Once again, I get to bang on about the 9th Amendment, because once again, a SCOTUS justice is banging on about rights supposedly not guaranteed by The Constitution. That's a half-truth. The right to choose under R v W is not an >enumerated< right - just as other rights the religious right oppose aren't enumerated. The 9th Amendment provides that our rights aren't limited to the enumerated rights - nor are the enumerated rights listed in order of importance. The wank-publicans would have us believe that when a judge legitimately recognizes a right validly under the 9th Amendment, they're "legislating from the bench." Yet they're not above cramming their Southern-fried religious heresies down our collective throats as law, saying they >believe< it's their "god given right" to do so. Well done, Prof Reich, on showing that garbage coming out of ol' Tweety's mouth! In a Mike Gibbons campaign ad for the OH primary, he states "Your rights don't come from government, they come from god." (That is, we have the same rights guaranteed to a serf in feudal times. Who gets to be god's presence on earth, huh ‽) A "big lie" that has been spread around by the religious right evangelicals for decades is that their religious freedom demands the laws reflect their belief, as they downplay the separation of church and state by simply denying they >believe< that such a separation exists within The Constitution, because it abridges their religious freedom. It only shows those self-proclaimed righteous folks don't give a single goddam what living hell they put others through, as long as the >believe< it will get them into their mythical heaven when they're goddam dead!
everything that rethuglicans do is aimed at crushing us all -- to crush anyone who dares to think their own thoughts or to act in ways that are different from the narrow white male authoritarian ideals they espouse.
FDR’s four freedoms are something the Democrats should emphasize. I want to concentrate on one of those freedoms in this post…the freedom from want. Inflation is real right now and it’s causing more and more “want” for the working and middle classes. One of the drivers of that inflation is the higher and rising prices for gas for their cars. I just watched a segment on CNN purporting to analyze why gas prices continue to rise. The CNN economic expert reported the two major reasons were worldwide inflation and supply and demand. She said nothing about the profiteering going on by the major oil companies. The quarterly profits of the four major oil companies we deal with in the U.S. have approximately tripled for the first quarter of this year over last year. And last year those profits were already in the $billions! The expert didn’t mention shareholder capitalism or corporate democrats as contributors to the rising gas prices. And she didn’t mention the idea of a windfall profits tax to help combat those rising prices. And she failed to mention the $billions that U.S. taxpayers are still on the hook for in subsidies to those oil companies. I fear that CNN is contributing to the dearth of analysis that we get from corporate media.
Hope you will schedule national media talk show appearances to spread this vital message. Thanks for so clearly describing the difference between Republican and Democrat.
Professor Reich, I’d like this essay to be heard at every campaign headquarters of the Democratic Party. Our “freedoms” are being blatantly chipped at while the thirst for power of the GOP is insatiable. Gun crime and mass shootings are out of control more than ever as well as every single point you mentioned this morning. We must not be idle!
We must not dawdle; a clear and bold message to counter the hypocritical falsehoods is what we need, NOW! We also need to fight tooth and nail to protect and recapture freedoms; we Democrats must look to Ukraine and become as united within our party as the whole of Ukraine is in defending their country against losing their freedom against the power-hungry Republicans who are the equivalent of Putin and his war on Ukraine.
It is so ironic that the GOP is using freedom as its theme, while their leader, Putin's friend, is about everything opposite of freedom, or tyranny. They are the party of control, greed, repression, and constriction of our rights. Expensive medical care, high education costs, misinformation and oppressive religion. The Republican party is the party of NO. There is no platform says McConnel : "We will tell you what it is after we win the election". How much more haughty and disrespectful to the voters can they get? They are not the party of anyone's freedom except their own freedom to do everything to control and enslave and silence and rip off the people. tRump sets himself up as God! Absolutely sickening! Religion has been used for millennia to control the 'masses'. It's a false security for the oppressed. One can be tricked to avoid confrontation and take 'comfort' in denial of reality. "there is pie in the sky when you die". Rubbish that belongs on the scrapheap of history! Putin's friend does not worship anything but his own image and likeness, along with ill gotten gains. (and gold toilets).
I still think the antidote is benefits. Yesterday I posted a personal story.
We have a nephew. While his mother and I worked for SSA, and I was an SSA advocate, he became a right winger --mainly through peer pressure. He thought Rush Limbaugh was great.
Has young children: a son aged 10. Twin girls are 4. They got $300 per child until January when Senate Republicans refused to renew the Child Tax Credit.
Both parents are Trumpers. He is editor of a small publication. Over years he bought the Republican propaganda and fought a generational war. He wrote several columns adopting propaganda from Cato and Heritage thinktanks that endorsed privatization of Social Security and Medicare. He supported the Trump attempts to undermine the trust funds.
He is a gun nut. Owns dozens, is an instructor. Writes articles about them.
Our nephew has been divorced. That $900 per month would defray his child support. Filled with Fox news propaganda he hates Biden. But Biden’s Build Back Better also includes the permanent expansion of the Child Tax Credit.
"A living wage, the right to join a union, guaranteed healthcare, free higher education, the right to vote – these are the foundations of real freedom."
All true, and the most tangible, the most visceral of these is guaranteed healthcare. This is something the GOP has a long history of trying to take away from people. Give the people Medicare for all who want it.
At the time of the British election in 1945, everyone knew Churchill was going to win, including the Labour Party. Therefore, when it came time to plan their manifesto, Labour had nothing to lose and so decided to write what they really wanted instead of hedging to the right as they usually did.
The central part of their manifesto was guaranteed healthcare for all, and they won the election in a landslide.
The details can be worked out, all it requires is some gonadal fortitude.
This link to a First Dog on the Moon cartoon will show you that bad politics are everywhere, even way down under! What is WRONG WITH THE "POWERS THAT BE"????
When Republicans aren’t using memes like “freedom” or “socialism” as meaning-free buzzwords to whip up the masses, their true intent behind “freedom” is freedom from any restraint, responsibility, or consequence for their self-interested actions.
Thank you for this Robert. You got every scintilla of detail about what the GOP. The democrats need a whole new playbook and new blood to reinvigorate everything they are now. I cringe when I see Biden cozying up to Obama for help. Obama's 8 years in office is a big contributing factor that got us HERE NOW. Okay, the original sin came from Clinton who threw over the working class for big money. The Democrats need to show their constituents and the country what they stand for by actually legislating policies that matter on a batch of issues. One point, getting rid of student debt is low hanging fruit, as they say, but dithering is still the MO. I admit that I am so cynical that I probably wouldn't give the citizenry the credit to find their own anal area. However, even I find it hard to believe the American people will continue to buy the utter bull of "freedom" the GOP is trying to sell them. After all, American's live in the real world and everything that encompasses and means for how hard survival is for everyone but the rich.
The USA is facing challenges at every turn: an ongoing pandemic this fall could be bad again, a highly polarized U.S. mid term election coming up, mounting inflation, the great resignation, a war in Ukraine, dramatic economic sanctions against Russia that will affect our supply chain for years to come. China continues to build stronger AI. Our planet is being destroyed. The southern border is NOT being addressed by this administration, high crime in major cities, high suicide rates, mental depression issues and poverty with people living on the streets. Our food and water is being poisoned. Citizens are sick and dying of diabetes, heart disease, dementia. Young people are now getting cancer. Freedom for the USA can ONLY be obtained if both parties work together to find solutions. Abortion is NOT being banned. Only changing the power to the states. Don't like your blue state move to red state. Don't like your red state move to a blue state. We are no longer the UNITED States. Both parties have destroyed the "united" with their abuse of power. Career politicians are the worst. Why half the country is fascinated with Trump, Musk and Bezos. These 3 men created massive wealth through hard work. Many politicians are jealous and tend to crucify the rich. Do you know who gives tremendous amount of money to charities that help our citizens? THE RICH! Be very wary of politicians that amass wealth while in office. 2 + 2 = 4.
The 4th amendment of my Constitution, very clearly states that:
1. My vagina is secure.
2. No one has the right to search my vagina.
3. No one has the right to seize my vagina.
4. If the state wants to search my vagina, they must acquire a search warrant.
5. The state’s application for a search warrant must:
a. describe my vagina (and include such information as where they expect to find it, when they intend to search it, and where they got their information).
b. exactly what they expect to find inside my vagina and
c. the reasons they expect to find evidence of a crime inside my vagina.
In addition to my vagina, the 4th amendment also protects my papers, and effects against unreasonable search and seizure. No one can prove my vagina is a “potential” crime scene without illegally searching and seizing my papers and effects (such as the results of urine or blood tests, or pee-sticks from Walgreens). When the state searches my vagina and discovers a watermelon sized cyst, instead of a fetus, will the state be required to pay for the removal of the cyst?
For the record, my vagina has a mind of its own. I have no idea how many fetuses my vagina has expelled between my periods but given the size of blood clots on my sanitary napkins, I am certain it was a monthly occurrence for 40 years in a row.
I have questions.
1. How many times a year will the state be allowed to search my vagina?
2. Who will pay for these searches?
3. Who will conduct these searches?
4. Will they use their hands to conduct these searches?
5. Will the state be allowed to seize my vagina? If yes, will they be allowed to cut it out of me, or seize me too?
For the record, my vagina is attached to my person. Do men consider their penises part of their person? Forcing a 9 pound, 11 ounce, 22 inch long baby out of my vagina, is like forcing a bowling ball out of a penis.
Sincerely Yours,
An American Vagina
Amendment IV
Search and arrest
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Big government of any stripe, whether currently led by Democrats or Republicans, isn't going to be much concerned with my freedoms. But I can certainly agree that the Republican Party today is not the party of freedom. Maybe in Abraham Lincoln's day, but certainly not today.
Thank you for dealing with the constant misuse of the concept of freedom as used today in comparison to its use by the founders. You have adequately stirred your followers in agreement so I will make only two small points. The first value mentioned in our charter document, the Declaration, was equality. It is the essential republican value.
The 63 March on Washington was A. Phillip Randolph's creation, supported by others including Bayard Rustin. Randolph was a socialist and labor leader as well as a black activist. Rustin was an erstwhile socialist, gay black man, black activist and justice activist. King was considered a major and essential speaker but it was not his march. Others, such as these two should not be forgotten.
Once again, I get to bang on about the 9th Amendment, because once again, a SCOTUS justice is banging on about rights supposedly not guaranteed by The Constitution. That's a half-truth. The right to choose under R v W is not an >enumerated< right - just as other rights the religious right oppose aren't enumerated. The 9th Amendment provides that our rights aren't limited to the enumerated rights - nor are the enumerated rights listed in order of importance. The wank-publicans would have us believe that when a judge legitimately recognizes a right validly under the 9th Amendment, they're "legislating from the bench." Yet they're not above cramming their Southern-fried religious heresies down our collective throats as law, saying they >believe< it's their "god given right" to do so. Well done, Prof Reich, on showing that garbage coming out of ol' Tweety's mouth! In a Mike Gibbons campaign ad for the OH primary, he states "Your rights don't come from government, they come from god." (That is, we have the same rights guaranteed to a serf in feudal times. Who gets to be god's presence on earth, huh ‽) A "big lie" that has been spread around by the religious right evangelicals for decades is that their religious freedom demands the laws reflect their belief, as they downplay the separation of church and state by simply denying they >believe< that such a separation exists within The Constitution, because it abridges their religious freedom. It only shows those self-proclaimed righteous folks don't give a single goddam what living hell they put others through, as long as the >believe< it will get them into their mythical heaven when they're goddam dead!
everything that rethuglicans do is aimed at crushing us all -- to crush anyone who dares to think their own thoughts or to act in ways that are different from the narrow white male authoritarian ideals they espouse.
FDR’s four freedoms are something the Democrats should emphasize. I want to concentrate on one of those freedoms in this post…the freedom from want. Inflation is real right now and it’s causing more and more “want” for the working and middle classes. One of the drivers of that inflation is the higher and rising prices for gas for their cars. I just watched a segment on CNN purporting to analyze why gas prices continue to rise. The CNN economic expert reported the two major reasons were worldwide inflation and supply and demand. She said nothing about the profiteering going on by the major oil companies. The quarterly profits of the four major oil companies we deal with in the U.S. have approximately tripled for the first quarter of this year over last year. And last year those profits were already in the $billions! The expert didn’t mention shareholder capitalism or corporate democrats as contributors to the rising gas prices. And she didn’t mention the idea of a windfall profits tax to help combat those rising prices. And she failed to mention the $billions that U.S. taxpayers are still on the hook for in subsidies to those oil companies. I fear that CNN is contributing to the dearth of analysis that we get from corporate media.
Hope you will schedule national media talk show appearances to spread this vital message. Thanks for so clearly describing the difference between Republican and Democrat.
Professor Reich, I’d like this essay to be heard at every campaign headquarters of the Democratic Party. Our “freedoms” are being blatantly chipped at while the thirst for power of the GOP is insatiable. Gun crime and mass shootings are out of control more than ever as well as every single point you mentioned this morning. We must not be idle!
We must not dawdle; a clear and bold message to counter the hypocritical falsehoods is what we need, NOW! We also need to fight tooth and nail to protect and recapture freedoms; we Democrats must look to Ukraine and become as united within our party as the whole of Ukraine is in defending their country against losing their freedom against the power-hungry Republicans who are the equivalent of Putin and his war on Ukraine.
🌻
It is so ironic that the GOP is using freedom as its theme, while their leader, Putin's friend, is about everything opposite of freedom, or tyranny. They are the party of control, greed, repression, and constriction of our rights. Expensive medical care, high education costs, misinformation and oppressive religion. The Republican party is the party of NO. There is no platform says McConnel : "We will tell you what it is after we win the election". How much more haughty and disrespectful to the voters can they get? They are not the party of anyone's freedom except their own freedom to do everything to control and enslave and silence and rip off the people. tRump sets himself up as God! Absolutely sickening! Religion has been used for millennia to control the 'masses'. It's a false security for the oppressed. One can be tricked to avoid confrontation and take 'comfort' in denial of reality. "there is pie in the sky when you die". Rubbish that belongs on the scrapheap of history! Putin's friend does not worship anything but his own image and likeness, along with ill gotten gains. (and gold toilets).
The dog whistle works.
I still think the antidote is benefits. Yesterday I posted a personal story.
We have a nephew. While his mother and I worked for SSA, and I was an SSA advocate, he became a right winger --mainly through peer pressure. He thought Rush Limbaugh was great.
Has young children: a son aged 10. Twin girls are 4. They got $300 per child until January when Senate Republicans refused to renew the Child Tax Credit.
Both parents are Trumpers. He is editor of a small publication. Over years he bought the Republican propaganda and fought a generational war. He wrote several columns adopting propaganda from Cato and Heritage thinktanks that endorsed privatization of Social Security and Medicare. He supported the Trump attempts to undermine the trust funds.
He is a gun nut. Owns dozens, is an instructor. Writes articles about them.
Our nephew has been divorced. That $900 per month would defray his child support. Filled with Fox news propaganda he hates Biden. But Biden’s Build Back Better also includes the permanent expansion of the Child Tax Credit.
What’s a Trumper to do?
I agree with your assessment of the GOP and their warped view of freedom.
I also agree that Democrats have to be far more forceful in explaining to voters what will be lost if the GOP retakes Congess.
I've seen the more progressive democrats attack the GOP, but the majority of centrists democrats seem reticent.
This is definitely not the time for reticence but action on a daily basis.
What's left of our fragile democracy depends on democratic activism from everyone.
"A living wage, the right to join a union, guaranteed healthcare, free higher education, the right to vote – these are the foundations of real freedom."
All true, and the most tangible, the most visceral of these is guaranteed healthcare. This is something the GOP has a long history of trying to take away from people. Give the people Medicare for all who want it.
At the time of the British election in 1945, everyone knew Churchill was going to win, including the Labour Party. Therefore, when it came time to plan their manifesto, Labour had nothing to lose and so decided to write what they really wanted instead of hedging to the right as they usually did.
The central part of their manifesto was guaranteed healthcare for all, and they won the election in a landslide.
The details can be worked out, all it requires is some gonadal fortitude.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/09/the-whole-wretched-election-campaign-the-debates-the-gotchas-the-raw-chicken?utm_term=6278c365efc326c1c4a30423ac65e58b&utm_campaign=FirstDogOnTheMoon&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=firstdog_email
This link to a First Dog on the Moon cartoon will show you that bad politics are everywhere, even way down under! What is WRONG WITH THE "POWERS THAT BE"????
When Republicans aren’t using memes like “freedom” or “socialism” as meaning-free buzzwords to whip up the masses, their true intent behind “freedom” is freedom from any restraint, responsibility, or consequence for their self-interested actions.
Thank you for this Robert. You got every scintilla of detail about what the GOP. The democrats need a whole new playbook and new blood to reinvigorate everything they are now. I cringe when I see Biden cozying up to Obama for help. Obama's 8 years in office is a big contributing factor that got us HERE NOW. Okay, the original sin came from Clinton who threw over the working class for big money. The Democrats need to show their constituents and the country what they stand for by actually legislating policies that matter on a batch of issues. One point, getting rid of student debt is low hanging fruit, as they say, but dithering is still the MO. I admit that I am so cynical that I probably wouldn't give the citizenry the credit to find their own anal area. However, even I find it hard to believe the American people will continue to buy the utter bull of "freedom" the GOP is trying to sell them. After all, American's live in the real world and everything that encompasses and means for how hard survival is for everyone but the rich.
The USA is facing challenges at every turn: an ongoing pandemic this fall could be bad again, a highly polarized U.S. mid term election coming up, mounting inflation, the great resignation, a war in Ukraine, dramatic economic sanctions against Russia that will affect our supply chain for years to come. China continues to build stronger AI. Our planet is being destroyed. The southern border is NOT being addressed by this administration, high crime in major cities, high suicide rates, mental depression issues and poverty with people living on the streets. Our food and water is being poisoned. Citizens are sick and dying of diabetes, heart disease, dementia. Young people are now getting cancer. Freedom for the USA can ONLY be obtained if both parties work together to find solutions. Abortion is NOT being banned. Only changing the power to the states. Don't like your blue state move to red state. Don't like your red state move to a blue state. We are no longer the UNITED States. Both parties have destroyed the "united" with their abuse of power. Career politicians are the worst. Why half the country is fascinated with Trump, Musk and Bezos. These 3 men created massive wealth through hard work. Many politicians are jealous and tend to crucify the rich. Do you know who gives tremendous amount of money to charities that help our citizens? THE RICH! Be very wary of politicians that amass wealth while in office. 2 + 2 = 4.
Dear Supreme Court,
The 4th amendment of my Constitution, very clearly states that:
1. My vagina is secure.
2. No one has the right to search my vagina.
3. No one has the right to seize my vagina.
4. If the state wants to search my vagina, they must acquire a search warrant.
5. The state’s application for a search warrant must:
a. describe my vagina (and include such information as where they expect to find it, when they intend to search it, and where they got their information).
b. exactly what they expect to find inside my vagina and
c. the reasons they expect to find evidence of a crime inside my vagina.
In addition to my vagina, the 4th amendment also protects my papers, and effects against unreasonable search and seizure. No one can prove my vagina is a “potential” crime scene without illegally searching and seizing my papers and effects (such as the results of urine or blood tests, or pee-sticks from Walgreens). When the state searches my vagina and discovers a watermelon sized cyst, instead of a fetus, will the state be required to pay for the removal of the cyst?
For the record, my vagina has a mind of its own. I have no idea how many fetuses my vagina has expelled between my periods but given the size of blood clots on my sanitary napkins, I am certain it was a monthly occurrence for 40 years in a row.
I have questions.
1. How many times a year will the state be allowed to search my vagina?
2. Who will pay for these searches?
3. Who will conduct these searches?
4. Will they use their hands to conduct these searches?
5. Will the state be allowed to seize my vagina? If yes, will they be allowed to cut it out of me, or seize me too?
For the record, my vagina is attached to my person. Do men consider their penises part of their person? Forcing a 9 pound, 11 ounce, 22 inch long baby out of my vagina, is like forcing a bowling ball out of a penis.
Sincerely Yours,
An American Vagina
Amendment IV
Search and arrest
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Big government of any stripe, whether currently led by Democrats or Republicans, isn't going to be much concerned with my freedoms. But I can certainly agree that the Republican Party today is not the party of freedom. Maybe in Abraham Lincoln's day, but certainly not today.
Thank you for dealing with the constant misuse of the concept of freedom as used today in comparison to its use by the founders. You have adequately stirred your followers in agreement so I will make only two small points. The first value mentioned in our charter document, the Declaration, was equality. It is the essential republican value.
The 63 March on Washington was A. Phillip Randolph's creation, supported by others including Bayard Rustin. Randolph was a socialist and labor leader as well as a black activist. Rustin was an erstwhile socialist, gay black man, black activist and justice activist. King was considered a major and essential speaker but it was not his march. Others, such as these two should not be forgotten.