totally agree Gloria. The DEMs and the unions have been working at that goal for 80 years with almost total opposition from the GOP for 80 years. The ACA is a good example. Currently 24 million folks are now signed up. While not a perfect solution, almost all of those folks didn't have insurance before the ACA. The biggest winners are people between 18 & 34; blacks; Hispanics and folks from rural areas.
Despite the constant attacks on the ACA by the GOP and DT's recent blathering about his "concept" of a plan to replace it, the Republicans have NO plan to help ALL Americans get health insurance! They hate the idea of national or government health care, but won't require ALL companies to provide it either. They don't give a shit about the 25-30 million Americans who don't currently have insurance.
Those tens of millions of our citizens without health insurance mostly live in the South. Texas has a higher % of uninsured folks than the Northeast and the Midwest states. I find it interesting that folks in those states keep electing state and federal politicians intent on destroying what insurance they do have. Just saying... Happy New Year to all... GH
Janet, I have discovered Samuel is a troll. Someone spoke about it earlier. He has been reported to Professor Reich and hopefully will be removed soon. Best advice is to just scroll past his posts!
Professor Reich: our elections are auctions. our governments are designed to provide short-term profits to the fewest, greediest people by stealing as much money as possible from the greatest number of people to accomplish this.
It's called a wonderful word by GOP, it's called, let the "free markets" and unfettered capitalism rule, over everything and everyone, isn't their form of democracy great? -, that is when you can afford to buy it, like our bought and paid for Supreme Court, oh how the smell from them, they reek
President Jimmy Carter was a man of integrity. What he said about oligarchy was absolutely true. It is sad that our political system is being ruled by oligarchs. RIP Jimmy Carter.
You wonder how the Republican members of the current Supreme Court can look out at what their side has accomplished, the incredibly anti-constitutional destruction of our system, and not see it for what it is. And they aren't done. The level of corruption is so complete, and they want more. This isn't even constructive criminality, it's ideological compulsion. They'll sink the whole thing in seeking conservative laissez-faire nirvana and perfection. Which is death. The drive for that level of purity is a death wish. Our ship of state is commanded by Ahabs.
Jimmy Carter lived the life of an American man who lead by a great example of decency and integrity which is what we all should aspire to be, both as President and in his post presidency as an inspiration for all of humanity. He was a real American Hero!
I will remember former president, Brother Jimmy Carter well, first as a farmer, a sailor, an engineer, a politician, an educator, a statesman, and last but above all else as a peacemaker!
“Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called children of God.” The Beatitudes
Jimmy Carter was above all a simple man with basic values. He saw this country and its people being swallowed by a hand full of wealthy individuals who see dollar signs waving in the breeze not the American flag. Endless lies coupled with a lust for money doesn't make oil of Musk a desirable fragrance for those of us who have to work for a living. Trump and Musk share in the opinion, if you show them a home where the buffalo roam, and they'll show you a living room full of shit. Those two definitely have the shoes for it, and their swamp keeps getting deeper.
I heard his interview with Terri Gross, and he mentioned he had to get out of serious debt after he left as president, and that he did so by working and writing his memoir. He didn’t engage in hunting for wealth, but in working for others to help them improve their lives.
Never heard that. Do you recall how he incurred the debt? Certainly, he and Rosalynn lived very simply in Plains. Their house had only two bedrooms, and I read elsewhere that when they visited the Carter Center in Atlanta, they slept on a pull-out couch.
When Carter was elected president he put his peanut farm into a blind trust, which any president is ethically supposed to do to avoid even an appearance of conflict of interest(of course Trump ignored any of that). After his term in office Carter found his farm had been mismanaged and it was in debt.
Jimmy Carter, a real humanitarian, he fought for the common man and did much to help and try to save people and our natural world, so it's no wonder, many on the far rabid right, could not stand him, for they saw in him, what they lacked in themselves, they do not like being shown the mirror
Unfortunately, after reading article, I like many, disagree with him there, as to his prolife stance, that said, this fact, does not take away from much of his good or positive qualities and you know what, at least with Jimmy Carter, the word, Pro-life, he meant it too, when it came to things like healthcare, the environment, whereas, the GOP, give lip service, like they care about life, the only thing they care about is their wallets and who or what they can hurt...evil
Agree, Professor Reich, and truer words were never spoken. Legislators and their staff at all levels as well as the committee leaders all lined up like little piggies at the trough. Getting elected has been synonymous with getting rich quick to far too many candidates. We need legislation to end for all time Citizens United if we ever again get responsible control of Congress. I won't be around but I wish you well.
TBH, I am getting tired of having people point out things that OBVIOUSLY _NEED_ to be changed in order for We The People to regain control of "Our" government. Get money out of politics. Get politics out of SCOTUS. DO SOMETHING to curb gun violence. Adjust the tax system to make the Wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. Etc., etc., etc. All necessary things -- but WHO is able to get that changing done? Not We The People. _WE_ aren't even allowed to pick candidates that _WE_ want to appear on ballots. (Who the candidates will be is determined by the people that control the political Parties.) Which means that though We are allowed to vote in General Elections, We won't be allowed to decide for Ourselves which candidates We can vote for in those General Elections.
The ONLY people that have the Power to make changes to the current system of government are the members of Congress. Those are the same people "earning" a salary of about $200,000 per year provided by Our tax dollars -- and five times that (or more) from Big Money "campaign contributions" and lobbyist largess (which is paid for by Big Money interests). Does anybody really, truly, sincerely believe that, given that balance of revenue streams, that most of the members of Congress _actually_ choose to serve the interests of We The People first and foremost? Be honest with yourself. If you are still telling yourself "But We CAN force change!" I would ask you to do a deep dive into all Federal legislation created in the last 20 years and assess how much of it benefits We the People? Versus how much of it benefits the Wealthy and corporations (which are mostly owned and/or operated by the Wealthy).?
When we needed the Supreme Court to restrain the Legislative and Executive from creating a government for sale, they failed. And why is that? (Please check the vote tally by the SCOTUS on Citizens United, OK?) It's not that "Democrats and Republicans" simply found campaign finance norms to their favor. It's because REPUBLICANS game planned their oligarchic takeover of the country as far back as Lewis Powell, in bed with the billionaire class who have funded the destruction of Labor and the privatization/deregulation of America. I'm sick and tired of Democrats being given a disproportionate share of the blame for the catastrophic future we've created. They've made grave mistakes, and they've been seduced by power, but it was never their intention to distort and pervert our country's democratic tradition. But the Reaganites and their MAGA offspring have always been devoted to enriching the wealthy and polarizing the country into political dysfunction.
A most accurate and profound summation. A nation who has allowed democracy to deteriorate and oligarchs to rule everything. Every branch of government - our checks and balances - has an elected majority courtesy of the Billionaires. There will no longer be any "check" in place and the "balance" of power has entirely shifted to one class. The American Oligarchy courtesy of the unprincipled, undisciplined GOP.
With respect, I would have to say that the GOP does indeed have discipline--they have been planning this exact future since Lewis Powell. That takes rigid party discipline.
That there are some extreme MAGAs messing up the works for those who prefer quietly serving the oligarchy...fanaticism provides much of the energy for any movement...what has happened is the fanaticism was generated by the under-informed poor working folks who were seduced into the MAGA movement by lies and false promises. MAGAs seem to waking up to the fact that not only have they been used but that those they have elected do not share the same goals. Not an uncommon end result of movements driven by fanatics and directed by people with ulterior motives.
And about principles--you can't say that movement conservatism doesn't have "principles"...it's just that their principles are all in service to themselves and their corporate, oligarchical masters.
Yes, as I see it, movement conservatism is all about making wealthy white men comfortable at the expense of everyone else.
" wealthy white men"? Perhaps you would do well to take a closer look at some of those MAGA rallies
Yes, a bunch of lowlife dregs is who they are. Those wealthy white men (and one orange hued one) duped a bunch of poor, white, and stupid people to help them achieve their wealth hoarding to an extreme extent we’ve never seen before. This new “Gilded Age” is of the gold-plated, tacky, gauche, no class variety. The good ole Social Register must be rolling over in its grave. At least the Robber Barons had manners, charm, and sophistication while they robbed people blind. At least that, I suppose. What a time in history. The tackiest, most despicable bunch of evil clowns and losers. Wow. Just wow.
I used to think I would suffer from brain fog for the rest of my life..."𝐛𝐮𝐭" this changed everything.... https://t.co/XvMtefoaHj
Give a poor white man someone to look down on and he will give you his wallet.
Scam link. Reported.
Yes, me, too.
For your remarks about Jimmy Carter: Amen.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa was asked if evil was more powerful than good and he answered 'No.but it's better organized '.
the repubs have been much like the Chinese,excelling in long-term thinking and planning-too bad for all of us they're both so wrong in what they believe
I agree the overarching GOP does have exactly that, and maybe the lack of discipline seen by Representative Legislature is also by design.
👍 SADLY, VERY MUCH TRUE
I share the pain, feeling ashamed about the childisch stupidity of the president-elect. But I don't need to spell this out. We have seen this Trump for years, listened to him, laughed about him, but now he has the opportunity to devastate everything we invested in, that is socially.
I hoped to read shame, creativity about emergency exits, small gains in political resistance in the GOP.
And mild ridicule...
The stench of GOP, democrats need to point out that stench, emanating from GOP, point it out, each and every time, make them wear it, make them own it, every bit of crapola by them and their dear leader, that they seek to try and do and do not give an inch and only work with them if it really helps people and supports democratic cherished values and not of one, by and for the rich agenda, they, the GOP have been and are bought and paid for, like their bought for Supreme Court, a court that made him a "King and above the law"
The Dems have got to show trumps followers what the Repubs are all about. They need to yell It from the mountaintops every single day!
thank you. Well put. But "discipline "? It may be more of a matter of what do they have to lose. Even when they "lose" they still get to live in a Democracy that had benefited all the people even those who are determined to make the benefits only for themselves.
Beautifully said.
Thank you.
What evidence do you have that the MAGA voters are waking up to the fact that they have been used and lied to?
The environment we all share, is in much in the cross hairs once again but on a colossal scale, for Trump, "his corrupt Supreme Court" and his minions or crony cabinet of billionaires, case in point, Doug Burgum, another super rich guy with hands tied to the oil cartel, a cartel we as taxpayers have been subsidizing big time for decades now, to our own detriment of destruction and that of the natural world and may I add, how indeed it is so obvious the greed factor, when it comes to what the grand ole poo party, the GOP, do not mind, having us taxpayers subsidize, when it comes to "their interests" like big oil taxpayer subsidies, "no problem for them there, they're all on board"- but the moment we have something like say, renewable energy tax credits for consumers to save money, example to encourage consumers to buy, electric cars and or solar panels and thereby help save the planet from their greed, it's hell no, we GOP, we will fight tooth and nail, against anything, that helps people in any way and helping at the same time to protect our environment, from them and their greedy and cruel hurtful policies.
Gas Oil Petroleum (GOP) Party.
In fossil fuels they trust.
The Missouri GOP and oil interests have fought the Grain Belt Express Project for many years. It finally has the go ahead and will produce 2,500 MW of power for MO, IL, and Indiana. A large nuclear plant generates 1,000 to 1600 MW for comparison.
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/mo/st-louis/news/2023/10/13/missouri-approves-wind-powered-line?form=MG0AV3
Missouri approves wind-powered line that could save billions on energy costs Some good news👍
When I can use my EV car battery to store surplus electricity generated mid-day, solar panels will become cost-effective.
Um🤔, there are some references I have read, about emergency powering of your home, via a certain set of rechargeable car batteries, the science or tech, is rapidly evolving
If money is allowed to buy the Supream court the Supream court becomes the proximate cause of the oligarchs …
Total Assholes reign by their wallets.
Jimmy Carter also said Iseral was a religious apartheid country intent on eliminating Muslims.
He wasn't wrong.
Yes , Jimmy was a godsend to the country..
His response to the hostages was correct a small task force but the Military management was incompetent…
Delta force was born out of that failure…
Bin Laden hunting team was the result of learning from his mistakes. Obama had multiple levels of military response ready to insure the seal team six could accomplish its goal and fight its way back to base . Kandahar air base had Army Airborne contingent ready along with air assets and Naval Air Assets standing by to potentially back up seal team six mission.
The only "checks and balances" the billionaires care about are the checks they write and their bribery balance sheets
It’s the checks they get ; especially written by the government.
We often fail to recognize the role a corporate-owned media plays in the plutocratization of the USA, Inc. They are the gatekeepers protecting the lies and deception; the protectors of the corporate powers that "own" the media through the billions they spend in advertising to enrich these corporate-owned mouthpieces. And now the oligarchs are squeezing free speech and open thought even more by taking control of the narratives on social media. Democracy is strongest when we have a wide array of "voices in the marketplace," but when that number is shrunk drastically and under control of nefarious capitalists and self-serving thieves, the oppostion is muffled and that democracy dies in silence.
Mainstream media, including television and radio stations and newspapers, is owned by billionaires and billionaire corporations who focused on Biden's every stumble or stutter, but did not report Biden's great accomplishments. Instead, there focused on Trump every day to keep him relevant. We haven't had real journalism since Reagan gutted the FCC and got rid of the " Fairness Doctrine "!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E4W-yH5RHk&t=6s
It's 9 minutes from Noam Chomsky. Please move the needle to the beginning. He describes 40 years in a nutshell. Fox News and Murdoch's media properties.
Tranpelling on the graves of American Revolutionary Patriots
The election was hacked. Harris won! Are we going to let them cheat?
Musk said, “Everything can get hacked.”
Elon wanted access to India’s voting machines. They use a very different system. They have a “sealed system .”
Unlike the United States where almost all our machines get connected to the internet at one point or another: for updating the software, to download the ballot information for each county into all the machines. So they have to connect them to the internet to update & download & then we disconnect them for the process of voting and counting.
However, the new data that has been leaked out of Clark County, Nevada shows the more ballots that get counted, the more the lean goes to Trump. Harris never gets more than 40%, and Trump always gets over 60%.
The weird thing about that is, in the mail in voting for that county, Harris carried at 60%. Yet when the votes were all counted, she barely eeked out a win for that county as well as eeking out a win for a second county in Nevada. But ALL the other counties swung to Trump.
What this new data is showing, in the beginning, in 0-200 votes cast, votes were spread around, there was a blue and red crazy mess of dots on the chart, i.e.. THERE WAS NO PATTERN.
As more and more ballots get counted, around 400, instead of an overlapping spread of red and blue, Harris slowly begins to only get 40% of the vote and Trump gets 60% consistently, i.e., YOU SEE A PATTERN.
THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED! THAT IS NOT NORMAL VOTING PATTERNS!
As he says very clearly in the video; ‘THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE BY ALGORITHMIC MANIPULATION.’ I.e., this can’t be anything other than some kind of computer manipulation of the vote count.
“Dire Talk’s” newest video breaks down data that can only be created by algorithmic manipulations. Here are the “receipts:”
https://youtu.be/qmzGOQwMG_k
https://youtu.be/y3-jqU8m-80?si=AzvhGqSUU-bC6VC1
We know Trump cheated in the last two elections. He cheats on his taxes, he cheats to get loans, he cheats at golf, he cheated on all 3 wives, this is a man you want to check.
Remember, Musk met with Putin several times; Putin, the master of election rigging.
We the American people need to stand up and demand this election be annulled just as Romania did for election interference by Russia.
I always wondered when Trump said those insane things during his rallies (although I acknowledge that most of what comes out of his mouth is verbal diarrhea) - e.g., I don't need your vote, we will win anyway; I will take care of women even if they don't want me to; immigrants eating cats and dogs, etc. etc.. It was as if he knew that regardless of what he did or said, he would win. And putting Project 2025 out there --- any normal American would be repulsed by what these insane "Christians" were espousing. Nevertheless, he continued with his insane ravings - and then they made sure that he won by just enough so as not to raise too many eyebrows .......
HIs going after the pollster because she said Harris was winning also seemed odd. But the "powers that be" did not investigate this, so I guess we will never know.
I still don't want to believe that the country and the world are now irreparably broken .....
Just because a wedding has been planned, it’s not too late to call off the wedding when you find out the groom was an imposter.
We need to OBJECT to this FAKE election! Hand recounts in the swing states where will reveal the truth. Make NOISE!
I agree that this election was stolen yet again and that a hand recount would be vital to the sane future of our country BUT even if that would happen and Harris/Walz were declared the rightful winners of the election,do you think these monsters would just stop their their massive dirty tricks and simply go away? Nope. They have abundantly demonstrated that they don’t care about the welfare of our country, its laws or about truth and that they will continue to do exactly as they please. Like classic child predators, they have given the gullible adult children of our country a tasty dose of candy, and proceeded to co-op their compliant behavior to their own evil purposes. I am too old to physically participate but as much as I abhor violence, I fear that may be the only way to show them that they may not enslave us to their nefarious goals. Despite the superficial comforts offered by other writers on this Substack, that it takes years for deranged, autocrats to push us to the dark side, I believe we are out of time because too many of our citizens have lined up for their passports into a dark cold future. I deeply wish I could say something more hopeful.
Don’t be a defeatist. REMEMBER WWII. Everyone banded together to fight fascism. We are in a fight of fascism NOW!
You can call, text, email. A democracy starts with a FAIR election. One we did not have,
Marlo. Thanks for this information. It agrees with what IT election security professional. Stephen Spooner writes about hacking of the 2024 election (also used in Ohio on 2004 when Bush "won" against John Kerry. Documented and verified. You shared the info that Stephen Spooner on this Forum. Too. Which supports this information. Good work!
What can be done? This election was a FRAUD! Harris is the winner yet no one is talking about this on the media or doing anything about it.
I have contacted the FBI and the election crime unit. Nothing.
Just because a wedding has been planned, it’s not too late to call off the wedding when you find out the groom was an imposter.
WE NEED TO STOP THIS TRANSFER and hand count the ballots at least in the swing states where it is occurring.
Marlo: we need to ask those who support Democracy to push for a hand recount. In at least two precincts per swing state, especially in the blue wall swing states. Billions were spent in ads filled with lies and defamation of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. It was like when they Swift boated John Kerry.
I have been calling. I called AOC, Jeffries, Pelosi, Peters, Stevens , Raskin. If they can see this is a fraud, how can they go through with this transfer?
How do you get this on the media?
Inequality Media, Meidas Touch, , Blue Amp, there must be more.
Call MSNBC : Let 'em show their true colors.
Laurie, Republicans don't even honor recounts, but continue to maintain they were cheated. They no longer respect the compact between citizens, that is, the agreement that we will recognize the legitimacy of the person who garners the most votes, even if we detest that person, politically speaking. For this reason, I don't recognize Trump as my President. To this day, he and his MAGA followers say that he won the 2020 election. The Trump Administration won't even hire anyone who won't say that the 2020 election was stolen. They have broken the compact, so I'm no longer obligated to abide by it. Unless their future candidates will agree to restoring the compact, we can't have a democracy. When campaigning, Trump would never agree to recognizing the results of an election if he lost.
You say Swift-boating like it was a bad thing.
You are a bad thing, troll "Robert".
Marlo. Stephen Spooner has said that the best and quickest way to prove hacking is to pick at least two precincts in each swing state. Those in the so called "blue wall" In the Great Lakes region especially, and do hand recounts, machine recounts will not show the hack. But hacking also happened in non swing states he said. Of course, the swing states yielded the biggest bang . Faster to get the hand recounts in swing states. I can't believe that it is up to Kamala Harris to demand a recount. It is obvious that tRump has threatened death to people who cross him. John Kerry and AL Gore walked away for a reason. We need to ask those in Congress who support Democracy to push for a hand recount. At least in swing states.
IMarlo: I agree! I wonder how we can get this on media, even TV? Maybe Blue Sky, too? I am not tech savvy. But I bet lots of voters would participate in a push for a hand recount of at least two precincts in each of the swing states. .After all, they had their "Cyber Ninjas" and months of court challenges and vote counting in stadiums. Only to find out that Biden had More votes. 61 court cases virtually all won, even with some Republican judges in the mix.
I will enthusiastically participate in any action that can prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that TFG is an illegitimate POTUS. This all feels disturbingly familiar.
Courting the rubes who have no lives because they’ve been cheated out of a decent education by republicans.
MAGA did not develop the instinct for critical thought. To dig past the thinly veiled corruption looking for the truth isn’t particularly hard. Yet they’ve been listening to the most absurd promises and lies. Do they know what propaganda is?
They aren’t interested in the truth. As long as the lies hurts the people they blame for their lack of ambition. It’s just easier to buy T-shirts, flags, ridiculous signage, and attend hate rallies.
I’ve been watching them slip down the stupidity slope for 10 years. What remains of the original MAGA supporters is a steaming pile of idiocy at the bottom of the shallow gene pool of intellect and dementia.
We saw what happened on 1/6/2021. I don’t need anyone to explain to me exactly what I was watching. But MAGA does.
I lean toward Laurie’s explanation of how this has happened again. The same players, the useful idiot, the money, and of course the rubes who spend their money on a fraud. They make up the backdrop TFG (produced and directed by Putin, et al) trying to portray a large swath of America that supports the imaginary and cheers for an authoritarian regime. This carefully constructed narrative, along with unlimited amounts of money (f-you SCOTUS and Citizens United) has shifted our country from a democracy to Idiocracy.
I do not understand how we are not demanding any sort of secondary authentication of how/who counted the votes casts. That would make sense of any election with the razor thin margin like this whether fraud is implied or not. Where are our voices? Why are they silent? We have only ourselves to rely on. No courts, no reliable news, not one objection. Why?
Because the billionaires want what they want. Total control like Putin has over the citizens of Russia. The ability to rob our treasury and even take the money we paid in to Social Security .Freedom to speak the truth and get news that is not lies . Fairness .
If we don’t stand up and object to this election which was NOT FAIR, we will have rigged elections from now on, just like Russia. Putin always wins.
Better idea: Write/call the Whitehouse and urge Biden to instruct the national archivist to ratify the Equal rights Amendment. Virginia approved it last year meeting the threshold for passage. The restriction that it be ratified by 1983 might be declared unconstitutional (the American Bar thinks it is) in which case-boom, ERA becomes the 28th amendment to the Constitution.
You can sign the petition here https://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/261/045/063/
What about the ACLU, the American Civil Liberties Union? If election integrity is not a legitimate thing for Civil Liberties, what is? This regime was killing women and threatening free speech before this sham election! Unconstitutional laws against abortion have now been used to kill women suffering miscarriages. We need a remedy, at least to get the word out. The election has been hacked. Lives are at stake. Our country is burning while plans are being made to open protected land to more drilling.
Marlo , This is not the first rigged election, I'm sure.
Ever notice how quiet about the election Joe and Kamala are? They should have called for hand recounts and forensic audits. But nope nothing but Kamala conceding before the votes were fully counted and on Decemberlamely presiding over the certification of IT. Joe just mouths platitudes about the "peaceful transfer of power" and says they'll show up at the farce calling itself an inauguration. They will do nothing, I'm sfraid because they don't care. They can escape to a foreign country. It's those who trusted them and voted for a better future who will now suffer, along with Trump's deluded cult members.
I have contacted the WH, VP Kamala, senator Chris Murphy, and have tried to get a few trusted independent journalists to look at it and no response! I have also attempted spreading the word through BLUESKY and Substack! No response…how are we supposed to do this? I don’t have a huge following and am only one voice!
Laura, we missed the bus, and we must get ready for the next one; if none comes, we must be ready to walk.
🥺 I’m not ready for this…
It’s not over until your brother counts the vote.
(re: 2004)
I think Spoonamore's claims are almost certainly false, in the particulars and in the conclusions.
Here in St Louis County the election head walked me and others through the voting mechanics and answered my concerns. At all times the election digital data on the machines was physically disconnected from and shielded from the internet and electromagnetic interference. I don't know how the data was transmitted from the county to the state level for tally, but any discrepancies would be identified.Easily. I have a professional background which included responsibility for data and data processing center security and I was satisfied with their handling of the voting data.
Here is a dissenting view on Spoonamore's claims: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/11/20/2287695/-Election-fraud-hoax-by-the-left?_=2024-11-20T19:59:39.000-08:00
My view is that if election mischief was going on as Spoonamore alledges then others having credibility would also likely come forward.
SNOPES the fact checking site did not find Spoonamore's claims credible at all.
https://www.snopes.com/news/2024/11/21/stephen-spoonamore-letter-harris/
Here are other fact checking orgs: https://www.mopag.net/fact-check-1
@steve reed. Thank for that note of clarity and correction.
The thing is, I am getting tired of picking up after other people's litter (talking about Spoonamore here). Well I'll quit at some point.
@steve reed. Don't give up friend. In two years we have another chance to shake this plague and bring some real public servants into positions of power and influence.
You can’t see data by “walking through”. The truth would be in HAND recounts of 2 precincts in each swing state in the original blue areas that swung red.
Musk said, “Everything can get hacked.”
Elon wanted access to India’s voting machines. They use a very different system. They have a “sealed system .”
Unlike the United States where almost all our machines get connected to the internet at one point or another: for updating the software, to download the ballot information for each county into all the machines. So they have to connect them to the internet to update & download & then we disconnect them for the process of voting and counting.
However, the new data that has been leaked out of Clark County, Nevada shows the more ballots that get counted, the more the lean goes to Trump. Harris never gets more than 40%, and Trump always gets over 60%.
The weird thing about that is, in the mail in voting for that county, Harris carried at 60%. Yet when the votes were all counted, she barely eeked out a win for that county as well as eeking out a win for a second county in Nevada. But ALL the other counties swung to Trump.
What this new data is showing, in the beginning, in 0-200 votes cast, votes were spread around, there was a blue and red crazy mess of dots on the chart, i.e.. THERE WAS NO PATTERN.
As more and more ballots get counted, around 400, instead of an overlapping spread of red and blue, Harris slowly begins to only get 40% of the vote and Trump gets 60% consistently, i.e., YOU SEE A PATTERN.
THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED! THAT IS NOT NORMAL VOTING PATTERNS!
As he says very clearly in the video; ‘THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE BY ALGORITHMIC MANIPULATION.’ I.e., this can’t be anything other than some kind of computer manipulation of the vote count.
“Dire Talk’s” newest video breaks down data that can only be created by algorithmic manipulations. Here are the “receipts:”
https://youtu.be/qmzGOQwMG_k
https://youtu.be/y3-jqU8m-80?si=AzvhGqSUU-bC6VC1
We know Trump cheated in the last two elections. He cheats on his taxes, he cheats to get loans, he cheats at golf, he cheated on all 3 wives, this is a man you want to check.
Remember, Musk met with Putin several times; Putin, the master of election rigging.
No. It’s not a hoax. Did you watch the video?
https://youtu.be/qmzGOQwMG_k
MAGA maggots are all alike! Morons bamboozled by idiots!! 🇺🇲💔🤍💙🇺🇲
@Marlo.
ONLY SUPERNATURAL POWERS COULD HAVE BUILT THE PYRAMIDS!
ALIENS DREW THE NASCA LINES!
GOBEKLI TEPE WAS A SCIENTIFICALLY ADVANCED ALIEN CIVILIZATION!
ATLANTIS HAD AIRPLANES AND SUBMARINES THAT TRAVELLED THE WORLD!
COVID IS NO WORSE THAN THE FLU!
Ignorance makes one susceptible to the most ridiculous claims...
So true! And the earth is flat!
@Edie. LOLOLOL
Correct, those “conspiracy theories” are espoused by the ignorant. The Dire Talks YouTube video (and Substack) has documented, true “receipts.” But to know them, you need to watch it. Have you?
https://youtu.be/qmzGOQwMG_k
Another great video:
https://youtu.be/y3-jqU8m-80?si=AzvhGqSUU-bC6VC1
“Nine Ways To Prove The 2024 Election Was Stolen” Please read:
https://open.substack.com/pub/tinfoilmatt/p/nine-ways-to-prove-the-2024-election
@Marlo. Ordinarily I would undertake to check sources. But this is like saying that Yuri Geller bends spoons with his mind. All the false evidence is insinuated into the "show" thus giving the impression of validity. It's just too tedious to rebut each false point or unsupported assertion.
@Marlo. You, and the unfortunate people below who are drinking your KoolAid, are doing Putin's work for him. You are undermining American confidence in their institutions. You are basically saying that the system is corrupted and both sides do it.
WRONG! Our institutions are robust. Democrats, by and large, have not participated in election fraud and have not made spurious conspiracy claims. Many credible sources have confirmed the integrity of the 2024 elections. To believe in some conspiracy is to make yourself blind to the real facts of the case, and blind to facts ends up being stupid.
I think Putin's master slimers have created a conspiracy theory that is just like what Trump does in his politics - Trump blames his opponents for the same criminal behavior that Trump himself engages. Marlo, and other TROLLS are using the same reverse psychology to undermine Democratic commitment to truth, process, fairness and the integrity of American electoral institutions. Don't fall for it my friends...
Keep belieing that. You think this is all "business as usual"
Pls just watch the video.
That’s what I thought UNTIL I SAW THIS VIDEO. Watch it and see the evidence. From Dire Talks Substack.
https://youtu.be/qmzGOQwMG_k
Everything Can Be Faked , Tax Cuts, Video, Voices , Tears, Heartfelt Endorsements, Yes Even Sincerity can be Faked. Beautiful People Fake in Hollywood, Less Good looking people Fake in Politics ( I Feel Your Pain )…
There are lies and there is sincerity. The Republican Party seems to represent lies and hypocrisy.
We should all request that Democracy Now! carry the story that Many of us want. A hand re-count and investigation of the 2024 election. There are IT security experts saying that it is evident that the election was hacked. Stephen Spooner is a professional election security expert who has explained what happened on his substack. We are told that Kamala Harris is the only one who can request a re-count. It is well known that tRUMP has threatened many people in government and the media who crossed him by reporting things that he does not want to be reported. I don't doubt that she was threatened, and her family too. Trump has been criming his whole career as an adult. He suppressed the court actions, threatened judges, prosecutors and their families, it is well documented .It is only fair and just that this be investigated. He will destroy our country, if he is not brought to justice. also those who have enabled him.
Sad but true. We needed justices of courage and honor and they failed us.
I second that times infinity and of course, so true!
It's true that these plutocratic Republicans played the long game to establish a money-worshipping oligarchy, but Democrats did little to stop them, and sometimes even joined them. The Democrats who most zealously try to do something about the problem are pushed aside by the party establishment as "too far left." Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer even said in 2016 that Democrats would not bother with blue collar working people, instead focusing on educated, affluent suburban voters.
Right now, as an example, I am thinking about Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who has been railing against our bought-and-paid-for federal judiciary, and trying to do something about it. However, the party establishment has never chosen him as chair or ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, instead selecting milquetoast Richard Durbin.
Anyone who has held a position in Congress or the White House bears some responsibility.
I mostly agree, but saying the “Democrats did little to stop them” is a bridge too far for me. I share your criticism of the centrist (rightist) Dems.
By "fast tracking" job off-shoring Clinton and Obama were complicit.
Time for new leadership for sure. GOP has a major ally with corporate allies more so than Dems, no matter how much people want to demonize Dems for their corporate support. And GOP has so many other supporting INSTITUTONALIZED orgs with marketing savvy and media and corporate connections.
Sen Whitehouse recently making noise about Dems need a comparable infrastructure.
That cost lots of money. How much of that billion the DNC raised went into infrastructure for the future do you think? Some did. Our state party got some money. Not enough. DNC is now 20 million in debt.
Remember when Hillary ran and she discovered there was no effective DNC- it was in shambles ? She gets a lot of blame for rigging things for her benefit but what she should have done when she found the mess she found- that the DNC was 2 mil in debt for example.?
I recommend this Brazile article about the DNC as she was the interim director. Pretty eye opening.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/11/02/clinton-brazile-hacks-2016-215774/
The plain truth is that millions voted for Trump, because they like their gas-powered cars and have been led to believe that Biden/Harris's push away from fossil fuels has led to high prices. That was enough to sink Harris. This game is over.
We’re back to it’s the economy stupid…
Trans rights and other fringe issues gummed up the message.
It’s like the web didn’t exist for Harris campaign. DUMD
When corporate lawyers are appointed to a court, they will have already sold their souls. Powell was a tobacco corporate lawyer. It goes on from there with a straight line to Citizens United.
I agree, the rise of Trumpism goes squarely with the Republican party. There is no longer a reasonably conservative group amongst the Republicans that is interested in truly governing..
Kerry - I think the Citizens United decision was made with every knowledge of the end game. These are not stupid people; yes, self-serving, and oligarch serving, but not stupid. Remember that Roberts was part of the "legal" mechanism that got the supreme court at that time to give the election to Bush. His seating on the supreme court was reward for services rendered. Also, Kavanaugh and Barrett were on that team. Coincidence? I think not. If it were not their intention to distort and pervert our countries democratic tradition, they would not have turned the presidency into a monarchy with the immunity decision. They would have abided by the 14th amendment. That's not what we see, is it?
I am also so disgusted and often angry by this both sides nonsense.
I could waste an hour writing up a list of mainstream media distortions of issues like this ...
Just one quick example- When a messed up kid from a Republican family with a house full of weapons, took a shot at Trump- it was called political violence- as if it was a Dem making a political statement.... The media called for less violence and division from both sides, as if Dems were the ones trying to divide the country and calling for their followers to take up arms and storm the capital, shoot the FBI agents who searched Mara Largo, slam Pelosi's husband in the head with a hammer, threaten every politician and innocent poll worker who opposed their agenda .... But hey- Dems called Trump a fascist and that is the same thing ...
A kingdom for truth tellers...
Yes, Tom, a king is a tribal chieftain, and this is what Trump has become. He will be anointed on Jan. 20.
Of course the No-Longer-Anything-Like-Supreme Court failed to protect us from creating a situation wherein Congress and the Presidency would be for sale to the highest bidder. Too many members of the Court had already sold out, themselves -
First and foremost, to the ideology of a religion which ensnares and holds it adherents by psychologically damaging them so that it is, thereafter, impossible for them to believe themselves capable of doing or being good and that they are condemned to eternal damnation just for being born into the world and, thereby, being infected with "original sin."
Then after creating this psychological dis-ease within its adherents, the church claims to be the only cure, but that cure is restricted to folk who are willing to do and be whatever the church tells them they must. Should any member of one of those churches sense God calling them to other beliefs and courses of action, the church tells them to cast God's inspirations aside because the adherent's worship must be reserved for the church and its leaders, and God's inspirations to change and growth are always a threat to such churches.
A corollary of this, of course, is that those damaged by these churches are left with a hole ripped out of their personalities - a whole which they yearn to fill. The only form of human capable of filling that hole is a human fetus between conception and birth (because it has not yet been infected with "original sin." Deep emotional attachment to "the unborn" fills in the heartache left by the ripped out piece of these folks' damaged personalities with the result that, for the folk most affected, the unborn become far more valuable than any human after birth can possibly be.
Such folk are doubly vulnerable to manipulation based on the very human ideas of their church leaders, many of them devoting their lives to protecting "the unborn" and controlling women (which is a bit of an obsession for many of their celibate and/or proto incel, even if married, clergy). They end up with the very questionable belief that it is holy to force those very human ideas (and rejection of God in favor of the church) down the throats of the entire nation in response to the church's promise that keeping church leaders happy (while ignoring God) will bring tremendous blessings on them and the nation.
Their second sell out, then, has been allowing themselves to be recruited and surreptitiously kept so comfortable that they have no need to think more deeply about or consider their beliefs in light of the Constitution. Making various family members of the justices dependent on their wealthy benefactors has also been used as a form of manipulation to keep the Justices from ever straying into Constitutional (rather than Christian Sharia) law.
The reality is, of course that the "conservative" justices of the Supreme Court have sold their souls to forms of faith wherein they are falsely promised long life, prosperity and good health (heaven on earth?) if they will but worship very human churches and seek to keep the very human leaders of those churches happy, and in concert with that, have sold out the Constitution and our Democracy.
If sounds as if those churches are offering their followers the same gifts offered by the evil one and rejected by Jesus after his 40 days in the Wilderness at the beginning of his ministry, you're not far wrong. Indeed, some of the most famous (especially in our current media environment) religious leaders have become very adept at leading astray those who desire a form of religion in which they seek, not to follow God in doing service among other humans after the example of Jesus, but seek to turn God into their cosmic concierge (something which God will never become).
In the end, our "conservative" Supreme Court" justices and the leaders they follow and are in liege to, are not serving God, they are serving themselves (and the evil one, if you believe in a personified source of evil). They will not bring "heaven on earth," but the opposite. I suspect when they reach the next life, they will be in for a bit of a shock. God will love them anyway, of course, but God will not be amused.
💯💯💯💯💯💯👏👏👏👏👏👏
Well said, Kerry.
Yep, all roads lead to Citizens United! Question: Can Congress override or eliminate it? And if so, could a certain percentage of our massive taxpayer-funded trillions-dollar budget be directed to funding federal elections (and hopefully states would follow)? This could remove the oligarchs from that equation anyway.
Kerry, thank you for putting this into such clear perspective. For most Democrats most of the time it is making " grave mistakes". For the Republicans it is their plan and a way of life.
Kerry Truchero, I’m a senior citizen, a Californian, a tree hugger, the daughter of a U.S. Navy officer, and a progressive since before I could vote. About that time, my father taught me that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, something that too many of our congress critters walk on. I’ll take Sen. Sanders and Rep. AOC, thank you.
Thank you for Professor for memorializing President Jimmy Carter, the most decent president in American history. His legacy is even more important now in that America’s soul is under attack.
I feel that the best way to honor President Jimmy Carter is to emulate his dedication to service. He said that that handing over the presidency to Ronald Reagan was one of the hardest things he did in his life. But rather than to give into dismay and despair, he and Rosalyn dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to helping others all the way through their lives. He and Roslyn contributed one week a year minimum to Habitat for Humanity building homes. He also helped nonprofits to do their jobs more effectively. The need for nonprofit activity will become greater than ever, and there are many on this Substack with many years of experience that can be of use to these groups. These groups need bookkeeping skills, education skills, business skills, and technical skills. These are all contributions that we can make at no cost. Engaging ourselves in service to others will be the best offense and not just a defense against depression and despair and at the same time we will be honoring Jimmy Carter.
Character is all the difference. Jimmy and Roslyn left the White House to build houses for poor folks among other services to those in need.
Reagan left the White House and went to Japan for 8 days with an invitation from the Fujisankei Communications Group and the Japanese Government. He collected $2 million for his effort. Just saying... GH
I have friends who say, "Character is all the difference." That opinion forced me to clarify my own thought, which is that Results Matter by far the most. I can appreciate Jimmy Carter's Habitat for Humanity efforts without ever thinking he was a good President. He did nothing effective to stop the "malaise" in our economy. When pressed by Reagan on nuclear policy he said he would ask his daughter Amy for advice, at age ~12! He was a good man but naive.
Reagan and Trump focus and achieve results, generally beneficial for Americans.
Bill, Reagan tried to reunify the country after the Vietnam tragedy. Trump has done his best to divide the country, and, thus far, this is his only achievement. Don't be a Murdoch parrot!
Still drinking the DT Kool-Aid I see. GH
100% agree and well said, Mike!
Darn! I guess I am "mud" in this stew, but Carter also signed the bill to cut any federal spending for abortions, I'm sure with righteous eyes raised to heaven that at least the government would not assist sluts to indulge in wantonness. We don't need theocracy, either!
I didn’t know that. I believe that he was personally opposed to abortion, but I thought he supported women’s rights. I’ll have to research your point for myself. It’s complicated (as Asha and Renato have taught me).
I found some background: https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2025/01/the-last-pro-life-democrat-president
Thank you for this detail. I’m not sure I remember that the Hyde Amendment was about abortion. And as an active member of NARAL at the time I hope I was aware of the politics involved. I’m still reeling that Roe was overturned.
America"s soul has a Karma, and Carter was deeply troubled by it.
This is not a site for business, bubba. Please leave.
This is not a site for business, bubba. Please leave. - LOL
Samuel Leach is a TROLL attempting to distract us from Robert Reich Substack. Use the three dots to the right of his post and report him. Eventually, Robert Reich will delete all his posts for us. Do not bother to respond to him.
Thank you Mr. Reich for honoring this great man. Jimmy Carter. And you sir. Another great man.
There’s much to be done but what’s the game plan? I’m feeling pretty hopeless these days.
The word hopeless, is just what the MAGA GOP wants everyone to feel, that way, it makes their job of an American oligarchy, a country by and for the rich, that much easier to come to pass.
So true, John! We must keep hope alive for everyone who is feeling there isn't any. We will get through this. Marc Nevas wrote a great piece for Ronald Logan on the Crisis and Transition. He talks about a United Front of Moral People and it is an excellent read! I've told others who are feeling hopeless and abandoned by their party to give it a read. It will calm your soul and bring you peace along with hope. We must continue to fight!
Peggy, you either calm your soul, or you fight! Be aware that the members of the Heritage Foundation consider themselves to be a united front of moral people. Nice-sounding words may mask an ugly intent.
Great question. Sadly, there seem to be no solutions plainly presented.
When we fight! we win! sadly that nice slogan did not come to pass, that is Kamala Harris be our next President and Time Magazine had the gall, to call Trump, man of the Year? what vomit!
Not only that, John, but that orange smear had the audacity to whine and complain that the flags being flown at half-mast to honor President Carter would "take away" from his inauguration!! What a POS!
Orange Smear indeed, normally I would somewhat refrain from name calling but with the likes of Trump, one of the most distasteful people in the world, he should get every bit coming to him and none of it should be good
Donald Trump is a GIGANTIC ORANGE SMEAR POS! I HATED IT THAT THE #1 POS WAS ALLOWED TO BE AT JIMMY CARTER'S FUNERAL TODAY, SPREADING HIS STINK ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!
OMG, HOW COULD HE BE SO IMMATURE!!!???
toadyship. I didn't like Time 55 years ago.
They suck, with a big capital S, and btw, not so a surprise, CEO of TIME, donated big time to Trump campaign
OMG, I NEVER DID LIKE TIME . . . Back in the day, I read and subscribed to "Newsweek."
Susan, start by setting priorities.
I’ve been writing my Representatives about enacting Amendment 14 Section 3 and encouraging others to do the same. But there was no debate they just rubber stamped the man who started a riot to block Biden’s win.
So what’s happening? Seems like nothing. Seems like the Constitution is already being made irrelevant. Seems like those in power don’t care.
This is NOT business as usual. This is the beginning of the end of 248 years of democracy.
Where are our leaders?
Yes please. I am a md from Dartmouth Med School
The answer to reforming our democracy might be within a movement to reform the healthcare system because healthcare is a necessity we all share, no matter our origins, ethnicity, religion, or gender.
Yes, Gloria. And I would urge everyone to stay as positive as possible about our ability to continue creating a better future. We have our work cut out for us. I know it’s tempting to pull the covers up and close our eyes. But there are millions of us who want to save this democratic republic. Push back whenever and wherever you can.
Wise words, Katharine!
Here are some more wise words
https://www.resilience.org/stories/2024-11-11/10-ways-to-be-prepared-and-grounded-now-that-trump-has-won/?form=MG0AV3
Thanks for the link, but after starting to read it, it is way too long and not very uplifting.
Thanks for the link, Steve. Definitely will read it in depth.
That's an excellent idea, Gloria! You are right! Every single one of us needs healthcare regardless of who you are! Good way to unite!
Gosh. Any "reform" in the next four years is likely to be a litany of who is cut off.
Yes, Gloria. Dems must set priorities, and healthcare must be at the top. People are suffering and dyeing. We must act!
Yes, Gloria. Dems must set priorities, and health has to be at the top. Medicare for All has widespread appeal, but it also faces very stiff opposition, and Medicare for some may be part of that opposition. Current Medicare recipients may fear losing some of their benefits. Besides, Medicare has been corrupted by the medical-pharmaceutical complex. We don''t need to reinvent the wheel; some European countries have better health systems than ours. People are suffering and dying; they desperately want us to act, and we must!.
I totally agree Gloria. The DEMs and the unions have been working at that goal for 80 years with almost total opposition from the GOP for 80 years. The ACA is a good example. Currently 24 million folks are now signed up. While not a perfect solution, almost all of those folks didn't have insurance before the ACA. The biggest winners are people between 18 & 34; blacks; Hispanics and folks from rural areas.
Despite the constant attacks on the ACA by the GOP and DT's recent blathering about his "concept" of a plan to replace it, the Republicans have NO plan to help ALL Americans get health insurance! They hate the idea of national or government health care, but won't require ALL companies to provide it either. They don't give a shit about the 25-30 million Americans who don't currently have insurance.
Those tens of millions of our citizens without health insurance mostly live in the South. Texas has a higher % of uninsured folks than the Northeast and the Midwest states. I find it interesting that folks in those states keep electing state and federal politicians intent on destroying what insurance they do have. Just saying... Happy New Year to all... GH
Perhaps because they though that the ACA was for Blacks--that's what Fox News told them.
In principle yes. But there are so many vested powerful interests that want the status quo or worse. Still...
Hope you are joking but even so, we get the joke.
Janet, I have discovered Samuel is a troll. Someone spoke about it earlier. He has been reported to Professor Reich and hopefully will be removed soon. Best advice is to just scroll past his posts!
Thanks
Professor Reich: our elections are auctions. our governments are designed to provide short-term profits to the fewest, greediest people by stealing as much money as possible from the greatest number of people to accomplish this.
An oligarchic kleptocratic kakistocracy.
We should tell Trump there’s land for sale in Kreplachistan.
troll
cathy: say that fast three times!
Yes, I've said it enough now it rolls off the tongue! LOL.
Don't forget "theocratic."
Remember how you guys escaped a “Dukakistocracy”?
It's called a wonderful word by GOP, it's called, let the "free markets" and unfettered capitalism rule, over everything and everyone, isn't their form of democracy great? -, that is when you can afford to buy it, like our bought and paid for Supreme Court, oh how the smell from them, they reek
Politicians spend more time raising money than actually legislating, and the GQP gets nothing done by fighting, squabbling, and throwing shade.
WTF? Please, look elsewhere, for a money -making gimmick
President Jimmy Carter was a man of integrity. What he said about oligarchy was absolutely true. It is sad that our political system is being ruled by oligarchs. RIP Jimmy Carter.
Sadly, integrity is in short supply these days. I also admired the late Illinois senator Paul Simon, because he too had a lot of integrity.
You wonder how the Republican members of the current Supreme Court can look out at what their side has accomplished, the incredibly anti-constitutional destruction of our system, and not see it for what it is. And they aren't done. The level of corruption is so complete, and they want more. This isn't even constructive criminality, it's ideological compulsion. They'll sink the whole thing in seeking conservative laissez-faire nirvana and perfection. Which is death. The drive for that level of purity is a death wish. Our ship of state is commanded by Ahabs.
terrorists in the cockpit. thanatos versus eros
They look out in satisfaction. This was the plan all along.
Jimmy Carter lived the life of an American man who lead by a great example of decency and integrity which is what we all should aspire to be, both as President and in his post presidency as an inspiration for all of humanity. He was a real American Hero!
He is, because he never pretended to be one.
Rest in paradise, Mr President!
I will remember former president, Brother Jimmy Carter well, first as a farmer, a sailor, an engineer, a politician, an educator, a statesman, and last but above all else as a peacemaker!
“Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called children of God.” The Beatitudes
Jimmy Carter was above all a simple man with basic values. He saw this country and its people being swallowed by a hand full of wealthy individuals who see dollar signs waving in the breeze not the American flag. Endless lies coupled with a lust for money doesn't make oil of Musk a desirable fragrance for those of us who have to work for a living. Trump and Musk share in the opinion, if you show them a home where the buffalo roam, and they'll show you a living room full of shit. Those two definitely have the shoes for it, and their swamp keeps getting deeper.
I heard his interview with Terri Gross, and he mentioned he had to get out of serious debt after he left as president, and that he did so by working and writing his memoir. He didn’t engage in hunting for wealth, but in working for others to help them improve their lives.
Never heard that. Do you recall how he incurred the debt? Certainly, he and Rosalynn lived very simply in Plains. Their house had only two bedrooms, and I read elsewhere that when they visited the Carter Center in Atlanta, they slept on a pull-out couch.
When Carter was elected president he put his peanut farm into a blind trust, which any president is ethically supposed to do to avoid even an appearance of conflict of interest(of course Trump ignored any of that). After his term in office Carter found his farm had been mismanaged and it was in debt.
Jimmy Carter, a real humanitarian, he fought for the common man and did much to help and try to save people and our natural world, so it's no wonder, many on the far rabid right, could not stand him, for they saw in him, what they lacked in themselves, they do not like being shown the mirror
Sorry, picking up on "common man." Pregnant woman, no help from feds, anyhow: https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2025/01/the-last-pro-life-democrat-president I remember this just because I'm old. But the theocracy aspect of government policy is a pretty hot issue now, ya think?
Unfortunately, after reading article, I like many, disagree with him there, as to his prolife stance, that said, this fact, does not take away from much of his good or positive qualities and you know what, at least with Jimmy Carter, the word, Pro-life, he meant it too, when it came to things like healthcare, the environment, whereas, the GOP, give lip service, like they care about life, the only thing they care about is their wallets and who or what they can hurt...evil
Carter, he did not seek to monetize his Presidency, but soon we will receive the return of the orange menace from hell
Agree, Professor Reich, and truer words were never spoken. Legislators and their staff at all levels as well as the committee leaders all lined up like little piggies at the trough. Getting elected has been synonymous with getting rich quick to far too many candidates. We need legislation to end for all time Citizens United if we ever again get responsible control of Congress. I won't be around but I wish you well.
Rest In Peace President Carter.
The moment that Citizens United was passed, the beginning of the end was launched.
Like an accelerant poured on a smouldering fire.
Citizens United decision, an accelerant poured into a well-oiled machine.
Alas, Laurie, it started much earlier.
This country did not deserve him back then and just proved it again.
"Forget you, JC. Give us King Hair-Red!"
TBH, I am getting tired of having people point out things that OBVIOUSLY _NEED_ to be changed in order for We The People to regain control of "Our" government. Get money out of politics. Get politics out of SCOTUS. DO SOMETHING to curb gun violence. Adjust the tax system to make the Wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. Etc., etc., etc. All necessary things -- but WHO is able to get that changing done? Not We The People. _WE_ aren't even allowed to pick candidates that _WE_ want to appear on ballots. (Who the candidates will be is determined by the people that control the political Parties.) Which means that though We are allowed to vote in General Elections, We won't be allowed to decide for Ourselves which candidates We can vote for in those General Elections.
The ONLY people that have the Power to make changes to the current system of government are the members of Congress. Those are the same people "earning" a salary of about $200,000 per year provided by Our tax dollars -- and five times that (or more) from Big Money "campaign contributions" and lobbyist largess (which is paid for by Big Money interests). Does anybody really, truly, sincerely believe that, given that balance of revenue streams, that most of the members of Congress _actually_ choose to serve the interests of We The People first and foremost? Be honest with yourself. If you are still telling yourself "But We CAN force change!" I would ask you to do a deep dive into all Federal legislation created in the last 20 years and assess how much of it benefits We the People? Versus how much of it benefits the Wealthy and corporations (which are mostly owned and/or operated by the Wealthy).?
Jimmy’s truth about campaign contribution corruption should be read by all Americans. MAGA supporters especially.
AMEN!!!! President Carter was a gift for Americans and Trump/Musk is a curse and damnation for Democracy and our Freedom. RIP Jimmy. RIP Democracy