Apr 4, 2023·edited Apr 4, 2023Liked by Robert Reich
Bob,
I agree that Wisconsin is a crucial test for democracy. I hope the voters there come through. Let us not forget what is happening in the Tennessee legislature where three Democrats may soon be expelled by the Republican super majority after they led protest chants for gun reform on the floor of the chamber in the aftermath of the Nashville school shooting. And in Tallahassee, Florida, State Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried and Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book were among about a dozen demonstrators who were handcuffed and arrested at a peaceful protest for abortion rights outside Tallahassee City Hall.
We are on the edge of a fascist knife. For all our sakes I hope democracy prevails.
Apr 4, 2023·edited Apr 4, 2023Liked by Robert Reich
Agreed respect to Wisconsin & the "fascist knife" of which edge we're sitting upon. What people don't seem to understand ( even those who think they're in sync with a fascist leader) is that dictators too often rule by whim; their whims & that can change day to day, as well as the people they target.
The other point I'd like to mention is haven't the media learned their lesson from 2016, to stop giving trump "free" media coverage? A nod perhaps to his indictment today. But letting this man go off on a tirade about all his grievances about his, imo, well deserved legal consequences ( due to his repeated attempts to break/ thwart the RULE of LAW), his threats of reprisals & dog whistles to his remaining devotees is tiresome & counter productive to our nation. But I guess the 24/7 news cycle ( and ratings) demands it's fodder, even if it IS simply horse manure.
Its not about the media "learning their lesson" that's not what they do now, the days of a minority, a *strong* minority of news journalists being considered very principled with moral conviction are over, all my generation has ever had (very thankfully) was Jon Stewart and his cadre of dedicated associates. I've also been watching them fight for 25-odd years talking about the same thing Robert is, and Liz Warren, and Bernie, and AOC... etc..
Major media corps exist now simply to attract viewers/attention, to scrape the bottom of the dwindling ratings barrell they'll drive whatever narrative they need to.
I agree. I remember as a child making a big snowball and then just rolling it in that fresh wet snow and pretty soon you had a snowman. And now For the last 20 or 30 years media is an uncontrollable Snowball, turning into an avalanche of power and greed competing against each other for more power and greed. Yay for public television.
There is a reason, not talked about, that everything seems to be coming undone at this moment: The Medium is the Message. Marshall Mc Luhan wrote a book about it by that name quite a while ago. Our problem is that the media through which we get messages distorts content in toxic ways as it transports it. For instance, it is no coincidence that the the rise of toxic internet conversation coincided with the rise of social media. And quite a few of us predicted that would happen. I for one decided to never use social media.
Garhardt, I like public TV, but what is the first story every day since the Grand Jury ended, the upcoming Trump arrest. The worst storms in a while caught attention a couple of times, but not for long. Why We the People think we need constant coverage of Donald Trump, I don't know. He is a disgusting human being, certainly a cash cow for his children and a few others, but a lie machine who is OK with cheating, bribery, and tax evasion. How is that a hero for anyone? Clearly our nation has serious problems if millions of people are willing to worship an ignorant fool who cares nothing for threm or anyone else.
Even PBS has become a problem like you said. I watched it tonight and turn off, all the talk was about was the ‘orange grifter’. I also think we need Judy. woodruff back As the anchor. But her retirement is well deserved, and don’t forget their Operating budget is minuscule compared to the big boys.
There is also the endless media speculation about how the criminal prosecution of Trump will affect the 2024 presidential election, thereby lending credence to the notion that the criminal charges against him are just politics, rather than law enforcement. It is so damaging to our society.
The media hasn't learned; maybe some journalists have but those who say what is said or isn't said only care about ratings. Remember the network owner who said, "Trump bad for the country, good for ratings" and then laughed?
Remember the movie "Network"? It foreshadowed this. I have a copy that I re-watch for time to time as we sink into this media-driven swamp. Eerie how current "Network" still is.
Howard Beale, played by Peter Finch, got people to stick their heads out of their windows and yell out: "I'm as MAD as HELL, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"
Indeed, & agreed...sadly. But ratings = revenue & in most corporate culture, coin is king, regardless of their mission statement or what they claim core values to be..
Thanks Donald for the sad reminder of how corrupt things have been for so long, with good people turning their backs on the corruption, losing sight of the bigger picture of what that back turning will do in the long run for America and Americans. I have done phone backing for WI in hopes that this will help turn some of that tide.
Bonnie, you are right about people's misunderstanding of fascism. That's because they care as little as possible about what life was really like in fascist and other totalitarian societies. The whims of the men in charge were arbitrary and could encompass anyone, demanding extreme loyalty, and even when they have it, ordering their execution as a way to intimidating others. The white men with their tiki torches will not be anything in a fascist takeover; they are too erratic and undependable. They wouldn't even get to be guards at the concentration camps that would surely be set up. That would make them mad, and therefore, expendable. The Greenes of the nation would no longer be of value because their conspiracy theories would be a liability since they will be as irrelevant as she is.
Then, there's Trump. That is another thing I don't understand, the media fascination with Trump. The man is an ignorant jerk, a narsicistic attention-seeker with no good ideas or rather no ideas. Making a big deal, over publicizing Trump's upcoming arrest proves to all of us that everyone is not equal under the law (as if we didn't already know it).
Janet, you have pointed out an important challenge for our media; how can you call one thing political when it is from the actual President of the United States while you give nearly unlimited coverage of a former president who has committed crimes against the state? I do not get it! and I suspect no one will be able to explain it to me because it was and is wrong! Do the media actually want Trump and Kump in office again? He hates the media unless they cover him every moment (which they did while he was in office), and tell him incessantly how wonderful he is when they are clearly lying. Yo! Media! Wake up and stop the BS. I don't care how much money corporations are willing to pay to put ads on your platform, it isn't worth it for you to contribute to breaking our democracy. Honestly! It's not!
I simply can't get my head around prime-time network coverage for the Mango Wanker. It's absolutely inexcusable! But network heads are only seeing dollar signs. What are the chances that a speech by Obama would get such front-and-center treatment? We all know the answer: zero.
Under the radar of what has happened to Wisconsin is that the Koch Bros. went into that state, installed Scott Walker and transformed Wisconsin to what it is today. THIS IS WHAT THE OLIGARCHIC CLASS IS DOING TO THE UNITED STATES. The class war in this country, the fascist take-over orchestrated by the ruling class is NOT TALKED ABOUT ANYWHERE AND IT MUST BE.
Claire, you are right, but in general, the American people love the rich because they think they can imagine themselves just as rich. In their eyes, someone or a group of someones keeps them from achieving that deserved goal. We need to do more pointing out just how corrupt those rich mostly men, but a few women too are and that they do not have anyone's best interest at heart except their own. People really do believe the myths of rags to riches. They think it is true, but it was so rarely true we remember the few who made it, and those who made it were often not good people, did not treat others well, and wanted to keep everyone else from getting where they were. How do we get people to see that nearly all political ads, particularly Republican ones are lies, often racist and xenophobic, and created and paid for by super rich mostly white men who have an agenda that is pretty anti-democratic, anti-American?
And don’t forget The fascist de Santis just signed a bill that allows anyone to buy a gun in Florida but no background check and no concealed weapons permit. Oh ,that can’t go wrong. I no longer go to the scum belt, a.k.a., Smith and Wesson line.
Desatan is obviously a fascist but he is not the only one. We have a large number of fascist running around our governments whether they be local state or federal. They obviously believe they have the power and they also believe that they can't lose. For democracy to survive we really need to start eliminating these folks one by one there yet 10x10.
How to do this is key. Just think of all those working on this, cost, time. It’s sad. What kind of world are we leaving for the next 6 generations?
I’ll be dead soon but still I wonder. Power, Authority and Control add greed and this is what leaders are addicted to. Public servants? No. Janitors and trash collectors are public servants and the most important. It’s a shame we don’t have a Corp of sanitation professionals to brainwash all negativity. Oh wait, that too is a bad idea.
Maybe Human nature is the culprit. Our economical placement on how much we earn culturally indicates our value as a human. Perhaps value is more than work. Let’s look more into what the preamble of the constitution says as well as Common Sense by Paine, 1776.
‘Value life, ’ is a political point that rests on abortion today. It’s the Christofascists rallying cry. We need to check on the foundation of our cultural attitudes & our Constitution. It should be taught on every level of education. The rule of law should be based on cooperation of citizens working toward the common good.
Kathryn, I remember that one of the most valuable things I had to do in my 9th grade Civics class was to rewrite the Constitution in my own words, what I understood it to mean. It was powerful because it forced me to read it, then to at least try to understand it the best a 14-year-old can. I don't remember what I wrote, but I was so impressed with the Preamble I memorized it and think every elected official in this country should recite or read it every day to remind themselves what they are elected to do, but usually forget about once their donors and lobbyists come a'calling.
Yes, I read it when I went to school in 8 th grade, going to a segregated school in FL during the early 60’s. Year before JFK was assassinated. I hope people are allowing children to read it today.
Indigenous say 7 generations. There are 4-5 generations now, since I was born. Maybe even 6. Just look around at the babies you see. They are the 6th generation, if 20 years is 1 generation. The innocent born into this world. How are their lives valued today?
I never married or had children. My only paternal nephew is 40 yrs and not inclined to have children so it looks like the end of our line. First ancestors to come to the new world landed in MD in the 1700's. Hope none of us did too much damage to the country.
What you said is absolutely right but when you say today would you not see that, I don't believe that that is a correct statement. Let's start with the fact that you see it and I see . That makes two. I'm sure that there are thousands tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands who understand that. Let's make sure everyone understands that.
S. Howard, you are right about the number of fascists in power in this country. Just look at the Tennessee legislature about to kick out duly elected Democrats because they dared to protest with young people about the lack of efforts in the Tennessee legislature to limit assault weapons after the murder of 6 people at a Nashville school. They have gerrymandered the state to such an extent that Republicans have a super majority and can now do pretty much whatever they want and have the governor's approval. Ignorance of our Constitution reigns! I will not return to Tennessee where I attended college until that anti-democratic legislature is broken up, which probably means never. Then, there's Arkansas that just approved child labor even for dangerous jobs. I guess Republicans haven't been able to exploit enough adults so they have to go for kids, particularly immigrant and asylum-seeking kids figuring no one will care if those kids get killed or injured on the job, while they might care if a white man does. DeSantis is a megalomaniac who thinks he is smarter than everyone else because he went to Harvard and Yale, more proof that the crazies can come from the Ivy League and that ilk too, in fact, often come from there. The challenge for us is how we can stop this slide into an insanity no one but the true crazies like DeSantis wants. He thinks he will rule as dictator because he was able to bamboozle Floridians. I sure hope he is wrong.
I suggest buying stock in leather. The need for holsters of all styles will be the next trending accessory for our wardrobes. I wonder who will be the leading influencer for that market.
I tell folks to teach their children to live without electricity. I’d freeze to death unless I could build a fire. Have them at least read Jack Landon’s story on that subject. My husband is a Mohawk. Many indigenous people can live without electricity. It’s preferable, but recall the recent home grown terrorists sabotaging electrical grids.
I'm going to have to learn not to depend on my laptop and write letters again. My little dog passed away a year ago, I think I'll get an older, bigger dog to help me stay warm.
Ar 16 is a gun. It’s a problem. I come from a long line of non gun owners except for hunting. Anger and a gun is not a good mix for any one. Even trained law enforcement officers & military people can missuse, one- can missread a situation, ( friendly fire). So I do think automatic killing machines are highly problematic. Let’s point to the common good not some paranoid notion that you need to be armed to be safe. As Rodney King said, “Can’t we all just get along?”
Floriduh is WAAAAY past any hope with it's dictatortot man-child, DeathSantis, at it's helm! HOPEFULLY Wisconsin citizens are NOT as stupid and ignorant for their own good.
Remember: dictators and facists NEVER last long in the modern Western world. I cannot see the cowardly, effeminate Meatballron lasting too long past 2024.
Florida is even worse than you state. There's a bill in their legislature that would simply outlaw the Democratic Party. It's SUPPOSED to outlaw any political party that supported slavery now, or ANY TIME IN THE PAST, from what I've read. Effectively, the only extant party that did that was the Democratic Party.
Of course, the Democratic Party 170 years ago is definitely not the same party of today; in fact, the roles of the 2 major political parties are reversed. The current Grand Fascist Party as run in FL by DeSantis is really attempting to do this. Outlawing the only other viable political party is only part of his agenda. There's also "re-education" by banning certain subjects and even banning courses that teach facts about America's racist past (and present) and making books subject to political censorship. There's the persecution of immigrants FROM ANOTHER STATE, by sending them across the country with promises that are lies. And of course, there's also firing ELECTED officials and even banning certain forms of dress. All of this is to create fear, anger and hatred against anyone who's different. And all of these actions follow the tenets of fascism. Or communism, depending upon who's paying the bills.
Frog, You are right in your description of Florida. Why the Federal government is not stepping in regarding the racism in the schools (removal of books and courses about African-American history) I don't know. What DeSantis et al are doing is against the law, Title VI to be exact. The clothing nonsense is too. Maybe we need people in FL to start bringing cases to the Federal courts to accuse DeSantis and his gang of their law-breaking. DeSantis is simply nuts. He keeps putting forward his racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, homo/transphobic crap because he can and believes no one will even try to stop him. I still think there was trouble with the last election in Florida. Because it is a red state, no one even calls for recounts, just assuming DeSantis won by the margin he claimed as did the crazies in the legislature. Maybe they did not and that could be why they are either withdrawing from or have already withdrawn from the group that monitors elections and helps states keep accurate records. Everyone should beware of DeSantis and question everything he does because he would prefer a Nazi uniform and having everyone under his thumb. Had his family been here in slavery days and had had money, he would have been an owner and I suspect would have definitely abused the people he "owned," just because he could (slave owners had no moral compass either). As for getting rid of the Democratic Party, I am not sure what can be done. He is already dictator of Florida, so it might not matter, especially if Floridians are OK with it. They will come to see just what an ass DeSantis is, but by then, it might be too late to do anything because he will have taken away their right to vote, perhaps even to live. He is working on that for trans kids and their families as well as women with problem pregnancies or who can't see themselves pregnant. DeSantis is on a roll. How far will the people in our federal government permit him to go? Probably as far as he wants. Courage is not a strong Federal suit these days.
Tom, I noticed all of those arrested and harrassed representatives are Democrats. Republicans contributed to the trouble, then charge Democrats for actually doing the right thing and challenging those anti-democratic, anti-Constitutional acts. You are right about the fascist aspect of that. The sad thing is that so many of the people who are involved with hatred and harassment of Democrats have no clue what is the right thing to do. Their brainwashing has been nearly complete. Shame on Republicans for their chosen ignorance and their lack of willingness to care about or help anyone but themselves!
Let’s hope for proof that democracy is on the right track. Wouldn’t it be nice if Trump was ordered not to leave the state before trial and democrats control the state Supreme Court in Wisconsin?
Paul, are you kidding? Trump would never make it in Moscow! They would tolerate his blubbering for a while as a taunt toward the US, but Puteywould tire of him quickly and either send him back or to Siberia. Trump couldn't survive the oblivion, so wouldn't risk it.
yes, you're quite correct; plus, he's used up all his useful idiocy. my mistake was in thimking that putin might want to show some gratitude. silly me!
Thanks for putting the focus where it belongs: Wisconsin. Trump’s reality show is inconsequential compared to the impact of Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race. That outcome is crucial to the structure of our political system. The end of gerrymandered corruption could happen today !!
Robert, Republicans have redrawing districts for more than twenty years across the nation trying to gain majorities in their states. They can't win a race without cheating or lying. The party of thugs and criminals is what they are. It's no wonder that someone like Trump appeals to so many of them.
So... what power do the rest of us have over what they do in Wisconsin?
Getting rid of the absurd, undemocratic, racist, less than useless Electoral College wouldn't solve everything , but wouldn't it go a long way toward thwarting some of this bad faith scheming at the state level?
I’m a Wisconsinite living in the UK presently and cannot vote in state elections only federal ones. You asked what you could do. You could share Bob’s article with all your friends on social media warning them that this indeed can happen in their state if they aren’t paying attention. Wisconsin went from being a solid blue state to a “hanging by a thread” purple state in less than 10 years. Scott Walker, on the way out the door as governor, signed into law several elements blocking the incoming Tony Evers from doing basic governances. Be warned, friend.
I'm from Georgia. I donated specifically to Wisconsin democratic party towards this upcoming election today; as I have for some time to other Dem candidates in various other states across the nation. Even the small amounts add up, if you can swing it. I know everyone can't, but even encouraging one another to not lose hope & to vote...vote..vote is positive.
I live in a purple district in the Twin Cities and while it's been shocking to see Wisconsin lurching and struggling down this path, some in MN throw a smug look over the St. Croix. What a joke! It's almost 50-50 here. The reason the MN governor is not Republican is because the metro area votes blue. NE Minnesota was Jim Oberstar's (D) kingdom for 34 years. Now the district votes Republican. Same with NW Minnesota. What's up is down.
I live in rural SW MN. Margins here are dismal. 30% blue to 70% red and sometimes worse. The only goal of Senator Gary Dahms these days is to say "no" to every single D initiative.
Noorillah, I too think the electoral college needs to go. The problem, the whiny white states and the Confederacy will not go along with it, and they have far too much power in our nation. In their chosen isolation from diversity, they fear they will be overwhelmed by the whoevers they don't understand and have decided to hate. Their disease has infected other states that one may have thought reasonable in the past: Iowa, Wisconsin, and Ohio for example. We need a political vaccine to fight the fascist tendencies of so many in white America. Now, who could invent such a thing?
who would impose that agreement? the states would scream hysterically if it were a federal requirement. federal voting rights requirements are about as potent as abortion rights in bringing out the lunatic repugnant fringe. notice that our scotus has gutted the previous voting rights act.
Even more important is that the Supreme Court, the Catholic Supreme Court I might add, has gone Rogue. Starting with Supreme Court Justice John Roberts and Citizens United these fascist Republicons have worked hard to turn this country into a religious fascism. That seems to be our problem at least when it comes to supreme law. And what solutions do we have fot the scotus takeover?
S howard - that is the most worrisome for me. we essentially have no solution except enlarging, which no ones seems to want to do. Certainly not biden. for all the baggage he brings, he's not getting a failed grade from me. C- maybe for ineffective use of Harris, for inarticulate bully pulpit, for energy and big pharma concessions. not acceptable in my view. not to mention getting rid of every trump appointee across the board, especially dejoy at post office
Thank you for speaking truth...the Catholic Supreme Court. I have many progressive Catholic friends and they, too, are appalled. However, for too long we have talked about the religion and politics problem as being a Protestant fundamentalist problem. I'm far more afraid of tradrad Catholics, tbh.
as a recovering catholic, i fear their control. when they became the church of the roman empire in 313 AD, it became a tool for coercion and control. i had nuns tell me that all my protestant friends were going hell. vatican 2 didn't reach these shores until recently.
The premise is that if a frog is put suddenly into boiling water, it will jump out, but if the frog is put in tepid water which is then brought to a boil slowly, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death.
I agree. I think it comes down motivation. How do we replace "wealth maximization" with meeting human needs as the primary motivator of human behavior? Much of the media like other institutions have put their financial health (or even survival) above their desire to serve the public interest.
There's enough for everyone, but we have created an economic system that tries to crowd out ethical considerations. As long as most people are struggling to get by, they don't have time to get more involved in politics.
Keith, in this case, there are a lot of people who do know what is going on and trying to get the word out. The groundwork Republicans have done is massive. Their goal is to stay in power forever, but they have to keep pretending they have ideas and care about their Republican base, when they only want them as long as they can use them. Those "legislators" expect that soon they will be in power so they won't even have to run at all. Their states will just approve a bunch of men and a couple of women who claim to be Republican for office. They already ignore the Constitution as often as they can and the Supreme Court nods and says, "yeah, that's the right way to interpret that, just as our founders wanted it." The lying is ubiquitous and the base, overly busy and ignorant by choice buys it all, not realizing that they, too, are the frogs being cooked to ultimately be devoured. I don't know if it is better to be ignorant of their fate or worried about it as those of us on this thread and others do. We do our best to fight the heating process, but unless all of us work together to tip over the pot and get out, we are lost.
Well it doesn't seem to be working does it? The frog is voke. Isn't that what DeSatan is trying to get rid of in Florida is wokeness?
Oh and let's not forget DeSatan's idea of allowing anybody under any circumstances whatsoever to have guns. What's that all about? Is the governor of Florida totally insane? Well yes he is. But is there any sense behind that insanity. He is trying to send the message that once Trump walls himself in to Mara Lago no one's going to get him out of there because the whole state will be armed and dangerous. Desatan wants to be VP under Trump but if need be he'll take president.
By the time a case reaches the SC, maybe a fairly elected Cong. would have passed a law expanding the court to represent reality, and more Justices would be making better decisions.
Sadly, it's not about 'the person', if it ever was.
To succeed, a majority of a party must prevail.
To that end, VOTE BLUE up and down the ballot. Or, especially in states where who votes has been highly manipulated-- as is the case for Wisconsin, or LOSE!
I understand. But I can hold MY representative accountable when that person seeks re-election or higher office. I can’t with an entire party. And, sometimes, it compels my representatives to break ranks with a party out of regard to their local constituents. I admit that in one party localities or states it would be irrelevant.
I believe that congressional districts are an outdated relic from the past.
1. Give every state their apportioned number of representatives.
Rapid transportation and instant communication make districts irrelevant.
The delegations can work out for themselves what issues they would like to
address for their state. This provision would stop gerrymandering.
2. Ranked choice voting should be federally required.
3. Federal Elections should be a national holiday
yes town hall meetings with elected officials are great. but if elected reps rotated through the state for meetings, it would serve the same purpose, and could help to lessen the clout of special interests as well as be a form of continuing education for the representatives.
I wonder why there has to be swing states? or gerrymandering, or the Electoral college? Also, how can we really have a United States when some states can play by different (undemocratic) rules.
Bob, I always look forward to reading your posts because they draw our attention to the issues that are really important, clarify their essential points, and call out the media for neglecting journalistic responsibility in favor of making the news wires buzz with whatever maximizes revenue.
Democracy on a knife edge - navigating between Scylla and Charybdis, between gerrymandering and the Electoral College.
The voyage will be safe if the DNC can for once just stop wringing their hands, grow some gonadal tissue, and offer Americans what they really want: decent healthcare and gun control.
Thank you, Professor Reich, for putting the focus where it needs to be.
I believe that the Israeli people have set an example for us. Even if Wisconsin Republicans appear to succeed in their electoral takeover, people championing democracy can turn out in such huge numbers and practice acts of peaceful civil disobedience and non-cooperation with tyranny that they turn the tide or force a compromise.
What are the levers that could be peacefully used by a determined public that refuses to surrender to tyranny?
Civil unrest in Israel has prompted many observers to wonder if the same pro-democracy impulses that motivated Arab Spring activists more than a decade ago are now emerging in the Jewish state on the Mediterranean. The protests recently forced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pause his controversial plan to reform the country’s judicial system, a loss that could signal a major shift in the politician’s standing.
Most recently, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets after Netanyahu fired his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, after Gallant voiced his opposition to Netanyahu’s proposed judicial reform, explained Atlantic magazine.
Those protests have not abated, despite the pause, the Washington Post noted.
What ignited protests, as CNN wrote, was Netanyahu’s proposal to limit the power of Israel’s Supreme Court. Under the plan, the government would have more leeway in appointing judges and the legislature would have more power to overturn court decisions. But the new rules would also potentially give Netanyahu loopholes that would allow him to remain in office if he is found guilty of the corruption charges that he is now facing in a trial.
To say the prime minister is a controversial figure in Israel would be an understatement.
Netanyahu has held the premiership three times – from 1996 to 1999, from 2009 to 2021, and again today. The corruption allegations, his conservative cultural stance, and his hard-right policies toward the Palestinians, as Guardian columnist Sara Husseini argued, have alienated many lawmakers and voters, however. His failure to assemble a strong coalition as well as the weakness of his rivals have resulted in five elections in Israel since 2019 as governments have fallen apart in the highly polarized climate.
His decision to abandon the judicial reforms could be the beginning of the end of his power, contended the Nation. “Never before have Israelis risen in such numbers with such commitment against their own government – to the point that they have effectively brought it to its knees,” the magazine wrote.
Still, members of the coalition say they intend to pass the reform plan in May when parliament returns. On Monday, negotiation teams met at the presidential residence to talk about the reforms and find ways to reach a broad consensus, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Meanwhile, the cost of the turmoil is already apparent, noted the Times of Israel: On Monday, the Bank of Israel raised its key lending rate by 25 basis points to 4.5 percent, the highest level since before the 2008 global financial crash, in its battle to combat inflation but also as “tremendous” uncertainty over the government’s judicial overhaul plan weighs on the economy. “The uncertainty and the events we witnessed in recent weeks have naturally also had an impact on the Israeli economy,” said Bank of Israel governor Amir Yaron.
Now, a few scenarios are possible, say analysts. The protests could morph into more sweeping expressions of discontent, or provide a launching pad for leftist movements seeking to deconstruct the right-wing vision of Israel that Netanyahu has upheld, and swung even further to the right because of his coalition partners. Alternatively, as Vox noted, the anti-Netanyahu sentiment could backfire, causing right-wing elements in Israeli to become more active so they can protect that vision. Some of Netanyahu’s allies, for example, don’t think Israel should be a democracy, the New Yorker added.
One result that few predict is a return to business as usual.
I recently got a text from a Wisconsin would-be Legislator requesting my donation to their campaign. I've always thought that what happens in other states is not my business. Is that right? I don't have much to give, so my $5 or $10 would be all I can afford. If I DO donate a few bucks, does it really have any impact in the end-scheme of things?
I don't deny the importance of the outcome of today's Wisconsin election, but it's completely out of my hands. I made my donation months ago, and I wrote letters to Wisconsin voters to try to encourage them to get out and vote. That's it. That's all a body can do. It's left up to the fates. Will Democrats in WI join together with disaffected Repubs, and save the state and save the democracy? Hell if I know. I pray the voters will rise to the democratic occasion. It could end up being a sign.
Let trump get the thrashing he deserves.
As for the circus going on in NYC & Mar-a-Lago, let trump get a triple thrashing there. Let the handcuffs fit tight; let the next two indictments ring loudly. trump has been a disaster like none other this country has ever seen. He has come very close to doing serious damage to, not only Democrats, but Repubs and independents, too. He's single handedly destroyed the Repub Party. He's responsible for just about destroying a fragile democracy, and he may not be finished, yet. It's gotten to the point where seeing him go down may not be as joyous as I had hoped it would be. It's just all so ugly. I just want him to go away and pay for his crimes.
The people of Wisconsin need to rise to the occasion in this moment of near crisis. They need to send a message to MAGATS everywhere that their little rise to power is over, and the good people of this country want their country back. We will not stand for any more nonsense. We want to move forward with common sense and alacrity. This is a progressive country. The old ways are in the past, and no matter how painful the ultra right finds it, they will have to learn to join in. They will come with us willingly, or we'll bring them kicking and screaming along. Why? Because it's the right thing to do.
Precisely. The Constitution was intentionally written to give property (i.e. slaves at first, and now empty land) political power to satisfy the southern delegates in general, and Virginia in particular (the most populated state in the 1780s, but 40% of their population were slaves.) Thus, the 3/5s clause.
Bob,
I agree that Wisconsin is a crucial test for democracy. I hope the voters there come through. Let us not forget what is happening in the Tennessee legislature where three Democrats may soon be expelled by the Republican super majority after they led protest chants for gun reform on the floor of the chamber in the aftermath of the Nashville school shooting. And in Tallahassee, Florida, State Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried and Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book were among about a dozen demonstrators who were handcuffed and arrested at a peaceful protest for abortion rights outside Tallahassee City Hall.
We are on the edge of a fascist knife. For all our sakes I hope democracy prevails.
tom j...birmingham, al
Agreed respect to Wisconsin & the "fascist knife" of which edge we're sitting upon. What people don't seem to understand ( even those who think they're in sync with a fascist leader) is that dictators too often rule by whim; their whims & that can change day to day, as well as the people they target.
The other point I'd like to mention is haven't the media learned their lesson from 2016, to stop giving trump "free" media coverage? A nod perhaps to his indictment today. But letting this man go off on a tirade about all his grievances about his, imo, well deserved legal consequences ( due to his repeated attempts to break/ thwart the RULE of LAW), his threats of reprisals & dog whistles to his remaining devotees is tiresome & counter productive to our nation. But I guess the 24/7 news cycle ( and ratings) demands it's fodder, even if it IS simply horse manure.
Its not about the media "learning their lesson" that's not what they do now, the days of a minority, a *strong* minority of news journalists being considered very principled with moral conviction are over, all my generation has ever had (very thankfully) was Jon Stewart and his cadre of dedicated associates. I've also been watching them fight for 25-odd years talking about the same thing Robert is, and Liz Warren, and Bernie, and AOC... etc..
Major media corps exist now simply to attract viewers/attention, to scrape the bottom of the dwindling ratings barrell they'll drive whatever narrative they need to.
I agree. I remember as a child making a big snowball and then just rolling it in that fresh wet snow and pretty soon you had a snowman. And now For the last 20 or 30 years media is an uncontrollable Snowball, turning into an avalanche of power and greed competing against each other for more power and greed. Yay for public television.
There is a reason, not talked about, that everything seems to be coming undone at this moment: The Medium is the Message. Marshall Mc Luhan wrote a book about it by that name quite a while ago. Our problem is that the media through which we get messages distorts content in toxic ways as it transports it. For instance, it is no coincidence that the the rise of toxic internet conversation coincided with the rise of social media. And quite a few of us predicted that would happen. I for one decided to never use social media.
Garhardt, I like public TV, but what is the first story every day since the Grand Jury ended, the upcoming Trump arrest. The worst storms in a while caught attention a couple of times, but not for long. Why We the People think we need constant coverage of Donald Trump, I don't know. He is a disgusting human being, certainly a cash cow for his children and a few others, but a lie machine who is OK with cheating, bribery, and tax evasion. How is that a hero for anyone? Clearly our nation has serious problems if millions of people are willing to worship an ignorant fool who cares nothing for threm or anyone else.
Couldn't agree more, Ruth. Too bad media just panders to the LCD.
Even PBS has become a problem like you said. I watched it tonight and turn off, all the talk was about was the ‘orange grifter’. I also think we need Judy. woodruff back As the anchor. But her retirement is well deserved, and don’t forget their Operating budget is minuscule compared to the big boys.
I looked at BBC News on PBS tonight -- they were talking about TFG! There is no escape. Except not to watch ANY "news" on t.v.
The Bible was slightly off-base -- not "money" but profit-seeking seems to lie at the root of virtually all human-caused evil.
There is also the endless media speculation about how the criminal prosecution of Trump will affect the 2024 presidential election, thereby lending credence to the notion that the criminal charges against him are just politics, rather than law enforcement. It is so damaging to our society.
The media hasn't learned; maybe some journalists have but those who say what is said or isn't said only care about ratings. Remember the network owner who said, "Trump bad for the country, good for ratings" and then laughed?
Barbara Lucas ; And Rupert Murdoch saying that "it isn't about red or blue, but green!"
Remember the movie "Network"? It foreshadowed this. I have a copy that I re-watch for time to time as we sink into this media-driven swamp. Eerie how current "Network" still is.
Like Howard Beale in Network, trump may go under because of lousy ratings. (One of my favorite stories by P. Chayefsky.)
Is that the one where the famous actor says :”I’m sick and tired of this I’m not gonna take it anymore”?
Howard Beale, played by Peter Finch, got people to stick their heads out of their windows and yell out: "I'm as MAD as HELL, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"
Indeed, & agreed...sadly. But ratings = revenue & in most corporate culture, coin is king, regardless of their mission statement or what they claim core values to be..
Admissions may/may not increase Fox ratings.
https://twitter.com/TheUSASingers/status/1642908079279816704?s=04&fbclid=IwAR04zvbYjZbQkK-MMrXV2BJDdHL6-MS5AJSYHZkg60v-em03afsCdo3n2FQ
Fox viewers probably need to have the effect of an admission explained to them.
Thanks Donald for the sad reminder of how corrupt things have been for so long, with good people turning their backs on the corruption, losing sight of the bigger picture of what that back turning will do in the long run for America and Americans. I have done phone backing for WI in hopes that this will help turn some of that tide.
Congratulations, your phoning helped get rid of a scumbag.
Imo media doesn't WANT to learn, Barbara.
Given that that network had 16 of the top 30-rated prime time tv shows for 2016-17, I'd say the comment didn't do any harm.
Bonnie, you are right about people's misunderstanding of fascism. That's because they care as little as possible about what life was really like in fascist and other totalitarian societies. The whims of the men in charge were arbitrary and could encompass anyone, demanding extreme loyalty, and even when they have it, ordering their execution as a way to intimidating others. The white men with their tiki torches will not be anything in a fascist takeover; they are too erratic and undependable. They wouldn't even get to be guards at the concentration camps that would surely be set up. That would make them mad, and therefore, expendable. The Greenes of the nation would no longer be of value because their conspiracy theories would be a liability since they will be as irrelevant as she is.
Then, there's Trump. That is another thing I don't understand, the media fascination with Trump. The man is an ignorant jerk, a narsicistic attention-seeker with no good ideas or rather no ideas. Making a big deal, over publicizing Trump's upcoming arrest proves to all of us that everyone is not equal under the law (as if we didn't already know it).
You're so right. Bonnie, about TFG's free publicity. Since when does an ex-President command prime-time airwaves for a personal rant??? Absurd!
They have not. The past two weeks reporting have all been dominated by Trump.
Janet, you have pointed out an important challenge for our media; how can you call one thing political when it is from the actual President of the United States while you give nearly unlimited coverage of a former president who has committed crimes against the state? I do not get it! and I suspect no one will be able to explain it to me because it was and is wrong! Do the media actually want Trump and Kump in office again? He hates the media unless they cover him every moment (which they did while he was in office), and tell him incessantly how wonderful he is when they are clearly lying. Yo! Media! Wake up and stop the BS. I don't care how much money corporations are willing to pay to put ads on your platform, it isn't worth it for you to contribute to breaking our democracy. Honestly! It's not!
I simply can't get my head around prime-time network coverage for the Mango Wanker. It's absolutely inexcusable! But network heads are only seeing dollar signs. What are the chances that a speech by Obama would get such front-and-center treatment? We all know the answer: zero.
Yep. I'm creeped-out here over this prime-time assault.
Under the radar of what has happened to Wisconsin is that the Koch Bros. went into that state, installed Scott Walker and transformed Wisconsin to what it is today. THIS IS WHAT THE OLIGARCHIC CLASS IS DOING TO THE UNITED STATES. The class war in this country, the fascist take-over orchestrated by the ruling class is NOT TALKED ABOUT ANYWHERE AND IT MUST BE.
Claire, you are right, but in general, the American people love the rich because they think they can imagine themselves just as rich. In their eyes, someone or a group of someones keeps them from achieving that deserved goal. We need to do more pointing out just how corrupt those rich mostly men, but a few women too are and that they do not have anyone's best interest at heart except their own. People really do believe the myths of rags to riches. They think it is true, but it was so rarely true we remember the few who made it, and those who made it were often not good people, did not treat others well, and wanted to keep everyone else from getting where they were. How do we get people to see that nearly all political ads, particularly Republican ones are lies, often racist and xenophobic, and created and paid for by super rich mostly white men who have an agenda that is pretty anti-democratic, anti-American?
Protasiewicz won. Let's hope Knodl loses (he's ahead by a few hundred votes now 10 pm).
And don’t forget The fascist de Santis just signed a bill that allows anyone to buy a gun in Florida but no background check and no concealed weapons permit. Oh ,that can’t go wrong. I no longer go to the scum belt, a.k.a., Smith and Wesson line.
Desatan is obviously a fascist but he is not the only one. We have a large number of fascist running around our governments whether they be local state or federal. They obviously believe they have the power and they also believe that they can't lose. For democracy to survive we really need to start eliminating these folks one by one there yet 10x10.
How to do this is key. Just think of all those working on this, cost, time. It’s sad. What kind of world are we leaving for the next 6 generations?
I’ll be dead soon but still I wonder. Power, Authority and Control add greed and this is what leaders are addicted to. Public servants? No. Janitors and trash collectors are public servants and the most important. It’s a shame we don’t have a Corp of sanitation professionals to brainwash all negativity. Oh wait, that too is a bad idea.
Maybe Human nature is the culprit. Our economical placement on how much we earn culturally indicates our value as a human. Perhaps value is more than work. Let’s look more into what the preamble of the constitution says as well as Common Sense by Paine, 1776.
‘Value life, ’ is a political point that rests on abortion today. It’s the Christofascists rallying cry. We need to check on the foundation of our cultural attitudes & our Constitution. It should be taught on every level of education. The rule of law should be based on cooperation of citizens working toward the common good.
Today we do not see that.
Kathryn, I remember that one of the most valuable things I had to do in my 9th grade Civics class was to rewrite the Constitution in my own words, what I understood it to mean. It was powerful because it forced me to read it, then to at least try to understand it the best a 14-year-old can. I don't remember what I wrote, but I was so impressed with the Preamble I memorized it and think every elected official in this country should recite or read it every day to remind themselves what they are elected to do, but usually forget about once their donors and lobbyists come a'calling.
Yes, I read it when I went to school in 8 th grade, going to a segregated school in FL during the early 60’s. Year before JFK was assassinated. I hope people are allowing children to read it today.
Kathryn, I'm impressed that your confidence that the world will survive 6 generations. I hope you are correct in your optimism.
Indigenous say 7 generations. There are 4-5 generations now, since I was born. Maybe even 6. Just look around at the babies you see. They are the 6th generation, if 20 years is 1 generation. The innocent born into this world. How are their lives valued today?
I never married or had children. My only paternal nephew is 40 yrs and not inclined to have children so it looks like the end of our line. First ancestors to come to the new world landed in MD in the 1700's. Hope none of us did too much damage to the country.
What you said is absolutely right but when you say today would you not see that, I don't believe that that is a correct statement. Let's start with the fact that you see it and I see . That makes two. I'm sure that there are thousands tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands who understand that. Let's make sure everyone understands that.
I meant today our educational institutions are being censored and the common good isn’t taught in areas of the country
S. Howard, you are right about the number of fascists in power in this country. Just look at the Tennessee legislature about to kick out duly elected Democrats because they dared to protest with young people about the lack of efforts in the Tennessee legislature to limit assault weapons after the murder of 6 people at a Nashville school. They have gerrymandered the state to such an extent that Republicans have a super majority and can now do pretty much whatever they want and have the governor's approval. Ignorance of our Constitution reigns! I will not return to Tennessee where I attended college until that anti-democratic legislature is broken up, which probably means never. Then, there's Arkansas that just approved child labor even for dangerous jobs. I guess Republicans haven't been able to exploit enough adults so they have to go for kids, particularly immigrant and asylum-seeking kids figuring no one will care if those kids get killed or injured on the job, while they might care if a white man does. DeSantis is a megalomaniac who thinks he is smarter than everyone else because he went to Harvard and Yale, more proof that the crazies can come from the Ivy League and that ilk too, in fact, often come from there. The challenge for us is how we can stop this slide into an insanity no one but the true crazies like DeSantis wants. He thinks he will rule as dictator because he was able to bamboozle Floridians. I sure hope he is wrong.
I suggest buying stock in leather. The need for holsters of all styles will be the next trending accessory for our wardrobes. I wonder who will be the leading influencer for that market.
I tell folks to teach their children to live without electricity. I’d freeze to death unless I could build a fire. Have them at least read Jack Landon’s story on that subject. My husband is a Mohawk. Many indigenous people can live without electricity. It’s preferable, but recall the recent home grown terrorists sabotaging electrical grids.
Jack London
I'm going to have to learn not to depend on my laptop and write letters again. My little dog passed away a year ago, I think I'll get an older, bigger dog to help me stay warm.
Guns are not the problem-we have a society problem that seems to growing and not subsiding. I do not now how to address this either.
Ar 16 is a gun. It’s a problem. I come from a long line of non gun owners except for hunting. Anger and a gun is not a good mix for any one. Even trained law enforcement officers & military people can missuse, one- can missread a situation, ( friendly fire). So I do think automatic killing machines are highly problematic. Let’s point to the common good not some paranoid notion that you need to be armed to be safe. As Rodney King said, “Can’t we all just get along?”
Floriduh is WAAAAY past any hope with it's dictatortot man-child, DeathSantis, at it's helm! HOPEFULLY Wisconsin citizens are NOT as stupid and ignorant for their own good.
Remember: dictators and facists NEVER last long in the modern Western world. I cannot see the cowardly, effeminate Meatballron lasting too long past 2024.
8:50 CDT. 3 biggest counties are in, but there's a lot of red in the rest of the state. Fingers X'd.
Florida is even worse than you state. There's a bill in their legislature that would simply outlaw the Democratic Party. It's SUPPOSED to outlaw any political party that supported slavery now, or ANY TIME IN THE PAST, from what I've read. Effectively, the only extant party that did that was the Democratic Party.
Of course, the Democratic Party 170 years ago is definitely not the same party of today; in fact, the roles of the 2 major political parties are reversed. The current Grand Fascist Party as run in FL by DeSantis is really attempting to do this. Outlawing the only other viable political party is only part of his agenda. There's also "re-education" by banning certain subjects and even banning courses that teach facts about America's racist past (and present) and making books subject to political censorship. There's the persecution of immigrants FROM ANOTHER STATE, by sending them across the country with promises that are lies. And of course, there's also firing ELECTED officials and even banning certain forms of dress. All of this is to create fear, anger and hatred against anyone who's different. And all of these actions follow the tenets of fascism. Or communism, depending upon who's paying the bills.
Frog, You are right in your description of Florida. Why the Federal government is not stepping in regarding the racism in the schools (removal of books and courses about African-American history) I don't know. What DeSantis et al are doing is against the law, Title VI to be exact. The clothing nonsense is too. Maybe we need people in FL to start bringing cases to the Federal courts to accuse DeSantis and his gang of their law-breaking. DeSantis is simply nuts. He keeps putting forward his racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, homo/transphobic crap because he can and believes no one will even try to stop him. I still think there was trouble with the last election in Florida. Because it is a red state, no one even calls for recounts, just assuming DeSantis won by the margin he claimed as did the crazies in the legislature. Maybe they did not and that could be why they are either withdrawing from or have already withdrawn from the group that monitors elections and helps states keep accurate records. Everyone should beware of DeSantis and question everything he does because he would prefer a Nazi uniform and having everyone under his thumb. Had his family been here in slavery days and had had money, he would have been an owner and I suspect would have definitely abused the people he "owned," just because he could (slave owners had no moral compass either). As for getting rid of the Democratic Party, I am not sure what can be done. He is already dictator of Florida, so it might not matter, especially if Floridians are OK with it. They will come to see just what an ass DeSantis is, but by then, it might be too late to do anything because he will have taken away their right to vote, perhaps even to live. He is working on that for trans kids and their families as well as women with problem pregnancies or who can't see themselves pregnant. DeSantis is on a roll. How far will the people in our federal government permit him to go? Probably as far as he wants. Courage is not a strong Federal suit these days.
Tom, I noticed all of those arrested and harrassed representatives are Democrats. Republicans contributed to the trouble, then charge Democrats for actually doing the right thing and challenging those anti-democratic, anti-Constitutional acts. You are right about the fascist aspect of that. The sad thing is that so many of the people who are involved with hatred and harassment of Democrats have no clue what is the right thing to do. Their brainwashing has been nearly complete. Shame on Republicans for their chosen ignorance and their lack of willingness to care about or help anyone but themselves!
Let’s hope for proof that democracy is on the right track. Wouldn’t it be nice if Trump was ordered not to leave the state before trial and democrats control the state Supreme Court in Wisconsin?
Trump owns a private plane. He should be required to surrender his passport.
does it have enough gas to get to Moscow?
Probably not Moscow, but I can see him fleeing to Brazil and hanging out with Bolsonaro.
birds of a feather
Paul, are you kidding? Trump would never make it in Moscow! They would tolerate his blubbering for a while as a taunt toward the US, but Puteywould tire of him quickly and either send him back or to Siberia. Trump couldn't survive the oblivion, so wouldn't risk it.
I'll bet he can't speak Russian.
yes, you're quite correct; plus, he's used up all his useful idiocy. my mistake was in thimking that putin might want to show some gratitude. silly me!
So many of us are so tired of all these things Dragging on forever since the Orange devil spawn came down the escalator.
Yes this is on my wish list as well. Let's take a vote how many people reading this have those two items on their wish list?
Thanks for putting the focus where it belongs: Wisconsin. Trump’s reality show is inconsequential compared to the impact of Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race. That outcome is crucial to the structure of our political system. The end of gerrymandered corruption could happen today !!
Robert, Republicans have redrawing districts for more than twenty years across the nation trying to gain majorities in their states. They can't win a race without cheating or lying. The party of thugs and criminals is what they are. It's no wonder that someone like Trump appeals to so many of them.
Very well said thank you.
I know and appreciate every word you wrote. The best I can do now is phonebank for voters. I have and will make calls.
So... what power do the rest of us have over what they do in Wisconsin?
Getting rid of the absurd, undemocratic, racist, less than useless Electoral College wouldn't solve everything , but wouldn't it go a long way toward thwarting some of this bad faith scheming at the state level?
I’m a Wisconsinite living in the UK presently and cannot vote in state elections only federal ones. You asked what you could do. You could share Bob’s article with all your friends on social media warning them that this indeed can happen in their state if they aren’t paying attention. Wisconsin went from being a solid blue state to a “hanging by a thread” purple state in less than 10 years. Scott Walker, on the way out the door as governor, signed into law several elements blocking the incoming Tony Evers from doing basic governances. Be warned, friend.
I'm from Georgia. I donated specifically to Wisconsin democratic party towards this upcoming election today; as I have for some time to other Dem candidates in various other states across the nation. Even the small amounts add up, if you can swing it. I know everyone can't, but even encouraging one another to not lose hope & to vote...vote..vote is positive.
Yes! And I have contributed to candidates of the great state of Georgia. We can do this good work, collectively.
I live in a purple district in the Twin Cities and while it's been shocking to see Wisconsin lurching and struggling down this path, some in MN throw a smug look over the St. Croix. What a joke! It's almost 50-50 here. The reason the MN governor is not Republican is because the metro area votes blue. NE Minnesota was Jim Oberstar's (D) kingdom for 34 years. Now the district votes Republican. Same with NW Minnesota. What's up is down.
I live in rural SW MN. Margins here are dismal. 30% blue to 70% red and sometimes worse. The only goal of Senator Gary Dahms these days is to say "no" to every single D initiative.
That’s not a sustainable way to govern. Doesn’t Gary know he represents everyone now?
Nope. I believe they no longer believe they need to represent everyone. I believe these R legislators think they only represent R voters.
Norwegian bachelors don't reproduce.
lol!
Noorillah, I too think the electoral college needs to go. The problem, the whiny white states and the Confederacy will not go along with it, and they have far too much power in our nation. In their chosen isolation from diversity, they fear they will be overwhelmed by the whoevers they don't understand and have decided to hate. Their disease has infected other states that one may have thought reasonable in the past: Iowa, Wisconsin, and Ohio for example. We need a political vaccine to fight the fascist tendencies of so many in white America. Now, who could invent such a thing?
paul wellstone would be turning over in his grave.
i've always been mystified as to why it isn't required that state legislatures have bipartisan agreement on voting district boundaries?
who would impose that agreement? the states would scream hysterically if it were a federal requirement. federal voting rights requirements are about as potent as abortion rights in bringing out the lunatic repugnant fringe. notice that our scotus has gutted the previous voting rights act.
Even more important is that the Supreme Court, the Catholic Supreme Court I might add, has gone Rogue. Starting with Supreme Court Justice John Roberts and Citizens United these fascist Republicons have worked hard to turn this country into a religious fascism. That seems to be our problem at least when it comes to supreme law. And what solutions do we have fot the scotus takeover?
S howard - that is the most worrisome for me. we essentially have no solution except enlarging, which no ones seems to want to do. Certainly not biden. for all the baggage he brings, he's not getting a failed grade from me. C- maybe for ineffective use of Harris, for inarticulate bully pulpit, for energy and big pharma concessions. not acceptable in my view. not to mention getting rid of every trump appointee across the board, especially dejoy at post office
Thank you for speaking truth...the Catholic Supreme Court. I have many progressive Catholic friends and they, too, are appalled. However, for too long we have talked about the religion and politics problem as being a Protestant fundamentalist problem. I'm far more afraid of tradrad Catholics, tbh.
as a recovering catholic, i fear their control. when they became the church of the roman empire in 313 AD, it became a tool for coercion and control. i had nuns tell me that all my protestant friends were going hell. vatican 2 didn't reach these shores until recently.
Democracy is the Boiling Frog
The Republicans are the stove!
The premise is that if a frog is put suddenly into boiling water, it will jump out, but if the frog is put in tepid water which is then brought to a boil slowly, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death.
Keith Olson ; That is why an informative media is needed so that busy, hardworking voters can be informed about crucial threats to Democracy.
I agree. I think it comes down motivation. How do we replace "wealth maximization" with meeting human needs as the primary motivator of human behavior? Much of the media like other institutions have put their financial health (or even survival) above their desire to serve the public interest.
There's enough for everyone, but we have created an economic system that tries to crowd out ethical considerations. As long as most people are struggling to get by, they don't have time to get more involved in politics.
Peter; especially with 'leaders' like DeSantis who are against education!
Keith, in this case, there are a lot of people who do know what is going on and trying to get the word out. The groundwork Republicans have done is massive. Their goal is to stay in power forever, but they have to keep pretending they have ideas and care about their Republican base, when they only want them as long as they can use them. Those "legislators" expect that soon they will be in power so they won't even have to run at all. Their states will just approve a bunch of men and a couple of women who claim to be Republican for office. They already ignore the Constitution as often as they can and the Supreme Court nods and says, "yeah, that's the right way to interpret that, just as our founders wanted it." The lying is ubiquitous and the base, overly busy and ignorant by choice buys it all, not realizing that they, too, are the frogs being cooked to ultimately be devoured. I don't know if it is better to be ignorant of their fate or worried about it as those of us on this thread and others do. We do our best to fight the heating process, but unless all of us work together to tip over the pot and get out, we are lost.
Well it doesn't seem to be working does it? The frog is voke. Isn't that what DeSatan is trying to get rid of in Florida is wokeness?
Oh and let's not forget DeSatan's idea of allowing anybody under any circumstances whatsoever to have guns. What's that all about? Is the governor of Florida totally insane? Well yes he is. But is there any sense behind that insanity. He is trying to send the message that once Trump walls himself in to Mara Lago no one's going to get him out of there because the whole state will be armed and dangerous. Desatan wants to be VP under Trump but if need be he'll take president.
DeSantis is 'crazy' like a fox. They raise their own unregulated militia, while getting kickbacks from the NRA and gun makers.
Scotus keeps popping up as a deterrent to democracy and as an assistant to Theocratic fascism. What to do?
Expand the court?
By the time a case reaches the SC, maybe a fairly elected Cong. would have passed a law expanding the court to represent reality, and more Justices would be making better decisions.
I applaud your courage for sharing that sentiment. I vote the person, I vote the issue.
Voting the person is something I hear a lot.
Sadly, it's not about 'the person', if it ever was.
To succeed, a majority of a party must prevail.
To that end, VOTE BLUE up and down the ballot. Or, especially in states where who votes has been highly manipulated-- as is the case for Wisconsin, or LOSE!
I understand. But I can hold MY representative accountable when that person seeks re-election or higher office. I can’t with an entire party. And, sometimes, it compels my representatives to break ranks with a party out of regard to their local constituents. I admit that in one party localities or states it would be irrelevant.
I believe that congressional districts are an outdated relic from the past.
1. Give every state their apportioned number of representatives.
Rapid transportation and instant communication make districts irrelevant.
The delegations can work out for themselves what issues they would like to
address for their state. This provision would stop gerrymandering.
2. Ranked choice voting should be federally required.
3. Federal Elections should be a national holiday
yes town hall meetings with elected officials are great. but if elected reps rotated through the state for meetings, it would serve the same purpose, and could help to lessen the clout of special interests as well as be a form of continuing education for the representatives.
Getting rid of cong. districts could be the best idea yet.
I wonder why there has to be swing states? or gerrymandering, or the Electoral college? Also, how can we really have a United States when some states can play by different (undemocratic) rules.
Bob, I always look forward to reading your posts because they draw our attention to the issues that are really important, clarify their essential points, and call out the media for neglecting journalistic responsibility in favor of making the news wires buzz with whatever maximizes revenue.
Democracy on a knife edge - navigating between Scylla and Charybdis, between gerrymandering and the Electoral College.
The voyage will be safe if the DNC can for once just stop wringing their hands, grow some gonadal tissue, and offer Americans what they really want: decent healthcare and gun control.
Michael Hutchinson ; Don't forget Citizens United!
Thank you, Professor Reich, for putting the focus where it needs to be.
I believe that the Israeli people have set an example for us. Even if Wisconsin Republicans appear to succeed in their electoral takeover, people championing democracy can turn out in such huge numbers and practice acts of peaceful civil disobedience and non-cooperation with tyranny that they turn the tide or force a compromise.
What are the levers that could be peacefully used by a determined public that refuses to surrender to tyranny?
I hope I'm not in trouble for reproducing this:
Civil unrest in Israel has prompted many observers to wonder if the same pro-democracy impulses that motivated Arab Spring activists more than a decade ago are now emerging in the Jewish state on the Mediterranean. The protests recently forced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pause his controversial plan to reform the country’s judicial system, a loss that could signal a major shift in the politician’s standing.
Most recently, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets after Netanyahu fired his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, after Gallant voiced his opposition to Netanyahu’s proposed judicial reform, explained Atlantic magazine.
Those protests have not abated, despite the pause, the Washington Post noted.
What ignited protests, as CNN wrote, was Netanyahu’s proposal to limit the power of Israel’s Supreme Court. Under the plan, the government would have more leeway in appointing judges and the legislature would have more power to overturn court decisions. But the new rules would also potentially give Netanyahu loopholes that would allow him to remain in office if he is found guilty of the corruption charges that he is now facing in a trial.
To say the prime minister is a controversial figure in Israel would be an understatement.
Netanyahu has held the premiership three times – from 1996 to 1999, from 2009 to 2021, and again today. The corruption allegations, his conservative cultural stance, and his hard-right policies toward the Palestinians, as Guardian columnist Sara Husseini argued, have alienated many lawmakers and voters, however. His failure to assemble a strong coalition as well as the weakness of his rivals have resulted in five elections in Israel since 2019 as governments have fallen apart in the highly polarized climate.
His decision to abandon the judicial reforms could be the beginning of the end of his power, contended the Nation. “Never before have Israelis risen in such numbers with such commitment against their own government – to the point that they have effectively brought it to its knees,” the magazine wrote.
Still, members of the coalition say they intend to pass the reform plan in May when parliament returns. On Monday, negotiation teams met at the presidential residence to talk about the reforms and find ways to reach a broad consensus, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Meanwhile, the cost of the turmoil is already apparent, noted the Times of Israel: On Monday, the Bank of Israel raised its key lending rate by 25 basis points to 4.5 percent, the highest level since before the 2008 global financial crash, in its battle to combat inflation but also as “tremendous” uncertainty over the government’s judicial overhaul plan weighs on the economy. “The uncertainty and the events we witnessed in recent weeks have naturally also had an impact on the Israeli economy,” said Bank of Israel governor Amir Yaron.
Now, a few scenarios are possible, say analysts. The protests could morph into more sweeping expressions of discontent, or provide a launching pad for leftist movements seeking to deconstruct the right-wing vision of Israel that Netanyahu has upheld, and swung even further to the right because of his coalition partners. Alternatively, as Vox noted, the anti-Netanyahu sentiment could backfire, causing right-wing elements in Israeli to become more active so they can protect that vision. Some of Netanyahu’s allies, for example, don’t think Israel should be a democracy, the New Yorker added.
One result that few predict is a return to business as usual.
The World Today., Miami Herald.
I recently got a text from a Wisconsin would-be Legislator requesting my donation to their campaign. I've always thought that what happens in other states is not my business. Is that right? I don't have much to give, so my $5 or $10 would be all I can afford. If I DO donate a few bucks, does it really have any impact in the end-scheme of things?
Constance, those small donations from a multitude of people adds up. Don't ever think your donations are too small to help.
It's a bit late for this race however.
I don't deny the importance of the outcome of today's Wisconsin election, but it's completely out of my hands. I made my donation months ago, and I wrote letters to Wisconsin voters to try to encourage them to get out and vote. That's it. That's all a body can do. It's left up to the fates. Will Democrats in WI join together with disaffected Repubs, and save the state and save the democracy? Hell if I know. I pray the voters will rise to the democratic occasion. It could end up being a sign.
Let trump get the thrashing he deserves.
As for the circus going on in NYC & Mar-a-Lago, let trump get a triple thrashing there. Let the handcuffs fit tight; let the next two indictments ring loudly. trump has been a disaster like none other this country has ever seen. He has come very close to doing serious damage to, not only Democrats, but Repubs and independents, too. He's single handedly destroyed the Repub Party. He's responsible for just about destroying a fragile democracy, and he may not be finished, yet. It's gotten to the point where seeing him go down may not be as joyous as I had hoped it would be. It's just all so ugly. I just want him to go away and pay for his crimes.
The people of Wisconsin need to rise to the occasion in this moment of near crisis. They need to send a message to MAGATS everywhere that their little rise to power is over, and the good people of this country want their country back. We will not stand for any more nonsense. We want to move forward with common sense and alacrity. This is a progressive country. The old ways are in the past, and no matter how painful the ultra right finds it, they will have to learn to join in. They will come with us willingly, or we'll bring them kicking and screaming along. Why? Because it's the right thing to do.
Abolish the Electoral College, its a vestige from slavery. One person, one vote would make gerrymandering useless.
Precisely. The Constitution was intentionally written to give property (i.e. slaves at first, and now empty land) political power to satisfy the southern delegates in general, and Virginia in particular (the most populated state in the 1780s, but 40% of their population were slaves.) Thus, the 3/5s clause.
Thanks for explaining the history. 😊
Your “last” wealth and poverty course? Please don’t mean this very important voice is going away.