Comments by "wily wascal" (@wilywascal2024) on "''Why did Trump not stop the riot?': Raskin urges Senate to convict" video.

  1. "The secret of freedom is educating the people, whereas the secret of tyranny is keeping them ignorant." ~Robespierre “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities” ~ Voltaire "There can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the bullet." ~Abraham Lincoln “If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition and ignorance on the other.” ~ Ulysses S. Grant, 1875 “The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence." ~ Charles Bukowski ~ "Everybody has a right to their opinion, but nobody has a right to be wrong in their facts." ~ Bernard Baruch, quoted in 1946 AP article. “It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them that they have been fooled.” ~ Mark Twain “It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” ~ James A. Baldwin "When stupidity is considered patriotism, it is unsafe to be intelligent." ~ Isaac Asimov "When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” ~ Typically misattributed to Sinclair Lewis, the original source of this quote is unknown, but likely derived from labor activist Eugene V. Debs 1917 quote, "Every robber or oppressor in history has wrapped himself in a cloak of patriotism or religion, or both." Before World War II, Charles Lindbergh typified American heroism with his daring flights, including the first solo transatlantic flight, and his celebration of new technology. He parlayed his fame and heroic stature into a leading role in the America First movement, which opposed America’s entrance into the war against Nazi Germany. In 1939, in an essay entitled “Aviation, Geography, and Race,” published in that most American of journals, Reader’s Digest, Lindbergh embraced something close to Nazism for America: "It is time to turn from our quarrels and to build our White ramparts again. This alliance with foreign races means nothing but death to us. It is our turn to guard our heritage from Mongol and Persian and Moor, before we become engulfed in a limitless foreign sea." The America First movement was the public face of pro-fascist sentiment in the United States at that time. In the twenties and thirties, many Americans shared Lindbergh’s views against immigration, especially by non-Europeans. The Immigration Act of 1924 strictly limited immigration into the country, and it was specifically intended to restrict the immigration of both nonwhites and Jews. In this era, the likes of Toxic Trump and Marginalized Greene have become the face of the new "America First" fascist movement built up over the last four decades by the GOP, Reich-wing plutocrats, demagogues, and media. But, as with Lindbergh, the American people gradually come to recognize their dysfunctional poison and reject it. Most Americans want competent leaders who speak truth, who strive to unite, who are not corrupt, who care about them. So, it should come as no surprise that President Biden is already receiving high marks from the public, while Toxic Trump never managed to rise above even a 50% approval rating. To conclude where begun, the following quotes are submitted for further reflection: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." ~ George Santayana "History doesn't repeat itself. But it does rhyme. ~ Mark Twain "That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history." ~ Aldous Huxley "If men could learn from history, what lessons it might teach us! But passion and party blind our eyes, and the light which experience gives us is a lantern on the stern which shines only on the waves behind." ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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  4. As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it just recently, "The Republican party is at dysfunction junction." May disagree with conservative ideology and with their stances on many issues, but do value and respect LOYAL opposition--a duty that the GOP has for too long forgotten and abdicated, putting personal and party interests before country. That is not only harmful to their party, it is harmful to our democracy and institutions. And it has come to represent a clear a present danger to our nation, a serious threat to our very security. All of this is mentioned because it is firmly believed that this is not a time for diplomatic, soft-spoken words. This is not a time to be Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for confronting stark unpleasant realities. Our democracy is a fragile construct, only as sturdy, vibrant, and enduring as we maintain it, requiring constant vigilance and due diligence. Just as we don't forget Pearl Harbor, or 9/11, even more so the attack against our nation's Capitol on January 6, 2021 by fascist Reich-wing domestic terrorists incited to insurrection by a deranged President against his own government must never be forgotten or forgiven. Thus, we MUST condemn both cowardly, corrupt Republican so-called "leaders" defying truth, justice, duty, democracy, and Constitution--and their dysfunctional political party that behaves as a cult--in the strongest possible terms, using the most muscular language that can be mustered. For it is necessary; the very fate of our nation depends upon it. Disaster was narrowly averted with the defeat of Trump, with Democratic control of the House and Senate, but the battle for the soul of this nation is far from over, and we must never again allow ourselves to become complacent. And so it is vitally imperative that we remind each other of this, that we impress these things upon the rest of the citizens of this nation.
    1
  5. "The secret of freedom is educating the people, whereas the secret of tyranny is keeping them ignorant." ~Robespierre “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities” ~ Voltaire "There can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the bullet." ~Abraham Lincoln “If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition and ignorance on the other.” ~ Ulysses S. Grant, 1875 “The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence." ~ Charles Bukowski ~ "Everybody has a right to their opinion, but nobody has a right to be wrong in their facts." ~ Bernard Baruch, quoted in 1946 AP article. “It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them that they have been fooled.” ~ Mark Twain “It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” ~ James A. Baldwin "When stupidity is considered patriotism, it is unsafe to be intelligent." ~ Isaac Asimov "When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” ~ Typically misattributed to Sinclair Lewis, the original source of this quote is unknown, but likely derived from labor activist Eugene V. Debs 1917 quote, "Every robber or oppressor in history has wrapped himself in a cloak of patriotism or religion, or both." Before World War II, Charles Lindbergh typified American heroism with his daring flights, including the first solo transatlantic flight, and his celebration of new technology. He parlayed his fame and heroic stature into a leading role in the America First movement, which opposed America’s entrance into the war against Nazi Germany. In 1939, in an essay entitled “Aviation, Geography, and Race,” published in that most American of journals, Reader’s Digest, Lindbergh embraced something close to Nazism for America: "It is time to turn from our quarrels and to build our White ramparts again. This alliance with foreign races means nothing but death to us. It is our turn to guard our heritage from Mongol and Persian and Moor, before we become engulfed in a limitless foreign sea." The America First movement was the public face of pro-fascist sentiment in the United States at that time. In the twenties and thirties, many Americans shared Lindbergh’s views against immigration, especially by non-Europeans. The Immigration Act of 1924 strictly limited immigration into the country, and it was specifically intended to restrict the immigration of both nonwhites and Jews. In this era, the likes of Toxic Trump and Marginalized Greene have become the face of the new "America First" fascist movement built up over the last four decades by the GOP, Reich-wing plutocrats, demagogues, and media. But, as with Lindbergh, the American people gradually come to recognize their dysfunctional poison and reject it. Most Americans want competent leaders who speak truth, who strive to unite, who are not corrupt, who care about them. So, it should come as no surprise that President Biden is already receiving high marks from the public, while Toxic Trump never managed to rise above even a 50% approval rating. To conclude where begun, the following quotes are submitted for further reflection: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." ~ George Santayana "History doesn't repeat itself. But it does rhyme. ~ Mark Twain "That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history." ~ Aldous Huxley "If men could learn from history, what lessons it might teach us! But passion and party blind our eyes, and the light which experience gives us is a lantern on the stern which shines only on the waves behind." ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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  6. Even worse than the deplorable, despicable rudeness, arrogance, adolescence, and disrespect displayed by some Senate Republicans during Trump's second impeachment trial is their gaslighting, conferencing with and advising Trump's defense team, and hiding behind the fallacious process argument of "no jurisdiction" for Senate impeachment trial, when the Traitor-'n-Thief Trump was impeached BEFORE leaving office. For comparison, as long as a person is indicted for a crime before the statute of limitations had expired for their alleged crime, it matters not that the trial takes place after that expiration date--the criminal does not get a "free pass." Moreover, this isn't a criminal trial, it's merely a disciplinary employment measure. Think of someone resigning, then the company determining that employee had committed crimes or other egregious behavior, thereby deciding at some point afterward that that person could not be rehired, and is also deprived of any post-employment rewards. Besides, there is ample precedent for impeaching after someone has left office, anyway. Moreover, the fact is, the House and Senate determine their own rules for impeachment and trial--something confirmed already previously by SCOTUS decisions. Given that the Senate voted that this Senate trial of Toxic Trump is Constitutional, that is the ruling ALL Senators are bound by. What these Republican Senators hiding behind the fallacious "jurisdiction" argument are essentially doing is refusing to abide by their own Senate rules and laws, placing themselves above the law. So much for Republicans being the party of "law and order," taking personal responsibility, supporting law enforcement, and setting a good example for Americans.
    1
  7. "The secret of freedom is educating the people, whereas the secret of tyranny is keeping them ignorant." ~Robespierre “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities” ~ Voltaire "There can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the bullet." ~Abraham Lincoln “If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition and ignorance on the other.” ~ Ulysses S. Grant, 1875 “The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence." ~ Charles Bukowski ~ "Everybody has a right to their opinion, but nobody has a right to be wrong in their facts." ~ Bernard Baruch, quoted in 1946 AP article. “It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them that they have been fooled.” ~ Mark Twain “It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” ~ James A. Baldwin "When stupidity is considered patriotism, it is unsafe to be intelligent." ~ Isaac Asimov "When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” ~ Typically misattributed to Sinclair Lewis, the original source of this quote is unknown, but likely derived from labor activist Eugene V. Debs 1917 quote, "Every robber or oppressor in history has wrapped himself in a cloak of patriotism or religion, or both." Before World War II, Charles Lindbergh typified American heroism with his daring flights, including the first solo transatlantic flight, and his celebration of new technology. He parlayed his fame and heroic stature into a leading role in the America First movement, which opposed America’s entrance into the war against Nazi Germany. In 1939, in an essay entitled “Aviation, Geography, and Race,” published in that most American of journals, Reader’s Digest, Lindbergh embraced something close to Nazism for America: "It is time to turn from our quarrels and to build our White ramparts again. This alliance with foreign races means nothing but death to us. It is our turn to guard our heritage from Mongol and Persian and Moor, before we become engulfed in a limitless foreign sea." The America First movement was the public face of pro-fascist sentiment in the United States at that time. In the twenties and thirties, many Americans shared Lindbergh’s views against immigration, especially by non-Europeans. The Immigration Act of 1924 strictly limited immigration into the country, and it was specifically intended to restrict the immigration of both nonwhites and Jews. In this era, the likes of Toxic Trump and Marginalized Greene have become the face of the new "America First" fascist movement built up over the last four decades by the GOP, Reich-wing plutocrats, demagogues, and media. But, as with Lindbergh, the American people gradually come to recognize their dysfunctional poison and reject it. Most Americans want competent leaders who speak truth, who strive to unite, who are not corrupt, who care about them. So, it should come as no surprise that President Biden is already receiving high marks from the public, while Toxic Trump never managed to rise above even a 50% approval rating. To conclude where begun, the following quotes are submitted for further reflection: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." ~ George Santayana "History doesn't repeat itself. But it does rhyme. ~ Mark Twain "That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history." ~ Aldous Huxley "If men could learn from history, what lessons it might teach us! But passion and party blind our eyes, and the light which experience gives us is a lantern on the stern which shines only on the waves behind." ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge
    1
  8. As political commentator and former Republican presidential advisor Mark McKinnon so aptly put it just recently, "The Republican party is at dysfunction junction." May disagree with conservative ideology and with their stances on many issues, but do value and respect LOYAL opposition--a duty that the GOP has for too long forgotten and abdicated, putting personal and party interests before country. That is not only harmful to their party, it is harmful to our democracy and institutions. And it has come to represent a clear a present danger to our nation, a serious threat to our very security. All of this is mentioned because it is firmly believed that this is not a time for diplomatic, soft-spoken words. This is not a time to be Pollyannaish about our current political landscape, but a time for frankness, a time for acknowledgment of defects, a time for confronting stark unpleasant realities. Our democracy is a fragile construct, only as sturdy, vibrant, and enduring as we maintain it, requiring constant vigilance and due diligence. Just as we don't forget Pearl Harbor, or 9/11, even more so the attack against our nation's Capitol on January 6, 2021 by fascist Reich-wing domestic terrorists incited to insurrection by a deranged President against his own government must never be forgotten or forgiven. Thus, we MUST condemn both cowardly, corrupt Republican so-called "leaders" defying truth, justice, duty, democracy, and Constitution--and their dysfunctional political party that behaves as a cult--in the strongest possible terms, using the most muscular language that can be mustered. For it is necessary; the very fate of our nation depends upon it. Disaster was narrowly averted with the defeat of Trump, with Democratic control of the House and Senate, but the battle for the soul of this nation is far from over, and we must never again allow ourselves to become complacent. And so it is vitally imperative that we remind each other of this, that we impress these things upon the rest of the citizens of this nation.
    1
  9. Even worse than the deplorable, despicable rudeness, arrogance, adolescence, and disrespect displayed by some Senate Republicans during Trump's second impeachment trial is their gaslighting, conferencing with and advising Trump's defense team, and hiding behind the fallacious process argument of "no jurisdiction" for Senate impeachment trial, when the Traitor-'n-Thief Trump was impeached BEFORE leaving office. For comparison, as long as a person is indicted for a crime before the statute of limitations had expired for their alleged crime, it matters not that the trial takes place after that expiration date--the criminal does not get a "free pass." Moreover, this isn't a criminal trial, it's merely a disciplinary employment measure. Think of someone resigning, then the company determining that employee had committed crimes or other egregious behavior, thereby deciding at some point afterward that that person could not be rehired, and is also deprived of any post-employment rewards. Besides, there is ample precedent for impeaching after someone has left office, anyway. Moreover, the fact is, the House and Senate determine their own rules for impeachment and trial--something confirmed already previously by SCOTUS decisions. Given that the Senate voted that this Senate trial of Toxic Trump is Constitutional, that is the ruling ALL Senators are bound by. What these Republican Senators hiding behind the fallacious "jurisdiction" argument are essentially doing is refusing to abide by their own Senate rules and laws, placing themselves above the law. So much for Republicans being the party of "law and order," taking personal responsibility, supporting law enforcement, and setting a good example for Americans.
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